Local commuters continue to grapple with the daily competition for parking spots at the "insanely busy" Aurora GO station, while the nearby new Bloomington GO station remains almost eerily quiet.
Ongoing construction has resulted in 375 parking spots at the Aurora station being closed, as Metrolinx continues working on expanding all-day, two-way service.
Peggy Samboukian, 40, who commutes daily to her immigration law firm in downtown Toronto, said since workers have been returning to offices, it has been “insanely busy,” especially from Tuesday to Thursday.
She added she knows some commuters come from Newmarket to park at the Aurora station, squeezing the number of parking spaces.
Josh Medeiros, 37, who commutes from Newmarket to downtown Toronto three times a week, said he has noticed the parking situation “is really bad” at the Aurora station.
Medeiros, who usually commutes from the East Gwillimbury station on Green Lane, noted construction at the Aurora station has caused some inconvenience with the platform closure.
“But the most troubling thing is the parking here, the parking is really bad at this station, I find.”
Noah Wright, 19, commutes down to Toronto Metropolitan University four times a week, and has been left in the lurch due to parking troubles in the past.
"The first week (of the semester), I had a couple of problems, I couldn’t find any parking so it made me miss a class, but it is what it is,” he said.
But Wright noted the alternate lot opened at 9 Scanlon Court when the west lot was closed for construction has made finding a spot easier.
Despite this, a Metrolinx spokesperson said the total number of spots at the station has actually increased from 1,455 in 2023 to 1,480 currently.
Reserved parking spots
Meanwhile, more than a hundred spots in the five-storey parking garage can be reserved on weekdays for commuters willing to pay a monthly fee $98.
Samboukian has been paying for a reserved spot for several years, since before the pandemic.
“I would rather pay that to secure a spot (rather than get there earlier, before 7 a.m.) I am just paying for my comfort, basically, it’s costing me definitely, on top of my fare ticket,” she said.
“I speak to people and some of them say the monthly payment, it’s not cheap, considering you’re paying around $20 a day for your commute. But it’s still less expensive then driving downtown and being stuck on traffic on the Gardiner or 404.”
Wright said he might consider the program, although balked when told the cost, while Medeiros questioned the system.
"When I do come, and it will say the lot is full, usually that line (of spots) is pretty empty," he said. "I just don't know what to make of it. Are people using those spots, what are they there for? Do they need that many?"
Bloomington GO quiet
While commuters face parking difficulties at Aurora GO Station, Bloomington GO — which was expected to provide some relief for the Aurora station — often sits nearly empty, just a 10-minute drive away. At 9:20 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, the station had hundreds of empty spots.
The Bloomington GO station opened in June 2021, with nearly 1,000 parking spots, a three-level parking structure, and a passenger drop-off and pick-up area.
At the time, local MPP Michael Parsa touted the opening of Bloomington GO Station as "a game changer for those living in the areas of Richmond Hill and Aurora.”
“This new station has close proximity to Highway 404 and will be a vital transit hub and new home base for riders to travel directly into Toronto.”
Both Wright and Samboukian said they knew of the station but had not commuted from there.
“I see it’s a beautiful new building and I hope it’s going to help with the parking situation,” said Samboukian.
The station runs four trains to Union Station between 5:57 a.m. and 7:57 a.m., but then none leave the station for the rest of the day. Five trains make the reverse journey in the evening. There is also the 61 Richmond Hill bus route, which leaves hourly throughout the day.
So far in September this year, the station was averaging about about 130 boardings at the station every weekday, according to Metrolinx.
"These numbers are in line with expectations, and Metrolinx will continue to promote Bloomington GO for commuters," the spokesperson added.
