christiesplits
Senior Member
Good god, the media ate up this PR stunt like a holiday spread.
Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited
Good god, the media ate up this PR stunt like a holiday spread.
crs1026
Superstar
Well, that's a two-edged sword. The most frequent comment I heard on board was "I would ride this...for ten bucks". The media coverage may stimulate a public expectation that ML can't avoid.
- Paul
Riverdale Rink Rat
Senior Member
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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...linx-for-upx-fiasco/article28751913/comments/
This is a really good article on the whole complex story.
FWIW, I'm continually impressed how cheap Torontonians seems to be about this. I'm finding it really, really hard to believe that someone not going to Union would all of a sudden go to Union to grab a train for $10 or $5 bucks but not $19 or $27. I think 99% of the folks that say they'd pay $10 but not $19 wouldn't take the train anyway, so lowering it for them is useless.
The real question, in my mind, is 'are there enough YYZ workers that would commute from Union if we lowered the price'. It seems that Toronto wants this train to be for Torontonians for commuting purposes. Do people live at Maple Leaf Square and work at the airport? Would people park at Pearson and commute downtown? If not, who cares what the price point is?
muller877
Senior Member
I think the key in this article is the comment that the fee should be set high enough so there is enough room for people who want to get to the airport. It makes sense for a premium product. My personal view is they did studies and concluded on $19 is the right price. And probably it is.
The problem (IMO) was that the Presto decided that they wanted to use UPE as a tool to force the casual user to get a Presto card (which they then would use on other services). And they jacked up the non-Presto price so high that it caused the public and media backlash. This tainted the entire project...just because they want people to buy Presto.
This is a service for both tourists and residents. You shouldn't gouge tourists who don't need a Presto card.
To get the public back onside they have to lower prices quickly. They should set the price with the ability for UPE to change the price if there is crowding (and don't need Board approval for the change). Reduce it to $15/$19. Every 6 months they should look at the price and lower it (or raise) it if the volume of passengers is not meeting targets. Over time when the public is back on side and the volume increases they can slowly raise the price to where it should be...$19/$25
TOareaFan
Superstar
Don't we already know the answer to that......airport workers already get to ride this for $10 each way (union to pearson) and before the service was launched 1,400 of them said they would use this.....the ridership stats revealed by Oliver Moore the other day indicate that 62 trips a day on average (or 31 return trips) are airport workers.
Prior to the launch we already knew the vast majority of aiprort workers do not live downtown (most live in Peel) so the whole "airport worker" pressure theme was a red herring....and it has proven to be so.
TOareaFan
Superstar
As I said before, I don't think they were trying to "force" anything....I think they dramatically overestimated how many people in Toronto would have a Presto card by now for their normal use and, therefore, dramatically underestimated how many people would see needing a Presto as an impediment to riding this for under $20 when they needed it.
ottbike
Active Member
crs1026
Superstar
'Force' might be a little strong, but I suspect the internal ML viewpoint was a touch tunnel-minded about the potential pro's and con's.
It was mostly here on UT that the Presto partisans refused to believe that one could ever over-promote A good thing.
- Paul
adma
Superstar
I took it today--lucky for me, I (a) live 10-15 min away from Bloor station, and (b) have a Metropass. Boarded southbound around 1:15-1:30 or so, arrived at Union around 1:40, followed the lineup all the way into the Great Hall and then took the subway back to Dundas West, whereupon I returned to Bloor and *re*-boarded, this time northbound, and got to Pearson around 2:45--had I started at Union, I might still have been in line at that moment. Then a walk around Terminal 1 (my first time there) and took the TTC Airport Rocket back. Round trip: just short of 3 hours. Clever me and my lineup-avoidance Metropass.
muller877
Senior Member
I'm surprised no one has thought to bring an empty suitcase to avoid the line
TOareaFan
Superstar
I assume the "proof" to get in that line is more along the lines of a boarding pass or an e-ticket. Not everyone travelling has a suitcase.
crs1026
Superstar
Watched a couple groups try (lamely) to get into the customer line at Pearson.....why no luggage? was the first question, you all travelled together? (4 kids) was the second question, by which point they gave up.
- Paul
- Paul
APTA-2048
Senior Member
Wow, that's embarrassing.
Johnny Au
Senior Member
I went on the UPX today. The lineups were so long, it took approximately two hours from the start of line and into the train. Yes, we had to get off upon reaching the terminal stations and had to line up for another two hours.
Oh, and UPX should have all of its regular pricing tiers cut in half.
Oh, and UPX should have all of its regular pricing tiers cut in half.
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innsertnamehere
Superstar
I highly advise going to Bloor station to get on, no lineup there.. bit late now, but I did it and got right on.