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TTC: Efficiency improvements instead of fare increases

Better Barrier

Hi again bloggers,

Did you see Saturday's Star Nov 7th, "TTC to unplug the Bloor bottleneck",
starting November 23rd.

They want to spend 1.5 million in new paycheck expenses annually and all they have to do is install a "subway barrier wall with enhanced passenger flow" where ever they want to on the platform.

A one time capital expenditure, zero risk factor for workers, no sick days, and provides 24 hour protection.

And just think, the worker doesn't have to attempt a "football tackle" to take down the guy trying to jump for the tracks.

Who knows, maybe the worker and the suicide person will lose their life together. Football players slide on turf. I would think the slide factor is much greater on shiny floors.

A human wall ,.....is TTC that full of pride and they will not meet with me.

How expensive do they actually think I will be?

Sharon, the Dragons Den
 
I think the TTC just discovered a new 'light duty' for its injured personnel: human barrier. Even less work than collecting change.
 
They can't install barriers until there is automatic train control, and all the trains have the same, roughly similar (differing widths), or completely dissimilar door configuration.

When they do that they will be able to run the trains without guards or drivers, while saving countless dollars in both station reconfigurations and labour.

One of the reasons the TTC is doing something like this is because it is stupid. It is to draw attention to the problem at Young & Bloor and hopefully secure senior government money (capital spending) to fix it.
 
Hi again bloggers,

Did you see Saturday's Star Nov 7th, "TTC to unplug the Bloor bottleneck",
starting November 23rd.

They want to spend 1.5 million in new paycheck expenses annually and all they have to do is install a "subway barrier wall with enhanced passenger flow" where ever they want to on the platform.

A one time capital expenditure, zero risk factor for workers, no sick days, and provides 24 hour protection.


Actually, 1.5 million a year, would buy us 20 years of operation vs. the 30 million projected for your system. And given that we haven't yet moved ahead on other cost saving measures like fare collection, I'd say it's a fair bet that the TTC would probably rather use humans than anything mechanical instead. They'll just pay overtime to bunch of guys to control passengers during rush hours. That's just how we in Toronto do business. We can't imagine automating anything. We pay 50k a year to fare collectors and human pylons. That's "The Better Way."
 
One idea I don't know why the TTC does not implement is more coordination with major trip generators to offset loads so that they don't happen at peak. Why not ask the colleges and universities in the core to delay their first class till 0930 and end their last day class at 1830? That should be a condition for a school being able to access discounted passes.
 
One idea I don't know why the TTC does not implement is more coordination with major trip generators to offset loads so that they don't happen at peak. Why not ask the colleges and universities in the core to delay their first class till 0930 and end their last day class at 1830? That should be a condition for a school being able to access discounted passes.

Many senior classes do infact start after 9am, at least that's how I remembered it (I rarely if ever had an 8am class and if I did it was once a week). However, we need to remember that students will have part time jobs and other obligations to attend to after school, and they need time to study. Having classes end at 6pm limits a students options on that day.
 
Many senior classes do infact start after 9am, at least that's how I remembered it (I rarely if ever had an 8am class and if I did it was once a week). However, we need to remember that students will have part time jobs and other obligations to attend to after school, and they need time to study. Having classes end at 6pm limits a students options on that day.

Unfortunately, the TTC can't be everybody's anxious mother worried about each and every issue it's riders face. Students will adjust their jobs and deal with the timing changes. After all, many students today take some evening courses as part of their program. Check out Ryerson in the evening as a good example.

And there are tons of students with 8am and 9am classes. Study anything more than a 15 hrs/week BA curriculum and you are virtually guaranteed to have at least one or two early riser classes in your schedule. I'd argue that it's not that much of a change to go from 8am to 0930. That means most students will be reaching a core station after 9am, as rush hour is ending.
 
One idea I don't know why the TTC does not implement is more coordination with major trip generators to offset loads so that they don't happen at peak. Why not ask the colleges and universities in the core to delay their first class till 0930 and end their last day class at 1830? That should be a condition for a school being able to access discounted passes.

Universities already have very chaotic, non-peak class schedules. This is more of a request for high schools.
 
Universities already have very chaotic, non-peak class schedules. This is more of a request for high schools.

How many high school students head downtown though? Most high school students are taking the TTC short distances to points in their neighbourhood.
 
Combined, the City & Province must employ a ton of people downtown. We should be able to stagger their work hours quite effectively.
 
I do a lot of work with the Ministry of Education and I'm shocked by how many of the employees there are 9-5ers who either commute in from the 905 via GO Train or drive. The parking garage is always full.

Governments should definitely lead by example when it comes to telecommuting, staggered work schedules, etc.
 

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