Commute to Mac from downtown Toronto

[kston]

Hi all,

 

Can anyone comment on the commute from downtown Toronto to Mac?

 

I don't have a car and so I will have to take either the GO bus or the GO bus/train.

 

I am particularly interested in knowing

 

- how long the commute takes in rush hour

- how early I would have to leave downtown Toronto to avoid morning rush hour

- whether the GO bus/train is comfortable and whether one can get any work done during the commute (I've never taken the GO!)

- if the commute will kill me in my first year of meds

 

Thanks in advance!

[shady]

I wouldn't do it. I live in Vaughan and commute to downtown, and that was a huge drain on me in the last 2 years (GPA went down). My commute was 1:15-1:30 one-way. You end up losing up to 15 hours a week to nothing. Worse yet, you lose even more hours because you have to rest from the long commute once you get home ..

 

Then there is the huge transport cost. $260 per month on GO pass + TTC pass (you will be paying more since you will be travelling farther). And for you, you will be paying down town Toronto rent as opposed to Hamilton rent, and the former is a lot more expensive.

 

Now that's just 1 city away. If you wanna go all the way to Hamilton and back? That sounds terrible. Granted the lake shore west line is busier and moves faster, but I still don't recommend it. Have you ever commuted in the past?

 

Hi all,

 

Can anyone comment on the commute from downtown Toronto to Mac?

 

I don't have a car and so I will have to take either the GO bus or the GO bus/train.

 

I am particularly interested in knowing

 

- how long the commute takes in rush hour

Haven't done it so can't answer for sure.

- how early I would have to leave downtown Toronto to avoid morning rush hour

Rush hour shouldn't be that big of a deal. The jam will be coming into Toronto in the morning and leaving in the evening, so in the opposite direction to you.

- whether the GO bus/train is comfortable and whether one can get any work done during the commute (I've never taken the GO!)

GO train is comfortable, but will take way too long from TO to hamilton (around 2 hours?). It stops a lot so it ends up being slow.

GO bus is much less comfortable, but still okay (unlike those annoying TTC buses). What you have to figure out is whether or not there are buses from Union to Mac in the morning and the other way around in the evening.

- if the commute will kill me in my first year of meds

Probably

 

Thanks in advance!

[w_robin]

Hi all,

 

Can anyone comment on the commute from downtown Toronto to Mac?

 

I don't have a car and so I will have to take either the GO bus or the GO bus/train.

 

I am particularly interested in knowing

 

- how long the commute takes in rush hour

- how early I would have to leave downtown Toronto to avoid morning rush hour

- whether the GO bus/train is comfortable and whether one can get any work done during the commute (I've never taken the GO!)

- if the commute will kill me in my first year of meds

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I don't usually do the commute in the counter direction but the times that I have done it, there can be substantial traffic, in both directions. The problem with Toronto's traffic is that urban sprawl has decentralized travel. I would budget an hour an a half, each way - providing there are no accidents.

 

You would have to leave Toronto at 6:30 to completely avoid rush hour.

 

Both are comfortable. The bus is generally faster but bumpier and you will have to transfer to the HSR. The train is slower and comes less often, but you can go direct to Mac.

 

I would advise against commuting. You will lose 3 hours of your day, every day. It will also cost you $3000 a year. McMaster is strict on being on-time for things in the first few months so you will undoubtedly be leaving earlier and earlier, etc.

[kston]

Thanks both of you for your thoughtful responses. I haven't commuted to school or work in the past and so this would be my first time. In light of your comments, and some conversations I've since had with a former Mac student, I think I'm going to look for shared accommodations in Hamilton. Again, I really appreciated your input on this. It was helpful.