Is Hume right?

[TheTigerMaster]

OMG, I agree with a Hume column for the first time ever, I just caught a chill, was that Hell freezing over?

The TTC's problems have nothing to do with funding sources or congestion or anything else other than management constipation that doesn't see the need for change to address the fact that it is no longer 1946 out there.

Operators drive a route to suit themselves and management allows them to do so. How else to explain the wagon trains of 3 or more busses or streetcars nose to tail in none rush hour or weekend situations? You don't have to seek out this aberration, it is everywhere all day long. Fixing this is easy, allowing a few heads to roll has a salutary effect.

That's what happens when you run vehicles as frequently a the TTC does without signalling (like on our subways and LRTs).

 

[cereal]

My major gripe is that the TTC is that it sucks at everything... EVERYTHING!

Everything they buy or build costs 10X that it does in any other part of the world (including europe).
Everything they build, repair or install takes 100X longer than it should.
They monitor their streetcar fleet with physical staff standing on the corner with clipboards, WTF!! It's called GPS, and it's installed on every streetcar already (which also should have happened 10yrs ago)
Automatic fares/turnstiles/vending machines.... it's 2013 and we still have manned booths in every station?

ahhh, sooo much waste.

Andy Byford needs to quit acting like a little bitch and 'apologizing' and actually do something. I had hope for him, but he is rapiding turning into a lame duck.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Things went downhill for the TTC when the provincial government after 1995, under the PCs and Mike Harris (Common Sense Revolution), downloaded costs that the province used to pay for, including parts of the operating subsidy of the TTC. The Harris government cut funding of major urban infrastructure projects all across the province, not just Toronto, upon assuming office.

The capital budget for the TTC was also cut, big time. Fares for the TTC went up, to compensate the lose of the operating subsidy from the province. Routes were cut and/or reduced. The Eglinton Subway construction was stopped and filled in.

Slowly, the TTC is improving, but it takes time. The Big Move is helping. However, more support from the higher levels of government is needed, not just short-term token support, but real long-term, sustained support.

den:



The system was heading for the same breaking point in the late 80s by ridership - only getting an unexpected reprieve as a result of the deep recession in the 90s, from which we really didn't fully recover from until now. There are certainly enough blame to lay around for everyone to have a piece, but ultimately it's a lack of investment that really got us into the trouble we're currently stewing in.

AoD

Thanks for the info. So we don't care. That's why we have these problems.

It's great in the old city of Toronto, especially if you only travel within it on the TTC.

Agreed. If you live in Riverdale or High Park North the TTC is great.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

den:

Don't forget, the Russel Hill crash in 95 really laid bare how much of a paper tiger TTC was at that point. You basically have a system that had been falling apart for years. Personally I consider the 80s as the time when everything started to slide - and the policy decisions undertaken during that time is starting to haunt the city in a big way.

AoD

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

den:

Don't forget, the Russel Hill crash in 95 really laid bare how much of a paper tiger TTC was at that point. You basically have a system that had been falling apart for years. Personally I consider the 80s as the time when everything started to slide - and the policy decisions undertaken during that time is starting to haunt the city in a big way.

AoD

I remember vaugely, I was four (?). I think the problem was we elected people who were concerned with the political fallout of subways back we we should have been maintaining them, and now that it's time to expand, no one wants to pay.

 

[GenerationW]

Don't forget, the Russel Hill crash in 95 really laid bare how much of a paper tiger TTC was at that point. You basically have a system that had been falling apart for years. Personally I consider the 80s as the time when everything started to slide - and the policy decisions undertaken during that time is starting to haunt the city in a big way.

Agreed. The period in the 80s following the recession was our last prime opportunity to put in place a major system expansion.

 

[realist123]

I can't understand how slow the subway is.

Granted I'm originally from Montreal. Over there the subway never slows down or stops in a tunnel, unless there is an emergency.

There is often track repairs that have trains crawling through sections of track. There's often signal problems. We never had any of these issues in Montreal.

Why can't the TTC do repairs/construction like San Fran?

http://gondolaproject.com/2010/10/21/track-replacement-time-lapse/

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

GW:

Actually come to think of it I think the Metroplan in the 70s/early 80s really seduced Metro into the (now erroneous) belief that development can be channeled in a multi-nodal way, and with it a series of transit planning decisions that ultimately didn't support the continued growth of the core. Coupled with the dithering 80s, recession in the early 90s, governance chaos for the remainder of the decade and the shift of public debate towards deficit/debt/expenditure reduction really gave people a false sense of security that what was available was sufficient.

AoD

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

realist:

I think that's more or less that pace the tracks at intersections are replaced. I believe there are articles out that that chronicled the choreography of junction replacements.

AoD

 

[spider]

That's what happens when you run vehicles as frequently a the TTC does without signalling (like on our subways and LRTs).

Ever seen a bus or streetcar signal? No, me neither. It seems that the operators wear watches and have a schedule (although some regard the schedule to be only a suggestion). If the schedule is adhered to we have good vehicle spacing, if it is ignored we have bunching. Pretty simple really.

 

[realist123]

realist:

I think that's more or less that pace the tracks at intersections are replaced. I believe there are articles out that that chronicled the choreography of junction replacements.

AoD

If that was the case you wouldn't have the subway crawling litterally for months as track work is done. Between Eglinton/Davisville it happens all the time. It happened last year when they did the College work. They had to shut service south of Bloor at least three weekends and service crawled during the months they worked on the area.

For a service marketed as "The Rocket" more often then not it crawls between Wilson and Downsview. It shouldn't take 10 minutes to travel such a short distance! terminus or not.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

realist:

Oh I recall - they are having similar delays around Jane due to vibe issues and beam replacement as well (and yes it is rather annoying). Not being an engineering expert I cannot tell you what is the absolute minimum amount of time required for the job, but I have a feeling it isn't comparable to replacing ground level streetcar tracks.

What I do wish is that TTC provides more information on these construction projects and keep riders abreast of their progression. It is one thing to get delayed for legitimate issues - another to be delayed constantly by issues with no ETA to solution.

AoD

 

[W. K. Lis]

Ever seen a bus or streetcar signal? No, me neither. It seems that the operators wear watches and have a schedule (although some regard the schedule to be only a suggestion). If the schedule is adhered to we have good vehicle spacing, if it is ignored we have bunching. Pretty simple really.

Those black boxes in front of the driver's seat is the computer communications. That black box displays how much ahead or behind schedule they are. They can communicate 911 calls from there, call in collisions, call for supervisor help, and other problems.

Before that black box, operators had to stop and telephone in from a phone booth.

Yes, it needs upgrading.

 

[khris]

Andy Byford needs to quit acting like a little bitch and 'apologizing' and actually do something. I had hope for him, but he is rapiding turning into a lame duck.

I have a feeling that he runs into a lot of red tape.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Andy Byford needs to quit acting like a little bitch and 'apologizing' and actually do something. I had hope for him, but he is rapiding turning into a lame duck.

Victim blaming? Byford has to play with the cards he's been dealt by politicians. Those cards aren't very good.