|
|
|
Correct. On-street parking on Barton is at a premium, and the no stopping zones around the bus stops are all sized for 40' pull-ins and pull-outs. To size for 60' buses, you would need to take out at least 2 parking spaces around every bus stop. Especially in places that are covered by a BIA, that's a non-starter.
Yeah, artic actually have smaller turning radius than a regular bus. Front part around 32ft long, back part around 28 ft. So turning radius similar to a 32ft bus.
I was surprised how popular these were. They sold out of the yellow ones really fast. Good on them for capitalizing on their brand image.
When I got the yellow one, I had run over from work, got in line and found out they sold out soon after. People love transit stuff, but HSR and the city more generally has failed to capitalize on Hamiltonians love of Hamilton. Very little city pride, especially from those who have been here the longest.
I think this transit stuff is a good start. To be honest, Toronto suffers the same thing. But you just need to look at Scarborough Spots on Instagram to see how you can really turn your love of a place into something that people want to buy and show off.
The one thing fascinating thing I've noticed from the angry people on Facebook ranting about the LRT plans is that a lot of people seem to genuinely like the HSR. Not that Hamilton is some transit-loving paradise, I think many people have a positive nostalgic view of using the bus when they were a kid (and haven't touched in many years, but are happy to tell you it's "perfecly fine as it is!"), but where I grew up, in York Region, the bus was definitely seen as the "loser limo" for the desperate and did not really have any respect.
