GO helps people go car free

TORONTO , Sept. 22, 2009 /CNW/ - Today, GO Transit celebrated The Sierra Club's 9th annual international Car Free Day at Yonge-Dundas Square, where thousands of people learned about the benefits of using public transit and going car free.

GO recognizes that the decisions we make today will have a major impact on the world we'll live in tomorrow. That is why GO is taking an active part in trying to make a difference. Encouraging active transportation such as walking or cycling and taking local public transit is a big part of GO's plan.

"GO has always been an easy and sustainable commuting option - something that will only continue in the years to come," said GO Transit Managing Director Gary McNeil. "In one year, we remove 1.7 billion kilometres of auto trips from the road system."

GO recently developed a station access strategy that prioritizes pedestrian, cycling, and local transit access to our stations. "One of our longer term goals is to change the way customers get to their stations. We would like to see more people using alternative forms of transportation," continued McNeil.

During rush hour, one 12-car GO Train takes about 1,670 cars off the road, while a single GO Bus can replace around 50 cars.

Over the past year, GO has been busy introducing several environmentally friendly initiatives, such as:

    
    -  Opening of Streetsville GO Bus facility which was built to silver LEED
       standards;
    -  Powering up first wind turbine at the Lisgar GO Station in
       Mississauga, and;
    -  Investigating the latest technology and available equipment when
       expanding service or replacing older equipment.
    

Car Free Day aims to raise awareness of the environmental hazards of car use and encourages the use of more sustainable forms of transportation. For more information, check out www.carfreeday.ca.

For GO information, the public can call 416.869.3200, 1.888.GET ON GO (438.6646), or 1.800.387.3652 TTY, or visit gotransit.com.

GO Transit is the Province of Ontario's interregional public transit system linking Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). GO carries nearly 55 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services that spans over 8,000 square kilometres. GO Transit is a division of Metrolinx.

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For further information: Media enquiries - Vanessa Thomas, [phone] ext. 5264, or Gillian Riddell, [phone] ext. 5640