TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[Duck]

UTDC (Urban Transportation Development Corporation Ltd.) was a Crown Corporation owned by the Government of Ontario to make streetcars (IE. CLRV's and ALRV's) and subway cars. It was eventually sold to Bombardier in 1991. See link.

And perhaps most importantly, ICTS - this, after all, was the reason for the test track built in Millhaven (Kingston). The tiny little S-turn they built for the CLRV's was nothing compared to the massive infrastructure built there to develop the Linear Induction Motor propulsion system.

 

[ottbike]

Looks like you can now use credit/debit to pay your fare on the new streetcars. Took a while for this to be activated.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Meanwhile, Washington DC will finally put their massive fleet of six streetcars into service on February 27, 2016. After many, many delays, mostly by anti-streetcar bureaucrats. See link. The first three were delivered in 2007, the last in 2014. See link. Expect headways around every 10 to 15 minutes. (Groan.)

 

[JayBeeGooner]

The barn for the streetcars is an absolute joke. The site was declared historic, and the barn is LEED silver certified. The cost for the barn was close to $50 million.

 

[drum118]

Meanwhile, Washington DC will finally put their massive fleet of six streetcars into service on February 27, 2016. After many, many delays, mostly by anti-streetcar bureaucrats. See link. The first three were delivered in 2007, the last in 2014. See link. Expect headways around every 10 to 15 minutes. (Groan.)

Another Toronto where the Delay was caused by EMS to the point the head had to be replace by the Mayor.

 

[Megaton327]

Looks like you can now use credit/debit to pay your fare on the new streetcars. Took a while for this to be activated.

It's been active on all of them for a couple of months now. It was a slow rollout but, if I recall correctly, all of them (and the offboard SRVMs) had it shortly before Presto went to the CLRV/ALRVs, so November-December 2015.

Definitely a great development--very useful for tourists lacking in ample Canadian change. It's also definitely handy to encourage the system's occasional cash fare local riders to use it a bit more often by not having to worry about change--I've had friends visit the city before and due to them not having brought change along we took an Uber or Car2Go instead of the streetcar. I've also seen a LOT of people try to pay for multiple adult riders with a bill, i.e. $5+$1 for 2 adults (which was 100% fine on the CLRV/ALRVs but can't be done on these machines) get irritated and actually end up riding without paying a fare (thanks, lack of fare inspectors)...definitely good to have the card option there.

 

[ottbike]

It's been active on all of them for a couple of months now. It was a slow rollout but, if I recall correctly, all of them (and the offboard SRVMs) had it shortly before Presto went to the CLRV/ALRVs, so November-December 2015.

I didn't check, but I'd assume it charges the card $3.25?

 

[MetroMan]

Looks like you can now use credit/debit to pay your fare on the new streetcars. Took a while for this to be activated.
View attachment 67727

Awesome! That effectively enables ApplePay directly on streetcars. While it's preferable to use Presto to get the token price, this means that I can get on a streetcar if I dont have my Presto card with me. I only carry it if I'm planning to travel on the TTC since I rarely have a wallet on me these days.

If the TTC works directly with Apple, they can get PRESTO included as a "store card" in the Wallet app. Hopefully that's what ends up being done at some point.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Looks like you can now use credit/debit to pay your fare on the new streetcars. Took a while for this to be activated.
View attachment 67727

Will it be possible to load passes onto a debit card?

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

If the TTC works directly with Apple, they can get PRESTO included as a "store card" in the Wallet app. Hopefully that's what ends up being done at some point.

That;s not Really their call as I the fae machines are now being run by Metrolinx. As for right now I really see no real future for Apple Pay it hasn't really been added to since it was first launched as far as I've herd. Most companies are building their own apps to d the same thing as Apple pay for example Starbucks, Second Cup and Tim Hortons all allow you to link a gift card to the app and then you scan a bar code from the app at the cash register. Personaly I think ther will be an official Presto App long before Apple Pay is used more mainstream, plus Canada just doesn't seem to have the same love afir as Americans do with the iPhone. I see more poel with Androids then I d with iPhones.

 

[MetroMan]

As for right now I really see no real future for Apple Pay it hasn't really been added to since it was first launched as far as I've herd. Most companies are building their own apps to d the same thing as Apple pay for example Starbucks, Second Cup and Tim Hortons all allow you to link a gift card to the app and then you scan a bar code from the app at the cash register. Personaly I think ther will be an official Presto App long before Apple Pay is used more mainstream, plus Canada just doesn't seem to have the same love afir as Americans do with the iPhone. I see more poel with Androids then I d with iPhones.

I guess you haven't been following along. Apple Pay has spread in acceptance quite rapidly since it came to Canada just a handful of months ago. I've had it since the beginning and it was rarely accepted. Just a few short months later, I'm finding it to be accepted almost everywhere save for some Mom and Pop stores. I buy all my groceries at Shoppers Drugmart with ApplePay for example. That wasn't possible at the beginning. It's growing.

On the debit card front, an update to iOS now includes a reference to Interac in the code. It looks like banks are signing on soon.

Store Cards are also beginning to appear in the first Apple Pay markets (US and UK) and it's been rumoured that Hudson's Bay will be the first ApplePay store card in Canada, along with Starbucks and a selection of gas stations.

As for Apple vs Android phones in Toronto, I guess it depends on your circle of friends and/or business contacts. Almost all of my messages are blue. I have very few yellow messages in the dozens of conversations that I have each day. Also, walk by the Apple Store some time. I don't think you'll be able to deny the iPhone's popularity in Toronto.

Finally, to circle back to PRESTO, its terminals now accept ApplePay through Amex ExpressPay as we can see in this thread. A PRESTO app wouldn't have access to the iPhone's contactless NFC chip so a self contained app wouldn't work. Apple prioritizes security so any app that does contactless payments has to go through an isolated security verification chip (the secure enclave) and TouchID which means that the card will be in the Wallet app. Plenty of stores are already doing this in the US and the same will eventually roll out in Canada as ApplePay matures here. If PRESTO wants a card app on iOS, it'll go through ApplePay. The TTC is already listed as an official partner in the Coming Soon page on Apple.ca/Apple-Pay so it's not a stretch to imagine where that is going.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

I still see Apple pay as flash in the pan fad that only a few poel will use. Personally I prefer to use a physical card then an app on a phone anyway. But hey if I'm wrong I'm wrong I'm wrong. I don't have an iPhone and don't see myself having one in the future

 

[Tulse]

Personally I prefer to use a physical card then an app on a phone anyway.

I'm just the opposite -- I hate carrying cards in my wallet, and I'm far more likely to forget my wallet than my phone when I leave the house.

 

[gweed123]

I still see Apple pay as flash in the pan fad that only a few poel will use. Personally I prefer to use a physical card then an app on a phone anyway. But hey if I'm wrong I'm wrong I'm wrong. I don't have an iPhone and don't see myself having one in the future

As soon as it's available in Canada with TD Visa and TD Visa Debit, the only time I'll be pulling out my wallet is when I want to pay with cash. I'll be basically retiring my physical debit and credit cards, unless I absolutely need to use them. I know I'm not the only one who has this mindset.

In the medium term, I can definitely see a Presto app complimenting the physical card. Debit/credit cards are to payment what CD's were to music in the mid-2000s. Still necessary, but definitely on the way out as the main method.

 

[rbt]

I still see Apple pay as flash in the pan fad that only a few poel will use. Personally I prefer to use a physical card then an app on a phone anyway. But hey if I'm wrong I'm wrong I'm wrong. I don't have an iPhone and don't see myself having one in the future

There will almost certainly be a generational divide for the first decade. ATMs were slow to be picked up too. For the under 30 crowd it'll be a pretty rapid transition for 80% of them; though hopefully they carry 1 physical card for backup (along with ID and license).

Eventually carrying a full wallet will be as common as wearing a basic watch.

I have a 2 inch thick stack of cards at home (transit cards and loyalty cards mostly). They're divided into different bundles depending on which country I'm intending to be in; it really sucks.