By Lindsey Cole
The Oshawa Express

GO Transit is running out of room and is looking to expand.
And a new bus storage facility on Thornton Road could be just the ticket.
Representatives from GO Transit were on hand at the CAW Local 222 office in Oshawa recently to answer any questions the public may have regarding the proposed facility and what it means to the city.
The public consultation was part of the Environmental Assessment process to build a maintenance and storage facility that is slated to store 56 buses indoors and 12 outdoors initially.
According to Emila Marceta, a communications specialist for Metolinx and GO, it was decided there was a need for a new facility after a 2004 study indicated GO Transit was running out of room for bus storage.
“We’ve outgrown our service. We don’t really have anything that exists,” says Marceta.
“This best met our requirements. This is in a zoned industrial area.”
The proposed facility would be located at 1002 Thornton Road South near Wentworth and Boundary Road and would be 200,000 square feet, around 14.5 acres. It would house approximately 145 to 150 staff and eventually could hold up to 104 buses inside.
According to a GO Transit report, it would have a repair shop, equipment storage, a bus wash, indoor fuelling, and a body shop as well as office space.
The project will also aim to be environmentally conscious, pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification, she explains.
Marceta says there were several areas up for consideration, including 1900 Boundary Road and 1850 Boundary Road in Whitby, plus Lake Road in Bowmanville.
The Thornton Road location was picked because of its close proximity to Hwy. 401, as well as the minimal impact it would have on traffic, the GO Transit report states.
“We want people to ask questions. Their comments are very important in helping us through this process,” Marceta says, as several people walk in through the door.
The project is slated to cost between $40 to $50 million once funding is secured, Marceta explains.

“What great news for Oshawa.”
A few people at the public consultation session came to find out about the proposed GO rail link from Oshawa to Bowmanville, but that matter wasn’t up for discussion as it is still in the preliminary stages.
For Oshawa resident Dave Turner the bus facility seems like a good idea, he says.
“I think it’s a good place. It will reduces mileage and fuel,” he says.
Once these comments are collected and the report is formed, the public will have a chance to view the proposed project as well as comment for 45 days. An advertisement of the Notice of Completion for the EA will be posted and then residents will have a chance to take a look. 
The public will then be able to give comments online at www.gotransit.com under the Expansion Projects section or at various municipal offices and libraries once the ad is posted, says Marceta.