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TTC York University BRT

reaperexpress said:
I know, I was just listing the stops that we had to make on route.

The problem could be avoided with a bridge over the railway tracks, but I agree with the others here: that's not worth the money or trouble.
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OC Transpo's Barrhaven/Fallowfield Transitway extension also has an at-grade railway crossing. I am somewhat surprised that an overpass/underpass was not built here, though almost the only traffic these days on the route is the VIA trains from Toronto or the Montreal trains originating in Fallowfield.
 
ShonTron said:
OC Transpo's Barrhaven/Fallowfield Transitway extension also has an at-grade railway crossing. I am somewhat surprised that an overpass/underpass was not built here, though almost the only traffic these days on the route is the VIA trains from Toronto or the Montreal trains originating in Fallowfield.
Click to expand...

Why would you be surprised? Like you said, there is not that much traffic on it. It's more likely that the TTC wants to save money. Despite Adam Giambrone's claim that the busway will be here forever*, I get the impression that the TTC doesn't regard the busway as that permanent, especially since the portion within York U is destined to be turned back into a regular road, and all they have done on Dufferin is add new signs. Also, I think that if they actually intended to have this as a major part of the northern bus network, that there would be plans for extending it, and they would have done a better job with the transit priority lights.

*http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2009/11/21/11848921-sun.html
 
Last edited:
ShonTron said:
OC Transpo's Barrhaven/Fallowfield Transitway extension also has an at-grade railway crossing. I am somewhat surprised that an overpass/underpass was not built here, though almost the only traffic these days on the route is the VIA trains from Toronto or the Montreal trains originating in Fallowfield.
Click to expand...

Originally the plan for Ottawa was for grade separation but they found an issue with groundwater that made an underpass not feasible (a transitway overpass was rejected due to NCC/resident opposition and poor soils).

here's a fairly length staff report on the issue
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2004/08-25/csedc/ACS2004-DEV-POL-0027.htm
 
reaperexpress said:
Why would you be surprised? Like you said, there is not that much traffic on likely that the TTC wants to save money. Despite Adam Giambrone's claim that the busway will be here forever*, I get the impression that the TTC doesn't regard the busway as that permanent, especially since the portion within York U is destined to be turned back into a regular road, and all they have done on Dufferin is add new signs. Also, I think that if they actually intended to have this as a major part of the northern bus network, that there would be plans for extending it, and they would have done a better job with the transit priority lights
Click to expand...

Uh, OC Transpo is not the TTC.
 
Nov 21 Visit

Spent the last few days trying to upload to YouTube, but it keep rejecting all
the file formats as it is broken. Even going the route as recommend had issue to
the point what I wrote and what did show up were almost 3 different things.

My comments are in the video's as well on site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7y-qMkijbs Dufferin-Downsview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18H7WdS81zo Dufferin to York

I gave up trying to film due to rough ride and will re-shoot at a later date.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv-xV_OkOk0

I thank the drivers for allowing me to shoot at the front and they like the
busway.
 
I used it yesterday and it seems slightly faster. The only noticeable difference was that the old route involved a lot of turns and in some of the older buses it was an awful ride. This was far more comfortable. We managed to hit every green light along the way, but I wasn't entirely sureif that was because of signal priority or sheer luck.
 
Hipster Duck said:
The lack of signal priority really sucks. Oh, TTC, when will you ever learn!
Click to expand...

Why are you blaming TTC on the signals when they have nothing to do with then in the first place?? That the City responsibility.

Back in Sept, Pond Rd had a 20 second countdown that cause buses to stop. It looks like it still the same. 10 seconds is all is needed. I past that info along back then.

I need to shoot on a weekday to see how the signals work with more buses on the busway.

Even with cars in the Bus lanes on Dufferin St, buses where at posted speed and the cars having no impact on performance.
 
Observations:

I rode the new busway last weekend. I’m very pleased about this project and it has undeniably made the bus trip much to York much smoother and faster. At a cost of $40 million IIRC, it’s worth every penny.

I think that there is proper transit signal priority on the line, as on my northbound trip my bus got green lights at every intersection on the way (with only a second-or-two wait at Alness). Southbound my bus got held up at a couple red lights, but I know that well-designed signal priority system usually doesn’t ensure a green light 100% of the time.

However, it’s clear that in typical TTC fashion the TTC has made some design decisions that I find both confusing and annoying.

- The #1 thing that left me scratching my head was the intersection design at Dufferin and the busway. Southbound buses are required to wait for a traffic light, which stops both northbound and southbound traffic on Dufferin, even though the buses are simply following a ramp into their own lane on Dufferin. There are no conflicts and there is no need for the traffic light in these circumstances. It needlessly delays both buses and traffic. It’s absurd.
- Plenty of car drivers in the bus lane on Dufferin. The signs are small and easy to miss. There needs to be a clear “BUSES ONLY†on the signs and panted in the lanes.
- Drum is right, the light cycle at The Pond Road is way too long.
- The tall-wall barriers on either side of the busway seems to be overkill. I don’t see why they did this, no other road in the city is designed this way.
- A speed limit of 60 seems low. 80 would have been more appropriate.
- MARKETING! This is clearly a piece of rapid transit infrastructure and it should be marketed as such. There’s no mention of it on the TTC’s front page. It should have a map that illustrates it like a real rapid transit line. The busway sections should be highlighted in some way.

Minor quibbles and suggestions:
- It would be nice if the TTC could sort out some sort of agreement to reduce the requirements for the rail crossing. Stopping, opening the door, looking and listening seems so silly and excessive. This is a straight section of track and it’s easy to see a good distance in either direction. Perhaps an exception for this crossing, requiring buses to slow down and have their driver open their window should be sufficient for a driver to ensure that there are no trains approaching.
- Based on the location of the bus bays for the 196 at Downsview station, it likely would have been superior if the buses got a queue-jump lane to turn left on to Sheppard and use the current north entrance to the bus terminal instead.
- Express 196 buses get caught up behind local buses on Dufferin. Ah well, such is life.
- They should add a stop at The Pond Road to better serve Schulich and Seneca College.
 
A stop at the Pond Road wouldn't be a bad idea.

I just took it a few hours ago. We got a green or a short wait for a green at every light except Alness, where two buses and a Wheel-Trans van going the other way cleared a green, and left us towards a red light. But that's a minor point in what was a vastly quicker ride.

After Finch southbound, the driver didn't even bother with the bus lane, as traffic at that time was light and went to the left early on. The bus lane is not well marked at all, and there needs to be more signage and road markings. A solid double white lane makes more sense, especially as there are few driveways on this stretch.

Wow, that busway cuts through perhaps the ugliest corridor in Toronto, behind the tank farms and in a hydrofield.

The $40 million was well worth it, even if the subway is built and open as scheduled by 2015.

I also agree that the marketing potential was squandered. This is a huge improvement for York students and staff.
 
Did anyone time the difference in travel time with the busway to before the busway. I am curious on how much faster the trip is now.
 
Isn't Viva Orange supposed to be moving onto this busway at some point? There's no mention on the YRT website.
 
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