TTC: Customer Service

[EastYorkTTCFan]

How can we allow other people to do their job? They'll shorten those meetings to 30 minutes!

Some of the delays to meetings are actually people presenting things that are relly unnecessary for example at the last meet someone came up to speak about the King streetcar improvement project instead he proposed ideas for putting a streetcar right of way on front street. Another gentleman complained about how the accessible van cab he had couldn't be used by the TTC because they want only side entry vehicle and not rear entry ones for use for wheel trans.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Interesting article by Steve Munro, at this link, on
Where is the Extra TTC Service?

When John Tory became Mayor of Toronto in the 2014 election, he quickly discovered that his transit briefings as a candidate were far from the truth. Service deteriorated under Mayor Ford, and although Tory opposed a plan to increase bus and streetcar service during the campaign, he had a change of heart. The then-new Mayor supported the purchase of more buses and a partial restoration of service standards, notably those affecting off peak service.

What has happened between the start of 2015 and fall 2017?

Over the past three years, TTC ridership growth has levelled off and is dangerously close to slipping into decline. Many factors are cited, including the “do nothing” option of “every other city is losing riders so we’re no different” approach. That is not exactly a call to restore riders’ faith in the TTC...

 

[amnesiajune]

On a route by route basis, there are more routes with service cuts in 2017 relative to 2015, or with no change in peak service at all, than there are routes with better headways. Most streetcar routes have service cuts in both peaks.

I wonder if this is actually true when you consider all the routes that've been split in some way or another. Like the 504 and 514 - Steve might look at the service plans and say there's been a service cut on the 504, since it went from 16 cars per hour during the AM peak to 15, but with the 514 factored in it's actually up to 23 per hour (the number of cars in service has gone from 33 to 43). Similarly, one might say that the Don Mills bus had a service cut, going from 3'10 headways to 5'30 headways, but the headways are the same as they were two years ago - a third of the service is on the new 185 bus. Then there are routes like the 139 and 224 that got a 100% service cut, because they were replaced by some other service (in those two cases, the 199 and YRT's 24)

For reference:
https://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/reports/ttc-service-summary-20150906.pdf
https://www.ttc.ca/PDF/Transit_Planning/Service Summary_2017-09-03.pdf

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Like the 504 and 514 - Steve might look at the service plans and say there's been a service cut on the 504, since it went from 16 cars per hour during the AM peak to 15, but with the 514 factored in it's actually up to 23 per hour (the number of cars in service has gone from 33 to 43).

From my understanding on his blog post, he counts the 514 as being a branch of the 504 rather than a separate route, I'm not really sure what his reasoning with that is though.

 

[ShonTron]

From my understanding on his blog post, he counts the 514 as being a branch of the 504 rather than a separate route, I'm not really sure what his reasoning with that is though.

That's how TTC service planning treats it as well. Same with 502/503 and (and previously 504/508) a number of bus routes that share a significant part of the same corridor.

 

[Megaton327]

From my understanding on his blog post, he counts the 514 as being a branch of the 504 rather than a separate route, I'm not really sure what his reasoning with that is though.

That's how TTC service planning treats it as well. Same with 502/503 and (and previously 504/508) a number of bus routes that share a significant part of the same corridor.

502, 503, 508, and 514 are generally fair game, to me, to be considered as branches of 501 and 504. Hell, they even--or, at least, they did for a while--lumped 509 and 510 together for most accounting purposes, that one's pretty bad. Spadina from Bloor to Queen's Quay is hardly comparable to Cherry from King to Mill.

 

[DSC]

Spadina from Bloor to Queen's Quay is hardly comparable to Cherry from King to Mill.

Though most of the 514 certainly runs on the 504 route, the 514 is actually from Dufferin Gates to Cherry Loop.

 

[nfitz]

That's how TTC service planning treats it as well. Same with 502/503 and (and previously 504/508) a number of bus routes that share a significant part of the same corridor.

Oh, it certainly does count them the same. I complained the other day about the September service cuts on 504 on Broadview and Queen East - and they it was okay, because they were using the Flexities on that route now.

 

[W. K. Lis]

How about a TTC community bus (400 series route?) to route passengers to the GO Mimico Station from around the Mimico area and the Lake Shore condos? See link.

This is in response to, see link,
West Toronto residents' association crowdfunding for shuttle to Go station
The shuttle would run regularly during morning and afternoon rush hour Monday to Friday, connecting condos on Manitoba Street, Park Lawn Road and Silver Moon Drive to the Mimico GO station.

That's the dream: to be picked up near their homes and dropped off at the GO station during morning and afternoon rush hour.

But a West Toronto residents' association has been forced to resort to crowdfunding their desired express shuttle to make up for what they argue are gaps in TTC service.

Thirty-three-year-old entrepreneur Scot Johnson has started a GoFundMe page for the project, which aims to raise $50,000. So far he's raised $450 in five days — and says if he receives even half the goal, he'll launch the shuttle using a private company.

"We're not offering a transit service per se," he told Metro. "That shuttle is a perk of being part of the association."

Four-month memberships to the Park Lawn and Lakeshore Improvement Association go for between $175 and $225 a pop. The shuttle would run regularly during morning and afternoon rush hour Monday to Friday, connecting condos on Manitoba Street, Park Lawn Road and Silver Moon Drive to the Mimico GO station.

Johnson said it would drastically cut the amount of time it takes to get downtown. He said it currently takes about 70-80 minutes during rush hour, with no direct bus despite an influx of new residents.

"There's a bunch of new condos and no new transit," he explained.

TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said the agency is involved in two city-led studies assessing needs in the area and deferred to the city regarding whether such a service would be permitted. A city spokesperson said a shuttle would fall under provincial regulation since they carry more than 10 people.

It's not the first community to struggle with what's known as the "last mile," the stretch between home and a transit station, said Cherise Burda, executive director of the Ryerson City Building Institute.

"This is what happens when we don't complete our transit connectivity," Burda said. "Hats off for these folks for trying to solve their problems themselves, but to me it speaks to this lack of creative, responsive solutions."

While Toronto is spending "a lot of time and money" on building major transit lines, she'd like to see more of these quick wins.

"We're starving some of the really critical connections in our communities that would take a lot less public investment and a lot less time to actually make a huge difference," she added.

With the announced GO/TTC PRESTO fare announcement, this would be of good benefit for the residents in the area. Better if there were also more stops along the way. Maybe if they don't want to use the small community bus, and instead of the regular 12 m buses, consider smaller 10 m buses to handle the turns better.

 

[Kitsune]

But dont community buses run once every hour? Atleast the one that was expanded to the beaches runs every hour.

 

[DSC]

But dont community buses run once every hour? Atleast the one that was expanded to the beaches runs every hour.

Schedules are here: http://www.ttc.ca/Routes/Buses.jsp

 

[W. K. Lis]

From the upcoming TTC meeting to be held on November 13th, at this link:

Subway Closures - 2017 Review and 2018 Forecast

ATC construction and testing teams will require the 13 subway closures in order to start installation of ATC equipment for Phase 3 of the project. The subway closures are required to maintain the current master project schedule of activities targeted in 2018, including connecting Wilson Yard onto the main line just south of Sheppard West Station, and achieving the milestone of being able to operate in ATC from Vaughan Metropolitan Centre down to Dupont by September 2018, and being in a position to commission the Phase 3 territory by Q1 of 2019.

Eglinton Crosstown will perform their closures on Line 1 over 24 weekends, with combined state of good repair projects extending the northern boundaries of those closures on nine weekends. TTC staff has a number of state of good repair projects that are scheduled to replace critical infrastructure in the north Yonge section of the line, including switch and rail replacement, which cannot be efficiently completed during the typical maintenance window.

Crosslinx Transit Solution (CTS), the consortium that is constructing Eglinton Crosstown, has stated that they will attempt to complete their planned work as early as possible within the scheduled closures and notify TTC and Metrolinx if they are able to do so. TTC and Metrolinx have stated that they will co-operate in this regard, including providing contractual relief to CTS from penalties for late notification of the cancellation of a closure, but that CTS will inform TTC and Metrolinx at the earliest possible time that they determine that a closure is not required.

There are 26 closures left to be planned for 2019-2020 to complete TTC’s contractual obligations for Eglinton Crosstown.

 

[W. K. Lis]

There are 26 closures left to be planned for 2019-2020 to complete TTC’s contractual obligations for Eglinton Crosstown, on Line 1.

On Line 2, the TTC requires two full weekend subway closures to address state of good repair work. There will also be seven late Sunday openings for the Prince Edward (Bloor) Viaduct beam replacement program.

Seven late Sunday openings from Broadview to St George are also proposed

Line 3 will have four closures with only one of them being scheduled over a two day weekend. All other closures will be done on one day.

We may have to expect the same closures for DRL construction with Line 1 at Osgoode & Queen Stations (City Hall) and with Line 2 at Pape Station.

 

[W. K. Lis]

From BlogTO, at this link:

Scheduled TTC subway closures for 2018

• Jan. 13-14, Line 1: St. Clair W. to Union
• Feb. 3-4, Line 1: St. Clair W. to Union
• Feb. 10-11, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• Feb. 17-18, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• Feb. 24-25, Line 1: St. Clair to Sheppard
• March 3-4, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• March 10-11, Line 1: St. Clair W. to Union
• March 17-18, Line 3: Kennedy to McCowan
• March 30-April 1, Line 1: Wilson to Finch W.
• April 14-15, Line 2: Kipling to Jane
• April 21-22, Line 1: St. Clair W. to Union
• April 28-29, Line 2: Woodbine to Kennedy
• May 6, Line 3: Kennedy to McCowan
• May 12-13, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• May 13, Line 2: St. George to Broadview
• May 19-20, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• May 26-27, Line 1: Lawrence W. to Finch W.
• May 27, Line 2: St. George to Broadview
• June 2-3, Line 1: St. Clair to Sheppard
• June 9-10, Line 1: Lawrence W. to Finch W.
• June 10, Line 2: St. George to Broadview
• June 16-17, Line 1: St. Clair to Sheppard
• June 24, Line 3: Kennedy to McCowan
• June 30-July 1, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• July 7-8, Line 1: St. Clair to Sheppard
• July 8, Line 2: St. George to Broadview
• July 14-15, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• July 21-22, Line 1: St. Clair to Sheppard
• July 22, Line 2: St. George to Broadview
• July 28-29, Line 1: Lawrence W. to Finch W.
• Aug. 11-12, Line 1: St. Clair to Finch
• Aug. 18-19, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• Aug. 25-26, Line 1: Lawrence W. to Finch W.
• Sept. 1-2, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• Sept. 8-9, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• Sept. 9, Line 2: St. George to Broadview
• Sept. 15-16, Line 1: Bloor to Union
• Sept. 22-23, Line 1: St. Clair to Sheppard
• Sept. 23, Line 2: St. George to Broadview
• Oct. 6-7, Line 1: Bloor to Union
• Oct. 13-14, Line 1: St. Clair to Sheppard
• Oct. 20-21, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• Oct. 27-28, Line 1: St. Clair to Sheppard
• Nov. 3-4, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• Nov. 10-11, Line 1: Bloor to Union
• Nov. 17, Line 3: Kennedy to McCowan
• Nov. 24-25, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• Dec. 1, Line 1: Bloor to Union
• Dec. 8-9, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence
• Dec. 15-16, Line 1: St. Clair to Lawrence

Good times to try out the GO/UPX/TTC fare integration?

 

[M II A II R II K]

With Andy Byford gone what assurance that his type of upkeep of the subway will continue or will it slip back into the way it was.