Lawsuit forces bus drivers to call out all stops

[JasonParis]

Except at least half of all stops are either not at a street, or are at two or more streets.

We could always solve two problems at the same time and get rid of all those stops?

 

[ShonTron]

I was just thinking that, at least for the mid-block stops!

One particular problem is northbound 29 Dufferin at Eglinton, where the bus stops one block south, and one block north, but not at Eglinton itself. The automated announcements are very standardized - they do not mention connections or landmarks, so I bet the announcements will not even mention this important transfer point.

 

[JasonParis]

No stops were announced on the 54 Lawrence this afternoon.

 

[Chuck]

The problem here is that it is much harder to call out all stops with the midblocks and the minor intersections with different names on each side.

Come on people...

Just create a new naming standard and stick with it. For north south routes, midblock stations could be named after the next station to the south, with "north" appended. The next stop north of College on the Bathurst streetcar would just be called "College North".

Still looking at north south routes, wherever there is a different street on each side of the stop, the stop shall always be named after the street on the west side of the street. On the Spadina streetcar, there would be a Nassau station, rather than Cecil station.

Bus and streetcar drivers can change routes daily and it's a big challenge.

So do car drivers. I could easily call out every bus stop along most of the streets that I drive on regularly, and I haven't even made an effort to memorize them. This is not difficult for people of normal intelligence.

 

[wyliepoon]

The next stop north of College on the Bathurst streetcar would just be called "College North".

Isn't that stop Ulster?

However, on the southbound Bathurst streetcar, the automated stop announcement installed on one or two of the Bathurst streetcars calls out a numbered address.

 

[Chuck]

Isn't that stop Ulster?

Bathurst is not my most familiar of streetcar routes. But you get the idea.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I haven't been on the subway regularly since 2004, but I remember groaning everytime the operator would call the stops while attempting to sing or stretch it out into a five second commentary, or worse would mumble it three times. A few times of the attempts at humour is cute, but after a dozen stops you want to strangle the bastard. The new automated system sounds to be much improved, short, clear and to the point.

On the buses and streetcars I can see the same happening. Some drivers will be trying to amuse the passengers with their damn singing of stops and commentary while others will mumble the names or not call them at all. I say the stop callings must be automated.

Simply install a RFID tag in each stop's sign, high enough to discourage vandalism, along with the detector and announcement system. To avoid system confusion on east/west or north/south routes you could have one channel for each direction, thus avoiding a south bound bus from announcing a north bound stop across the street.

 

[ShonTron]

The system that the TTC is installing is GPS based. No need for RFID.

San Francisco Muni, a very electric-based system (streetcars and trolley buses) started these with contacts on the wires. The diesel buses came later with GPS, IIRC.

 

[Urban Shocker]

I hope they call out the Sunday stops too - perhaps that will make TTC drivers more inclined to stop when someone wanting to get off at one pulls the cord, which is sometimes not the case.

 

[ShonTron]

The Sunday stops - a quant throwback to Toronto the Good - I am surprised they still have them, but the TTC is incredibly relunctant to eliminate stops, no matter how silly they may be.

 

[Admiral Beez]

The system that the TTC is installing is GPS based. No need for RFID.

San Francisco Muni, a very electric-based system (streetcars and trolley buses) started these with contacts on the wires. The diesel buses came later with GPS, IIRC.

Maybe they'll be able to bring back that system where you could call in and find out when your bus was supposed to arrive. I remember using that system for the 12 Kingston Rd bus and waiting in the freezing winter at Kingston Rd. and Fallingbrook for ages past the specified arrival time. With GPS, they could tell you the scheduled time and the actual estimated arrival time - heck they could even have the system call you back when it's 5 minutes away. Of course that costs money and Miller's got none.

 

[shumoon]

In order to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, Chicago's CTA bus drivers are supposed to call out the names of all bus stops, though this is not always done. Technology has helped with automated announcements.

 

[ShonTron]

It was automated when I was there. Even when the bus pulled up, an outside speaker would announce the number, name and direction of the bus. It seemed useful for a street with a lot of routes, like Michigan or Clark.

The L trains have automated announcements as well, but heading to Oak Park, the Green Line trains were announcing them one stop too early. The automated announcements there are more useful, but more wordy, than ours - like I posted earlier - "The next stop is Library, State and Van Buren. Doors open on the right at Library, State and Van Buren. Connections to Red, Blue, Orange and Pink line trains at Library, State and Van Buren." I liked the voice more though - and it was a tad quieter and soothing than the TTC lady, whose voice bugs me (but better than the "when you hear the subway doors chime...." woman in the station PA announcements)

 

[Admiral Beez]

I think I'll use my earplugs next time I take the subway. The alternative is to pump up the I-Pod, leading the the same or worse hearing loss.

 

[MajorComplainer]

On my route, no bus driver still call out street names...not even major stops...