Steve X
Senior Member
I can't wait for the return of the 507 Long Branch and 508 Lake Shore routes. They keep us waiting forever.
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King-Queen-Roncy Intersection/ROW
- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
Amare
Senior Member
I dread the return of the 507, since somehow the TTC finds a way to make service on Lake Shore even worse with streetcars compared to the bustitutes.
As bad as the current service is, there's a reason why people basically applaud anytime buses replace streetcars on this route.
Steve X
Senior Member
The current Flexitys are so much worst than the CLRVs for the Lake Shore. Since it's mainly single disembarking customers, they use to just leave quickly but now these slow doors stall the streetcars and add considerable running time. They really need to consolidate the stops since the Flexitys are design for mass boarding..
crs1026
Superstar
The bustitution on 501 and 507 has been an interesting case study. I have to say, as a very pro streetcar guy, the experience does not reflect well on TTC and its streetcars. If someone were to declare that the buses will be permanent, I would be disappointed but not overly unhappy.
Buses have been far more reliable and arrive far more frequently. Queen West has been a lot more driveable (even with the Roncy area construction) with buses getting out of the way at each stop.
My complaint about the buses is simply that they are unpleasant to ride in, in terms of crowding and noise. Bring on the electrics, and half the problem is solved.
TTC needs to focus on vehicle frequency and reliability. Flexities did harm to service on Lake Shore because TTC counted seats, and decided that a smaller number of Flexities on longer headways was the same number of seats and therefore equivalent to more frequent service with CLRV's. If/When the Flexities come back, the bus headways need to be retained. If that means half-full Flexities instead of at-capacity buses, so be it.
The City needs to bite the bullet around traffic on Queen Street. To my mind, that means transit priority signalling, fewer left turn locations, and a rethink of stop locations. And maybe more clear alleys and traffic signalling that allows traffic to overtake streetcars in certain clear locations. A whole rethink is required, no piecemeal solution.
Before the Roncy construction, I rode the 501 a couple times a week to get downtown. Nowadays, I drive. That may sound like I'm an old school autocentric kind of guy - I'm not. I'm making the best decision for my personal situation, and that's the TTC's problem not mine.
- Paul
Buses have been far more reliable and arrive far more frequently. Queen West has been a lot more driveable (even with the Roncy area construction) with buses getting out of the way at each stop.
My complaint about the buses is simply that they are unpleasant to ride in, in terms of crowding and noise. Bring on the electrics, and half the problem is solved.
TTC needs to focus on vehicle frequency and reliability. Flexities did harm to service on Lake Shore because TTC counted seats, and decided that a smaller number of Flexities on longer headways was the same number of seats and therefore equivalent to more frequent service with CLRV's. If/When the Flexities come back, the bus headways need to be retained. If that means half-full Flexities instead of at-capacity buses, so be it.
The City needs to bite the bullet around traffic on Queen Street. To my mind, that means transit priority signalling, fewer left turn locations, and a rethink of stop locations. And maybe more clear alleys and traffic signalling that allows traffic to overtake streetcars in certain clear locations. A whole rethink is required, no piecemeal solution.
Before the Roncy construction, I rode the 501 a couple times a week to get downtown. Nowadays, I drive. That may sound like I'm an old school autocentric kind of guy - I'm not. I'm making the best decision for my personal situation, and that's the TTC's problem not mine.
- Paul
facepalming_brooklynite
Active Member
Gord Perks likes to talk about making Queen Street in Parkdale a Heritage Conservation District, but I'm not aware that this has included any thoughts about redesigning traffic on this street to make it less hostile to pedestrians. But maybe the shit-show around Jameson and Lansdowne has been there for so long that it has also achieved heritage status by now.
kitestate
New Member
I haven't been here for over a decade, but quite amazed/impressed and even encouraged by the high level of interest, passion and knowledge that goes into most of the posts. i, like many of you care (probably too much) about toronto transit-and especially surface rail and generally get excited about plans -champion execution of those plans and certainly grow despondent over the ability of political processes to oversee transit planning and operation
I am a roncesvalles/area resident and had to jump onto the boards to figure out what you all thought was going haywire with the the KQQR project.
Toronto Hydro is always a good bet for contributing to dysfunction and blown timelines.
Here is my emailed response to the KQQR consultation update
Thank you for sharing the profoundly bad and sad news
This construction project was so universally predicted to be 'extended by city contractor issues' that it beggars disbelief.
The City -with support of TTC took the lead on this project -so it's just a deeply disappointing for the access to be continued to be limited - for my friends and family on/near windermere. for those at queen and sorauren and king and dowling, myself at roncesvalles and westminster and for those with major accessibility issues and are forced to choose some awful alternatives to access public transit
This KQQR project was being closely followed by many residents of these areas because it was not only slated to be - but was marketed as a promising practice in city infrastructure coordination. what a near disaster for residents, businesses and frankly, confidence in the city being able to pull disparate departments together.
I mean, if the eglinton crosstown wasn't experiencing its mismanagement - this would be the shining light in toronto of some fairly shoddy vendor contracting, pre-clearances, site and utility planning etc.
I can't wait till the next notice in march 2023 informing us about streetcar and platform repairs on both Queensway as well as Roncesvalles marking what will 100% be a one year anniversary of this horrific piece of work. it is complex, no doubt-and welcome to undertake these changes, but it's so embarrassing to observe.
Good job being transparent. promise me for the march 2023 update that you just be transparent, open and humble. Throw Toronto Hydro under the streetcar if they're the primary laggard.
Lovely news for you to time the construction update with the Mayor's budget announcement to raise transit fees. For what bus or streetcar? it's not ever coming (at least in the west end
I am a roncesvalles/area resident and had to jump onto the boards to figure out what you all thought was going haywire with the the KQQR project.
Toronto Hydro is always a good bet for contributing to dysfunction and blown timelines.
Here is my emailed response to the KQQR consultation update
Thank you for sharing the profoundly bad and sad news
This construction project was so universally predicted to be 'extended by city contractor issues' that it beggars disbelief.
The City -with support of TTC took the lead on this project -so it's just a deeply disappointing for the access to be continued to be limited - for my friends and family on/near windermere. for those at queen and sorauren and king and dowling, myself at roncesvalles and westminster and for those with major accessibility issues and are forced to choose some awful alternatives to access public transit
This KQQR project was being closely followed by many residents of these areas because it was not only slated to be - but was marketed as a promising practice in city infrastructure coordination. what a near disaster for residents, businesses and frankly, confidence in the city being able to pull disparate departments together.
I mean, if the eglinton crosstown wasn't experiencing its mismanagement - this would be the shining light in toronto of some fairly shoddy vendor contracting, pre-clearances, site and utility planning etc.
I can't wait till the next notice in march 2023 informing us about streetcar and platform repairs on both Queensway as well as Roncesvalles marking what will 100% be a one year anniversary of this horrific piece of work. it is complex, no doubt-and welcome to undertake these changes, but it's so embarrassing to observe.
Good job being transparent. promise me for the march 2023 update that you just be transparent, open and humble. Throw Toronto Hydro under the streetcar if they're the primary laggard.
Lovely news for you to time the construction update with the Mayor's budget announcement to raise transit fees. For what bus or streetcar? it's not ever coming (at least in the west end
DSC
Superstar
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Yes, the KQR is a mess but it is a very complicated 'crossroads'. The City has also grossly mismanaged a FAR simpler project (that started in 2012 with a new watermain) on Wellington from Yonge to Church. About 300 meters of straight road with virtually all new underground infrastructure as the street has been dug up since 2012 by water, gas, hydro and telecoms. This is also paused for winter and will restart in April.
turbanplanner
Senior Member
drum118
Superstar
Amare
Senior Member
The city mismanages tons of projects every year, another fun place to see where money gets drained away is the Kipling and Horner intersection. Like clockwork, there's some kind of "construction" going on there every 4-6 months (as we speak there's something going on yet again for who knows what now). Maybe that's where contractors and city crews go for practice to test and hone their mismanagement skills before they go to areas of the city like the KQQR intersection to implement what they've learned.
junctionist
Senior Member
It's Toronto Hydro, so we're talking about the $1.378 million CEO. That sort of executive compensation seems like poor value for the money considering how slow the agency's projects are and how its ugly infrastructure mars the public realm and hinders the city's economic competitiveness.
crs1026
Superstar
Executive compensation is similar to lawmaking and sausagemaking - you don't want to see it up close.
But if you do, Toronto Hydro's compensation regime can be found at page 70 of the company's 2021 AIF Filing
About half ($661K) of the CEO's total compensation is in the form of "Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation" - ie a performance bonus.
So clearly somebody thinks Toronto Hydro is doing a good job, in some ways at least. (Their corporate performance scorecard can also be found on the website, if you care to look).
Bonus compensation is something that gets "the average guy" shouting at clouds, but Toronto Hydro's compensation regime is pretty typical.
Companies with a particular performance deficiency may still be paying good money to its top people.
The way to get attention to TH's poor project performance is likely through the Councillors who sit on the Hydro Board. They have the most at stake in being seen to hold Toronto Hydro to account. (they sit on the board without compensation, btw)
- Paul
DSC
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Though I am certainly not trying to excuse Toronto Hydro, they are a regulated industry (by the Ontario Energy Board) and it is not uncommon for their rate increase requests are refused even though part of the increase is to help pay for better or more infrastructure.
junctionist
Senior Member
I certainly appreciate the thrust of this post. I was aware of the bonus, and I think it's excessive for the reasons I provided in relation to the utility's efficiency and the quality of its infrstructure. It's perhaps uncomfortable but fair to have this conversation about a public utility.
crs1026
Superstar
Definitely. I wasn't defending the bonus payment - more pointing out the complexity of its derivation.
I won't digress into the morality of the current levels of executives' compensation versus the "average guy"'s pay in our society.
The issue here is how a public utility can declare a positive scorecard - and compensate in the spirit of rewarding the result achieved - when certain things are clearly not going well.
- Paul