TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[hw621]

The poor man couldn't resist the urge. It's pretty pathetic how desperate he is to be in absolutely every photo-op, even when the ministry he's responsible for isn't at all responsible for any of this.

Probably not for much longer tho...

 

[Richard White]

Apparently the issues the TTC is having with overtime and ATU 113 is affecting scheduled subway closures. I was speaking to an operator friend this morning they canceled this weekends closure between Kennedy and Woodbine because of a lack of operators able to work.

Essentially, if the usual group of operators who work overtime doing shuttles actually do this weekends closure they will be unable to work part of their regular work. This is all due to the restrictions placed on overtime work as the work week starts on Sundays for the TTC.

There is also work on Queen that is being halted temporarily due to a lack of shuttle bus operators for the same reasons.

My source is an operator with 32 years on the job who also happens to be a family friend. This particular person does more overtime than most people so when he says it is canceled, I trust his word.

 

[drum118]

Got around to fixing some of my backlog of photos and posted a photo of TTC old track on Church St at Wellesley coming up through the asphalt. The line was abandon in 1955 to off set the rolling brownout due to the new Yonge subway and lack of hydro for Toronto. TTC had to kill a number of routes because of the subway power use. I am assuming the tracks north of Wellesley have been removed and don't know where it stops to the south.

 

[W. K. Lis]

 

[Kitsune]

A lot of notices on stops in the Beaches (and I'm going to assume elsewhere on Queen) regarding stop combination, removal and moving on May 13th.. In typical TTC fashion the information is not easily found on there website, I could not find it at all.

 

[muller877]

Apparently the issues the TTC is having with overtime and ATU 113 is affecting scheduled subway closures. I was speaking to an operator friend this morning they canceled this weekends closure between Kennedy and Woodbine because of a lack of operators able to work.

Essentially, if the usual group of operators who work overtime doing shuttles actually do this weekends closure they will be unable to work part of their regular work. This is all due to the restrictions placed on overtime work as the work week starts on Sundays for the TTC.

There is also work on Queen that is being halted temporarily due to a lack of shuttle bus operators for the same reasons.

My source is an operator with 32 years on the job who also happens to be a family friend. This particular person does more overtime than most people so when he says it is canceled, I trust his word.

Time to hire a company to take over all heavy rail for the TTC? (just like GO)

The Crew Changes are idiotic. Waiting 5 minutes for a train today and then 2 stops later waited 4 minutes for a crew change (I timed it). So 9 minutes between trains after that was done.

A good contract would allow for daily flexibility in the hours worked for each operator

 

[Northern Light]

Time to hire a company to take over all heavy rail for the TTC? (just like GO)

The Crew Changes are idiotic. Waiting 5 minutes for a train today

You say that with such invective. A wait of 5 minutes is considered good in almost any part of the world, particularly if outside of rush hour.

and then 2 stops later waited 4 minutes for a crew change (I timed it). So 9 minutes between trains after that was done.

A good contract would allow for daily flexibility in the hours worked for each operator

I have very rarely, if ever, experienced a 4 minute long crew change.

Crews are supposed to be at the ready, correctly positioned on platform to relieve the incoming crew, in my experience, the average delay is 90 seconds or less.

I hasten to add that I'm completely unclear on the overtime comment. Crew changeovers are a regular part of subway operation, people's workday has to end at some point.

Changeovers are done @ Coxwell Station on Line 2, not sure where they are based on Line 1 these days.

They are a routine part of scheduling in most cases.

 

[Streety McCarface]

Changeovers are done @ Coxwell Station on Line 2, not sure where they are based on Line 1 these days.

They are a routine part of scheduling in most cases.

Eglinton I believe.

 

[DSC]

You say that with such invective. A wait of 5 minutes is considered good in almost any part of the world, particularly if outside of rush hour.
They are a routine part of scheduling in most cases.

Indeed, though TTC management is certainly not always as competent as one would want I am not sure turning over part of their empire to a private contractor would be any more efficient. BBD is a private company and we all know how incompetent THEIR management is from the streetcar fiasco!

Muller877 also mentions BBD and GO. BBD run many of the trains for GO Transit and there seem to be lots of 'operational issues' that cause delays there. In fact BBD are being 'excluded' from bidding again. See https://www.cp24.com/news/metrolinx-to-shut-bombardier-out-of-bid-to-operate-go-trains-1.3514220

 

[Richard White]

You say that with such invective. A wait of 5 minutes is considered good in almost any part of the world, particularly if outside of rush hour.



I have very rarely, if ever, experienced a 4 minute long crew change.

Crews are supposed to be at the ready, correctly positioned on platform to relieve the incoming crew, in my experience, the average delay is 90 seconds or less.

I hasten to add that I'm completely unclear on the overtime comment. Crew changeovers are a regular part of subway operation, people's workday has to end at some point.

Changeovers are done @ Coxwell Station on Line 2, not sure where they are based on Line 1 these days.

They are a routine part of scheduling in most cases.

Changeovers are also done late night at High Park.

 

[Steve X]

A few years back when I used to take line 2 a lot more often in the evenings, they'll have crew changes Lansdowne, High Park, Runnymede and if the PAA was activated with a 5-10 min delay, Islington too. It's ridiculous they can change crews three times from Yonge to Kipling. There is zero consideration for the so called "customers". All they cared about is to get the crews at the relief point at Coxwell back on time because they're late and they'll make the riders later.

 

[Streety McCarface]

A few years back when I used to take line 2 a lot more often in the evenings, they'll have crew changes Lansdowne, High Park, Runnymede and if the PAA was activated with a 5-10 min delay, Islington too. It's ridiculous they can change crews three times from Yonge to Kipling. There is zero consideration for the so called "customers". All they cared about is to get the crews at the relief point at Coxwell back on time because they're late and they'll make the riders later.

I believe they schedule crew changes at all those stations to stagger the dwell time across the entire line so there isn't a chokepoint at Coxwell.

 

[drum118]

A few years back when I used to take line 2 a lot more often in the evenings, they'll have crew changes Lansdowne, High Park, Runnymede and if the PAA was activated with a 5-10 min delay, Islington too. It's ridiculous they can change crews three times from Yonge to Kipling. There is zero consideration for the so called "customers". All they cared about is to get the crews at the relief point at Coxwell back on time because they're late and they'll make the riders later.

Not only have I see these crew changes take place first hand to the point the train is turn back a few station later, with riders being forced off the train to wait for the next one, if there is room on it.

To save a few $$ for these crew changes, it cost at least 10 times more in wasting riders time and pissing them off. Riders don't count, but drivers do. So much for customer service.

Have no issues with cross platforms, but do for the non ones where you can wait up to 5 minutes for the change. Been on trains arriving at my final station 15 minutes late due to these changes and miss my bus.

Been on a number of trains this year where the train is turn back at Islington and far more than the past. Runnymede was my pet beef station for crew changes, but its others these days.

 

[Steve X]

I believe they schedule crew changes at all those stations to stagger the dwell time across the entire line so there isn't a chokepoint at Coxwell.

They are usually not scheduled but usually trains are more than half an hour behind schedule after rush hour everyday. If the change crew at Lansdowne, that train was suppose to have traveled all the way to Kipling and back to Lansdowne at that time. This is due to many incidents such as operator delays, track fire, terminal backlog, emergency alarms, mechanical problem, signal problems, excessive dwelling and people running to the doors/holding them during the whole rush hour period.

 

[rbt]

A few years back when I used to take line 2 a lot more often in the evenings, they'll have crew changes Lansdowne, High Park, Runnymede and if the PAA was activated with a 5-10 min delay, Islington too. It's ridiculous they can change crews three times from Yonge to Kipling. There is zero consideration for the so called "customers". All they cared about is to get the crews at the relief point at Coxwell back on time because they're late and they'll make the riders later.

That's an unfortunate result of the budgeting process which makes a lot of noise over amounts under 1% of TTC budget and no noise over service quality.

If you want TTC to prioritize differently, you need to convince the voting public to enable that to happen.