Despite Toronto, Montreal gridlock, commuters reluctant to use transit

[vz64]

I agree with those citing efficiency and coverage as main obstacles in using public transportation. I live at Yonge & Sheppard and I work close to Downsview. I usually drive to work (6-20min) or ride a bicycle (20-25min). I try to avoid bus for a number of reasons: time intervals are not great after 9am, buses are often not on schedule, so it takes 35-40 min to get to work. I wish Sheppard line was extended to Downsview; I would take subway in the winter and ride a bicycle in the summer. We need DRL, Crosstown, Lakeshore LRT, Sheppard (subway or LRT) line to create a decent transportation system (road tolls, increased parking fees, car registration fees, increased federal contribution?). And the subway signalling system should've been upgraded yesterday! I have a fond memory of St. Petersburg metro where train would arrive every 40 sec during rush hours and a train would never stop in the middle of the tunnel.

 

[Paleo]

People are reluctant to use public transit because it is inadequate.

1) People prefer subways, which is fast, yet Toronto has 2 subway lines. If you are not living close to these lines, you need the bus/streetcars, which are slow and infrequent.
2) In winter, it is painful to wait for 20 minutes for a street car which is supposed to have arrived 15 minutes ago.
3) It is too expensive, at $121, it is the most expensive in North America, yet far less extensive than Chicago or NYC.

Who wouldn't prefer subways? It comes every 5 minutes because no matter how badly the route performs, the service is completely immune to cuts when the budget axe comes.

 

[rbt]

Only recently it is spending millions in advertising its new subway cars.

You would be mistaken. TTC gets advertising on their own system for free and those spots are normally used for self promotion and things like escalator safety.

Producing and printing the subway ads would have been about $30,000. They, alternatively, would have spent about $30,000 to put up escalator safety ads.

 

[sixrings]

If the city made a rule that you can only develop along rapid transit lines in the city like subway or LRT then at least everyone would be able to access things. WHen eventually the lines over flow put in new lines and change where the development can happen. It would be a similar approach to how new york for so many years you could only build high rises downtown.. We have too much development randomly spread out away from transit lines. Then we try to build transit lines everywhere. That will never work. Hubs and development on major routes needs to be looked at as future city planning.

 

[nfitz]

I have commented on this before, but the NextBus data is hardly accurate all the time, especially on streetcar routes. I routinely get 39mins for the next streetcar, then I wait, check again, and it's suddenly at 9mins. I had to run like the wind to catch the streetcar because out here you NEVER KNOW when the next one will come. It's like waiting for the Messiah.

There are certainly situations at specific stops, where the information is more variable for certain reasons ... such as short-turning cars coming in nearby ... or it losing track of vehicles during a detour ... or perhaps the operator logs out somehow at a terminal ... but generally it's pretty decent at most locations.

Having a smartphone isn't a requirement ... any phone that can text can get the basic info. I know people who do this with no problem.

And even with no phone ... these days, half the people waiting at the stop have a smartphone out, doing something while they are waiting. Ask them - they probably already know. If no one is there, someone comes up, looks at their phone, scowls, and moves on ... ask why. Check a local merchant who keeps a screen up showing nearby vehicles. etc.

Or just stand doing nothing for 25 minutes, cursing that you didn't walk 5 minutes to a much more frequent route.

 

[EMP1729]

Solution to congestion problems.....

Click image to magnify....