TTC: New Articulated Buses (In Delivery, Novabus)

[innsertnamehere]

I think that is a route they plan to run them on.

 

[diminutive]

Looks ugly as hell

Its butt looks awful. Reminds me of this.

 

[khris]

I like them! I would like to see the grey return to our vehicles though.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Will they show off the new articulated bus at the CNE? Along with the new articulated streetcar, maybe?

 

[drum118]

Will they show off the new articulated bus at the CNE? Along with the new articulated streetcar, maybe?

You most likely see the new bus, but no place for the new streetcar.

Then the streetcar doesn't belong to TTC at this point as they have not officially accept the car.

That should happen after all 3 cars are modify to the various changes that need to take place from the first set of testing. 4400 will be the first one and should arrive back here late September or early Oct.

After the retesting in the fall, the official approval could be made and TTC will officially own the first 3 as well the other 3 schedule to arrive in the fall.

42 are supposed to be here in 2014, but when is unknown other than year end. That number will change somewhere along the line so don't hold me to that number.

 

[Markster]

TTC to unveil new 'bendy buses'

From the CBC:

The TTC will unveil its new 'bendy buses' this morning.

A total of 153 of the articulated buses have been ordered by the TTC.

The first will begin service in December on the Bathurst route.

The buses, which are 60 feet in length, can carry up to 112 riders, roughly twice as many as a standard bus.

 

[W. K. Lis]

They should put PRESTO on the new articulated buses, so that all the doors could be used. "Could", because able-bodied people will continue to use the front door to enter and exit.

 

[ShonTron]

I can't wait for artics on Bathurst Street (wait, why Bathurst Street?). It's a horribly mismanaged route plagued by short turns and non-existent buses. Line ups of over 100 people at Bathurst Station on Sunday afternoons. More buses short turn than actually make it to the subway at many times in the week.

I fear artics will make matters worse with even fewer buses on the route (as larger buses will just prompt the TTC to reduce the number of them), still subject to the same short turns and mismanagement. A 20 minute wait for a bus that's supposed to come every 8 minutes at Bathurst Station could become a 30 minute wait for a bus that's supposed to come every 12 minutes.

Fix the bloody route and get the actual service levels first, don't make it the first route for artics.

Dufferin is also poorly managed, but with super-frequent headways at most times of the day, it's much more bearable, as it's rare to wait more than 10 minutes. Dufferin is more logical for artics as buses are much more frequent there, and reducing the number of them may actually work. Bathurst's frequency is much less than Dufferin's.

 

[W. K. Lis]

According to Andy Byford, Bathurst will get them first, then Dufferin, Ossington, Finch West, and Sheppard East. Made of stainless steel in Québec.

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1016432&playlistId=1.1481958&binId=1.815892&playlistPageNum=1

 

[JayBeeGooner]

I live on Bathurst, just North of St. Clair and I echo Shontron's sentiments. The route is so unpredictable northbound, it's just easier to backtrack to St. Clair West and walk to Bathurst from the subway station.

I don't see how artics are going to help the route if the headways are increased. The dwell times are going to increase at major stops (Lot of people get on a St. Clair West at 6:50 in the morning, and you're going to be stuck with the same problems.

 

[TOareaFan]

been struggling with how to ask this without it sounding confrontational (it is not meant to be) but I don't understand how longer buses with less frequency is not a solution/plus on Bathurst but longer streetcars with less frequency are expected to really help things out on Queen/King/etc?

Help the uneducated?

 

[Markster]

been struggling with how to ask this without it sounding confrontational (it is not meant to be) but I don't understand how longer buses with less frequency is not a solution/plus on Bathurst but longer streetcars with less frequency are expected to really help things out on Queen/King/etc?

Help the uneducated?

I think no one likes longer headways, but in the case of the downtown streetcars, the longer vehicles aren't the only change coming. With the new streetcars also come all-door loading and off-board payment, which will drastically improve stop times, which are a serious cause for delay. At the very least, it's something to compensate for the increased headway.

Additionally, with longer headways, you get a bit more predictability in your running time, as it's more likely that every stop will have passengers waiting. Bunching happens when a bus doesn't have to stop much, and catches up to the next bus, further decreasing the chances that there will be passengers to pick up. With longer set headways, you increase the number of minutes that the bus has to be running faster for in order to catch up and wreak bus-bunched havoc.

 

[drum118]

TTC introduces new articulated bus

October 3, 2013

The Toronto Transit Commission today introduced the first of its new clean diesel low floor articulated buses. The TTC has ordered 153 new vehicles that will start entering service on the 7 Bathurst route this December. Total cost of the purchase is $143.7 million.

The articulated bus will result in a more reliable service, with a design capacity of 77 passengers, an increase of 45 per cent from the standard 40-foot bus. The new buses will also be more cost effective, as operating costs will be lower with fewer bus operators required.

The accessible articulated bus will be used on high demand routes, and will carry more passengers with fewer vehicles. Articulated buses have three doors, instead of two, making it faster for customers to board inside subway stations, and faster for customers to exit the bus at all stops.

The articulated buses will operate on the following routes:

- 7 Bathurst - first bus December 2013
- 29 Dufferin - first bus January 2014
- 36 Finch West - Spring 2014
- 63 Ossington - Summer 2014
- 6 Bay - first bus Summer 2014
- 85 Sheppard East - Fall 2014
- 53 Steeles Express - Fall 2014

All 153 articulated buses will be in service by January, 2015.

- 30 -

Media Contact: Corporate Communications, 416-981-1900, media@ttc.ca

 

[TOareaFan]

Thanks for the reply

I think no one likes longer headways, but in the case of the downtown streetcars, the longer vehicles aren't the only change coming. With the new streetcars also come all-door loading and off-board payment, which will drastically improve stop times, which are a serious cause for delay. At the very least, it's something to compensate for the increased headway.

Once presto is fully implemented would those things not also come to the longer buses?

Additionally, with longer headways, you get a bit more predictability in your running time, as it's more likely that every stop will have passengers waiting. Bunching happens when a bus doesn't have to stop much, and catches up to the next bus, further decreasing the chances that there will be passengers to pick up. With longer set headways, you increase the number of minutes that the bus has to be running faster for in order to catch up and wreak bus-bunched havoc.

Again, though, why is it different for buses on Bathurst than streetcars on King in those regards?

 

[Electrify]

On the plus side, even if headways are widened for awhile, as more artics are added to the system, they can increase the frequency. Much easier to run 60' buses efficiently every 3 minutes than 40' every 90 seconds.

On a side note, how come the 196 York University Rocket isn't on that list?! That route is begging for these buses. Both in terms of ridership and route design.