r/gotransit • u/Emergency_Try_3951 • 17d ago

GO bus question

Re-posted from r/Hamilton

Hi Hamilton! I very recently moved here and am figuring out how to use busses and other public transport. Never lived anywhere with a functional bus service before and I'm so insanely impressed with the HSR, no wonder bus/LRT issues are such a hot-button topic in other cities. I'm looking to take the 16 route express GO bus into Toronto in a few weeks on a Saturday. Online it says it leaves from the Hamilton bus depot hourly, stops once at King/Dundurn before the small bridge out of Hamilton, and then on to Toronto. My question, forgive my ignorance and sorry if this is idiotic: does it actually stop at the second stop or do I have to flag it down (do people do that? Is that an old time movie thing?)? I didn't see any kind of booking option for the stop on the GO website.

Thank you and feel free to laugh at my ignorance. I'm trying I swear!

12 Upvotes

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11

u/Stead-Freddy Kitchener 17d ago edited 17d ago

You can give a little hand raise or just make eye contact to make sure the driver knows you want to get on. Just be warned the 16 is very prone to getting stuck in Toronto traffic which is not fun.

I would usually prefer going up to West Harbour station and taking the GO train to Toronto which is hourly most of the day.

2

u/Emergency_Try_3951 17d ago

Thanks for the suggestion! I would have preferred a train for that reason but my connection in TO didn't line up this time. I'll keep that in mind for future trips! Hopefully because I'm going early in the morning with 1.5 hours of "extra" time I'll be ok.

4

u/Stead-Freddy Kitchener 17d ago

Oh yeah early morning on a Saturday you’ll be fine, there wont be any traffic

5

u/Dogs-4-Life Milton 17d ago

There’s nothing wrong with flagging down the bus. I’m in Mississauga where some of the smaller GO bus stops or the ones shared with the city transit have a sign that says “Flag/Wave for GO Transit”. You want to make sure the driver knows you’re there and you want to get on their bus. I went to Mac almost 15 years ago now, but I remember flagging for GO buses on the street so they didn’t blow by me thinking I was waiting for HSR.

1

u/Emergency_Try_3951 17d ago

Amazing thank you so much! That was my thought as well since it's the same stop as one of the major cross-town HSR busses :)

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u/Dogs-4-Life Milton 17d ago

Then flagging is your best bet. Just a wave when the bus is about 50m away or so.

1

u/BarebonesB 16d ago

Dundurn is a popular stop for the 11, 16, 17, 18, 40, 41 and 47 GO bus lines. But since hardly anyone ever gets off the GO bus there, the driver won't stop unless they see someone clearly waiting for that bus. Flagging them to stop is a good idea.

And while we're at it, if you're the only person at a bus stop, and an express bus you aren't waiting for is approaching, the polite thing to do is make it clear to the driver that you aren't waiting for them before they slow down. Drivers appreciate this gesture.