TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Good proposal to make the continuous walkway along the west side of the Allen; the property owner of the apartment buildings north of Eglinton fenced off the informal access through their property a few years ago, unless it's been re-opened since the last time I was there.

 

[Northern Light]

Service Plan Nuggets:

From P. 43

Between 2022 and 2024, an additional 60 new streetcars will be required to allow us to better serve our customers. This includes more frequent and reliable service on all routes and specific enhancements to 501 Queen, 504 King and 511 Bathurst that will be developed through the annual plan process.

I will be watching for the TTC capital budget next week to see if the streetcar order is in there.

****

Given the success of the King Street Transit Priority Corridor, we will explore implementing exclusive bus lanes, stop consolidation, all-door boarding and other transit priority measures to speed up bus service on Toronto’s busiest bus corridors. Over the next five years we will explore opportunities on Eglinton Avenue East, Dufferin Street, Jane Street, Steeles Avenue West and Finch Avenue East.

On cycling

In 2020, we will roll-out planned enhancements at 49 TTC subway stations to improve the experience for people cycling. This will include more bike repair stations and new, high-capacity, bike parking. TTC will collaborate with the Toronto Parking Authority to investigate the feasibility of expanding Bike Share into suburban Toronto. We will also increase the capacity of existing Bike Share locations at TTC stations, where feasible.In 2021, we will expand bike parking at key surface stop locations, implement Bike Share in suburban Toronto and increase the capacity of existing Bike Share locations at TTC stations, where feasible.

Fleet Plan.

Plan does show request for additional streetcars.

However, its listed as unfunded in the graphic below:

Observed Negatives/Absences from Plan:

- Budget ask for 2020 appears to be only 3.7M with no material service improvements.

- Major investments to reduce overcrowding don't begin until 2022

- Nothing about restoring/expanding the 10 minute network, or actually improving the crowding standards

- Service increase proposal is below what is required.

- No commitment to additional night services or to minimum standards for night service being improved (ie. 20min max headway)

- No commitment to move the Sunday AM start to 7am

- No commitment to platform edge doors to improve service reliability.

- No discussion of efforts to improve the quality of line management

- Regional integration is positively discussed but with virtually no specifics.

 

[drum118]

Reading the 5 year plan, 511 will be bus only until 2024 starting in 2020

The plan also calls for 214 streetcars in service for peak time by 2024

 

[WislaHD]

Just here to vent:
Thought about taking the Mt. Pleasant bus south to St. Clair during subway closure, but no........
Headway is 20 or at best 15mins yet they someone still manage to end up in a pair. I'd have to wait for this pair to complete its northbound route before turning southbound.
View attachment 217947

I have long been of the opinion that introducing a frequent Mt. Pleasant --> Jarvis bus route would eliminate a solid 1,000 people off the Yonge Line.

Which, given that the Yonge Line needs all the relief it can get, is ridiculous that we are not doing. I would take that bus route downtown, it would probably be faster and more reliable than the subway.

 

[Northern Light]

I have long been of the opinion that introducing a frequent Mt. Pleasant --> Jarvis bus route would eliminate a solid 1,000 people off the Yonge Line.

Which, given that the Yonge Line needs all the relief it can get, is ridiculous that we are not doing. I would take that bus route downtown, it would probably be faster and more reliable than the subway.

The TTC has a route doing this now, in the 141, premium express.

But of course, its a double-fare; and there's only 3 or so runs in the morning.

It would be an interesting experiment to see them take the route to every 10m, rush-hour only, regular price, and see what happens.

 

[DSC]

I could not find the list of scheduled closures referenced in item 15.

Anyone have a proposed list of closures?

See: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...y-closures-to-more-than-double-next-year.html

 

[smallspy]

The TTC has a route doing this now, in the 141, premium express.

But of course, its a double-fare; and there's only 3 or so runs in the morning.

It would be an interesting experiment to see them take the route to every 10m, rush-hour only, regular price, and see what happens.

The service frequency was about every 10 minutes at its height, in 1990. And it only charged a regular fare. But that service didn't really last - the ridership fell off as did everywhere else, and by 1992 or so it was back down to 4 trips southbound, and had required a extra fare.

One has to remember, these routes really only operate in one direction, and largely for one trip only. That's why they charge extra for them - those resources would be better spent elsewhere in the system, but the extra fare (just barely) makes up for that.

Dan

 

[Northern Light]

The service frequency was about every 10 minutes at its height, in 1990. And it only charged a regular fare. But that service didn't really last - the ridership fell off as did everywhere else, and by 1992 or so it was back down to 4 trips southbound, and had required a extra fare.

One has to remember, these routes really only operate in one direction, and largely for one trip only. That's why they charge extra for them - those resources would be better spent elsewhere in the system, but the extra fare (just barely) makes up for that.

Dan

Interesting backstory there; thanks!

I do wonder, however, if things have changed enough, given the overcrowding on Line 1; and much additional density on/near Mt Pleasant vs that time, if perhaps the results might differ this time?

 

[drum118]

Number of planned TTC subway closures to more than double next year

 

[CityStay]

Number of planned TTC subway closures to more than double next year

Planned, unplanned or both?

 

[jje1000]

Back in October, but still relevant in light of this:

There are established formulas for transit service that deem many parts of suburban Toronto too low-density to support more than one bus an hour. When I speak to U.S. audiences and show them pictures of Finch Avenue in Toronto, they all say that they’d expect it to have hourly service. And yet, Finch has peak scheduled service every 90 seconds – better than every five minutes off-peak – and those buses are packed. It performs better financially than even busy downtown streetcar routes. These formulas shape policy in countless cities, including in Canada, and they need to be revised in light of Canadian experience.

Frequent bus service makes connections possible, as Australian scholar Paul Mees has observed, so people can transfer from one bus to another for cross-suburban trips without having to worry about waiting forever if they miss the connection.

Opinion: Toronto’s secret success: Suburban buses

It’s a model that shows how to make transit work for the cities we have today and not the imagined cities of the future

www.theglobeandmail.com

 

[Richard White]

I am currently onboard a train at Kennedy Station and noticed what appears to be two lights just above the tracks on the wall halfway down the platform.

I do not see the point of them. Does anyone know what they are for?

 

[Streety McCarface]

Service Plan Nuggets:

From P. 43

Between 2022 and 2024, an additional 60 new streetcars will be required to allow us to better serve our customers. This includes more frequent and reliable service on all routes and specific enhancements to 501 Queen, 504 King and 511 Bathurst that will be developed through the annual plan process.

I will be watching for the TTC capital budget next week to see if the streetcar order is in there.

****

Given the success of the King Street Transit Priority Corridor, we will explore implementing exclusive bus lanes, stop consolidation, all-door boarding and other transit priority measures to speed up bus service on Toronto’s busiest bus corridors. Over the next five years we will explore opportunities on Eglinton Avenue East, Dufferin Street, Jane Street, Steeles Avenue West and Finch Avenue East.

View attachment 218576

On cycling

In 2020, we will roll-out planned enhancements at 49 TTC subway stations to improve the experience for people cycling. This will include more bike repair stations and new, high-capacity, bike parking. TTC will collaborate with the Toronto Parking Authority to investigate the feasibility of expanding Bike Share into suburban Toronto. We will also increase the capacity of existing Bike Share locations at TTC stations, where feasible.In 2021, we will expand bike parking at key surface stop locations, implement Bike Share in suburban Toronto and increase the capacity of existing Bike Share locations at TTC stations, where feasible.

View attachment 218579

Fleet Plan.

Plan does show request for additional streetcars.

View attachment 218580

However, its listed as unfunded in the graphic below:

View attachment 218581
Observed Negatives/Absences from Plan:

- Budget ask for 2020 appears to be only 3.7M with no material service improvements.

- Major investments to reduce overcrowding don't begin until 2022

- Nothing about restoring/expanding the 10 minute network, or actually improving the crowding standards

- Service increase proposal is below what is required.

- No commitment to additional night services or to minimum standards for night service being improved (ie. 20min max headway)

- No commitment to move the Sunday AM start to 7am

- No commitment to platform edge doors to improve service reliability.

- No discussion of efforts to improve the quality of line management

- Regional integration is positively discussed but with virtually no specifics.

No one's going to mention the fact that line 1 is planned to get an additional 5 trains (30 cars)? How will the TTC actually be able to accommodate this without ordering additional vehicles? We have 80 sets of 6-cars (If I'm not mistaken), of which, 4 are set aside for Line 4. This leaves 76 available trains — A 7.9% spare ratio.

There are 61 T1 sets (plus a set of 4), and only 48 will be required for service in 2024 — a spare ratio of 21.3%.

Given that the CEO's report lists the TR reliability as twice that of T1 reliability (600K MDBF vs 300K MDBF), I can't see how a spare ratio close to a third that of the T1 fleet will be acceptable, especially since reliability will go down in the 5 years between now and these service patterns.

 

[smallspy]

I do wonder, however, if things have changed enough, given the overcrowding on Line 1; and much additional density on/near Mt Pleasant vs that time, if perhaps the results might differ this time?

Well ridership on the subway is higher now than it ever has been before, so there's that working for it.

And you're right, Mt. Pleasant is getting much denser.

But the fact of the matter is that no matter how many buses you put on there, it's only going to make the slightest dent in the ridership on the subway. And so the question needs to be asked - is that the best use of resources?

I am currently onboard a train at Kennedy Station and noticed what appears to be two lights just above the tracks on the wall halfway down the platform.

I do not see the point of them. Does anyone know what they are for?

View attachment 218712

I do believe that was the spot where trains used to be lengthened and shortened, back when they did that in the early 1980s. The lights were to help the crews see that the coupling or uncoupling was completed successfully.

No one's going to mention the fact that line 1 is planned to get an additional 5 trains (30 cars)? How will the TTC actually be able to accommodate this without ordering additional vehicles? We have 80 sets of 6-cars (If I'm not mistaken), of which, 4 are set aside for Line 4. This leaves 76 available trains — A 7.9% spare ratio.

There will be a new order of equipment by then, probably about 10 or 12 trainsets. I think that this is already in the Capital budget.

Dan

 

[W. K. Lis]

Meanwhile, here's another reason to increase the property taxes...

Kansas City becomes first major American city with universal fare-free public transit

From link.

Today, Kansas City became the first major American city to have fare-free public transit.

City council voted unanimously to make city bus routes fare-free, reports KSHB, directing the city manager to develop and enact a plan. The city’s light rail was already free.

Free bus service, which is expected to cost about $8 million, has been pitched as a major help to low-income residents who rely on transit to commute to work.

New mayor Quinton Lucas helped spearhead the plan with the support of city opinion leaders including the Kansas City Star‘s editorial board.

Other supporters included City Councilman Eric Bunch.

“When we’re talking about improving people’s lives who are our most vulnerable citizens, I don’t think there’s any question that we need to find that money,” Bunch told KSHB. “That’s not a ton of money and it’s money that we as a city, if we want to prioritize public transportation, it’s something that we can find.”

Public transit has become a focus on intense political activity in cities across the country as young climate change protestors demand investment in mass transit to help battle climate change.

While progressive Kansas City enacts universal fare-free transit, other cities, such as Portland, Oregon, are redoubling efforts to crack down on scofflaws and hiring more transit cops to deter free riders.