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TTC: Other Items (catch all)

I dont disagree that fabric is harder to clean then plastic. I'm simply referring to when both are already very heavily stained.
The plastic seats would be more vulnerable to magic marker graffiti. The fabric seats are harder to write on.
 
It’s not like a plastic seat would be dry either, though.

Like @PL1 has said - you couldn't necessarily tell. And honestly, I doubt the TTC even do that much seat cleaning in the best of days; and that's with easy to clean (mop and wipe) vinyl seating way back when. Compare and contrast to these felt seating - you can't possible clean them much in-situ quickly and/or without specialized equipment (like steam cleaners).

AoD
 
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I'm going to disagree that the current fabric seats are in any way comfortable, so I don't view this as a big loss.

I don't usually tend to sit on the TTC, due to being a germophobe, but not wanting to advertise that to friends and acquaintances I sit if they sit. About a month ago I sat on the subway for the first time in several years, and my back hurt for two days after. If they want comfort, bring back the H4 benches!
How on earth does sitting on the subway end up injuring your back for two days? You might want to see a doctor.
 
To me, the hygiene argument, while relevant (I'm a marginal germaphobe) is too much of an excuse for under-funding cleaning operations.

I would also add, there is a circular chicken-egg thing.......if an environment looks like it demands care, and it receives care, then people tend to take more care with it.
Emphasizing this.

Some people seem to be way too paranoid. Might as well not sit down anywhere in public.
 
It’s not like a plastic seat would be dry either, though.
The point is that plastic (or vinyl/leather) doesn't absorb fluids like cloth does, and thus easier to clean and easier not to accidentally sit on a dirty seat because it "looked" clean(ish)
 
Aside from comfort, or lack thereof, why not?

Comfort is a key concern, unapologetically.

Many face long commutes sometimes after a day of hard physical work and/or standing, and a seat, a comfy seat, is a very necessary thing.

Its also an aesthetic consideration and one about whether we convert transit here to being more like the U.S., where its seen as a service for the poor, for those with no other choice, rather than for a wide
range of people, including the broad middle class, who have a choice.

When you consider transit as an optional customer, your weighing cost, convenience, and comfort and your comparing it to driving for the most part.

Imagine Nissan trying to sell you an Altima featuring hard plastic seats. Right, not happening; because no one wants that, no one aspires to it, and it would be damaging to the brand to even consider it.

Transit needs to retain and woo more 'choice' riders. People who have a car at home and could drive.

You're not going to do that by making the service less comfortable and by making it seem like something a successful person wouldn't be caught dead using.
 
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^To add to that point, if this was Metrolinx and if they came out one day and announced they are switching to plastic seats onboard GO buses and trains, I can guarantee you there would be a mass public revolt against that to the point they would be forced to reverse course.

The vast majority of people dont want plastic seats on public transit, what they do want is for the seats to be clean. I'll maintain the issue here is the TTC's practices of seat cleaning (which was all 100% outsourced for the past ~5 years up until this year). For the TTC to come out and say that they found that customers prefer plastic seats, is pure fabricated BS.
 
So we started with vinyl benches on the subway/buses, then we moved to plastic/metal seats with vinyl inserts. Then the vinyl inserts became too much so we went with padded fabric seats. Those were eliminated in favour of what we have now due to flammability. Now we want to eliminate that.

All in a matter of ~30 years.

This is seriously getting ridiculous.

So when an electric bus inevitibly catches fire, how will this added plastic fare in terms of passengers safety.

Why not go the Translink route?!
 
How on earth does sitting on the subway end up injuring your back for two days? You might want to see a doctor.
What do you find so ridiculous about the notion that an uncomfortable seat could make one's back sore?

Anyway to weigh in on the comfort discussion, I don't think big city transit agencies can even pretend to be comfortable until there is no reasonable possibility of sitting on a urine-soaked or bedbug ridden chair. And especially not buses, which even if they had clouds for seats would still punch your brain out over every hole in the road. The bus network does a good enough job giving off low class vibes even without plastic seats.

N. B. So do GO's double deckers. Only their older MCIs can claim to be a comfortable form of transit.
 
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Was there an announcement about the King Station Commerce Court subway entrance (and thus the route to both platforms) being taken out of service? The escalator at Scotia Plaza NB is back in service which means somewhat more throughput on the stairs, but I would think it’s gonna be uncomfortable during peak/crowding while this goes on. While I’m sure it’s necessary to complete the elevator project, I hope that work blocks are being maximized to get at least the concourse and one entrance open.

At least the SB has Melinda Street (exit only) but clearly whoever wrote the sign on the NB platform doesn’t know it’s only one side
 
Was there an announcement about the King Station Commerce Court subway entrance (and thus the route to both platforms) being taken out of service? The escalator at Scotia Plaza NB is back in service which means somewhat more throughput on the stairs, but I would think it’s gonna be uncomfortable during peak/crowding while this goes on. While I’m sure it’s necessary to complete the elevator project, I hope that work blocks are being maximized to get at least the concourse and one entrance open.

At least the SB has Melinda Street (exit only) but clearly whoever wrote the sign on the NB platform doesn’t know it’s only one side
The King Station TTC project page is a mess of information and confusing photos! https://cdn.ttc.ca/-/media/Project/...---Pre-Construction-Community-Update-2025.pdf
 

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