July 06 |
www.gttavisions.com |
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As I hinted at the other day, a big announcement was due. I'm
pleased to announce the official re-launch of my Greater Toronto
Transportation Authority web site - the companion web site to this
blog. On this page, you'll find my ideas and suggestions for what
public transit in the GTA could be with a steady funding formula,
the political will to look beyond a four year term, and a little
vision. Take some time and glimpse into what the future could be at
www.gttavisions.com . Feel
free to leave a comment or two on this post or the original GTTA
post, and I will be happy to respond to it and post it on the new
site.
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July 04 |
Just a teaser |
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I have't posted anything lately because I've been working hard on
something very special. I will announce it tomorrow, so stay
tuned....
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June 13 |
Mad at Moscoe |
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On June 6, 2005, the General Manager of the TTC, Rick Ducharme,
resigned his post, citing political interference as the main reason
for his decision to leave. In the days following his letter, bits
and peices of the story came out. Combine that with hearsay and
conjecture and we get a picture of a power struggle, a system in
crisis, and blame falling at the foot of one man.
As the story goes (and I must underline the hearsay and conjecture
part of it), Union and Management relations were pretty good, until
Howard Moscoe, the chair of the TTC, got involved. From there, it
all went downhill. In most companies, the board of directors sets
the direction of the company, but leaves the day-to-day operation up
to senior management. Ducharme contends that the TTC is no
different, and the city councillors that sit on the Toronto Transit
Commission have no business getting involved in labour relations of
the company. He contends that the wildcat strike was due to
political meddling, and that he couldn't work under such conditions,
and the inherent distrust that it breeds.
More recently, other city councillors have jumped into the issue.
Some agree with the allegations of the former GM, and are calling
for Moscoe to resign his seat on the TTC, and for the city's
integrity commissioner to investigate. This isn't the first time
such calls have been made, and this isn't the first time Moscoe has
refused. In my opinion, he is doing a good job as a commission
member, and is seen by many as the champion of the TTC. However,
councillors should not be getting involved in the day-to-day
operations, and if he did mingle, he definitly crossed the line.
This issue has also manifested itself in another form. As I reported
some time ago, Seimens issued a price quote to replace the oldest of
Toronto's subway cars, and that quote was much lower than the number
the TTC and Bombardier were using as a discussion point. Councillors
are demanding that the TTC end negotiations with Bombardier, and
issue a tender for companies to bid on. This is the most fair
approach, and makes sure that the best price is paid for the best
product. Maybe I'm cynical, but I do believe that using bombardier
as a sole supplier was political (local jobs look good for local
politicians). Heaven forbid we use the money we save form the lower
bidder on social programs or shelters.
|
June 02 |
Introducing The T35A08 |
|
When the TTC announced that their next generation subway cars would
be multiple-unit trainsets, rather than the traditional style of
coupled cars, I thought they were making a big mistake. In today's
system, if a car has to be removed from service for an extended
period of time, the commission could simply swap out the car for a
spare. With a permenantly coupled trainset, the whole train must be
removed from service.
The TTC recently launched a website promoting the new design, due to
be delivered between 2009 and 2011. 234 cars will be ordered, but
that's irrelevant, as they are not individual cars. In total, we
will see 39 trains operating on the Yonge-University-Spadina Line.
Some of the features these cars will have include
There is also a movie on the website with more details, the name-the-train contest, and even locations where the mock-up can be found for public viewing. You can find it all here, and then wait eagerly until 2009 when the cars start running under Toronto's streets. |
May 29 |
You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell! |
|
What a wild day today! Yesterday, when I heard that the TTC may
engage in a wildcat strike, I said to myself: "All smoke and
mirrors... Not even worth writing about." Boy was I wrong!
It's been very difficult to keep track of what happened today, but
here is a general timeline.
Early Morning:
Over the past few days, the union has been using the media to
promote their stance on the fare dispute issue. The union contents
that management is not doing enough to protect TTC employees from
being assaulted on the job, and not doing enough to compensate
employees who are assaulted on the job. Last week, they announce
that they will be no longer contending disputed fares. Over the
weekend, they announce that unless changes are made, they will walk
off the job on Monday. Monday morning, they follow through.
- Or -
Recently, some TTC janitors were moved from the day shift to the
night shift, against their wishes and the wishes of the union. Early
Monday morning, some janitors show up for their old day shifts. They
are told by management that they are not scheduled, and are turned
away. The union then consideres this a lockout, and and reacts
accordingly.
Mid - Late Morning:
TTC management seeks, and is granted a back to work order from the
Ontario Labour Board. The labour board rules that the strike is
illegal, and issues an immediate cease and desist order.
Early Afternoon:
The Union appeals the Labour Board Order, contending that the strike
is actually due to the lockout that occured in the morning. The
appeal is denied.
Late Afternoon:
The Union announces that they will comply with the order, and return
to work for morning service. However, numerous callers to radio
stations such as CBC Radio 1 and CFRB 1010 report that buses and
streetcars have begun operating in service around the dinnertime
hour.
The events of today raise two questions:
Should union leaders be punished for the inconvenience the public
experienced today?
In New York City, transit union leaders were jailed for three days
and fined for defying a back-to-work order. However, in this case,
the union leaders complied with the order. We can only ask ourselves
what the cost of violating the violating the public trust is.
Should the TTC be declared an essential service?
This would take away their right to strike, and in this author's
opinion, that time has come. But, if we want to declare the TTC an
essential service, we must be prepared to pay out the nose for it.
|
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May 25 |
A Rare Personal Announcement |
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You may have noticed a slight change on the main page of this blog -
on my profile to be exact. It's a small change on the page, but a
large change in my life.
I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I have been
accepted to the Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning program at
Ryerson University. Their program is one of two of its kind in
Ontario, and only one of a handful in the country.
I would like to thank the administration at Ryerson for considering
my application and approving of me, and I will try my very best in
this new venture. I would also like to thank all of my family and
friends who supported me through this stressful waiting period, and
I would also like to thank my engineering friends for all the fun
times. I'll still swing by the dungeon as much as I can!
In the comming years, I hope to learn everything I can about
planning, which will give me a solid foundation for a career, and
improve the quality of the suggestions found in this very blog.
Thanks to you, my readers, for your support, and I hope that you
continue to drop by in the future.
In closing, I would like to point out that while I do get credit for
all my liberal studies courses, I'm still looking into using this
blog for class credit. I'm not too hopeful, but as I've seen in the
past few months, you can never know what the future holds.
|
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Disputes Over Disputes |
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In response to what the union feels ia a lack of support
for operators who are assaulted due to fare disputes, Amalgamated
Transit Union local 113 president Bob Kinnear has asked all TTC
operators to not enforce fare collection for those who try to cheat
the system. He argues that since the rule says operators should use
their discretion when enforcing fare rules, drivers and collector
should use their discretion liberally.
While this may seem like union politics just before union elections,
it does raise serious questions. Is your livelihood, or even your
life, worth $2.75?
I've overheard some streetcar operators conversations over the
years, and I've heard some pretty scary stuff. From being spit on to
being dragged from their vehicle, operators can face certain death
for just asking someone to pay up. Is it worth it? Maybe not.
While nothing can ever offer full protection, we can invest in a few
tools which will make drivers and passengers alike safer on transit.
While most transit spending should be geared towards making it more user friendly for passengers, we cannot forget that the safety and security of staff ensures that a system will run from day to day. A man once said that having the largest navy in the world means nothing if you cannot protect those on the land. Transit is the same. |
Union United |
|
It's been six years in the making, but finally, the plan to renovate
Union Station, one of, if not the TTC's busiest subway stations, has
been given the go ahead. Construction will begin in June, first to
relocate a sewer line that is currently in the way. By 2008, the
walls will start comming down, and $100 million later, we can expect
to have a much smoother passenger flow through the Union Station
platform and concourse area. Here's what we can expect.
These changes will definitly help ease the flow of traffic through this area, which, on any given day, is crowded beyond anything one can normally tolerate. I only wish that they could have done it sooner. |
May 21 |
Busted! |
|
The time is around 7:30 PM, Saturday May 20th. The place is aboard a
southbound subway train, having just left Eglinton West Station. As
usual, the guard announces that the next stop will be St. Clair
West, but then, the guard continues, and says the following:
"To the girls in the rear car who think it's okay to be drinking
under age, you do not want me to call security. So, I suggest you
put the bottles away now!"
I turn to Jennifer, and with a smile on my face, say "Busted!"
|
May 09 |
Transit Pass Tax Credit |
|
An ugly little secret has been exposed in the Harper government's
plan to introduce a tax credit on transit passes. It has been
revealed that weekly passes will be exempt from this credit, which
may not seem like a bad thing, but it defeats the point of offering
the credit in the first place.
First of all, some systems, such as Brampton Transit and Mississauga
Transit have phased out the monthly pass, due to low sales, and it
seems to have worked out well for these systems. It would seem that
if you live in Brampton or Mississauga, you're out of luck.
Second of all, the weekly pass benefits low income riders, who may
not be able to come up with a hundred dollars at the beginning of
the month, but can afford to pay week-to-week. If you can't afford a
monthly pass, then you're out of luck.
Traditionally, conservatives don't cater to the working class, so we
must be grateful for the crumbs we do get, but I hope that one of
the opposition parties pushes through an ammendment to get weekly
passes included in this program.
Are you listening, Jack?
|
May 08 |
When Is Racism Not Racism? |
|
I was riding Brampton Transit 25 EDENBROOK HILL today, heading
northbound from the Downtown terminal. At Edenbrook Hill and
Sandalwood Parkway, a group of young black males, dressed "ghetto"
flagged the bus down. The following conversation took place.
Teen: Do you go to Heart Lake?
Driver: Yes.
Teen: Doesn't that one (pointing to the #23 stop) go to Heart Lake?
Driver: We both do.
Teen: Which one's faster?
Driver: That one (pointing to the #23 stop).
At this point, the black guy became agitated, and began swearing at
the driver as he pulled away. Was this racism? Did the driver not
want to pick up these black males because they appeared to be
gangsters?
From that intersection, the 23 SANDALWOOD is faster than the 25
EDENBROOK HILL to heart lake terminal. While there may be some
racist drivers on transit systems, I don't believe there is a
conspiracy.
This problem could have been avoided by saving the map that was
mailed to every single Brampton resident last year. All transit
systems should do this, as it would eliminate the "I don't know when
the bus runs" argument.
|
April 28 |
German Efficiency, CanWest Stupidity |
|
The story about the TTC purchasing streetcars from Siemens is
totally wrong. The TTC has not purchased any new streetcars from
anyone. Serves me right for trusting anything in the National Post.
|
April 26 |
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly |
|
The Good
Leaked information suggests that the next federal budget will
include transit funding for the GTA, to suppliment the money
earmarked in the last provincial budget. This could mean that
construction for the Spadina subway extension could begin as soon as
next summer, that the suburbs could build enhanced bus rapid transit
projects, or that the GTTA could move forward much more quickly. The
proof may be in the pudding, but I'm hopeful that the pudding will
taste good.
The Bad
The company set to lease Union Station from the city in order to
renovate and revitalize the transit hub has backed out of the
agreement, claiming they will not be able to have all the T's
crossed and I's dotted by the city's deadline. The mayor is doubtful
that the city will extend the deadline again, so they may have to go
it alone. This will likely mean that the repair work will take
longer, and only focus on the critical areas. It will look the same
when it's done, but alot of potential will have been lost.
The Ugly
The Amalgamated Transit Union is threatening a wildcat strike of
daytime janitorial staff within two weeks if the TTC management goes
ahead with their plan to move most of the daytime janitors onto the
night shift. The ATU president, Bob Kinnear, argues that TTC
janitors provide a secondary security role, evident in the case of
the janitor who led police to rescue the 4 year old boy who was
abducted from the Albion Mall on the weekend (I'm still having
difficulty believing that story. There are details that just don't
add up, but it's not a transit issue). However, a TTC operator who
called CFRB 1010 this morning and wished not to be identified
pointed out that it is an election year for the ATU, so this may be
politics. If the strike does occur, it will not likely shut the
system down, and will only target key stations, such as Kipling,
Kennedy, or Bloor-Yonge.
Full disclosure: The news report this morning named the ATU as the
union, but other reports do not name the union, suggesting it may be
CUPE. However, I believe it to be ATU, and will retract my comments
if it proves otherwise.
|
April 25 |
The Letter of the Law |
|
After some analysis of the wording of the GTTA legislation by public
transit enthusiasts, here is some more detail on the particulars of
the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority.
|
April 24 |
A Historic Announcement |
|
Today, buses from Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga,
Brampton, York, Durham and Toronto arrived at the Metro Toronto
Convention Centre, delivering dignitaries to a very special, dare I
say, historic, announcement.
Today, the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority was announced by
Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar, outlining the plan that I
believe will begin a transportation renaissance in the greater
Toronto area.
Under the GTTA legislation, the authority will be responsible for
the following.
The GTTA is here, and I think that with the coordination of services, travel in the GTA looks much better, and will keep getting better for years to come. |
These Options Three |
|
Tonite, Scaborough residents will get the full report on the options
for dealing with the aging Scarborough RT, but the Toronto Star
reported today that three options are on the table.
The fourth option, a busway between Scarborough Centre and Kennedy, was eliminated, as it was unable to handle the expected ridership, but the TTC plans to purchase up to 40 articulated buses if the line has to be shut down. In my humble opinion, the LRT option is the best option, as it balances increased capacity with low cost. In addition, the vehicles can be used elsewhere on the system and this line can potentially interline with future LRT lines, such as my proposed Mid-Scarborough, Finch-Etobicoke and Eglinton lines. Either way, the TTC should purchase the articulated buses, as some routes really need artics. Dufferin comes to mind, and Finch East, as it stands now, is a definite candidate. |
April 22 |
German Efficiency |
|
According to an article that appeared in the National Post on the
20th, the TTC has agreed to purchase 96 light rail cars from Siemens
AG of Germany. There are few details now, but judging by Siemens'
existing designs, such as the Avanto and the ULF, they will be
radically different than anything we've seen in Toronto ever. I will
post more information as it becomes available.
|
April 21 |
Transit Roundup |
|
Here's a small taste of what's been going on transit-wise in the
GTA:
|
April 15 |
MUving on down the line |
|
An article appearing in the Toronto Star today revealed that when
the CLRV streetcars come out of their rebuild, they will be coupled
together to improve service on crowded lines. Among the other
improvements being added to the cars, they will get their couplers
back, allowing them to be coupled into trains (known as multiple
unit trains, or MU). The logic is that if they get bunched up, then
they should run as trains in order tol encourage poeple to spread
out evenly over the cars. I've seen people rush an already crowded
car when three or four were empty behind it, so anything that can be
done to discourage this is a good thing. However, I must make a few
comments. The coupling system should be simple enough that it can be
done on the fly by the operators. In addition, trains should only be
run as part of regular service if the minimum possible headway isn't
enough to meet capacity. This is the most efficient use of
resources. Some agencies measure service by the amount of passenger
spaces that pass by a given point in an hour. To a person standing
out in the rain, they only care about two things. When will the next
vehicle come, and will I be able to get on that vehicle. When the
answer to those questions are "soon" and "yes", we have a good
system.
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The Future of the Scarborough RT |
|
As I've mentioned before, the Scarborough RT vehicles (Bombardier
ICTS Mk I) are approaching the end of it's useful life. As a result,
the TTC is faced with several options, such as rebuilding the line
to allow for a more common vehicle to be used, commissioning the
design of a new vehicle, or replacing it with a subway, BRT or other
method of high-capacity transit system. Here's what I've come up
with (which is probably my third or fourth idea on what to do with
it), that will allow for the line remain in operation while it's
replacement is being built.
My plan calls for what Scarberians want, a subway to the Town
Centre, that could even be interlined with a finished Sheppard line.
However, we have a problem at Kennedy Station. The platform is
aligned east-west, and the most non-intrusive right-of-way is
north-south. A very sharp turn is needed, but a sharp turn is why
the ICTS Mk II's can operate on the existing RT. In order to
overcome this, we need to build a new platform underneath the
existing Kennedy Station platform. The platform would be aligned
northeast-southwest, so there would only be a gentle curve into and
out-of the station. While contruction goes on, the subway is still
in operation, serving the existing platform until the new platform
and connecting tracks are ready.
Once subway trains begin stopping one floor below, it's not the end
for the existing platforms. They will be used as part of the
Eglinton Subway (which could be an LRT and still do its job) stop
at Kennedy Station.
The next stations will be Lawrence East (same location as now),
Ellesmere (just east, at the corner of Ellesmere and Midland), and
Scarborough Centre (same location as now). The mid-Scarborough line
will connect at Lawrence East, while Scarborough Centre will be
transformed into a major bus terminal, with TTC, YRT, DRT and GO
Transit connections, in addition to commuter parking.
At this point, the Scarborough RT will remain, but with the
operational challenges eliminated, Mk II's will shuttle passengers
between Scarborough Town Centre and Malvern, serving high-density
residential areas.
This plan calls for more convenient Transit to and from Scarborough
Town Centre, new Rapid Transit in northwest Scarborough, and it also
saves money, as no replacement service is necessary while
construction is underway. The only drawback is that something, be it
my proposal or something else, must be done soon.
|
April 14 |
The Value of Patronage |
|
A few weeks ago, Siemens, an internationally renowned industrial
giant (and the corporate descendant of the man who invented the
streetcar), announced a proposal to build 232 subway cars to replace
the oldest in the TTC's fleet, for a cost of $535 million. The TTC
has budgeted $705 million for this project, so it appears to be a
good deal, made possible by the fact that the cars would be built in
China. However, this proposal got a lukewarm reaction from city
officials, who are working with Bombardier on a new design.
This issue raises a very serious question that I don't have an
answer to, and I think we as a society need to have a serious
discussion about this. Do we spend more money to support a
particular business because of emmotional or patriotic reasons, or
do we buy from the business who offers the best price? Most people
encounter this question when a Wal-Mart is nearby. Do we buy from
Wal-Mart because it offers the best price, or do pay more to support
small business in the area? I believe this to be a personal choice,
based on both your wealth and your political views. However, what if
we're talking about the public purse?
Bombardier's plant is located in Thunder Bay, so anything we buy
from them is supporting Canadian industry. As a result, there is
political pressure from higher levels to government to buy from
Bombardier, though at a higher cost. In this case, that higher cost
could be an extra $180 million. Is this, for a cash strapped city
and province, enough to ruffle some political feathers?
I don't have an answer for that question, and I think we need a
serious public debate on the issue.
In other provinces, such as Quebec, the provincial government offers
an excellent subsidy program to buy locally. This is why most
transit agencies are filled with Nova products. Should the Ontario
government offer a simillar system rebate system? On the other hand,
Ottawa recently selected Seimens as the winning bidder for their
O-Train LRT expansion, despite using Bombardier equipment
exclusively for the pilot project.
So far, the status quo in Toronto has been to buy locally, but I
think we need to ask ourselves what price we're willing to pay to
support our local industries? Is 300 jobs in Thunder Bay worth $180
million? Can we even put a price on those jobs?
|
April 12 |
How Engineering Works |
|
In response to an article that appeared in the Toronto Star, I would
like to use some of the knowledge I've gained in my engineering
program to address some issues brought up.
First off all, Toronto's streetcar network is non-standard for a
number of reasons. For more information on the technological and
historical reasons why, check out
Transit Toronto,
or Steve Munro's website.
While the article may have suggested that we would have to rip out
and rebuild the network in order to continue, this isn't the case at
all. Here's why.
Any engineering firm with half a brain will be happy to custom
design a light-rail car for the TTC, because it will allow them to
charge more per car than an off-the-shelf model. Let's get into more
specifics about the economics of engineering.
Lets say that the TTC wants to buy custom cars from a fictional
company named ryEng Inc (Perry, would you buy LRT cars from ryEng?).
The total cost for all the cars would be parts plus labour plus
design and tooling costs (plus a healthy profit margin). While the
parts and labour would increase as more cars are ordered, the cost
to design the cars and prepare the factory would be constant.
Therefor, the more cars are ordered, the lower the overall cost per
car is.
Essentially, it pays to buy in bulk. This is why I recommend the
GTTA be responsible for bus purchases for all the systems, as we
would get a better deal by buying from one source.
On the other hand, if the TTC were to purchase an off-the-shelf
model, it is likely that the company would have already paid off the
tooling and design costs from their previous orders. However, the
bulk discounts would still apply as a sales incentive.
Overall, the TTC isn't in a jam when it comes to new equipment. We
can still run out system as is, and we can even get something
perfectly suited for life in Toronto. We'll just have to pay more.
|
April 11 |
iXpress |
|
To some, Grand River Transit's iXpress is just an express bus route
that zig-zags it's way around Waterloo Region. But to me, it's more
than that. It's a new concept in public transit that tries to, once
and for all, defeat the car. Most people don't live in a straight
line from where they work, and need one or more connections to get
to where they are going. When it gets too complicated, people choose
to drive. Allow me to use Brampton as an example. If one wants to
travel from the Heart Lake Area to Bramalea City Centre mall, they
must take two buses, and the most efficient route is not available
on weekends, the time most people do their shopping. In order to
encourage people to take transit and leave their cars at home, we
have to consider providing serive that isn't in a straight line.
This is where iXpress comes in.
In order to improve transit in Brampton, I am proposing two things.
The first is that city officials shed the notion that Brampton is a
small town. It seems to me that council is quite content with the
belief that Brampton is bound by Bovarid Drive to the north,
Chinguacousy Road to the west, Steeles Avenue to the south, and
Torbram Road to the east. This is equivalent to Toronto officials
ignoring Etobicoke, Scarborough and North York (York and East York
are very Toronto-esque, so they would be included). Once we realize
that urban sprawel has occrued, and that we need to not only stop
it, but deal with what has already been built, then we can move
forward. But I digress
I propose and express bus to operate in Brampton, zigzagging through
town, connecting the outlying areas to the main transit lines that
they and I have proposed (Bovaird Drive, Main Steet, Queen Street).
The stops would be located at:
This route will offer connections between Bramalea GO and Bramalea City Centre, allowing for a few GO runs to be eliminated. It will also offer connections from the GO services to the Rogers office, a major employer in the city. Finally, I'm sure it will please some heart lake residents who have advocated for such a service. |
Cross Canada II |
|
In the second installment of my series on transit improvements
across Canada, I'll look at the Greater Vancouver Area, who has some
very interesting projects underway.
TransLink, the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority lists
itself as a "small organization". This may be true, but it's impact
is huge, on a scale much larger than anything we in the GTA have
come to know. TransLink's responsibilities include managing the road
networks, buses (community, local, regional and special needs), the
commuter rail, the light rail, the car and passenger ferries,
traffic control systems and the bridges. They even manage a
drive-clean style program. If that wasn't enough, they also
coordinate carpooling. TransLink is what the GTTA should be: a
manager and coordinator of the smaller companies that gets everyone
to work together. But, I'll look at how it's organized at a later
date. Right now, let's look at the $4 billion investment they just
made.
Clearly, they are doing something right over there, and I think we may need to look west to find the inspiration to improve our system. The sun may set in the west, but it's certainly not setting on Vancouver. |
Cross Canada I |
|
In the spirit of Lollipop's Canada Coast to Coast, I've decided to
take a look at what's going on elsewhere in the country when it
comes to Transit Improvements. First, we'll start with the city of
Victoria, known for its Double Decker buses.
With expectations of a population of 400,000 by 2020, something
needs to be done now to improve the flow through the downtown area.
As a result, BC Transit, who operates the service in Victoria, has
begun a $6.3 million project to streamline transit throught the
downtown. Over the next few years, we should see:
Eventually, we will see:
It's good to see that a small city is taking the steps to improve transit before they are overwhelmed by growth, which is something that cities in Ontario failed to do. By improving transit now, we can look forward to a bright future. |
April 09 |
Why I Fight |
|
Imagine a future where the price of oil places the operation of a
car well beyond the reach of anyone but the wealthiest of society.
Imagine a future where life expectancy is less than 50 years, where
we die young from a combination of obesity complications and the
damages of smog. Imagine a future where we must leave an hour in
advanced just to make a five minute trip to the store. Imagine a
future where we live our lives in a bubble, never socializing with
the outside world.
This is not a future I want to live in. This is why I choose
transit. This is why I advocate for better transit in my community.
Some people choose to fight poverty. Some people choose to fight for
the environment, or for better conditions for animals. Does this
make them any less worthy of our respect? I believe that anyone who
advocates for a cause other than themselves is worthy of more
respect than those who complain about their lot in life, but refuse
to do anything about it.
I advocate for better transit, because I believe in getting involved
with a cause greater than one's self. For me, transit is that cause.
This is why I fight.
|
April 08 |
A New ROW Concept |
|
Streetcars are a funny thing. On the TTC, streetcar routes are some
of the busiest routes, but due to the fact that they are tied down
to the tracks, the only improvement we can get make is to put more
cars on the line. Usually this helps, but a single delay can cause
the cars to bunch up, throwing the entire route into chaos. What can
be done to improve the speed and reliability of the streetcars?
Conversion to articulated buses is one option, with artics being
needed to match the capacity of the streetcar, but since they often
run in the downtown core with tight turns, it would be difficult to
handle such a bus. A streetcar, being on rails, can make the same
turn in the same way, every time.
Conversion to subway is another option, and was done successfully
with the Yonge and Bloor streetcars, but the remaining lines all
serve as a network, allowing cars to enter and exit service on other
lines. If we were to convert 511 BATHURST to subway, it would
isolate 512 ST. CLAIR. Converting 501 QUEEN to a subway would be
catastrophic to the network.
The only viable conversion option I see is converting the lines to
Streetcar Rapid Transit (streetcars on a private right-of-way), or
even a step up to Light Rail Transit (proof of payment railcars on a
private right-of-way). However, downtown streets are often very
narrow. If we hold Spadina Ave and St. Clair Ave as the minimum
width for building a right-of-way (ROW), then streets which are
fewer than six lanes across must be disqualified. This knocks out
Dundas, College, Queen and King, the busiest streetcar lines.
There must be another way, and I think there is. It's a radical
departure from what we have become acustomed to, but my idea
promotes a transit-oriented city and increases the speed and
reliability of the streetcars which travel our city streets. I will
use Queen Street for this example, but this can be applied to any
street in the city.
First, we must dig a tunnel under the street we wish to improve.
However, this will not be a transit tunnel. It will be a vehicle
tunnel, as wide as the street itself is. In effect, we will build a
second, Queen Street - Lower Queen Street - under the current one.
This new tunnel will be used by cars, while Upper Queen Street will
be used by transit and pedestrians.
Next, we build a private right-of-way along the centre of Upper
Queen, in what used to be the passing lanes, and extend the
sidewalks into what is now the curb lane to make extra pedestrian
space and make larger, commuter-friendly streetcar stops.
Finally, we must create onramps and offramps so that cars can enter
and exit the Lower Queen Tunnel. As Queen approaches a cross street,
an offramp will rise up from underground and allow cars to turn
right or left onto the cross street. An onramp will will allow cars
to turn right or left onto Queen, then descend into the tunnel.
These ramps will be located in the curb lanes near intersections,
and railings will be used to prevent pedestrians from falling into
the tunnel.
To fully understand and visualize how this works, please see the
picture below.
I believe this setup is beneficial to the city for several reasons.
There are challenges to overcome with this plan, as there are with any radical idea. I'm not suggesting that it is perfect, but I believe that in order to overcome the stagnant state of public transit development in the greater Toronto area, we must consider new ideas that are unconventional, unusual, and inspired by the dreams of visions of its citizens. |
April 04 |
The 407 Blues |
|
Over the weekend, the Ontario Government announced that their legal
battle with the owners of the 407 Express Toll Route had concluded.
They reached a settlement where the 407 will be required to be more
transparent in their billing process, and offer a frequent user
discount program. In return, the 407 will be allowed to raise tolls
as they see fit, and the government must deny license renewals to
those who do not pay their toll bills.
While it was foolish for the Liberals to promise that they could
stop the tolls from going up, the Conservative spin-doctors in
opposition will say that this is an utter failure by the Liberals.
It's their job to say that. However, we cannot forget that it is
they who sold the highway and signed away our rights to any
recourse. It's like Jack and the Beanstock.... only this time, Jack
got hosed.
In order to strike back at the 407 for being generally regarded as
evil, I am proposing that we remove all government vehicles from the
407, thus taking away a huge chunk of their revenue. I call this the
"407 ETR Undermining Strategy".
The strategy calls for the construction of a private bus-only road
parallel to the 407 from Hamilton to Durham, allowing the 407 GO Bus
routes to speed along without having to pay the tolls or deal with
traffic. The transitway will begin at the 403 near McMaster
University in Hamilton, and then parallel the 403, 407, and 403
again to Square One, serving several carpool lanes along the way. On
this stretch, streets with bus priority will connect with the main
route, serving Hamilton, Oakville, Meadowvale and Streetsville GO
Stations, McMaster University and Sheridan College.
The next stage follows the 403, 410 and 407 to York University and
Steeles West station, serving Bramalea GO Station. The final stage
pushes due east, serving Langstaff GO, the northern Durham towns and
Durham College & the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
Bus-priority roads will connect Scarborough Centre, Centennial
College, U of T Scarborough, Pickering GO, Oshawa Bus Terminal, and
the GO Stations in Markham.
Part of this route will be constructed as of Mississauga's busway,
and constructing the rest will give, if not an actual victory, a
psychological victory over the toll highway. While it may not be
ethical to undermine a business in this way, think of it as taking
public transit back into the public's hands.
|
4000! |
|
I'm happy to be celebrating 4000 hits since opening this blog, and
to celebrate, I'm happy to announce that TTC Orion VII HEV hybrid
has been spotted at Arrow Road garage. Soon, we'll have high-tech,
clean transit in the northwest of the city.
|
April 02 |
The Pack |
|
While shopping on Queen West with Jennifer on Saturday, around
McCaul Street, I observed a pack of six ALRVs pass by in a pack,
signed for various short turns, including Humber, Long Branch,
Roncesvalles, Shaw, and even Kipling. Clearly, this bunching up is
evidence that the 501 Queen Streetcar needs some sort of improvement
to keep the cars running on schedule and evenly spaced. Constructing
a ROW would be very difficult, as the street is not wide enough, and
replacing it with a subway line or elevated line would decimate the
streetcar network as a whole. Something must be done, but what?
|
March 31 |
If it's good enough for Ottawa... |
|
Did you know that OC Transp, Ottawa's public transit network, has a
different take on how buying bus tickets should work?
In GTA, we generally have several types of tickets, including Adult,
Students, Seniors and Children. It means that people can easily
recognize what type of ticket they are supposed to use, but it means
increased printing costs. In Ottawa, they only have one type of
ticket. I call this carnival style, as they manage the age groups by
having passengers pay different amout of tickets. For example,
children pay one ticket, seniors two, adults three, etc. This lowers
the printing costs, and as long as the instructions are clear,
doesn't necessarily cause confusion.
Is this an idea worth looking at? We are moving towards a fare card,
but we do need to retain some form of cash or ticket fare. I think
it's worth investigating, as there's alot that OC Transpo can teach
us.
|
Give a little, get something so small it was almost ignored |
|
Just a friendly reminder that TTC fares go up April 1, 2006. Here's
what you'll pay now:
If you have old tickets, you can still use them, but adults must add a dime and students and seniors, a nickle, up to April 26. After that, the TTC's buyback program will allow you to trade them in for the price you originally paid, not the new price. Hopefully, no one has invested in TTC tickets for their retirement. The good news about all this is that there are changes to the day pass. Previously, the day pass was not available on weekdays before 9:30. Now, it is valid from the start of service to start of service the next day (5:30am to 5:30am). Carpe Diem! |
March 30 |
Something for the kiddies, the North Torontonians, and the rest of us |
|
This comming summer, Oakville Transit plans to offer free public
transit to young people this summer. The ages for this program
escape me, and it appears that the story has dissapeard from the
face of the planet. The plan is to give eligible citizens free
passes for the summer, in order to introduce them to a system they
might use as adults. I'm generally against indoctrinating children,
but I think i'll make an exception on this one.
There is a plan to turn the clock tower at North Toronto Station
into a private dining room. This is fine by me, and would help
revitalize the station, provided it doesn't affect the possibility
of running transit service into the station in the future.
Tomorrow, Mississauga will get it's $65 million in BRT money, but
will still need the federal government's subsidy before construction
can begin. Hazel should be able to stir up things in Ottawa, and I'm
pretty sure she could take Harper. Meanwhile, Susan Fennel,
Brampton's mayor will get her $95 million in Acceleride money, but
construction will be able to begin while they lobby the feds. When
it comes to Acceleride, Brampton cannot buy articulated buses due to
the narrow streets in downtown Brampton, but I am hoping for double
decker BRT buses.
Burlington mayor, Rob MacIsaac, who is not seeking re-election this
November, is on a shortlist for the head of the GTTA. He has been a
longtime advocate for seamless GTA transit, and has the experience
of overseeing the fare card operation in Burlington. We'll be sure
to hear more about this story in the future.
|
March 28 |
What the Mayors have to say |
|
Here is what some local mayors have to say about the public transit
investments announced in last week's provincial budget:
"That link is a critical transportation link in Toronto because it
links downtown to the 905 and creates a new transportation hub in
Vaughan. We should be city building. These links should have been
done years ago."
- Toronto Mayor David Miller on the Spadina subway extension.
"It's not start-up funds, it's not partial funds, it's full
funding."
- Brampton Mayor Susan Fennel on the funding for Acceleride.
"Without the subway I don't think the dream can be realized ... the
subway will make it happen."
- Vaughan Mayor Michael Di Biase on the subway extension into
Vaughan's new downtown.
|
March 25 |
A private matter |
|
Métis Transit is not down for the count, and will return, according
to a report in the Star today. Word on the street is that they've
secured investors which will give them the money to purchase new
buses, and retire their current fleet of school-style buses. They
may be starting out small, but I see big things for this operation
in the future. In my GTTA Plan, they have an important role, and
would serve Bolton and Palgrave stations on the GO line to Alliston,
and Snelgrove, Inglewood and Alton stations on the GO line to
Orangeville. Under my plan, they would be considered a Zone 4
agency. In addition to running to Humber College, they would have
future connections with FASTrak / Acceleride at Highway 7, the
Highway 27 Rocket LRT near Kleinburg, and could even run directly to
the subway in Vaughan. I see a bright future for them.
In another private matter, a residents association of condo dwellers
on Lakeshore near the Humber River are looking forward to a private
company providing regular transit service to the residents. They
have become dissatisfied with streetcar service, and want something
faster and more reliable. However, the TTC isn't worried, as they
maintain that such a service, which will charge a fare, is illegal.
According to the City of Toronto Act, the TTC is the only agency
which can provide this type of service for a fare (there are other
services for other condo dwellers, but they are free to residents.
The Palace Peir offers a shuttle to Union station, and uses ex-GO
D40 suburbans). To understand why the TTC has the current monopoly
on paid public transit, must go back to the early days of public
transit in Toronto. The Toronto Railway Company provided service
under contract, but when the city annexed new areas into Toronto,
the TRC refused to provide service, claiming that they only had to
follow the instructions in the original contract. Frustrated, the
city set up an operation as the Toronto Civic Railways. Then, when
it became clear that the city was becomming frustrated with the
contracted service, the TRC began to let their system fall into
disrepair, knowing that if the city wanted to go it alone after the
contract expired, they would have to fix everything. So, when it
comes to public transit, the city has good reason to frown on
private operators.
As a compromise, the TTC has offered to run a shuttle bus from this
group of condos if they can provide a list of 60 people willing to
buy metropasses. This shouldn't be too hard, as "Would you buy a
metropass if you could get service to your front door?" is a
question that usually has yes as an answer.
|
A flaw in the system |
|
Yesterday, I used Mississauga Transit's Click 'n Ride trip planner
to plan my trip to and from a friend's housewarming party. I have
found that there is a fundamental flaw in this system, but it's
otherwise eerily accurate. One the first leg of the trip, my origin
was Streetsville GO station, and the destination was a house on
Joymar Drive. The trip planner listed it as a two minute walk, give
or take. Boy were they wrong.
Whenever you enter an address into a peice of mapping software, it
will show you where that address is located, but there is a catch.
It will show you where that address meets the street. So, when I
entered Streetsville GO station, it listed my origin as the
intersection of Thomas Street and the station's driveway. It
neglected to mention that the station building is at the very end of
the parking lot, recessed about 10 minutes from the street.
Other than this error, which is a really systematic, and cannot be
corrected unless humans change each building one by one in the
program, I found the service to be fairly accurate at predicting
when the buses will arrive. The instructions are very clear, with
the exception of telling you which stop to wait at. After dark, when
given the choice of four stops, one should not have to look for stop
#XXXX at the intersection of two major streets to pick the right
one. It does try to explain where to walk to get to the proper
transfer stop, but it seems very confusing to visualize it. Once you
actually get there, it may be a different story though.
All in all, it was a nice trip on the Milton Line, the 9
MEADOWVALE, the 19 HURONTARIO, and the BT 2 Main. While it was after
dark, I was waiting for the #2 across the street from both the
courthouse and Peel Police Headquarters. That intersection is what I
call a "you're stupid to mug me here" place. Like I've said before,
it's all about the perception of safety.
|
March 24 |
More Budget Stuff |
|
Here's a few more points from yesterday's budget, in no particular
order.
More to come on this. |
March 23 |
Inject some budget into it, and they will come |
|
Today, the provincial budget was announced, and ever since then,
I've had a smile on my face. Here's why:
Kudos to the Liberal government for this pro-transit budget. Could they become the government remembered as the heroes of public transit? Only time will tell, but in the short term, expect more in depth budget responses in the comming days. |
VIVAadventure |
|
Today, I went with a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless and
will thank me for not naming her by the time we get to the end of
this post, up to Markham to visit a cellular phone store. She
currently has two phones. One that she hates, and one that is Fido
branded and needs to be unlocked to work on Rogers. Anyway, we
arrived at Finch Regional Terminal, and waited for a VIVA Blue to
head up to Richmond Hill Centre for the connection. We missed the
Blue by seconds, and ended up having to wait another 10 minutes or
so for the next run. While waiting, I was explaining to her, who
prefers to stick to the TTC she knows, where we were going. I
happened to be standing next to the OneRide machine at the time,
when a woman approached me, and asked me for assistance. She needed
to purchase a ticket to ride to Newmarket, and was unfamilliar with
the system. I showed her how, and she was very thankful, but another
woman asked me for assistance in buying a ticket to 16th Avenue.
Again, being the kind transit enthusiast that I am, i showed her how
to use the machine.
As I returned to my conversation with my friend, a man approached
me, and again, asked me for advice as to which route to take. I
believe at this point I will mention that I do not, nor have I ever
resided in York Region, and I rarely take YRT unless it's someway
related to the number 77 bus. I helped him, and then the bus came
and we boarded.
On the way to Richmond Hill Centre, we were "entertained" by a group
of high school students talking loudly about who was hot, who was
not, and who was a FOB ("fresh of the boat") in their school.
Fortunatly, the got off at Clark. At RHC, we transferred to Purple
and headed out to Woodbine, where we conducted our business at the
store, and found that the Montgomery VIVAstation was actually
closer. As I said, i am not now, nor have I ever been a resident of
York Region.
After leaving the store, I commented that our tickets may not last
to get us back to Finch, so a connection to VIVA Green at Warden
would be the best plan. While waiting for a Green, we witnessed the
display alternate between a Pink and Green as the next bus, evoking
a friendly wager, which I won, trusting the sign's original display
as Pink being next.
While heading down Warden, the driver suddenly slammed on the brakes
at a red light, causing my friend to nearly flip over the railing
into the wheelchair tie-down area. This moment of embarassment is
why she would not want her name published. As we continued down, we
passed the Seneca campus on Finch, withnessed picketers and a poor
soul trying to cross the line, and also witnessed a pack of six 39
FINCH EAST buses heading to Finch Station, and four heading
eastbound. Clearly, Finch East is in need of higher order transit.
Eventually, we arrived at Don Mills station, and as we passed by the
transfer machine after paying our fare, I notice that the time read
4:08, the exact moment that our tickets expired. Coincidence or
luck, I was right in choosing Green.
All in all, a good day was had by all. While I may not have
converted my friend to becomming a VIVAfan, I did show her that
there is a transit world outside the city of Toronto. But then
again, she was already a TTC rider, so I guess I can't complain.
|
GO's future |
|
According to an article in the Star from Wednesday, GO Transit has
several long term plans that I find very exciting and innovative.
Here's the main points, along with my commentary.
With these plans in motion, combined with the prospects of double-decker buses, I think GO's future looks bright. |
March 22 |
Tomorrow... |
|
Tomorrow, the direction of public transportation in the Greater
Toronto Area will be set, as the province delivers it's budget. Many
are reporting that they will create a Greater Toronto Transportation
Authority, and as you might have guessed, I have a small wish list
for tomorrow's budget.
I hope that the GTTA is all this and more, but like a child at christmas, we'll just have to wait one more sleep for the government to leave us a gift under the tree. |
Handle-gate |
|
A Toronto Star reader has uncovered that the french signs on the
emmergency exits of 773 TTC buses have a spelling error. The word
poignée, meaning handle, is incorrectly spelled as poingée. It's
difficult to verbalize it in print, by the incorrect word not only
sounds completely different, but it's also not actually a word.
Orion is at fault here, and the error will be repaired under
warranty service. This error affects th 1991 Orion V fleet at
Queensway and Birchmount garages, the 1996 Orion V fleet at Malvern
garage, the 1996 Orion V (soon to be ex-) CNG fleet at Wilson
garage, and the Orion VIIs thrown around the system. Not affected is
the single Orion VII at Wilson (7900), the Orion VIs at Wilson, and
the Orion II community buses operated by Wheel Trans.
|
March 21 |
Just Google It |
|
According to an article in the Toronto Star and it's baby brother,
the Metro, Google has approached the TTC about participating in
Google Transit, a system which provides free trip planning service
to web surfers. Aparently, the only cost associated with this
proposal is for the TTC to provide Google with the schedules, routes
and stop data. With the TTC already planning to look into this
service, Howard Moscoe is jumping on board, as it could save the
commission as much as $2 million over developing their own system.
I'm on board, as I used Google Earth to make my GTTA plan, so I know
Google's mappping software is top knotch. Also, Mississauga Transit
has such a system, called Click n' Ride, which allows users to enter
their starting and ending point from a list of landmarks, from a bus
stop number, an intersection or an address. Users can select the
day, time of their trip, and can request the fastest trip, the
fewest transfers, the shortest walk, or if the planner should
consider school routes. It's quite convenient, and can really help
those unfamilliar with the system.
I personally believe that transit passengers have three fundamental
rights when it comes to schedules. The first is the right to
spreadsheet style schedules, where passengers can read when the
vehicle arrives and when it reaches a major stop. These must be
easily accessible to passengers, such as on the web and at
terminals. The second is schedules on the post at major transfer
points, so passengers know how long they will be standing out in the
rain. The final is trip planning, either online or over the phone,
so that anyone, no matter how familliar with the city, can use the
service. With Google, we're definitly heading in the right
direction.
|
March 16 |
No One's Perfect |
|
I had to think long and hard about what potential problems the
subway extension to York University could cause, and I found one. It
may seem small, but it has a very large impact on transit in that
part of the GTA. According to the Toronto Star, it seems that the
future York University Commons will have no buses in sight. What
isn't eliminated by the subway will end up running to Steeles West
station, at the very north edge of campus. However, this poses a
problem. Most of the campus' building are far away from Steeles
Avenue, meaning that a student travelling by GO or by YRT to York
University will now have to transfer onto the subway to complete
their trip.
The TTC's planning procedure calls to avoid transfers at all costs.
Transfers are given a 10 minute penalty in the TTC's
planning system, while waiting for a vehicle is only counted at
1.5 times the actual wait in minutes. Combine this with the extra
fare needed to cross into the subway, and we have a serious
deterrent that might push York Region and GO riders into cars.
The way I see it, we have two solutions:
This is my suggestion, and While it doesn't completely remove buses from the York University campus, it strikes the perfect balance between clearing up the commons and the transit needs of students. |
March 13 |
GOing up? |
|
Citing higher energy costs, 407 tolls, utilities and snow removal
costs, GO Transit will be raising fares by 25 cents per ride,
effective Saturday March 18. In addition, they are reducing the
student discount by 3 percent. This means that an single ride goes
up by 25 cents, a two ride or day pass by 50 cents, a 10-ride by
$2.50 and a monthly pass by $10. The student discount will now be
41%, instead of 44% off the regular adult price.
After this increase is applied, it will make GO's base fare $3.55.
While this fare applies the same to everyone, increasing the base
fare has become a source of controversy in some circles. Consider
two trips. An adult monthly pass between Long Branch and Toronto,
and a monthly between Hamilton and Toronto.
Long Branch
$111.00 --> $121.00 = 9% increase Hamilton $275.00 --> $285.00 = 3% increase Clearly, the fare increase affects the long distance riders less than the short haul rider. Increasing the fares by a percentage is a very fair and equal way to administer the increase, but at the same time, a flat fee increase is easier to communicate and to sell to the riders. One could also argue that GO was really meant for the long distance riders, who do not have the choice of taking local transit.
No one likes fare increases, but at the same time, GO is probably
one of the fastest expanding systems in the GTA. No only is it still
cheaper than driving, but at least we've got something new to show
for it. Case in point, the call for tenders has been issued for the
Milton layover facility, which will allow for increased train
service on the Milton line.
|
March 10 |
Today's transit adventure |
|
My transit adventure today began at the corner of Yonge and Dundas
at around 3:30. The westbound 505 car was running behind, backed up
somewhere on the eastern half of the route, so a crowd began to
build. When the streetcar finally did arrive, the came in a pack of
three. I boarded the first car, as I was at the front of the line,
but the fact that there were two other cars didn't disperse the
crowd. It seemed as if everyone waiting attempted to rush the first
car, and I ended up sandwiched between another standee and a woman
sitting in a seat.
I got off at University, and as I walked to the subway, I looked
back at the overcrowded streetcar. Initially, the operator refused
to open the front door, as the car was crowded to the point where
passengers were standing at the very bottom of the front step.
Again, there were two more empty cars approaching. The driver did
open the door to let a passenger out, but the door was rushed by
people trying to cram into the car. I find this behaviour shameful,
especially with another vehicle right behind it.
A little while later, dissapointing behaviour turned to comical
behaviour, as I rode a northbound University-Spadina train bound for
Downsview. At Eglinton West, two teenage girls boarded the car I was
riding in, and moved to the area next to the cab the guard was
using. They tired to flip down the seat, but it ended in a loud
crash that was heard all throughout the car, bringing embarassment
to the pair. To make matters worse, the guard asked them to vacate
the seat, and I could tell were both searching for an emmotional
rock to hide under.
At Downsview, I boarded a 196 bound for York University, and was
surprised with a 1996 Orion VI. Wilson division has had fairly poor
performance recently when it comes to assigning accessible buses to
accessible routes. It's understandable, given that the Orion VI's
are being retired, the Orion V's are being rebuilt, and the Orion
VII's are late, but it's odd to find an accessible bus on a
non-accessible route.
After a short layover at York University, and a lovely snack with
Jennifer, I boarded a westbound VIVA Orange, but not before seeing a
grand total of 3 Orion V's with their CNG tanks removed. At the
Weston Road VIVAstation, the bus picked up a first time VIVA rider,
who was having difficulty cancelling his ticket in the VIVAnow
machine. The driver invited him on board, and said he would stop at
the next stop for him to do it. come Ansley Grove, not only did the
driver stop, but some passengers getting off managed to help the
man. Could it be that suburbanites are more courteous than city
dwellers?
I got off VIVA at Kipling, and waiting 15 minutes for the next 77
bus, snapping some pictures of A330s with my camera phone. What came
next surprised me.
Climbing out of the Humber river valley, Brampton Transit Nova LFS
0602 came over the crest of the hill and stopped, allowing me to get
my first taste of a Nova LFS. I must say that I was quite impressed.
The LFS is a balcony-style low floow, simillar to the New Flyer Low
Floors and the Orion VII, with a low front and two steps up to high
floor rear half. The seats were the standard transit seats, with
Brampton's logo embedded in the fabric. In the back, there is a
single row of backwards facing seats on top of the wheel well. From
riding VIVA, I've found that people will always fill in the forward
facing seats before they fill in the rearward facing seats.
The ride was smooth, though not VIVA smooth, but then again, I was
sitting with my back against the engine compartment. The interior
was fairly clean, but I suppose that will quickly change. Aside from
all this, the most interesting feature of the Nova LFS is the rear
door opening mechanism. Companies have gone from pressure pads on
most high floors, to push bars on most low floors, to buttons on the
Van Hools. Nova has taken a different approach, with two seemingly
simple steps.
The motion sensing "magic wand" approach is brilliant, but with Brampton Transit riders not used to it, it will take a while before the driver no longer has to open the door manually. When that day comes, I'm sure riders will warm up to the Novas, and we may start seeing them in more cities across the GTA. Oshawa, Hamilton and Brampton have joined the club, and the TTC once had a single unit. Mississauga may be next, as Nova has a price advantage over the others, but only time will tell. For the time being, the Novas are here to stay.
Now that I have completed my quest to ride a Nova, I don't know what I'll do next, though I'm sure a new challenge will present itself. |
GTA farecard |
|
As we move towards the future, a time when cash fares are replaced
by a smaller, smarter, easier,
less-likely-that-the-operator-will-get-assaulted-when-he-calls-a-punk-on-putting-38-cents-in-the-farebox
method of paying for public transit. The province is moving towards
this, and Plans to introduce a GTA Fare Card, allowing passengers to
pay for transit on all systems with one smart card. This could do
wonders for interregional travel, allowing riders who cross borders
to experience truly seemless travel. That, and it fits perfectly
into my GTA plan. I've written about how I think this fare card
should work in the "Fares and Passes" section of the plan. Feel free
to surf on over, and hope that the provice tries to make is as
simple as I've tried to make it. You'll find the link at the top of
the right-hand column of this blog.
|
March 09 |
To York U... and beyond! |
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This post is a message to Ed Drass,
who has a column in the Metro, and to
Steve Munro, blogger and
transit activist. I would like to respectfully disagree with your
opinions on the proposed Spadina subway extension.
In my humble opinion, the TTC should go ahead with construction of
the Spadina subway extension to York University for the following
reasons:
I believe that the spadina subway extension should be constructed, for the reasons I have stated above. If none of those are valid, then we should built it to begin a transit renaissance in the GTA, and then ride the momentum of subway, light rail and BRT construction as far as our imaginations will take us. |
March 07 |
How cynicism, seat grabbing and dirty political tricks built a subway |
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The Toronto Star and Metro are reporting that Toronto is in for a
little gift in the next Ontario budget. Leaks indicate that the
province will announce funding for the construction of the Spadina
subway extension to York University. The city was asking for $500
million each from Ottawa and Queens Park, which would split the
projected $1.5 billion extension three ways between each level.
However, there's no word on how much the province will kick in.
Either way, this is wonderful news. Not only will it build a rapid
transit connection with York University and a gateway into Vaughan,
but it will allow for the 196 bus route to be eliminated, and those
buses used to address overcrowding elsewhere on the system.
Now, to explain my title for this post:
Insiders report that this announcement is tied with the fact that
the 905's tends to be a conservative stronghold, and a subway built
into the 905 might help win votes in the next election.
Insiders also report that the government had always planned to
eliminate the deficit next year, conveniently right before the 2007
elections. However, it seems that higher than expected corporate
taxes caused the deficit to accidentally eliminate itself. As a
result, the government needed to find somewhere to hide the cash in
order to stick to the plan. That's why we're getting a subway.
It may be a dirty politcal trick, but I'll take it.
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March 06 |
The space between |
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When subways were built in earlier eras, the stops were built closer
together, as the development was already there, and was constant
throughout. This is the case in the south Yonge line, all of the
University line, and the vast majority of the Bloor-Danforth lines.
As time went on, subways were built with stations spaced far apart,
partly to save money, and partly because development was only
concentrated at the major intesections. This is evident in the
Sheppard line and the northern half of the Yonge line, and why bus
service still exists to serve the areas between stations. In my
opinion, this bus support service need not occur on future lines, as
it diverts resources which the subway was supposed to have freed up.
I propose that all new subway line be built with stops placed
relatively close together, but that they all feature a third track,
which will operate express trains, stopping only at the stations
which have heavy passenger loads. These can include transfer
stations, or stations with important bus connections, or stations
that serve large trip generators. In the am, the trains will operate
express towards the city, while in the afternoon, they will operate
express in the suburban direction.
In order to facilitate this sort of operation, a new concept on
stations will have to be adopted. I propose a station with a double
island design, with a single track in the centre, platforms on
either sides, and a track on the outside of the platforms (track -
platform - track - platform - track). This setup allows the express'
schedule to be modified, as all stations will be built to this
design, with the express trains using the middle track, and the
locals flanking it. Passengers will be notified as to which platform
express trains will be using by the same platform displays currently
being installed system-wide.
While there isn't too much we can do about the system we have now,
constructing new lines to this standard will reduce travel times for
passengers heading downtown, while reducing or eliminating the need
for a bus route to compliment the subway system. It's a win-win
situation for all.
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March 05 |
God Save The Queen II |
Steve Munro has written an
expose on the Queen streetcar
that brings up a dirty little secret of the TTC's service planning. He
points out that when articulated streetcars are used instead of regular
CLRVs, the commission icreased the vehicle headways. On paper, this
results in the same number of passenger spaces passing by a given point
every hour. But, as Steve points out, a passenger doesn't care that a
high capacity vehicle will be comming, he just wants to get out of the
cold. Streetcars are, by nature, inflexible, and in any delay along the
line affects all vehicles behind it. When one considers the length of a
route such as Queen, a short delay at one end has a huge affect on
another end. So, what can we do to fix this? Mr. Munro proposes that the
Queen Streetcar become a network of routes, each backing each other up.
Steve also points out that this plan will need more vehicles, which is true of all service improvements, and that with Queen not wide enough for streetcar rapid transit, the only way to improve service is to work with what we have. Under my GTTA plan, this setup works well, with the exception of the 507/508 lines. A subway station at Queen and Roncesvalles, would serve as the subway conntection, allowing the streetcars to run downtown along King all day, looping at Chuch or Parliament, and heading back. This improves service on Lakeshore and also improves the reliability of the King cars, which by then, will have the road pretty much to their self. |
Royson James' Opinion |
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In Saturday's GTA section of the Star, You'll Find Royson James'
column, which I would like to quote a portion of:
"You can travel 46 kilometres across the city of Toronto, stop
off for a quick shopping spree at a mall, reconnect with your bus or
subway and do it all for $2. That is, while the TTC cries poor.
You can do this every morning for a week, then have a friend or family member repeat the same trip in the afternoon — using one transferable weekly pass at the dirt-cheap price of $30. Yet the TTC is strapped for cash. You may move from streetcar to subway without paying the extra quarter some cities squeeze from their commuters. Still, the TTC desperately needs the money. Rush hour travel costs the same as late night service; buses that arrive every five minutes charge the same as those that arrive every half hour. And the buses keep on rolling — even if it's just you and the driver rattling along in perfect isolation. Welcome to the Better Way, a prince of a transit system living on a pauper's salary, a once profitable system that's been put through funding hell."
While we may complain about crappy service, about dirty and old
buses, and about fares going up and up and I, I suggest everyone
read this article and realize just how good we have in Toronto, and
what it will take to make it better. The TTC has always and will
always be the better way, and we shouldn't kick it while it's down.
We should stand by it, and not stand down until it's back on it's
feet.
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It's Miller Time, Updated |
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With the union ratifying a five year contract, there's nothing to
worry about if you live in Richmond Hill, Markham or
Whitchurch-Stouffville. Take transit, and ejoy the fact that you
live in Richmond Hill, Markham or Whitchurch-Stouffville.
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Very Special Sightings |
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While in the general area of Yorkdale on saturday, I made two very
special sightings. The first was Orion VII 7900, the new kid on the
block, heading north on Dufferin at the 401 on route 29 DUFFERIN. A
few minutes later, I spotted an unknown bus heading southbound on
Dufferin at Ranee. This bus was a high floor, as the diagonal
portion of the stripe was at the very front of the bus. It had
typical Orion front windows, so I can conclude that it was an Orion
V. However, it did not have a rooftop CNG (compressed natural gas)
tank like the other Orion Vs operated on 29. Because of this, I
believe this was 9442, a bus rebuilt to test the feasbility of
converting the CNGs to regular diesel. It was a success, and all of
the TTC's 1996 Orion V CNGs will be converted to diesel during their
midlife rebuild.
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March 03 |
The hunt for a Nova |
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For some time, I've been taking Brampton Transit instead of GO where
I can in the hopes of getting a chance to ride a new Nova LFS. For
example, I'll ride the bus from York Mills to Bramalea City Centre,
and take Brampton Transit the rest of the way, instead of riding all
the way to Downtown Brampton on the GO bus. I've mostly been getting
New Flyers, which is fine, but not good when you're looking for
variety. I was hoping that today would be my lucky day, but it was a
step in the wrong direction, chronologically speaking. An Orion VI
arrived, which isn't really that bad, as Brampton's VI's are in much
better shape than the TTC's. However, my quest to ride a Nova will
continue, and eventually will be completed.
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March 02 |
Mississauga BRT |
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On the first of the month, articles appeared in the Toronto Star and
the Metro about Mississauga's proposed bus rapid transit system,
linking Square One terminal with Toronto. I would love to comment on
this plan, but I cannot find the map of the proposed system which
appeared in the print version of the star, but not on it's website.
If anyone knows where I can get my hands on this map, I would be
very, very thankful. More to come on this issue...
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February 28 |
I'm A New Bus |
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TTC's newest bus, Orion VII #7900 was spotted yesterday on 29
DUFFERIN.
While this may not seem like news, it holds several firsts.
While I'm not a big Orion fan, it's a happy day whenever a new bus arrives. |
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It's Miller Time! |
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Metro Toronto and A-Channel Barrie are reporting that contract
negotiations between the Amalgamted Transit Union and Miller
Transportation Ltd have come to a vote scheduled for today. If the
contract is not accepted, a strike may begin after 48 hours notice.
Miller Transportation operates York Region Transit in the towns of
Markham, Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville, and a disruption
in service would affect a total of 46 routes and 16,000 riders.
If a strike is called, the following service would not be affected:
Everyone is hopeful a contract can be reached, as no one likes strikes and service disruptions. At the same time, if it were not for unions, we'd still be working 18 hour days for low wages. |
February 27 |
A sight to behold |
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Today, as my westbound train home was pulling out of Union for it's
run towards Georgetown, I saw three ten coach GO trains stopped on
the main line, each one behind the other, their brilliant green
reflecting a beautiful sunset. There is beauty in everything, be it
a flower in blooms, a child's laughter, or in this case, the chariot
of thousands of people, patiently awaiting for the chance to bring
people safely home. Public transportation is not just buses and
trains, it is people, riders, operators, collectors. For without any
of these, it can never and will never be. The fact that public
transit consists of machines and systems is only part of my
interest. The rest come from the people, and the story of each one
who decides to leave the vehicles at home, and be escorted to their
destination by buses and trains of red, white, green and gold.
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February 25 |
Moscow's Metro |
Riders in 2004: 3.2 billion 418 million Riders / business day: 8.7 million 878,000 Lines: 12 4 Stations: 170 69 KM of track: 276 68 Trains: 4,342 712 Fare in 2004: 40 cents!!!!! $2.25
What is Moscow's subway system? Moscow's subway system is the busiest subway system in the world, with Tokyo, often thought of as the busiest, carrying over a billion people less per year. Moscow's subway system is one of the most efficient subway systems in the world, with trains running at 90 second headways during peak periods, and no more than 3 minutes apart even up until the last trains. Mussolini is often credited with making the trains run on time, but it appears that Stalin deserves the credit. Finally, Moscow's subway system is beautiful, with brass chandeliers, marbled interiors and beautiful mosaic art from the Soviet era. Why isn't Toronto's system like Moscow's? Well, this system was built under communism, where money was never an object. While I'm not suggesting we adopt communism, we need to invest more in public transportation. While a subway line doesn't do much for the movement of goods to market, it does take cars off the road so that the goods are no longer stuck in traffic. Just like Toronto, moscow's system has fallen on hard times, with no political will to expand the system. Hopefully that will soon change, and hopefully it will soon change here in Toronto. All it will take is money, public support and a little patience and determination. Enjoy some of these pictures of Moscow's Metro, from the Toronto star, where the figures above came from. |
February 22 |
One if by land |
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"One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm."
I suppose this news is not that of a
revolution, but it is a tremendous victory for public transportation
in the Greater Toronto Area. Transit Toronto, the Toronto Star and
the Canadian Public Transportation Discussion board are all
reporting that courts have ruled that the City of Toronto has the
legal authority to construct a private streetcar right-of-way on St.
Clair Avenue West.
The city argued that the Official Plan for 2002
gives them the authority to build it, while the group Save Our St.
Clair argued that the city had to follow the Official Plan for 1994,
as the 2002 plan was still tied up, waiting for appeals that ended
up never comming. Essentially, the 2002 plan was cleared before the
January 26th hearing, allowing the city's argument to be valid.
I would like to give my legal opinion on this
matter. When the government passes a new law that will change the
rules, that doesn't mean you should be able to commit crimes under
the old law and get away with it, knowing that in a few months, you
won't. Using that logic, criminal intending to commit crimes should
go on a super crime spree the night before tougher sentences comes
into effect, knowing they will be punished under the old system.
That's not good for the community, and it defies the intention of
whomever passed the law. It is therefor my opinion that the Official
Plan for 2002 should have always been the rules both groups would
have played by, and if a group is unhappy with these rules, they
should have, and had ample time to, challenge the Official Plan
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February 21 |
Kudos |
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Kudos to the operator of ALRV 4251, who was on 501 QUEEN on Saturday
February 18, 2006, who started his Long Branch bound run at 11 PM.
When a passenger about to pay their fare drops some of their coins,
it's nice to know that there are some decent operators who will
pardon the passenger and let them on board, out of the freezing
cold. Kudos to you!
Full disclosure:
Some events have been ommitted and/or not all events have been
described exactly as they occured.
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February 17 |
Fare cheats |
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Fare non-payment, fare evasion, or as I consider it, trespassings,
costs the TTC $7 million a year, be it from non-payment or from
counterfitting. Either way, this causes fares to rise and service to
drop. As a result, I have a plan for the punishment fare cheats
should receive.
For boarding a transit vehicle without paying their fare, on the
first offense, the offender's information will be recorded, and a
warning issued. Those who refuse to have their information recorded
will be detained until their information is confirmed. On a second
offense, a fine will be issued, at the cost of the current monthly
pass. In the case of GO Transit, this fine will be the cost of a
monthly pass from Hamilton to Toronto, which is currently $275.00.
For each subsequent offense, this value will double.
For counterfitting, the first offense will be a fine, in the value
of $100 for each counterfeit tickets or tokens posessed, or $500 for
each counterfeit metropass posessed. For producing these counterfeit
items, the fines will be double. On second offenses, the book will
be thrown at the offender.
It's time to get tough, because those who pay fares every day would
otherwise be quick to resort to angry mob justice.
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Streetcars in the news |
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According to the Transit Toronto, Fleet Loop, at Bathurst and Fleet
Streets (the one with the lighthouse) is scheduled to be rebuilt
this year, and a private right-of-way between Bathurst and Strachan
on Fleet with be built. This will improve the service on the 509
HARBOURFRONT and 511 BATHURST cars, as well as adding increased
short turn service on the 509 cars. With many more condominiums
being built, this will help increase service to those residents.
The TTC has also released the track maintainence schedule for this
year, which will see tracks replaced on:
Finally, a report has been released which outlines the possibility of adding accessible capabilities to the 197 CLRV streetcars scheduled for rebuilding. Engineers found that the only device which could be used would cost $80,000 per car. However, the impact on the streetcar schedule, customer service, deployment time for the lift, operating costs, and serious safety concerns when deploying a lift in the middle of the street make this idea unpractical. While added accessible transit is always a good idea, the cons do not even come close to the pros, given the nature of the streetcars. However, they are recommending all new cars be accessible, which I suppose was going to happen anyway. You can read the report here.
In other news, the Bloor-Danforth subway will be split in two this Sunday, February 19, before 10AM, with no subway service between Ossington and St. George stations. Shuttle buses will be bridging the gap, but will run express between the two stations.. This is for necessary track repairs.
In further news, the Toronto Community Foundation is $2.75 million away from their share of the plan to renovate Museum station. |
February 15 |
God save the Queen |
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No one can deny that the Queen Streetcar is probably the most
important of all the streetcar routes in Toronto. It is historic,
dating back to the very beginning of street railway service in
Toronto, and when all of it's historic branches and extensions are
taken into account, we can see that it has evolved as Toronto has
evolved.
On a map from 1933, the current day Queen route was made up of the
LAKESHORE, QUEEN and BEACH streetcars. The Queen route ran between
McCaul Loop and Birchmount Loop on Kingston Road. Transfers were
possible here for an interurban going as far as Eglinton. The Beach
cars made up the eastern half of today's route, going from Neville
Park Loop to McCaul Loop. Lakeshore, which made up the western half
of today's route, ran from the now gone loop at Mutual Street, out
to Long Branch, where connections for an interurban to Port Credit
were made.
At one point in Toronto's history, a Queen Street subway was to have
been built, which would operate streetcars underground through
downtown. While this plan was set aside in favour of the
Bloor-Danforth line, a single station (though not by today's
standard of what a station is. Imagine half of Queens Quay, with no
tiles) was built at Queen and Yonge, and remains to this day.
So what's next for the Queen streetcar (which, for the purposes of
this post, include 501 QUEEN, 508 DOWNTOWNER, 503 KINGSTON ROAD
TRIPPER and 508 LAKESHORE)? Plans call for the 502 to be extended
to Eglinton Avenue, then have it double back to Kennedy station.
Presumably, the construction of a subway on Eglinton will eventually
eliminate the double backing. There aren't any plans to construct
the Queen subway these days, and perhaps it's a good thing, because
streetcars running along Queen street is one of the iconic images of
Toronto. There aren't plans for a private right of way along Queen,
because unlike Spadina and St. Clair, Queen is too narrow. What I am
proposing will not increase the speed or reliability of the service,
but it will help passengers. When there is a delay on the streetcar,
due to the very nature of the service, the entire line is delayed.
As a result, we need a system to notify passengers. I propose a
simple LED sign that can be hung from poles, that displays the
service status. Ideally, it will be solar powered, and use wireless
radios to get updates from transit control. It may not speed up the
streetcars, but it can be your saviour on a frigid December morning
when an inept construction crew brings down the wires.
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A picture is worth a thousand words |
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If you head on over to
Spacing magazine's photoblog, you'll find out that their current
theme is public transit. There are some really interesting pictures,
and I'm sure more will come.
Check it out here. Also, don't forget to go see IN TRANSIT, a
gallery exhibit that captures Toronto on the move. It's at the
Toronto Free Gallery, 660 Queen St. East (west of Broadview), and
runs Wednesdays to Saturday, 11-6, until February 28th.
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February 13 |
Like a bat out of hell |
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As the Georgetown bound train departs Bramalea, with my rush hour
stop of Brampton next, passengers take their places near the exits
of the coach. They know that Brampton's parking lot has limitted
exits, and as the lead onto side streets, there will be a line to
exit the parking lot, and a line to turn from Church onto Main, from
Mill onto Queen, or any other combination of minor street and major
artery. As soon as the doors open, passengers hit the ground
running, like a bat out of hell, to get to their cars. Even before
the conductor has laid the bridge to allow passengers out of the
accessible coach, cars are already pulling out. Today, I was one of
those runners, as my mother was waiting for me at her usual place,
an empty spot vacated by an earlier commuter near the western end of
the platform. As a ran into the car, threw my bag in the back and
jumped into the front seat, she commented on how truly foolish it
was to run. No matter how fast you ran to your car, there was no way
you could get out without waiting in some line. I thought about
this, and she's right. We run and hurry in todays society, but it is
really worth the three minutes you'll save? Her answer, and my
conclusion, probably not. Will I walk leisurly to my car or bus next
time? Probably not.
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The road to hell is paved with good intentions |
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The Request Stop Program allows women travelling on bus routes alone
after 9:30 to request that the driver to stop between regular stops.
While the program promotes safety for women travelling after dark,
it is inherently sexist, but to curse it would be, as many would
argue, a step in the wrong direction. This is why I would like you
to be the judge. Consider
this account of when a request stop would not have
inconvenienced anyone, but it was rudely denied. While in this case,
the conditions necessary for a request stop had not been met, there
is was, in this case, no reasonable reason to deny this request, let
alone as rudely as it was.
We cannot forget that in any service, no matter how cheaply it's
offered and no matter how good the service is, if the customers are
not happy, they will not use the service.
As for the request stop program, I'm sure that in a city where
citizens preceive that there is a constant threat of violence, we
can expand the program to allow anyone to request a stop. Though, in
the spirit of compromise, I believe that it's reasonable to expect
the hours of the program to be pushed back to 10:30 or 11:00. This
balances the need to promote safety with the need to keep the buses
running on schedule. At night, both are important. While it may be
frightening to walk home after dark, waiting for a late bus after
dark can be equally frightening. I learned that lesson Waiting half
an hour for a bus, after midnight, in the heart of St. Jamestown. My
father, who's lived in Toronto since his teenage years, was not
impressed, and neither was I.
Full disclosure: Kalina Lafreniere is a good friend of mine.
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Who owns the sky? |
| When it comes to building rapid
transit corridors, no one wants traffic lanes to be taken up. While
driving is a privilage, and not a right, many people feel entitled to
their traffic lanes and their cars. While I don't condemn car drivers
for being car drivers, I have to ask a question. If we cannot build a
rapid transit in the roads, where can we build it? Clearly, we have two
options, we can either build above ground or build below ground. It
sounds simple, but it can invoke the rage of another person - The
homeowner.
The homeowner has worked long and hard to pay for a house, and continues to work long and hard to pay off the mortgage. The homeowner ownes the land that their house is build on, but does he own the ground below it? What about the sky above it? Clearly, we need to build high capacity transportation - much higher than can be placed on the street. As a result, we need to build it either elevated above the street, or buried below it. Its when these right of ways are build close to residential areas that we run into problems. These areas are best places to run a subway to, but these lines come with noise and mini-earthquakes every few minutes.
I used to live under the approach to pearson airport, and I eventually got used to the airplane noise. I currently live near a railway crossing, and eventually got used to the train horns. While I'm not saying that we should just run lines through backyards and hope people will eventually get used to it, I believe that if we use technology to make trains quieter and smoother, or dig deeper underground to further muffle the sounds, rapid transit and residences can co-exist. It's this co-existence that is necessary for us to break free of gridlock, pollution and the other things keeping our cities and suburbs down. |
February 09 |
A Little Bit of La Belle Province |
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If you've ever been up to Arrow Road division land, you may have
seen buses unlike any other bus in the TTC's fleet. The 2600 series
GM New Looks arrived on the scene in 1998 from Montreal, and were
immediately rebuild and let lose on the streets. While they look the
same on the outside, as they always say, it's what's on the inside
that counts.
The first difference is the brown bench seats. While they may look
dreary and ugly, they're brown to reduce glare, which was a driver
complaint. It does make the vehicle darker inside, but the bench
seats address the large rider issues.
The next difference you'll notice is the extra row of windows above
the standard windows. Cleverly named standee windows, they allow
passengers who are standing to see outside the vehicle without
having to duck. This definitly comes in handy for riders unfamilliar
with the route.
The final difference, and probably the most unusual, are the unique
method of opening the rear doors. Instead of a push bar or a
pressure pad, one must push an orange gate forward. These gates,
known as McKay gates, are designed to keep passengers off of the
stairs while the bus is in motion, but in Toronto, there's no
stopping them. While they are an interesting sight, if you're
boarding by the rear doors, you need to pull the gate awkwardly
towards you. As a result, they're only truly at home on routes that
don't have rear door boarding, such as 71 RUNNYMEDE, 77 SWANSEA, 66
PRINCE EDWARD, 55 WARREN PARK and 6 BAY.
To round this post out, here are some pictures from inside 2607.
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February 08 |
Capital vs Operational |
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Just to point something out, the TTC's capital budget and it's
operational budget are two different things. The operational budget
covers the day to day operations of the system. Expenditures are
things like fuel, employee wages and maintenance. Revenue comes in
fares and subsidy. 80% of the expenditures are covered by fares (as
the TTC is one of the most cost efficient systems in North America),
while the rest is supposed to be covered by government subsidy. In
this case, the subsidy wasn't enough to make ends meet, and that is
why fares are going up.
The capital budget covers things such as new buses, streetcars and
subway trains and lines. Essentially, it covers thing that are one
time expenditures. Revenue comes in the form of government
subsidies, and are approved usually on a case-by-case basis. I'm
pointing this out because I'm sure there are people who will wonder
why they system can be looking at new vehicles and projects when
they can't even make ends meet. I hope this explains it.
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"Hike" Is Such A Nasty Word |
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The budget dance had reduced the shortfall to just within reach,
when the city announced that TTC's subsidy was too expensive. With
the feds not yet organized enough to come to the rescue, and the
provice not wanting to get involved, they commissioners had no
choice but to raise fares effective this april. As of April, cash
fare will increase by 25 cents to $2.75, adult tickets and tokens by
10 cents to $2.10 and adult metropasses will increase by a dollar to
$99.75.
To round out the other fares, day passes will increase by 50 cents
to $8.50, senior and student cash by 15 cents to $1.85, senior and
student metropasses by 50 cents to $83.75, kids cash by 10 cents to
$0.70, while student and senior tickets remain unchanged.
It unfortunate that it's had to come to this, but hopefully with new
buses and improved service on the way, the increased price will be
balanced by increased service.
In comparison, here are the fares across the GTA presented in (Adult
Cash / Adult Ticket / Monthly Pass) format:
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February 06 |
Now arriving on track 1... Baby girl |
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This morning on the southbound platform of Wellesley station, a baby
girl was born, and is doing fine. Howard Moscoe is suggesting the
baby be named Wellesley (it sounds kinda strange when he suggests
it, but sounds fine, in my opinion, when I suggest it), and is
recommending she be given lifetime metropasses. Congratulations to
mom and baby, as it seems both are doing fine.
In a related note, here are subway station names which would make
good baby names:
Here are the subway stations that would not make good baby names:
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February 04 |
Express Trains |
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While there's no way the TTC could run express subway trains on
their current network, it might be something to consider for future
subway lines. On a bad morning on the Yonge Subway, southbound
trains are crowded by the time they reach North York Centre station.
with a third track, southbound express trains can be run, picking up
passengers at Finch, North York Centre and Sheppard, then run
express downtown. This will be a more effective transit solution for
passengers, will spread the crush loads over more trains, and will
increase ridership in the group that avoids transit due to the
crowding. These express trains would be directional, with express
service inbound in the morning and outbound in the evening.
Of course, it would be prohibitively expensive to construct express
tracks on existing lines, but it's definitly something to consider
when building new lines.
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February 03 |
Union Station |
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Yesterday, city council voted to go ahead with the plan to lease
Union Station to the Union-Pearson group for 99 years. Once the deal
closes, here's what we can expect to see over the comming years:
What I like most about this deal is that it comes with a heritage clause, which means that the historic beauty of the station will be preserved for future generations to enjoy. |
February 02 |
The deal with the U-Pass |
|
I've dug down deep within the TTC's website, and I have found out
some sad news. The proposed U-Pass for university and
college students within the city of Toronto will not be
transferable, and cannot be used in automatic entrances. As a
result, it'll come down to the individual student to decide if it is
right for them.
However, I would like to clear things up. Many people dislike this
project because there would be no option to opt out of it. However,
there cannot be any option for the same reason you cannot opt out of
education and health taxes. Consider the health system. Everyone
most pay taxes to support the health system. Because not everyone
has to use the health system at the same time, it allows the
province to offer services for free. The U-Pass would work the same
way. Those who do not use transit are subsidizing those who do,
allowing them to get transit passes at a reduced price.
Do the needs of the few outweigh the many? I think they do, but it's
for the student who votes in his school's referendum to decide that
for himself. I will say this, though. If you made the U-Pass
transferrable, I'm certain that it would definitly pass in every
school which decides to take it to a vote.
|
February 02 |
Transit Buzz Roundup |
|
With the conservatives elected, and promising to lower the GST by 1%
now, and another 1% later, would you be willing to allow
municipalities to enact a 1% sales tax to go to transit? Ed Drass
(Metro Toronto) proposed it, arguing that we're so used to paying
7%, it may not bother us. I'm for it, because to put it in
perspective, it would only be one penny on every dollar. But,
opponents may argue that if Toronto does it, shoppers will go to the
suburbs. This may be true for big ticket items, but how war will you
go to save a penny?
The TTC has pretty much made it clear that they will rebuild 100
CLRV streetcars and buy 100 new light rail vehicles. What's
interesting is that couplers will be added to the rebuilt streetcars
(they were removed in order to minimize damage to a car should a
streetcar ever hit it), allowing for multiple unit operation. They
could operate on Queen with the second car without a driver, as the
route is supposed to be Proof Of Payment anyway. This will allow the
ALRVs to roam wherever their articulated goodness is needed.
Howard Moscoe, on the radio with CRFB's Mark Elliot the other week,
confirmed that they are in talks with Bombardier to pretty much
replace the entire subway fleet. The new cars will be open from end
to end, and will have bench seating all along the sides. This is
what I proposed for solving the "larger rider" issue. It seems that
trading seats for standee room is a theme that alot of bus and rapid
transit manufacturers are going for. There is a downside to this car
design though. If one part of the train goes out of order, that
married pair of cars can be isolated and swapped for spares. With
these new cars, it may be difficult or impossible.
York Region Transit is proposing adding another fare zone, according
to rumours on the message boards I frequent. Currently, passengers
living north of the border between Aurora and Richmond Hill must pay
an extra dollar to fully cross a transition zone between the two
cities. Under the new plan, west of highway 400 and east of highway
404 would be made seperate zones, requiring a fare suppliment to
cross. I'm against it, but not because of the reason you might
think. The city of Vaughan, in my opinion, was poorly planned from a
transit point of view. One simply has to take a look at the bus
routes running in Vaughan when compared to Markham in order to see
this. If we want to improve public transit use in Vaughan, then
unfortunatly, we need to keep the price artifiicially low in order
to compensate for the spotty route coverage.
|
January 31 |
Taking the special out of delivery |
|
An idea is being floated around Toronto city council to ban trucks
from making deliveries during rush hours in the downtown core. Will
it make a difference to traffic? I was on the 6 BAY today, and yes,
yes it will.
|
January 29 |
Massed Transit |
|
Saturday's Toronto Star published a list of TTC routes that are in
danger of rush hour overcrowding. While adding more buses and
streetcars to these routes will serve as short term solutions, my
GTTA plan provies a long term solution for overcrowding on the vast
majority of the routes listed.
You can read the list and the long term solution here.
|
January 25 |
U Pass, I Pass, He/She Passes... |
| Ryerson's independent newspaper, The Eyeopner, describes the U Pass as "universal" passes, suggesting that they will be adult transferable passes. This is good news, as it means those who don't want to use the pass can sell them or trade them. I'm not 100% confirming this though, as The Eyeopener is also known as "The Lieopener". |
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January 23 |
A Throwback |
|
In a mad rush to replace old equipment with newer, seemingly better
equipment, I think that transit agencies should hold back for a
moment, and save some of the old equipment to show citizens what the
glory days of Toronto public transit were like.
Consider, for a moment, that historical equipment, obviously, has
historical significance. When operated in historical parts of town,
they can be seen as a tourist attraction in itself. By operating
older PCC or Peter Witt type streetcars on routes such as King, more
tourists can be attracted to other parts of the street, seeing sites
that likely aren't on any map.
Second, older equipment can be more reliable than newer equipment.
The TTC's Orion VI models, built in 1996 & 1997 are due to be
retired this year, while 260 GM New Looks "Fishbowls", some from
1975, are still going strong.
When the TTC says 800 new buses by 2008, keep in mind that this
means that many buses will be retired, so it's technically not a net
gain of 800. I hope that we can break away from throwing things away
when new things come along, especially when some of the veterans of
the fleet still have some fight in them.
|
|
|
Bus Only Lanes |
|
The province has pledged $7.3 million to York Region to start phase
2 of VIVA, which is the construction of bus only lanes. Only then
can VIVA truly be a rapid transit system, so this is good news.
As I thought more about this announcement, it made me wonder what
the best setup for bus only lanes would be. It appears the reserved
lanes in the centre of the road would work best, for several
reasons. Express buses would not get caught behind local buses, as
they could simply cross the centreline to pass a stopped bus. In
addition, since people are generally careless with right turns, the
chance of a car turning into a bus in the curb lane would be
eliminated.
At the same time, you could only put stops near legal street
crossings, or local buses could not use them. In addition, if you
were to run express buses in the lanes and locals in the street, a
passenger might become confused as to where they were supposed to
board.
I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this, but suffice to say
that there's a lot to consider when building something as simple as
a traffic lane.
|
January 21 |
From A to Being |
|
This is Jennifer. She's travelling from A to Being. Jennifer rode
VIVA for the first time, and aside from the cold transfer at
Richmond Hill Centre, she was impressed by the smooth ride and the
cleanliness of the RTV. Maybe you will be impressed with the RTV
too. We also saw an TTC Nova RTS laying over at York University
signed for "ROCHESTER FERRY". I'm sure you'll agree that it was a
little out of place.
|
January 20 |
Strange Economics |
|
If you haven't already realized it, the City of Toronto doesn't want
you to vote conservative. Here is more proof. An article in today's
Star suggests that IF the Conservatives win, AND they pass the
transit ticket tax credit (about 16%), AND they fail to honor the
funding agreements which will allow for more service in order to
accomodate the new riders the tax credit will attract, then the cost
of a Metropass may have to increase by 16%. It means that you'll
still be able to claim your pass on your tax return, but the net
price will remain the same. While the average joe will spend more
now and get it all back when the tax man comes, low income citizens
living month-to-month may not be able to swallow such an increase.
The complex solution to these transit woes is to elect a government
that is willing to set out a long term vision. A government who
doesn't think "what can we do that will be working by the next
election", but one who looks decades into the future.
The simple solution to these transit woes is to not elect the
Conservatives.
In another note, the campaign of David Tilson, my MP and local
Conservative Party candidate has been calling my house in order to
respond to my party platform questions. I find this odd, as I sent
them an email, and did not disclose my address or phone number. I am
not the homeowner, but the number is listed as A. Griffith in the
phone book. I truly appreciate that they would go to such lengths to
ensure I had the information I needed to vote intelligently, but
they're really creeping me out.
|
January 19 |
U-Pass, Even If You Pass |
|
There's been alot of talk about the U-Pass in Toronto in the past
six months, but some concrete news was released today. The TTC will
be offering full-time undergraduate students in Toronto
Post-Secondary Schools metropasses for $59 per month, but there is a
catch. The catch is that it's dependant on something that resembles
a constitutional ammendment.
The cost of the pass will be paid through your tuition, but there
will be no opting out. As a result, there will be a student
referendum at each school. By voting yes, you agree to a tuition
increase of $500 a year, but will receive a Metropass each month for
10 months. The students must approve this in at least three of the
seven post-secondary institutions in the city for the plan to fly.
The positive:
You will receive a metropass for 60 dollars. This is cheaper than
the regular price ($98.75), cheaper than the current deal ($87), and
cheaper than using tickets / tokens ($80 for four weeks at two rides
per day).
The negative:
You would have to pay $500 dollars more per year, even if you don't
use the system. This is the only way these prices can be offered.
The hope / the political spin:
I'm voting yes, i'm telling you right now. I just hope that the
U-Pass is identical to adult transferable Metropass. This would
allow you to sell it if you don't want to use it. If this is the
case, and I plan to find out for sure, I don't mind walking while
giving my Aunt, a senior, a little discount on her travel.
|
Conservatives - VIA Rail = Happy Conservatives? |
|
Published in the letters section of today's star was a letter from
Jason Shron, president of Rapido Trains Inc, which is a manufacturer
of quality Canadian model train products. Mr. Shron points out that
in 2004, the Conservative Party's transportation critic, Jim Gouk,
introduced a private member's bill to privatize VIA Rail Canada,
arguing that it is essentially a wasteful service. Mr. Shron points
out that privately run operations like the Rocky Mountaineer are
luxury trains, which will increase the price to ride the train, and
will eliminate stops in rural communities.
The train is the lifeline of many isolated communities in Canada. If
train service is eliminated, these towns and villages will be cut
off from the outside world. Highways will be built through the
beautiful mountains, plains and forests of this great land, ruining
the environment. Some people may argue that the private sector will
find a way to maintain the current levels of service, but consider
this. VIA's existance is due to the fact that CN and CP found
passenger rail to be unprofitable. No company will run a service at
a loss, which is why VIA Rail must maintain in public hands. If you
live in one of those isolated communities, a vote for the
conservative party may very well spell the end for your town.
VIA is an integral part of the transportation mix in this country,
and if anything, service should be restored to pre 1989 levels, and
funding increased to sustain those levels. Consider this: In 1984,
the government increased VIA's budget, and within two years,
ridership was up 37%. This is a classic example of "if you build it,
they will come," and it can still apply today, be it GO, VIA or
GTTA.
|
Spacing Presents: IN TRANSIT |
|
If you're looking for some culture this winter, check out IN
TRANSIT, a gallery exhibit that captures Toronto on the move. This
exhibit of photos, paintings, videos and audio showcases moments on
public transit around the city. It sounds very interesting, and it's
presented by Spacing magazine, which is a big name amoung Toronto
transit entusiasts. It opens tonight at 7, and runs until Feb 28 at
the Toronto Free Gallery, 660 Queen Street East, near Broadview.
Click here for more
infomation.
|
January 18 |
Call To Arms? |
|
Assaults, theft and shooting have all occured on the TTC in the
past, and a very strange event occured on Monday night. At around 7
PM, a man parked infront of Dupont station, and exited his car. He
left the car in drive, and as he entered the station, it crashed
into the entrance. While on the escalator, he dropped the knapsack
he was carrying, and a sawed-off shotgun fell out. He kicked the
shotgun down the escalator, dropped his bag and fled into the
station. Police have identified the man and are looking for him.
This has led to calls for more security on the TTC, and I'm sensing
some misconception in the media about the special constables already
on patrol. Here's the facts from the TTC's website. TTC special
constable are sworn peace officers have the same powers as police
officers on TTC property and in vehicles. They can enforce the
Criminal Code, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Trespass to
Property Act, section 17 of the Mental Health Act and TTC By-Law
No.1. However, they can only enforce these laws off the property if
they are making a citizen's arrest, which is a gray area of the law.
Also, they are only armed with knightsticks and pepper spray (but
trust me, even residual pepper spray is harsh).
Is it time for more security on the TTC? I think so. There are
allready plans to increase the amount of security cameras on the
system by six fold, but there have been calls to arm transit
constables. Vancouver recently did so. And perhaps we should monitor
how it's working over there. I suspect there won't be any problem
with this though. I'm sure most people will agree that Police
officers in general are better off armed. The other suggestion is to
make special constables members of the Toronto Police Service. This
is a great idea, and will allow these officers to pursue suspects
off TTC property.
I've never been scared while riding the TTC, but more constables and
more cameras is not, in my opinion, an invasive system. We all want
more safety and security, but we don't want our privacy to be
invaded. This is the balance we're looking for.
|
January 17 |
Even More Election Coverage |
|
Ed Drass' column in the Metro today has shed some light on the
Conservative Party's platform when it comes to public transit.
According to the party HQ, they will:
My non-bias ends here. While I support their support of the gas tax and NDP deal, which is $800 million over two years, and I support reaching predictable funding with lower levels of government, I have a three things to say about the tax credit.
We'll all have to see how it plays out, but we do have a choice. As I've said before, vote for whichever party makes the most sense for you to vote for. If that means strategic voting, so be it. If it means voting Marxist-Leninist, by all means. Just vote! |
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January 16 |
Election Coverage |
|
I received replies from three of the parties I had sent emails too,
and here's what each had to say. In order to keep my far
left-leaning bias in check, I have cut and pasted directly from the
email.
The Green Party, first to respond, says they will:
The Liberal Party, second to reply, said: "We originally committed to transfer a total of $5 billion over five years to municipalities for infrastructure, beginning with a penny per litre, or $400 million this year. But in Budget 2005, we went even further, starting with $600 million and rising as promised to 5 cents per litre, or $2 billion annually, in 2009-10." "Over 90% of the Canadian population is now covered by such an agreement." "The Liberal government is also providing $800 million in national transit funding over two years to help municipalities meet growing demands, while enhancing the New Deal for Cities and Communities? ability to address national environmental objectives. We believe like you that better public transit is a major factor in keeping Canada?s cities livable, attractive and more competitive and reducing GHG and smog producing emissions."
The NDP, third to respond, said: "As for the NDP's platform, the party will
increase federal funding for public transportation and light rail (such
as Via) and make transit passes tax deductable." The Conservative Party has not responded / did not respond. Perhaps it is because they have nothing good to say? That's what eveyone at the City of Toronto seems to suggest. All in all, it looks like the Green Party has the most attractive proposal. However, it seems like Canada isn't ready for the Green Party. One day we might be ready, but for now, all we can do is vote for the party that makes the most sense for the individual to vote for, whomever it may be. |
January 14 |
GTTA Plan Updates |
|
I added some new stuff to my GTTA plan the other day. Among the
updates where details of how overlapping routes operated by two
different services would interact, the suggested prices for
system-wide fares, and the addition of a new light rail ine running
from Oakville to Milton. I've also added the criteria for
constructing bus terminals at subway stations, and organized some
information in the commuter rail section. Enjoy!
|
January 12 |
Election Coverage |
|
I have sent the following email to the Liberal, Conservative, NDP
and Green party candidates in the Dufferin-Caledon riding (my local
riding). I've found that hearing it straight from the horse's
mouth, rather than the propaganda brochures, is the best way to tell
what will really happen once someone is elected.
Dear _____
I am a university student and a resident of Caledon, and I would
like some information on the ____ party platform regarding public
transportation, an issue I care deeply about. Specifically, what
will you and your party do to improve public transit in the Greater
Toronto Area and in the Dufferin-Caledon riding?
Information on your party platform will be very helpful in my
election day decision.
Sincerely,
Andrae Griffith
We'll see who responds, how fast they respond, and what each party
has to say.
|
GO GOes Shopping |
|
On the 10th, the Minister of Transportation announced that GO and
the province are investing $73 million in 20 Bombardier bi-level
railcars, and 31 MCI highway coaches. They'll be used to expand
service around the system, and to replace some of the older buses in
the fleet. Who says there isn't any good news these days?
|
January 10 |
Fighting the NIMBYs |
|
There are three things preventing great transit from being built in
the Greater Toronto Area. The first is a general lack of cash at the
local level, which is difficult to overcome, and relies on
injections from higher levels of government. The second is the lack
of political will. I believe that politicians are reluctant to
commit to long term projects because at the end of their term,
there's nothing to show for it. If a subway takes ten years to
build, it's hard to convince the population to re-elect you if by
the end of your four year term, all you have is a hole in the ground
and traffic chaos. Finally, the last thing preventing transit from
becomming great is the NIMBY crowd.
For those who don't know (which included me for a fairly long time),
NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard. The common NIMBY can range in
height from three to eight feet tall, can weigh anywhere from 100 to
500 pounds, and often travel in packs. They are known for their
limitless determination, unexplainable financial resources, and
ability to appear larger than they actually are, in pursuit of their
goals. Often, these goals are to the detriment of society as a
whole. Transit NIMBYs are common in urban areas, but may also be
found in rural communities where transportation projects are
planned. They are often characterised by requesting service
improvements, but protesting against the proposed service. In the
Greater Toronto Area, the St. Clair West NIMBY and the Cornell NIMBY
are two well know groups.
How do we discourage NIMBYism? It has been suggested that they
should be punished, and have their service completely removed, or
operated using vehicles slated to be retired. However, NIMBYs often
represent a small, yet vocal minority. This would be unfair to the
general public. Another proposal is a form of communism, where
projects are built based on what is best for the community,
regardless of opposition. This would also not work. The only
solution shy of holding referendums in the effected areas is to dot
the "I" and cross the "T" where planning laws are concerned, and to
invite the community to participate in the planning of the lines. If
they feel included, perhaps the NIMBYs will be more receptive to the
service that will help all.
|
January 09 |
From Humble Beginnings |
| Last week, Métis Transit began
operations in Caledon with one route, one bus and a dream. The route
runs between Caledon East, Palgrave and Bolton. Service is from 7:00 AM
to 8:30 AM and from 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM, and operates at 45 minute
headways. Weekly passes cost $20. I intend to purchase one, and will
report back when I do.
I hope that Town Council is able to get on board this time around, and that this service is successful. Hopefully, GO will improve service on the Nobleton - Bolton route and the Orangeville route, which will improve demand for connecting services. In addition, extending service to the VIVAstation at Martin Grove could also boost ridership. Looking far into the future, my GTA plan calls for two GO lines serving Caledon, and it would fall upon Métis Transit to connect residents with the trains. While transit might be operated by the town in the future, I hope that if anything, Métis Transit opens Caledon's eyes to public transit, and proves that it can be run efficiently in rural areas. |
January 05 |
Rider has complaints with transit |
|
Usually newspaper letters to the editor are very short, but when a
three column letter appeared in the Brampton Guardian, I took
notice. This lady, who hails from Ottawa, has had negative views of
Brampton Transit, and unlike most people who complain about public
transit, offers some suggestions for making public transit more user
friendly:
All in all, this lady has some good ideas, which is a refreshing change from random ranting. |
January 03 |
Evolution of a Transit System |
|
On New Years Day, we went to visit my aunt's house in Milton. I had
always read about the explosive development in that community, but
even I was surprised. What used to be empty fields are now fully
implimented subdivision. The woods behind her house no longer exist
- they're houses now. In short, Milton has exploded over the last
five years. In addition to widening the streets, Milton has decided
to go the transit route, which as we all know, is the better route.
Only a few years ago, Milton Transit was a dial-a-bus system,
operated with school buses. For the afternoon rush, the buses would
wait at the GO station and take passengers right to their doors.
Today, Milton Transit is contracted out to Oakville Transit, using
their dial-a-bus vehicles. They operate fixed routes, but my aunt
tells me of a driver who kindly took a detour and dropped her at the
door (she was the only passenger that day). As opposed to a grid
system, Milton Transit runs a system where each route serves a
particular area of the city, and the buses run deep into the
neighborhood. All routes meet at the GO station. Though inefficient,
this setup is perfect for a town of Milton's size.
So what's next for Milton? I think their neighborhood system is
perfectly fine until the town grows much larger that it is now. Only
then will a grid system be needed. One only needs to look at Ajax
and Pickering to see what happens when you wait too long to convert
to grid. In the future, routes southward to Burlington and Oakville
would be necessary. A light rail line between Milton GO station and
Oakville GO station is possible, and would connect Milton with
southern Halton, while also reducing the bus overlap on Trafalgar in
Oakville.
It seems to me that Milton has a real commitment to public transit,
which is rare for a town it's size. We can only hope they stay on
this path, as my aunt will tell you that there traffic problems in
town which are reaching her tolerance limit.
|
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December 29 |
How Not To Build A Transit System |
An interesting article from Torstar
on December 27th tells an interesting story about Durham Region Transit.
Earlier this year, Oshawa council voted in favour of joining Durham
Region Transit, after they were promised that the tax increases
necessary to improve service would be offset by gas tax transfers, and
that they would get fair value for the assets they were contributing.
With new years fast approaching, Oshawa realized that they still hadn't
even negotiated the transfer of assets. Then, more concerns came out.
So, Oshawa took a stand. If the region wanted the 50 good buses, they would either have to cover an $8 million outstanding transit cost, or pay to use Oshawa's buses until negotiations take place. The region's response: Transfer your buses or you won't get any service at all. So, DRT will operate as one come January 1, 2006, but I'm certain that the friction behind these events will come back to haunt those involved. |
December 28 |
Hamilton Street Railway |
|
The often forgotten member of the GTA is the City of Hamilton, which
is a major centre in itself, but sees frequent commuter service to
and from Toronto. During rush hour, the GO trains serve Hamilton GO
Centre, with all day service being provided by express buses running
between Hamilton and Toronto via the QEW. I can guarantee that any
trip along the Gardiner between downtown and the 427 will result in
at least two QEW express buses spotted. Also, the 407 GO buses
connect the GO Centre with McMaster University and the rest of the
GTA, while the Hamilton Street Railway serves the city, and connects
with Burlinton and Oakville Transit at the Burlington Bus Terminal.
There are numerous hospitals, a dense downtown, a major university
and college, parks and a stadium all spread out around the city
which need connecting, and while the HSR has done a good job
connecting these destination, a throwback to light rail may give new
meaning to the transit system's name.
There are several lines which can be built, all serving areas of the
city currently served by bus:
Existing railways will be the place to start, with two railway corridors in the city. The CP line and the Belt line will be interlined.
The King and Main lines will both run on the street, and due to the large number of one way streets in Hamilton, these two lines may have to be interlined for directional running (Stoney Creek bound on Main, University bound on King).
The two final lines, also interlined, provide a north-south line to serve the mountain, and an east-west line to serve other areas of lower Hamilton.
While the abandonnment of Hamilton's streetcar may have been an extension of the National City Bus Lines conspiracy, light rail has proven it's usefulness and cost effectiveness. As a final note, even though Hamilton is west of the city, it's around the edge of the lake, and as a result, to get to Toronto, one has to go geographically west. That's why the QEW is refered to as "Niagara Bound" and "Toronto Bound." As East / West depends on where you are. |
December 24 |
The Night Before Christmas |
|
T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a
creature was stirring, not even the seven brand-spanking new Nova
LFS sitting in Brampton Transit's Rutherford Yard.
Merry Christmas to all, and a happy new year!
|
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December 23 |
Only In Toronto |
|
While browsing the Canadian Public Transportation Discussion Board
forums, I came across this story:
A man with the user name "Marvin" reported that he suffered a broken
ankle when he slipped on a pile of human feces. He would like to
know if any one else has had experiences with human waste on the
TTC. Have you?
I would like to quote my good friend Perry Lam on this one:
"How did you break your ankle?"
"Eh, sh** happens."
|
Fish Out Of Water |
| While heaing out to St. Catherines to get my brother, I saw something rather unusual. On the QEW somewhere between Hamilton and Grimsby, a VIVA A330 was parked on the side of the highway. I knew VIVA was good, but I didn't think it went that far. If only we could get it to go to Brampton... |
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December 22 |
60 Foot Shopping Cart |
|
Wednesday was the day which I finished my christmas shopping, and
did it while exploring the city on transit. My day began at Kipling
and Albion, where the 45E KIPLING took me to Kipling station. The
Bloor-Danforth subway took me to Dundas West station, and the 505
DUNDAS streetcar took me to my first stop, Yonge & Dundas. A walk to
Union Station was next, where I boarded the 509 HARBOURFRONT
replacement bus, and was issued a 300 BLOOR/DANFORTH transfer for my
collection. I rode the bus to Queens Quay loop, and transfered to a
510 SPADINA car. My next stop was at Spadina and College.
After taking the 510 to Spadina station, I headed out to High Park
station and rode the 30 LAMBTON bus back to Kipling station. The
subway took me to Islington station, where my trip on the TTC ended,
and my trip on Mississauga transit began.
I boarded 1C DUNDAS at 12:15, and rode to Hurontario, where I
transfered to route 19 HURONTARIO for the final run up to Square One
Terminal, which is one of the best bus terminals I've ever visited,
on par with Union Station and Richmond Hill Centre.
All in all, a good time was had by all, and I managed to ride the
New Flyer D60LF articulated buses before they have their curtain
call.
|
December 21 |
Suburban Transit |
|
According to an article in the Star yesterday, ridership on Yonge
Street in YRT-Land is up "33.9 per cent for October. Transit use
along Highway 7 has spiked 25.4 per cent over last year." This
proves the old saying:
"If you build it, they will come."
Many dismiss the suburbs as areas where cars are king and buses are
obstacles, but VIVA has shown that with reliable transit, suburban
riders can give up their cars.
However, there are unique challenges to building transit in the
suburbs. If you look at a map of Vaughan or of the newer areas of
Brampton, you'll find that there is no order to the design of the
streets. Downtown Toronto is laid out in a grid, while the suburbs
are a jumble. This design fits more houses in smaller area, but
means that in order to build transit, you need alot of confusing
community routes, or you force people to walk long distances to the
main roads. The first option is inefficient, and the second one
likely won't fly. Combine this with the lack of the "corner store",
and you get a community that requires a car to function.
It's not to say that transit is impossible in the suburbs. What's
needed are high capacity, fast service on the main roads,
neighborhood service that cuts down walking times, and commuter
parking lots at the rapid transit stations. By combining those three
elements, any suburb can win back the streets from the clutches of
gridlock.
|
|
|
December 19 |
Mono means One, and Rail means Rail |
|
Out in the tri-cities area, two rapid transit plans are duking it
out for support of the Region of Waterloo. The region is proposing
an at grade light rail line operating on the street, but a group
named Grand River Monorail
has come out with an extensive proposal for an elevated monorail
connecting Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. Their plan will use
the Bombardier M-VI monorail, which is a saddle-beam design in use
in Las Vegas. According to GRM, their plan trumps the light rail
plan due to the following reasons:
For more information on the proposal, click here. It has my support, and may even be an idea worth looking at for the Toronto area. Not only does it address some of the drawbacks of other forms of mass transit, but it's futuristic and looks better than the box-on-wheels that we have today. |
December 15 |
Projects on the Horizon |
|
Ed Drass' "In Transit" column in the metro is reporting the
following projects will be comming soon to a city near you (unless
you don't actually live in the GTA).
|
The Backwards Man: Revisited |
|
While there aren't too many options for reverse commuters going
downtown, I happy to say that the bus trip I took departed Brampton
Terminal at 3:35 on time, and arrived at Union Terminal at 4:35,
right on schedule. I'm certain that it travelling in the opposite
direction of the rush kept in on schedule, so if necessary, I could
definitly use it as an option.
However, there are more trips that serve Yorkdale and York Mills at
that time of day, so if the subway was to be used anyway, that's
another option.
In conclusion, it's understandable that there are few trips heading
into the city during the rush. All of the resources are being used
to ferry people out of the city. As the nature of the GTA changes
from a city-suburb to an interconnect region, more people will be
doing what I did, and more service will be needed.
|
|
|
December 12 |
Greater Toronto Transit Authority |
|
I've been working on it for months, but it is finally ready.
Just beyond the link lies my suggestions for public transit in
Toronto and the greater Toronto area. Is is by no means set in
stone, and will continue to evolve based on my observations and
the comments left here. I hope something is made of this plan,
but only the future will tell.
I'm encouraging everyone who reads my plan to post their
suggestions using the comments on the blog, as the riders
themselves are the ones who will be riding the lines.
Given that this plan is probably too ambitious to ever be fully
implimented, the ability to dream is something we must never
turn our backs upon.
|
The Backwards Man |
|
As the GTA evolves from a city-suburb relationship to an
intertwined region, more and more people will live in Toronto,
yet work in the 905. Travelling to the near suburbs is pretty
easy, as YRT, Mississauga Transit and the Lakeshore GO lines
have service to make reverse commuting fairly pain-free. When it
comes to the far suburbs, such as Brampton, northern York,
Durham and Halton, it's another story. On wednesday, Ryerson
decided to schedule a 6:30 PM exam, so I'll be doing the reverse
commuting. I hope it doesn't come with too much trouble, but I'm
sure it will shed some light on what others have to go through.
|
December 07 |
Don Valley Transit Corridor |
|
Over the weekend, I finished a final report for my Technical
Communication class. The topic I chose was, of course, transit
related. Specifically, I looked at ways to reduce car use in the Don
Valley Corridor. I can't post the whole report here, for fear that
Turnitin.com will accuse me of cheating, but I can say the verdict.
I compared subways, bus rapid transit, light rail and GO expansions,
and found this:
A subway from Steels to Pape station would cost $3.3 billion
minimum, based on extrapolated cost of the Sheppard line. That
includes the vehicles, based on the previous T1 purchase price.
A commuter rail line would cost $174 million, assuming you start
with no stations and no trains. The cost of the tracks were not
counted, but based on the tender bid for the Lisgar GO station
contract, the last bilevel order and the new locomotive order, you
could get seven trainsets and eight stations.
Bus rapid transit from Steeles to Castle Frank via the DVP would
only cost $99.5 million. That price was based on the cost per KM
that Brampton estimates for Acceleride, and the generally accepted
cost of $500,000 per bus.
A light rail line on the same alignment as the BRT would cost $300
million, based on the price of the ALRVs (half to be run as two car
trains), and the projected cost of the 512 Right of Way. It works
out to about $10 million per KM.
Based on what I call "cost per passenger per hour", Subways were
clearly the most expensive, while the rail was the least. BRT was
cheaper than LRT, but only by $250 per passenger per hour. When you
consider that the LRT had triple the capacity of the BRT, it was
worth the investment.
And that is why math says LRT is the best choice... But I still
would like to see a Don Mills subway!
|
November 29 |
2000 |
|
It's official! Drae's Web-Based, Log-Like Page is celebrating it's
2000th hit since the humble beginning in March. Thanks to everyone
who's ever visited. Couldn't have done it without you!
The vast majority of the hits were from search engine pings and RSS
broadcasts, but that's beside the point...
|
WOW |
|
24 Hours, the magazine I never really respected has redeemed itself.
Today, they reported on the Toronto Community Foundation, a
charitable organization, that is proposing to revitalize Museum, St.
Patrick and Osgoode stations to reflect the cultural institutions
which are just steps away from the platform. Don't be fooled, this
isn't like the stations on the
Spadina and
Sheppard lines.
All I can say is WOW. Click the station name to see the artist's
conception.
Museum would be remodeled into an Egyptian theme, with the columns
replaced with mock sandstone pillars and sarcophaguses standing
upright, reflecting it's proximity to the ROM. The station would
become a tourist attraction in itself.
St. Patrick would have the green tiles replaced with full-length
murals of running athletes, with a white stripe of galloping horses,
reflecting, for no aparent reason, nearby OCAD and the AGO. It's
difficult to describe, but one has to see it to appreciate it.
Osgoode would have its walls and ceiling replaced with murals
depicting scenes from famous musicals, plays and ballets, reflecting
the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and the National
Ballet of Canada at the corner of University and Queen.
This plan would brighten up the subway ride for Toronto residents on
their daily commute, and showcase to the world that Toronto is a
world class city. I hope that the group can convince the city to go
with this project, as it fits perfectly with the Live With Culture
campaign. People will flock to the subway for their daily commute,
and just for site-seeing.
All photos are from the Toronto Community Foundation
website.
|
Pay For Your Car, Get A Bus Too |
|
The province is set to pass the City of Toronto Act, which will
change how the city operates financially. Under the currently law,
municipal governments must hold referendums in order to enact new
taxes. Generally, people are not in favour of new taxes, so it's
currently very difficult for cities and towns in Ontario to raise
money to maintain the services they offer. When the government
repeals this law, and passes the City of Toronto Act, it will give
not only Toronto, but all municipalities the power to raise the
money they need to continue to offer the service they do, and to
start to offer new services.
Around Toronto, ideas of putting taxes on alcohol and entertainment
have been floated, but Howard Moscoe is suggesting that the first
thing the city does with its new powers is enact a $5 tax on vehicle
license plate renewel fees. That tax would go to pay for transit,
and being only $5 a year, is pretty reasonable. I could find five
dollars in the pennies I accumulate in a month. As long as it
doesn't end up like Seattle, where a loophole in the law allows
residents to register their licenses at a P.O. Box outside the city,
I think this could do wonders reducing the budget shortfall, though
I wouldn't expect any subway lines to be built from this cash.
There are other ideas though, according to the star, which I have
various levels of support for.
In Quebec, the province sends $20 from license fees to fund transit, and Montreal's Metro, which was started long after Toronto's subway, has been steadily growing, while we've remained stagnant. If that isn't proof that Howard Moscoe isn't a crazy person, I don't know what is (though the Pumpkin, Little-Bo-Peep and Pizzaz costumes kinda work against him). |
November 28 |
All I Want For Christmas... |
| Today, the house will withdraw confidence in the government, triggering a general election (though constitutionally, any party can step forward and try to form a government without dissolving parliament). Keep it here for coverage of transportation issues as CANADA (reluctantly) VOTES 05/06! |
|
|
November 26 |
Union Station |
| Yesterday (Thursday), city council
voted to set a firm deadline for negotiations with Union-Pearson Group,
the group of companies that wants to rennovate Union Station. If a deal
isn't reached by the end of March, the process, already extended twice,
will cease. The group wants a 99 year lease on the building in exchange
for $115M in upgrades. They will pay monthly rent to the city, and plan
to build an office tower or hotel above the west wing of the building. The station needs $27 million over five years just for basic repairs, which is all the city could afford if they went it alone. I'm generally in favour of this deal, but I do have some concerns.
As long these three requirements are met, I hope the city can reach a deal to refurbish this gem at Bay and Front for the commuters and travellers of the future. |
November 23 |
Kingston Road |
|
Sometimes, the best ideas are recycled ideas (Kingston Road cars
once ran to Birchmount). According to the Star, the TTC is floating
the idea of extending the 502 Downtowner and 503 Kingston Road
Tripper up Kingston Road from Bingham Loop at Victoria Park Ave, to
Eglinton, the back on Eglinton to Kennedy Station. It would operate
on a private ROW, giving commuters along Kingston Road another
option for getting downtown. The article points out that curently,
no route serves all of Kingston Road from end to end, and that the
buses that do serve the road (12 KINGSTON ROAD, 22A COXWELL, 69
WARDEN SOUTH, 9 BELLAMY, 102 MARKHAM ROAD, 116 MORNINGSIDE, 86
SCARBOROUGH) all turn and feed the east end subway station,.
On this issue, any plan to improve transit in the city is a great
plan and should be investigated fully. However, I have a funny
feeling that the most a trip downtown on the subway will be faster
than a trip downtown on the streetcar, especially with the delays
possible on Queen Street. The best option would be to improve the
feeder routes that run to the subway, and use an extended streetcar
line as a suppliment. Of course, if a subway were to be built along
Eglinton Ave and up Kingston Road to UTC, the need to run a relief
line connect the subway with the downtown would make much more
sense.
|
November 22 |
The Fleet of Modernism |
|
An article appeared in the Star monday about industrial design,
showcasing the past and future of engineering machines so that they
are no only functional, but are beautiful to look at. Being an
engineering student, I can tell you that we don't take any art
classes, but it might be beneficial. In a business environment, when
two products have identical features and indentical price, the one
with the best looks will likely sell better. As it applies to
transit, it mean attractive paint schemes and designes that add
style and flair to the vehicles. It makes the vehicles easily
identified, and makes people want to ride them.
It means saying goodbye to the Box-On-Wheels concept of the past.
Here are some pictures from the article, which I hope will inspire a
new generation of transit vehicles:
|
November 17 |
Stop Announcements |
|
Usually I come running to the defense of the transit agencies, but
as we speak, I'm listening to CFRB 1010. Mark Elliot, host of The
Nightside is talking to David Lepofsky, a lawyer (who happens to be
blind) who took the TTC to court over subway stop announcements. He
won, and there has been a huge improvement since the summer. In the
last month or so, I can only recall two occasions where stops were
not called.
Now, Mr. Lepofsky is taking the TTC to court again, in order to
force them to announce stops on surface routes. The TTC's policy is
to currently call out all major streets and other stops on request,
but this is spotty (and in one case I remember on the 37A, filled
with anger and contempt). At first, I thought "operators new to the
route will now be punished unfairly," and "on long routes, there are
far too many stops to be commited to memory." However, after hearing
Mr. Lepofsky speak, he seemed quite composed and convincing (read:
not a wacko from the corner of Dundas and Victoria). He sure
convinced me.
The TTC, and other GTA agencies, should move to phase in automatic
stop announcement systems on older buses, and be sure that they come
standard on all new orders. Hopefully, they will use sound
engineering practises, and ensure that the systems can be removed
and salvaged when older buses are retired. On 11 BAYVIEW and 28
DAVISVILLE, the commission is testing an automatic announcement
system. From my experience, it works very well, but the corny
"welcome aboard" and "hope you enjoyed your ride" messages at
Davisville Station definitly need to go. This test will go on, and I
hope it ends up being worth the expense. Of course, the argument
that sleeping on board is no longer possible has been raised, but
you can't sleep in your car either.
In the mean time, the commission could provide papers listing all
the stops on the route for the operators to mount in the vehicle.
The cost of doing this wouldn't be very much, and the benefit would
be beyond measure.
|
November 15 |
Scarborough RT: The Definite Solution? |
|
It came to me out of the blue.
The problem with replacing the Scarborough RT is that no
off-the-shelf vehicle exists that can operate on the line. On top of
that, no vehicle can be easily modified to operate on it. That is,
until I gave it some thought.
The Bombardier FLEXITY LRT cars are designed to be low floor,
operating on the street, with platforms either at grade, or a few
inches above grade. However, the height of the floor is dependent
only on the height of the trucks. If Bombardier has made sound
engineering choices in designing the vehicle (making it modular),
replacing the low trucks with higher ones (possibly recycled from
streetcars) should not greatly effect the cost of the vehicle. This
would bring the floor of the vehicle up to RT platform level. The
only other expense would be to run overhead wire for the FLEXITY to
draw current. The line can then support both types of vehicle until
the ICTS trains are gradually phased out. This leaves the line able
to support both conventional and linear induction magnet propelled
vehicles, eliminating the chance of this fiasco ever happening
again.
In the end, we end up with this:
4 car ICTS train: 160 feet long, 436 passengers (crush load)
2 coupled FLEXITY units: 188 feet long, 492 passengers (crush load)
It's no subway, I must admit, but it's the least expensive solution,
and avoids loosing everything already invested in the line.
|
November 14 |
What's The Deal? |
|
What's the deal with the people who cancel (validate - don't ask why
it's called cancelling, unless you have some Advil handy) their
last ride on a GO ten-ride tickets, and immidiately throw it out.
You have to keep it for random inspection, or face a $110 fine. It's
not like it takes up alot of space. Same goes for VIVIA and the
streetcars operating on Queen St. You must keep proof of payment, or
face a fine if you're caught by a fare inspector. Paying a single
fare is alot better than paying a fine.
|
Dropping In On The Rich |
|
Toronto has its share of depressed areas, but it also has its share
of very wealthy areas. They tend to be tucked away off of the main
streets, making it difficult for less-wealthy people like myself to
visit unless you go for a drive. The buses that run through those
areas tend to only be token services, because rich people don't ride
the bus. But, for someone who has a spare day, and wants to see a
hidden side of Toronto, there are some options.
This is, by no means, a full list of all the wealthy neighborhoods of Toronto. There are many other gems that are hidden from view. While I may never make enough money to fulfill by Old Rosedale dreams or my Bridle Path dreams, it's interesting to think that I could board a bus and easily see if the grass really is greener on the other side. |
November 12 |
Near Tragedy in Soeul |
|
If you haven't already seen the video, you can watch it
here, but know that eveyone makes it out alright. In Soeul, a
woman tired to board a subway with a baby stoller, but the doors
closed on the stroller. As the train starts to move, the woman
manages to free her child, but her jacket is also caught in the
door. She was dragged by the train about 30 meters, before the train
stopped. This lady and her child are lucky to be alive, can it
happen here?
First of all, the train cannot move if the doors are open. In this
case, the doors were showing as closed, which you can tell by the
door-open lights shutting off. This is the first safety measure. If
a larger object was in the doorway, it's likely that the doors would
not have closed and locked. Secondly, in Toronto, the guard monitors
the outside of the train after the doors closed, until the train
gets up to speed. With an emmergency brake nearby, it's likely that
something like this would not occur. From what I can see, there was
no guard on the Korean train looking out. Finally, there are
emmergency brakes which passengers can access in the event that
someone is trapped in the door. While nothing can prevent all
incidents, rest assured that the chances of this happening in
Toronto are very low.
The GO train is another story. Since the locomotive is separate from
the coaches, there is no system to prevent the train from moving
when the doors are open. In fact, there is no door-open light in the
cab. The engineer relies on the conductor's signal (two buzzes) for
the okay. On some trains, when there is no conductor in the cab car,
there is no one tasked with making sure the doors are secure after
they close. To make matters worse, sometimes crew will signal the
okay before the green light on the panel comes up.
On at least one occasion, my aunt has had her purse trapped in the
doors of Milton trains and had to run down the platform with it. In
those cases, it's best to let it go. It's not worth the injury.
Never try to pry the doors open once they have started to close.
They do not work like elevator doors, and when they close, they
close. Also, when they break, many people become upset. As long as
you stand well back of the line, mind the gap, don't crowd the doors
and don't try to rush a closing door, you're sure to arrive at your
destination safe and sound.
|
|
|
November 11 |
Getting to Brampton |
|
Ideally, the GO train is the fastest way to get to Brampton GO
station / Brampton Terminal. When I get out of class at 1:00 on
friday afternoons, the train isn't an option. The last midday train
departs Union at 1:00, and the next train isn't until 3:15. Here are
the options:
2:00 GO Bus: Union Terminal to Brampton Terminal via Shoppers World
This bus offers the fastest travel time, with the scheduled arrival
time of 2:50. Whoever came up with that schedule, though, has never
actually ridden the bus. The bus usually gets there after three, and
is always packed to a crush load. It's likely the best choice for
speed, but having to arrive at Union by 1:15 in order to get a seat
lessens the enjoyment.
1:35 GO Bus: York Mills Terminal to Brampton Terminal via Yorkdale,
Humber College, Bramalea City Centre
This bus has a longer running time, and is scheduled to arrive at
2:45. It's usually on time unless traffic on the 401 is abnormally
heavy, and space is never an issue, even after the stop at Humber
College is made. The only issue is getting to York Mills in time.
It's a five minute walk from Ryerson to Dundas station (including
the wait for the subway) and a 20 minute run to York Mills. Any
service delay can cause a missed connection.
YRT/BT Route 77 HWY 7 (aka 77 FINCH SUBWAY) & BT Route 1A QUEEN:
Finch Terminal to Bramalea City Centre, Bramalea City Centre to
Brampton Terminal
This route offers the most reliable connections, running at 20
minute frequency during the midday, but the ride is agonizingly
slow. Running time is about an hour and ten minutes, and while you
think you're running at least a half hour late, you're wrong. The
ride is actually scheduled to be that slow. The connection was made
easily, and the arrival time at the terminal was 3:30, making the
running time an hour and fourty-five minutes. It is the cheapest of
all the options, but I would only take it in an emmergency.
In the end, GO is likely the best option for getting to Brampton in
the off-peak. Perhaps when AcceleRide gets going, it'll offer
something a little more attractive. Combine it with an extension of
VIVA Orange, and you'll end up with a service that works for many
people who live in Brampton and work uptown instead of downtown.
|
November 08 |
Hydro Corridors |
|
In Toronto, higher-order rapid transit is very difficult to
construct because there isn't very much left over space. There's
political opposition to removing traffic lanes, forcing subways to
be built underground. The cost of tunneling is what makes subways so
expensive. However, there are places in the city where transit can
be built on the surface, which would greatly reduce the cost.
Enter the Hydro Corridors.
Wherever there are power lines, there are unique opportunites to lay
down streetcar-style rails. One example is the Finch-Etobicoke Line,
which can serve many passengers living north of Finch. This line
would start at Moningside and Finch, and run up the CP track to the
Hydro corridor. From there, it's a beeline under the lines all the
way to Weston Road, with the only bridges being to cross roads (and
there are very few crossings), the Don River, and some parks. At
Weston, it's southwest to the corner of Martin Grove and Eglinton,
then south to Kipling station. An extension along the CP Canpa sub
could take the line to Long Branch.
Another line, the Mid-Scarborough Line could start at Eglinton
Square, Eglinton and Victoria Park, and run northeast to Meadowvale
and Sheppard, serving the U of T in the process. If that's not
enough, the Warden Line runs north from Eglinton Square to the 401,
then back south to Lawrence East station. The Hwy 27 Line could run
from Marting Grove and Eglinton to Kleinburg, and serve Humber
College. Finally, the Lambton Line can run from Dupont, along the CP
line, then loosely follow Dundas St to Kipling.
Out in Mississauga, a line could Parallel Eglinton from the border
with Oakville to the Martin Grove Station, which, when a subway
along Eglinton is built, would become a major transit terminal.
Out of all these, the Finch-Etobicoke seems most likely to come to
life, as it's been on the TTC's books in one form of another for
years. The Finch East section is unlikely, as it's too close to
Sheppard. The Warden, and Lambton lines are unlikely, as
they literally through people's back yards. In order to reduce
noise, they would have to tunnel, which would defeat the whole
purpose of building on the hydro corridors. Still, it shows that
there are places where we can build transit without people
complaining about parking.
|
November 07 |
Heroism |
|
When I passed through Lawrence West on my way to Wilson to catch the
96, I knew something serious was being delt with by the police. I
had no idea it was something that would renew my faith in human
decency.
Friday afternoon, around 4, Rosalia De Santis leaned over the edge
of the southbound platform to see if a train was approaching, when
she fainted and fell onto the tracks. Theo Parusis and Alvaro Mjeia
jumped down onto the tracks and lifted the woman back onto the
platform seconds before the train entered the station, saving her
life. Police are recommending these men be honoured for their
bravery.
If you fall onto the tracks or see someone else fall onto the
tracks, do you know what to do? In the case of side platforms, DO
NOT try to go to the area between the tracks. In the case of a
single island platform, DO NOT try to go to the wall. You run the
risk of touching the electrified third rail. The best strategy is to
get under the platform's overhang. There is enough space for a
person to be safe from an incomming train. If you see someone fall
onto the tracks, use the power shutoff switch located at either end
of the platform. Look for the blue lights. Get help immediately,
either from the collector directly, or from the DWA intercom. If you
see anyone acting suspicious on the platform, call for assistance.
You may end up saving a life, just like these men did one fatefull
friday afternoon.
|
November 06 |
Late Night Service |
|
While travelling down Highway 7 at about 1:00, leaving the AMC in
Vaughan and heading back to Brampton, I noticed something on the
VIVAstations. The time for the next bus was blank. It didn't really
surprise me, as the buses have all ended their runs for the evening,
but it got me thinking about why I was driving at that hour.
Downtown Toronto has excellent night life. When the weekend comes
and the club gets packed, the only difference between day and night
is the colour of the sky - there are just as many people out at
night than out in the day. But, the transit doesn't really support
the nightlife. The subways start to go out of service at around
1:30, when alot of people I know are only heading out an hour
earlier. Of course, there are 300 Blue Night buses, but they run at
very low frequencies (329 DUFFERIN runs hourly, while the 29
DUFFERIN literally runs every 12 seconds all day). A missed
connection can result in a very long wait. In addition, there's the
issue of safety. Since it's a basic network, the walking distances
between the main streets can be very long. If you live near a major
road, there's no worry, but having to walk deep into a neighborhood
from the main roads at 3AM can cause many to opt to drive.
More service needs to be provided on the overnight routes.
Frequencies should be better than a half-hour or better on all blue
night routes, and on friday and saturday nights, the subway should
run later. While line maintenance is done overnight, these two days
of later service can help the city as a whole. It will increase
tourism, citizen safety, and reduce impaired driving, as people
won't have to drive home from the bars and clubs.
|
November 04 |
Transfers |
|
Up in 905 land, YRT, Mississauga Transit and Brampton Transit offer
time based transfers. The transfers are valid for 2 hours from the
time they are issued, making them essentially a 2 hour pass, good
for stopovers and backtracking. In 416 land, only the 512 St. Clair
offers time based transfers, likely as a peace offering during the
ROW fiasco. However, there is a certain catch.
Time based transfers on 512 are only available from the operator. If
you board at, say, St. Clair and Oakwood, you'll be given a 2-hour
transfer. However, the fare rules state that you can only get a
transfer where you pay your fare. This means that if you have to use
a bus or the subway to get to St. Clair Ave, you are technically
ineligible for the time-based transfer. Last time I rode the 512, I
boarded at St. Clair West station, and was not offered a transfer. I
didn't ask for one, because I already had one from Downsview
Station, so I can't say that I was denied one, but the literature
doesn't mention this technicality at all. There is definitly the
issue of lost revenue, but when you think about it, there can be a
balance between lost revenue and increased ridership that will
result in no change in total revenue for the route. I think the TTC
should clarify the policy on this pilot project, and offer transfers
to people when they board at the station, so they don't miss out. Of
course, these would only be the people who are shopping at PRO-ROW
stores...
The point is that time-based transfers can work. They can increase
ridership, and increase safety. Most operators know that debating
the validity of transfers with a passenger can often end very badly.
|
St. Clair West |
|
Canadian law is a funny thing. If a judge in a trial shows what
appears to be bias for one particular side, the other side has the
right to move that the judge be removed and a new one appointed. The
funny part is that the judge in question gets to decide if they are
biased, effectively getting the judge to decide if they are doing
their job properly. Most people would answer yes without question.
Yesterday, the three judge panel ruled on the bias issue. Two
judges, Madam Justice Susan Greer and Madam Justice Ellen Macdonald
said that while they didn't believe that Justice Ted Matlow was
biased, they felt that his actions created an appearance of bias,
and overturned the decision, and agreed to step aside. Justice
Matlow dissented, but that's no surprise. As it stands now, the case
will be refered to another panel, and will be heard again, unless
SOS wins an appeal that sets aside this decision.
Canadian law is a funny thing.
For more info on this fiasco, check
back here.
In other news, the transferable metropasses are so popular that the
commision actually sold out on Sunday, which was before November
even began. Revenue will go up, without a doubt, but it will be
intesting to see how ridership is affected. As they say, "It's A New
Day On The TTC!"
|
November 03 |
Definitly should have used Linux |
|
Aparently, the GO Transit departure board has encountered an error,
and must close. Perhaps GO should send an error report in to
Microsoft. Perhaps there is a fix available, or perhaps it will just
say that it's an unknown error with unknown solution, and that they
should blindly upgrade to service pack 2 and submit to the ultimate
power that is Windows. But then again, I use XP, so I guess i
shouldn't poke fun.
|
October 31 |
Pet Strollers |
| This is taking what I was talking about earlier way, way too far. |
Baby Strollers |
|
When babies and toddlers are out on the move, they usually ride in
one or two ways. The first way is either strapped to the parent's
back or stomach, which is always an interesting sight. The second
way they travel is in a baby stroller. When I was young, this was
how myself and my younger brother travelled. Back in the mid-to-late
eighties, baby strollers were small. Judging from pictures in family
photo albums, mine folded up to be the size of a large golf
umbrella. Today, the average size of strollers has increased to the
point where they are no longer just used for a nice stroll. These
new monsters are "Integrated Child Transportation System." Some are
so large that I call them "Urban Infant Assault Vehicles." Perhaps
that is an exageration, but my point is the same.
A while back, there was a case where a TTC operator refused to allow
a woman to board a crowded bus with a rather large stroller. The TTC
ended up with egg on it's face, but I don't think we should
necessarily condemn them as being insensitive to mothers and
children. A large stroller can take up enough space to exclude as
many as three passengers, and it poses a danger. If the driver were
to take an evasive action to avoid a collision, standing passengers
would be able to lean against other standees. This prevents people
from falling onto the floor. When a person falls next to a stroller,
there is a chance that they could fall onto the child, causing
serious injury.
According to TTC
By-Law #1, section 17, large objects are not allowed on TTC
vehicles when they are heavily loaded or during rush hour. The rules
doesn't say anything about strollers specifically, which is why
there is so much conflict over this. I can't find any official
policy, and I'll keep looking. In the mean time, I hope that parents
with children are sensible about taking strollers onto the TTC. I
hope that they try to buy stollers which are smaller and more
transit friendly, or try the stomach carriers. Your baby might not
thank you, but the last person to board the bus in the dead of
winter will definitly thank you.
|
October 30 |
Ikea |
|
I've always said that shopping at Ikea was an experience, and now I
know for sure. Ikea is now running shuttle buses from the subway to
their North York and Queensway stores. The free service is geared to
condo dwellers who may not necessarily have a car, but don't want to
miss out on the Ikea experience.
There are three routes operating. The Kipling route runs from the
south parking lot of Kipling station, and goes to the Etobicoke
store at Queensway and Kipling. The buses run every half hour, from
an hour before opening to an hour after closing. The Leslie route
runs from the kiss-and-ride loop of Leslie station, and goes to the
North York Store at 15 Provost Dr, about midway between Leslie and
Bessarion. This route runs from opening to one hour after closing,
but the website doesn't list frequency. The third and final route is
the Queens Quay route, which operates from 230 Queens Quay West (at
Lower Simcoe) to the Queensway store. The route operates Saturday
and Sunday from 10:10 AM to 5:10 PM. Again, frequency isn't listed.
This service, is an excellent move by the company, and even though
these routes parallel high-frequency TTC routes, they will allow
riders to carry large objects with them. Try doing that 44 KIPLING
SOUTH.
|
October 29 |
Fares and Passes |
|
In the GTA, there is a rather large number of different fares and
passes, all with different rules and requirements. Single rides
range from $2.00 to $2.50, with packs of tickets at discount prices.
There are numerous monthly and weekly passes, different student
fares and requirments for proof of age, and even different charges
for transferring between services. In short, it is a confusing mess
of different fares, and leads to two discouragements. First, the
extra fare needed to transfer between the TTC and the suburban
services discourages passengers from taking transit into the city.
Second, the fact that the TTC has no GO fare integration for people
who live outside the city (TTC Times Two allows riders who use the
TTC before AND after GO to use the transfer from the first ride to
board the second ride. However, I've heard that many drivers don't
know about this, and refuse to accept transfers) discourages people
who work uptown from taking the GO train into the city.
In order to promote harmony, I propose the formation of a single
transit authority linking the systems of Hamilton, Burlington,
Oakville, Mississauga, Brampton, York Region, Durham Region (which
will link up come new year), the TTC and GO. This will promote an
inter-regional focus, and improve local transit connections between
the systems, especially along the Toronto-Pickering border. However,
each system will keep its own identity, particularly due to the fact
that the TTC and the Hamilton Street Railway have history
too storied to become lost. The unified system will operate as a
zone system with three zones. Zone 1 will be the TTC, Zone 2 the
suburban systems, and Zone 3 will be GO Transit, which will keep its
current fare structure. Once the Greater Toronto Transportation
Authority is setup, the fares and passes will be as such:
CASH FARE
TICKETS AND PASSES
GO Transit passes will remain the same, and will continue on a fare by distance system. Unlike today's system, the Zone +1 fare will not be full fare. I think $1.00 is a fair fare for this fare, as it balances the need for a fare between zones, and the need to promote inter-regional transit. However, I'm unsure if YRT's zone boundary will remain. I'm leaning towards no, as traffic comming down the 404 is often insanity. In all Zones, time-based transfers will be offered, valid for 2 hours from the time of purchase. Finally, for the systems with do not connect with the GTA systems, such as Milton Transit, Guelph Transit, and hopefully one day, Grand River Transit, the Zone +3 cash fares will be accepted. While I don't think I've reduced the number of tickets and passes, I've at least streamlined the price and made them valid everywhere. Hopefully, when the GTA Fare Card the province is working on comes into play, it will integrate the many services in a simillar way. |
October 27 |
Global News Special |
|
All week, NewsTalk 1010 CFRB, Global News and the National Post have
been running stories on the Pulse Of Toronto series of polls that
they recently commissioned. Today, Global ran a series of stories on
the TTC, and addressed many of the shortcomming of the system, and
what can be done to improve public transit in Toronto.
The first story was about falling ridership. According to the Ipsos-Reid
poll, only 14% of Torontonians take the TTC every day, and that is
down from 28% in 1999. I am curious to know what "every day" means.
It could mean 7 days a week, or it could mean every weekday. Maybe
I'm cynical, but the wording of the question can skew the results.
The story spoke about several people who didn't take the TTC for
various reasons. The first was a fellow Ryerson student who drove
downtown, claiming that taking transit would take her two hours from
the border between Mississauga and Etobicoke. Perhaps she should
consider GO transit, as the run from Long Branch, Dixie or Etobicoke
North GO stations is all around 20 minutes. A 20 minute walk from
Union to Yonge and Dundas completes the trip in less than an hour.
And Ryerson participates in the GO student fare program, so I don't
see any validity to her arguments. Even if she did take the TTC, it
is about a 20 minute run to Kipling or Islington, and if she truly
is on the border, a 40 minute maximum connecting bus ride. Another
woman complained about cleanliness, another about distance to the
stop, and another gentleman needed his car to visit clients. While
we likely cannot help the man, we can clean up the place and
encourage people to be less of pigs, and we can improve transit in
the suburban areas, running buses into neighborhoods to bring people
closer to their doors, and rapid transit to move people quickly
along the major routes.
According to the poll, 63% said they would use the service if it was
expanded. This was a clever segway into the Sheppard subway, which
is underused. It is underused because it is incomplete. Once it is
completed and runs out to Scarborough Town Centre, people living
north of Sheppard will likely use it to transfer to other lines for
a quicker trip downtown, instead of riding the buses south all the
way to the Bloor Danforth line. When that time comes, I'm certain
that we'll wonder what we ever did without the Sheppard Subway.
On a final note, the TTC released their own numbers saying that
ridership actually went up 3% over 2004, and up 9% over 1999. This
leads me to believe that the wording of the question will shape the
answer.
Special thanks to my good friend
Lindzi for the heads up on the Global Special. And special
thanks to Grandma for learning how to work the VCR when I forget to
tape stuff.
|
|
|
A Really Long List |
|
While sufing Transit Toronto, I came across this page
here,
which is just what I have been looking for. It is a list of when PCC
streetcars were first used on each of the streetcar routes, but more
importantly, it is a list of historical streetcar route. Toronto has
a long history with streetcars, and I believe that they can rise
again, and replace buses on many of the downtown routes. This might
anger and frustrate some people who dislike them, but it could do
for Toronto what the cable cars do for San Francisco.
|
Service Improvements |
|
Usually, Halloween only comes with candy. This year, it comes with
service improvements.
On the Stouffville line, trains will be adjusted to run closer to
the rush hour, which is good for all. The train that arrived at
Union at 9:25 will now arrive at 8:50, and the train that leaves
Union at 6:30 will now leave at 6:00. A trickle-down effect will
benefit Georgetown line passengers, as the 6:45 departure to
Bramalea cannot board until the 6:30 to Mount Joy departs. In
addition, those two departures, which only went as far as Mount Joy,
will be extended to Stouffville.
Over on the Bradford line, a new morning train will depart Bradford
at 6:32, and arrive at 7:45. An new afternoon run will leave Union
at 4:10, and arrive Bradford at 5:28. All the other departures are
being adjusted. While these changes can often throw a routine out of
wack (knowing when to wake up in order to leave at the right time in
order to make the train with minimal waiting is a fine art), I would
gladly take five minutes to reschedule my mornings in the name of
progress.
|
October 25 |
GO Trains Near And Far |
|
An idea is being floated around in the Windsor area, according to
the Windsor Star. Traffic congestion on the roads leading into the
city from the suburbs is causing all sorts of headaches, and the
establishment of a GO train service has been suggested. While GO
only runs in the GTA, they are a provincial crown corporation, and
have the mandate to serve anywhere in Ontario where there is demand.
Under the suggested plan, trains would depart Amhurstburg and run
north along the Essex Terminal Railway into the city. Another
possible route could run westward and bring in commuters from
Chatham. In addition, there are numerous abandonned railways in the
area, that could, if rebuilt, bring passengers in from as far away
as Leamington and Kingsville. If you don't know where any of these
places are, download Google Earth. My mom went through a "day-trip
phase" a few years ago, and I've had the pleasure of enjoying alot
of southern Ontario.
There are other cities in Ontario which could see some sort of GO
service. This is by no means a complete list, but merely a
suggestion:
The restoration of VIA Rail service to the glory days would cover communities now isolated. Combine that with the restoration of abandonned railway lines and you will soon find an Ontario that is far less dependent on automobiles. |
October 24 |
The New Light |
|
Just as promised, I went to the Bombardier LRV display outside of
the Hummingbird Centre. I must say that I'm impressed at what I saw.
The LRV is a 70% low floor design, with cabs at both ends, and has
proven itself on the streets of Minneapolis. There are wheelchair
spots, and, which I found very interesting, spaces to mount
bicycles. Like the VIVA Van Hools, the seats face backwards and
frontwards. According to the website, the FLEXITY Swift is 94 feet
long, almost 9 feet wide, and can do 88.5 km/h. It can seat 66
passengers with 180 standees. In total, that's 246, compared to an
ALRV's crush load of 205. The minimum curve radius is 36 feet, which
is the same as an ALRV. This means the can handle Toronto
intersections. Overall, they are a very attractive vehicle. They are
very sleek, and unlike anything that runs in Toronto currently, but
they do have their disadvantages.
The LRVs have centre doors, and the operator's cab is nowhere near
the doors. This means that for fare control, they will either need
mini-stations, or on-board collectors. In addition, they have doors
on either side of the car and cabs at both ends. In Toronto's
loop-based streetcar system, half of the doors would go unused, as
boarding would always be on the right hand side. The loops
would leave the trailing cab unused as well.
While the design would definitly have to be refined before it could
be used in Toronto, I must point out that these cars could be used
as is if the loading platforms on 509 HARBOURFRONT, 510 SPADINA, and
the future loading platforms on 512 ST CLAIR are upgraded to
mini-stations. It's easier (and cheaper) to simply not use a set of
doors and cab than it is to redesign a vehicle. Never-the-less, it's
good to know that companies have not abandonned the idea of
producing light rail and street railway technology.
More info on Minneapolis' Hiawatha Line can be found
here.
More info on the LRV can be found on
Bombardier's website.
Feel free to enjoy some of the picture I took, which were taken with
my Zire 72. I also got a brochure, but due to it's glossy finish, it
doesn't scan well.
|
Bombardier on Display |
|
Today, Monday October 24, between Noon and 5 PM, bombardier will be
displaying the latest in light rail technology at the Hummingbird
Centre, Yonge and Front. Could this be the next generation streetcar
for Toronto? Perhaps. Luckily, I'm out of class between 3 and 4, and
will definitly be down to check out the exhibit. I hope to post
pictures later this evening.
|
October 22 |
What The Hype Is All About |
|
The plan for friday afternoon was to head up to York University to
spend quality time with Jennifer, who I missed terribly. I could
have easily taken the 196 from Downsview, but it was a unique
opportunity to test VIVA for myself.
My journey began at Finch Regional Bus Terminal, where I purchased
my ticket from the Ticket Vending Machine. The interface was very
simple, so it should be easy for everyone to use. I think that only
those who have never seen a computer in their lives will have
trouble. Unlike paying a fare on board, the TVMs accept credit,
debit, bank notes and coins, and return change. At terminals, you
can purchase single rides and passes, and at on-street stops, single
ride tickets are for sale.
Moving outside to the platform, the TVM displayed a countdown timer
in minutes to when the next two buses will arive. When the timer
reaches zero, it lists the time as "due". While this doesn't tell
you how far behind schedule the bus is, it does take the guesswork
out of the scheduling. It's easy to see if the bus has or has not
arrived yet. Once the bus does arrive, the timer clears and the next
bus is displayed. At Finch, the 2:00 VIVA blue arrived right on
schedule.
The bus, which was a Van Hool AG300 articulated, arrived on time and
opened all doors, boarding and letting off passengers at the same
time. This is the first thing you notice. Since Finch Terminal is
not a fare-paid area, no other buses board through the rear doors.
The second thing that you notice is that the Van Hools do not have
fareboxes, and passengers must purchase tickets before boarding.
Fare enforcement is done by random inspection. Next, notice the
uniforms of the operators. It has a very futuristic "starship
captain" look, and fits nicely with the futuristic look of the bus.
Next, notice the unique seating. The seats are very soft and
compfortable, on par with GO highway coach seats. Half the seats are
rear-facing. Studies have shown that this is better for both space
use and reducing injuries in frontal impact collisions. However,
forward facing seats allow passengers to look ahead and see their
stop. The automatic stop announcements take car of this problem.
Finally, the laptop tables and bum-rests in the articulated joint
round out the unique seating. The only complaint I have is that
there is little room for standees. The 40 foot Van Hool A330 have
much more room for standees.
The ride up Yonge was quick and smooth, even keeping ahead of all
but the most agressive drivers. Articulated buses tend to have the
trailer bounce around a fair bit, as it is balancing on a single
axle, but this was minimal. All doors open at the stops, but stop
request buttons still have to be used. There are no pull cords, so
access to the stop button for passengers sitting in the window seat
might find it difficult. At Richmond Hill Centre, I transfered to
VIVA Purple for the ride to York U using the same ticket, as a
YRT/VIVA ticket is essentially a two hour pass for both systems. The
VIVA tickets simply becomes a YRT transfer and vice-versa. The VIVA
Purple bus was running about 5 minutes late, combined with
difficulty making left turns at busy intersections made for a long
ride, but I did notice something good. At a stop, a woman was having
difficulty with the TVM. Rather than leave her, the driver waited
for her to purchase her ticket, where another driver would have left
her.
All in all, my first impressions with VIVA were excellent. Its
speed, comfort and style are something all transit providers should
consider. While rail-based rapid transit moves the highest volume of
passengers, BRT is a flexable, low-cost alternative. And when it
comes to sitting down for a long ride, I would take the blue VIVA
seats over a regular city bus' seats anyday.
|
October 19 |
Old Meets New |
|
Today, I came across something very interesting.
As I was about to board the subway, I took a look at my token and
noticed that it was very different than other tokens I've seen. It
came from a machine at Union Station, so it's unlikely that it's
counterfeit (although I have heard stories of collectors selling
counterfeit tickets), but I decided to do some research on this
mystery token. On the left is the back and front image of the
mystery token, and on the right is your standard coin. It turns out
that the mystery token has been around the block a few times. It is
an old design, but I cannot figure out when they switched designs.
The fact that a old token can look this good today is proof that
tokens are better than paper tickets. They are fully reuseable, and
do not have to be changed when the fare changes. They work in
automatic entrances, and, as this token proves, last forever.
|
The Plot Thickens... |
| Both CFRB and the Star are
reporting that the city has filed an appeal in the St. Clair West case
on the grounds of judicial bias. The Star reports that the president of
the three-judge panel was once involved in an "an action against the
city concerning a local land use planning activity."
According to the city, this amounts to a reasonable amount of bias. They have a point. If you're upset enough to launch legal action against someone, they there is the possibility you have a grudge against them. But, on the other hand, I have faith in the legal system that our judges are not going around judging based on emotions. If the appeal is accepted and the decision struck down, then it will likely be heard by a different panel. But for now, it's clear that this debate isn't going away. |
Scarborough RT |
| The Scarborough RT was in the news today, with city councillors calling on residents along the line to support a plan to replace the line with an extension of the Bloor-Danforth subway. They estimate that the ridership would be 80,000 people daily once the Sheppard subway is finished, and point out that this is more than the 50,000 projected for the Spadina subway extension to York University. If this projected ridership is correct, then a full subway is the best plan to handle the passengers. However, a cheaper solution would be to convert retired streetcars into RT cars, which was done successfully in Chicago. For more info on some of the other options, check my entry from August 2005. |
October 17 |
A Call For Calm |
|
Often, when we are drunken with rage, we only see the light the next
morning. And that light is often accompanied by a hangover. Perhaps
transit enthusiasts were drunken with rage last week. It is often
frustrating to see what appears to be progress be stalled, but a
stall is only for a short time. I'm confident that the ROW will be
built, and I believe that it should be, and must be built in order
to form a better city. I hereby agree to stop the mudslinging, and
heed the call for calm. Besides, there are hundreds of other issues
left to rant about.
|
October 16 |
Tragedy on the TTC |
|
Last night, at approximately 11:20 PM in the east end, a TTC bus
driver was shot when a group of young men boarded the bus to escape
a fight and gunfire. The driver, 41, who is aparently a father of
four, is in critical but stable condition at Sunnybrook. This is the
first time a TTC operator has been shot while on duty.
Toronto is a safe city, and the transit system is very safe, but
there is a difference between the actual threat of violence and the
perception of violence in our city. Citizens should not only be free
of violent crime (which we generally are), but also should be free
of the fear of violent crime (which we generally are not).
I believe that we need to install more cameras on board buses, and
in public places in general. They work in Europe, and might serve as
a deterrent to ciminals, allowing the citizens to take back the
streets. While they may not have prevented the tragedy of Saturday
night, it would have identified the men who ran onto the bus, who
can likely lead police back to the shooter.
|
October 15 |
The St. Clair Corridor |
|
I've been thinking about St. Clair a fair bit lately, as you can
tell from my previous entry. This got me thinking about the street
as a whole, and what I would like to see in an ideal transit world.
Here's what I came up with.
Starting from the future Mt Pleasant station on the Eglinton line,
the 74 MT PLEASANT bus route is converted to streetcar. While this
route doesn't operate at very high frequencies, it has a historical
connection with the streetcar, and is far enough away from the
subway to justify higher order transit. This route would run down Mt
Pleasant, to St. Clair, and into the station. Service on Pleasant
Blvd would have to be eliminated, but the 88 SOUTH LEASIDE would
remain, and even offers more frequent service.
Going westbound from St. Clair station, the streetcars would run
along a private right-of-way. However, my right-of-way ideas would
make opponents of the current plan shiver. On St. Clair, I would
like to see ticket vending machines selling two-hour passes,
all-door boarding, and fare inspectors doing random inspections.
This might be very difficult, as the line enters into subway
stations, giving fare cheats access to the entire network. Some
creative solutions would have to be used, perhaps even including
two-crew operation (board front and rear door, exit middle, etc.).
Hopefully the next generation streetcars will have provisions for
this.
The streetcars will run on the ROW into St. Clair West Station, and
connect with the Bathurst streetcar, which has been extended
northbound to St. Clair West Station (the 7 BATHURST bus) would run
express south of St. Clair at all times. It would continue west, and
would run past the many short turn loops and the rebuilt Wychwood
Carhouse, which would be needed to store the streetcars. At Gunns
Loop, west of Keele, the ROW would end at Old Stockyards station
(Keele Centre station could be an alternate name), a station on a
western-end extention of the Downtown Relief Line subway. From
there, it would continue west, but along the road normally. Just
west of Runnymede, past the Wal-Mart, is a vacant lot. It's only a
matter of time before it's developed into condominiums, which will
need to be served. Currently, the only thing stopping development is
the fact that it backs onto CP's Lambton Yard, but a soundproofing
solution will come eventually.
At either Jane St, or the next street, Scarlett Road, the line will
turn south and cross under the CPR Galt Sub, and run into a loop
shared with the Junction streetcar. The TTC has long considered
returning the 40 JUNCTION bus to streetcar, with possible extentions
past Runnymede to Jane. This area is currently being redeveloped,
but I believe that the distance from the subway and the rail yard
are two factors in the speed of the redevelopment. However,
improving transit to the area might help.
My plan is very ambitious, and with the currently political climate
along St. Clair, likely impossible. However, it will improve the
transit along this corridor, and help in the redevelopment of the
old stockyards district, and also bring a new concept of transit to
St. Clair, which will hopefully be better received. I would like to
thank James Bow at Transit
Toronto for inspiration on this. Check out
his post about 510 SPADINA to read more.
|
October 11 |
St. Clair Ave West |
|
Today was a sad day in public transit. A court ruled that the
plan to put streetcars on a private right-of-way along St. Clair
Ave West was in fact illegal, due to a technicality. This is a
sad day, as the argument surrounds a name. According to the
opposition, who mainly consist of business owners along St.
Clair West, the plan amounts to creating a rapid transit line,
which requires the city's official plan to be amended. The city
believes (and I believe too) that the plan is only a service
improvement, and that the term "rapid transit" is only being
used as a marketing term. The city has 15 days to appeal the
ruling, but in the mean time, I have this to say:
Without this plan, gridlock along this stretch of road will only
increase. Ironically, this gridlock will end up hurting the
street, and will contribute to the economic downfall of an
entire avenue.
To those who oppose this plan, be warned: You have now become
the architects of your own demise.
|
| Should Have Used Linux... |
|
While at Union this afternoon, I snapped this picture of the display
board. If you can't see (and you probably can't, cuz it's a camera
phone), the image on the display board is the windows startup
options screen, where you can select to start in safe mode, among
other things. This screen is usually only automatically displayed
after a sever windows crash. Just another one of the many things you
can do on a computer powered by Windows...
|
October 07 |
Downtown Express |
|
One of the TTC routes which I see often are the downtown express
route. Numbered in the 140 series, the four downtown routes are
throwbacks to the tripper service in the pre-subway days. Tripper
routes were streetcars that operated downtown, looping in the
downtown core. For example, the Danforth Tripper offered service
from Luttrell Loop (near Victoria Park) direct downtown. There are
four downtown express routes, Downtown/Mt. Pleasant Express,
Downtown/Beach Express, Downtown/Avenue road express, and
Downtown/Don Valley Parkway Express. Each route offers a schedule
that's competitive with the subway, but it cost double fare to ride
the route. This works well for businesspeople working deep in the
financial district, but for the average commuter, It's speed and
smaller crowds aren't worth the money. Recently, I've been thinking
of ways it can be improved (though the double fare allows it to run
with less ridership). Here's what I came up with:
While many say that you shouldn't fix something that isn't broken, encouraging more passengers to use this premium service can divert passengers from the subway, which is already running very close to capacity in the rush hours. |
September 30 |
Early Afternoon Georgetown Service |
|
Today, for the first time, I rode the 2:00 bus from Union to
Brampton Terminal. I usually head up to York Mills and catch the
local, but for reasons unknown, I decided to stay downtown. My
experience with this bus was not pleasant. Luckily, I was able to
get to a seat (thanks to Monica), but the bus was filled to
capacity, with all seats and the aisle full. The second bus, which
served Malton GO, Bramalea GO and Bramalea City Centre was possibly
even worse.
In my opinion, there is definitly a market for train service to at
least Bramalea between 1:00 (the last midday departure from Union)
and 3:15 (the first afternoon departure from Union), but there are
many technical problems for this. First of all, the round trip time
between union and brampton is approximately one hour and fifteen
minutes, including a fifteen minute layover at Bramalea. Since the
Weston Sub is only single track for most of the line, this would
mean that each departure would have to be separated by at least 90
minutes, or some trains would only be able to run one-way. The one
way also creates problems, as the overnight storage at Georgetown is
full (though a new layover facility is on the way).
In the end, more train service on the Georgetown corridor will only
be possible when the line is double tracked. Once that happens,
hourly service will be possible to Bramalea. Beyond Bramalea, the
line (CN Halton subdivision) is also single track in places, but
more importantly, is the fourth busiest freight corridor in the
country. It will likely have to be triple-tracked in order to handle
more passenger trains. Triple-tracking, let alone double-tracking
will be difficult, as the line between Brampton GO station and
Bramalea GO station runs in a very narrow right of way.
I'm not saying that it will never happen. Expect to see things
happen in this order:
1) Mount Pleasant layover facility completed (more trains can be
stored overnight)
2) West Toronto grade separation completed (no need to wait for CP
trains at the diamond)
3) More rush hour departures
4) Weston sub double tracked (not likely until the Union-Pearson
rail link is under construction)
5) Halton sub double tracked (distant future)
Until that time, all I can suggest is this:
Add a third bus to the 2:00 run!
|
September 27 |
Pondering The Rider's Bottom Line |
|
An article appeared in the Star a week ago, cleverly reminding us
that we're fat, and due to our fatness, the next order of subway
cars (likely Bombardier T2) might have to have larger seats. Maybe
the reason why we're fat is because eveyone drives everywhere
instead of taking transit and walking, but that's just my opinion.
Let me be cynical for a minute. Increasing the seat size will give
riders a psychological nod to unhealthy lifestyles, by saying "It's
okay that you eat fast food three times a day, drive to and from the
corner store, and don't exercise - we'll change to accomodate you."
This will all aid in the fast food conspiracy, which we've known is
only interested in (ironically) the bottom line, and not in the
health and well-being of their customers.
But I digress.
There are two simple solutions here. The first is to keep the seats
the same size. I'm not trying to knock on people who are large
beyond their control, but if you cant fit in the seat, then you
might have to stand. If you can't stand for the duration of the
subway ride, then it might be a sign that one should modify their
lifestyle. The other solution is to go back to the bench seats of
the past. In my opinon, the bench seats on the H4 trains (commonly
found on the Bloor-Danforth line) and the 2600 series buses are very
compfortable, and allow for people to get as much room as they need.
Full disclosure:
I'm not in shape, so don't take this as me bashing those who aren't
in shape.
|
September 22 |
GO Transit eNews |
|
Today was my first real experience with GO Transit's eNews system.
When you sign up for the service, you can select the routes you use,
so you don't have to deal with information that you don't need. I've
set it up to deliver the information to my hotmail account, and
setup hotmail to deliver text messages to my cell whenever there's a
delay, allowing me to stay on top of anything that happens on the
Georgetown corridor. Today, due to the rain, there was a general
delay of 15 minutes for buses. Because of this, I expected to
receive 2 emails from GO. Since the service only lets you pick three
routes, and Georgetown corridor has six routes, I had to sign up
twice. However, I got slightly more than two emails. I got 16.
I would like to know why it's necessary for the server to send me
one email every two minutes for about a half hour. I think it would
be more efficient (and less enraging) if they sent an email talking
about the problem, and only emailed again with updates. But then
again, it's a new system, and with all new systems, bugs have to be
worked out.
|
September 19 |
Always Have A Backup Plan |
| When I arrived at Union Station
today to catch the 6:45 to Bramalea, I noticed right away that something
was up. The extra-large crowd of people standing around is usually a
sign that something was up. The display boards confirmed this, and a
quick call to a very pretty lady with computer access informed me of the
total signal failure on the CN network. Instead of waiting around for
what could have been hours for the train to depart, I decided to put my
backup plan into action. I got on the subway and took it to Yorkdale,
where I caught the 427 Express bus to Bramalea and Steeles, near to
Bramalea GO station. Highways 401 and 427 were clear sailing, clearer
than I've ever seen it, and while the bus was fairly crowded, we made
great time, arriving on schedule at 7:33, about ten minutes later than
the train was scheduled to arrive. While it was a long walk from the
farside of the intersection to the south lot where I parked, it proved
that one delay on the system is not enough to stall a commuter with a
backup plan.
If the GO train system were to go down, there are many bus services running. If there are no departures from Union GO bus terminal, you could try Yorkdale, York Mills, Scarborough Town Centre, Finch Terminal, or even York University. Some might take more time than the train, but when the train delay is long, it might be worth a shot. If the subway goes down and the TTC has setup shuttle buses, the lines will definitly be long. In order to avoid the lines, you can try parallel routes. For the Bloor Danforth line, you can try the Queen and Kingston Road services, or even go as far north as Eglinton to go crosstown. For the north south lines, Bathurst and Don Mills are fairly close, and run the entire length of the subway.
As I always say, always carry a trump card. Even when the delay boards light up, it doesn't mean a smart commuter will have to sit around and wait endlessly. |
September 13 |
Film Festival Time Again |
|
It's that time of year again... Time for the Toronto International
Film Festival. It's the time of year when Hollywood stars descend
upon Hollywood north for gala movie premieres, or, as I sometimes
feel, bend local laws and displace tax-paying GTA residents. Maybe
I'm cynical, but I did get an idea. Why don't be give all the movie
stars a Metropass? I have a friend who hates taking transit, but
loves Orlando Bloom. We might be able to convert her if her beloved
Legolas took the subway. What better way to promote transit than
getting famous people to ride it. It may not be a stretch Navigator,
but it will definitly make it seem like they care about the future
of the environment, and will help them get in touch with their fans.
|
September 08 |
Accelerride |
|
Brampton Transit will likely be the next authority to jump into
higher order transit, as it's planning to get it's Acceleride plan
off the ground. Simillar to VIVA, Acceleride is a bus rapid transit
system that uses high-capacity vehicle lanes and traffic signal
priority to keep the buses one step ahead of cars. Like VIVA, it
will use special station to keep passengers informed of the service
status, but unlike VIVA, it will use regular buses to keep costs
down. Brampton Transit already has a large fleet of New Flyer
low-floor models, and the Nova low-floors will be arriving next
year, so accessibility is not a problem.
Acceleride plan is to have two lines. The east-west line is the BY
line (Brampton - York) which will run from the Downtown Terminal
(Brampton GO Station, for those not familliar with the area) to York
Region, connecting with Finch Subway. This will improve route 1A
QUEEN, 77 HIGHWAY 7 (a joint BT-YRT route) and route 8 CENTRE. The
north-south line is the Main line, which will connect the terminal
with Mississauga along Hurontario, improving route 2 MAIN and route
52 SHERIDAN.
I applaud Brampton for pushing this project forward, but we cannot
stop there. To encourage transit, these two BRT lines should be
expanded. First of all, the BY line has be be extended westward from
the downtown terminal to the edge of development in Brampton, which
is currently at Chinguacousy Rd. This will encourage further public
transit growth in the new developments, which are currently
underserved. An expanded BY line will serve the Downtown Terminal,
Bramalea City Centre and connect with the western terminus of the
VIVA service, possibly even interlining with it for seamless travel
to York University, Downsview Subway and Finch Subway. On the Main
line, the improved transit needs to start as far north as Heart Lake
terminal, and then travel south, interlining with Mississauga
Transit's route 19. This would serve the major destinations along
Hurontario, including a new bus station at the 407 and Hurontario.
With traffic in Brampton the way it is now, a secondary bus rapid
transit line along Bovaird Dr will serve more passengers in the new
area, which I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before.
|
September 07 |
You Can't Make This Stuff Up |
|
I came across this story on the Canadian Public Transportation
Discussion Board:
In the early afternoon on Monday, TTC bus number 7609, a fairly-new
Orion VII model, broke down near Yonge and Finch. The driver called
it in, and left the bus. Several hours later, around 4:30, the
towing company arrived, but found no bus. They contacted the TTC,
who couldn't find the bus either. The only thing left at the scene
was some debris and a knocked over street light. At that time, the
TTC contacted the police, and sent a message to all drivers to be on
the lookout for the missing bus.
Around the dinner-time hour, a resident in the Don Mills and Steeles
area noticed a badly damaged bus in a school parking lot, and called
police. They are still investigating. If you happen to know who took
7609 on a joy-ride, contact Toronto Police or Crimestoppers at (416)
222-8477 [222-TIPS].
I have several question:
How can someone steal a 40 foot bus from one of the busiest
intersections in the city without anybody seeing anything?
How can someone steal a bus, period?
|
|
|
September 05 |
St. Catherines Transit |
|
After moving my brother into Brock University in St. Catherines, we
stopped at the McDonalds just off campus. That's where I snapped
this picture of St. Catherines Transit New Flyer D40LF number 99.
Until now, I've always seen drivers stopping on the street in order
to run into restaurants, but I've never seen a driver actually pull
the bus into the parking lot. After comming back, he went into
service on route 21, and drove off. The quality is low because it
was taken with a Palm Zire 72 PDA, which only has a 1.2 megapixel
camera.
|
September 04 |
A Transit Filled Day |
|
I was downtown last wednesday, trying to get all the school-related
things done early so I wouldn't have to stand in 3 hour lines during
first week. It was a very productive day, and a day filled with
Transit.
The day began at Bramalea GO station, where the south parking lot
was nearly empty, allowing me to park close to the platform. While
people are encouraged to take local transit to get to GO stations,
commuter parking allows people who still need the flexibility of
cars to make the bulk of their trip by transit. And to make a
comment on a letter I saw in the paper a while back, you're foolish
to think that GO can be held responsible if your car gets broken
into, seeing as you're parking for free.
After Union, myself and my lovely lady, Jennifer walked to Ryerson
via the PATH system. Walking is just as healthy as taking transit,
and since I wasn't really in a hurry, was the proper thing to do.
After Ryerson, we walked up to College looking for a restaurant that
wasn't there anymore, then got on the subway. With a system-wide
time-based transfer, which is a wonderful idea to boost ridership, I
likely would have used the subway to get from Union to Dundas, from
Dundas to College, and from College to our next destination,
Davisville.
After a quick ride on a 7500 series bus on 11 BAYVIEW, we got off at
Davisville and Mout Pleasant and went into George's Trains, possibly
Canada's leader model train store. On the bus ride, however, we
weren't lucky enough to get a bus equipped with GPS and automatic
stop announcements.
Backtracking on the BAYVIEW, we rode to Finch, where we saw the two
Gateway Newsstands, separated by about 40 feet, selling the same
products. At Finch, it was an unsually short ride on the 60 Steeles
to York University, where Jenn had to buy some course books. As the
7200 series Nova RTS was pulling into the Commons Loop, a VIVA Van
Hool was pulling out, probably on a test run. Come October 16, when
the extention between Martin Grove and Downsview opens, I'll be on
it. When it came time to leave York, we saw a rather long line for
the 196. A quick walk across campus solved that problem, catching
the 196B before it came to the Commons Loop, a strategy that not
many know about, but would definitly be helpful during the afternoon
rush. It was on the 196B that we encountered an operator that was
very helpful.
Many people say that bus drivers are cold and indifferent, and I
must admit, I've seen some who are downright rude. However, the
driver of that bus (the fleet number escapes me, but it was a 2800
series New Look), was very friendly and helpful. The bus was signed
Not In Service, so I asked what route he was running on. He told me
196B, but warned me that he was heading for a 10 minute layover at
the loop. He instructed us not to pay our fares yet, as the last bus
might still be at the stop. It wasn't, and we ended up staying on
the bus, but I was very impressed with his courtesy and kindness.
Jenn, who's not as into transit as I am (though she thankfully
understands my passion) had mentioned that she had never been on
anything east of Yonge, so we decided to kill time by taking the
tour of Scarborough. We rode the 196B to the end at Sheppard-Yonge,
toke the subway to Don Mills, and then took the 190 SCARBOROUGH
CENTRE ROCKET to Scarborough Town Centre. One day, this route will
fade into memories, when the Sheppard subway is finally complete.
From there, it was the RT to Kennedy and the Subway to Union via
Bloor-Yonge. Catching the last Bramalea-bound train, it capped off a
day of train to all corners of the city, and none of it was done by
car.
|
August 29 |
Rain, Snow, Sleet and Hail |
|
The fact that hurricane Katrina has been in the news lately got me
thinking about transit. If there was a major disaster, or the threat
of a major weather phenomenon, terrorist attack or extra-terrestrial
invasion, could transit be used to evacuate the city of Toronto? The
short answer is no, given the current state of Toronto's transit
system. The long answer is still no, as it would only be feasable to
evacuate the downtown core by using transit (by the TTC's standards,
the downtown core is south of Bloor, between Bathurst and the Don
Valley). Not without a serious increase in rapid transit contruction
to bring passengers into and out of town will we be able to not only
get around the city, let alone be able to effectively manage an
serious civil emmergency. Increasing GO service would be able to
assist, in addition to expanding capacity on the
Yonge-University-Spadina line, and constructing a downtown relief
line that parallels the Don Valley.
|
August 21 |
Scarborough RT |
|
There's alot of controversy over the Scarborough RT these days,
mainly surrounding what to do with it. The line is running at
capacity, but it doesn't serve a very big area. This line is so
busy, the TTC runs shuttle buses on a regular schedule to cope
with the crowding. However, expanding the fleet to cope with the
overcrowding is difficult, as the technology is no longer being
produced. To make matters worse, the current fleet is nearing
the end of it's lifespan. The time has come to completely
overhaul the line, and I have a few ideas I'd like to throw out.
First of all, this short line provides an opportuninty to serve
an area of the city that is very far from the current rapid
transit network. From the line's current terminus at McCowan
station, the next stop would be at Progress station, at Progress
and Bellamy, which would serve a dense area with many walk-in
passengers. The line would continue along Progress Ave, and make
a stop at Centennial College Station, just sourth of the
401,serving many passengers. Moving north, the next stop would
be Milner Station, at Progress and Milner, followed by Sheppard
East Station at Sheppard and Progress. Both stations would serve
primary residential areas. Sheppard East Station would be right
outside the Chinese Cultural Centre, and could be designed in
traditional Chinese style. The next stop would be Washburn
Station, at Sheppard and Washburn Way, serving another
residential area. Following Washburn northeast, the next stop
would be Malvern Town Centre, which would serve a major shopping
centre, and a large secondary school. The final push for the
line would be along the CP right-of-way to Morningside and
Finch, a new yard, and a station named Rouge Park to serve a
quickly developing area.
Now, everything I've proposed here depends on the ability to
find new vehicles for the line. With the ICTS Mark I cars
needing to be replaced or rebuilt within the next decade and the
fact that the current model, the Mark II cannot, operate on the
line leaves us with some difficult choices to make. Here are the
options:
A) Commission the design and construction of a new vehicle that
is able to operate on the current line. If the TTC wants to
upgrade the line to fully automatic control, this is the way to
go.
B) Modify the curve between Ellesmere and Midland Stations so
that the longer Mark II cars will be able to operate on the
line. This will allow for the TTC to purchase vehicles that have
proved themselves in Vancouver, but would put the line out of
service for several years.
C) Scrap the line and extend the Bloor-Danforth subway along the
old route. This could be an option if the projected ridership
will be very high, but would also waste everything put into the
line so far.
D) Remove the tracks and convert the line to BRT. Maybe it's
just me, but if you're going to have an elevated right-of-way,
doesn't it make sense to run the highest capacity vehicle
possible? Buses, while versitle, are not the highest capacity
vehicle. Also, each bus requires a driver, while a four-car RT
train only requires one.
E) Rebuild the retired CLRVs into RT cars. This solution worked
in Chicago, and I think it can work here in Toronto. Two
streetcars with new ICTS Mark II trucks and doors on both sides,
running back to back becomes a two-car RT train. Since the line
was originally designed for these streetcars, the tight curves
will not be a problem. Ideally, this is the prime solution, as
no modifications to the line are made, and very little goes to
waste.
|
|
|
August 15 |
Knowing Where To Look |
|
It's amazing how much you can learn from reading the tenders issued
by transit agencies. On both the TTC and GO Transit websites, they
list the currently available contracts open for bidding. Just by
browsing this section, you can take a peek at what's just over the
horizon. Here's a few examples from GO:
Oriole GO Station Building Rehabilitation
GO's planning to expand the existing station building at Oriole,
which isn't too significant, unless you consider that many people
were guessing that GO would abandon the location and move closer to
Sheppard Ave.
Consultant Assignment for the Don Railway Yard Reconstruction
A while back, GO purchased Don Yard from CN, who is gradually
abandonning the site near the mouth of the Don River. This yard will
allow more off-peak storage near Union, reducing the chance of
delays when trains cannot get to Union on time for the afternoon
rush.
Design Build of Hagerman Diamond Rail-to-Rail Grade Separation,
Stouffville Corridor
This will eliminate trains having to wait for freight trains at this
busy junction, allowing greater service on the Stouffville corridor.
And for some from the TTC:
Request For Information: Articulated City Bus Propulsion Systems
The TTC last saw articulated buses in the short-lived Orion-Ikarus
III models. The frames were built in Europe, and had to be retired
early because of abnormally high rusting. Some routes could benefit
from articulated buses, and there are four designs. Both Van Hool
and New Flyer have a tried tested and true model, while Nova and
Orion have models still in the design phase. Whatever the TTC
purchases, we can only hope it won't be as bad as the Orion IIIs.
|
August 03 |
What I've Been Up To |
|
It's been quite a while since I've last posted, but since I'm
working in Brampton this summer, I haven't been taking transit much.
I've been promoted to supervisor at the camp I work at, and as a
result, I have bags of paperwork and supplies to carry around, which
doesn't work very well on a bus, especially since it's a long walk
to the stop, followed by one transfer.
However, I have kept busy. I've been writing a report that I call
Network 2050. In the early 1980's, TTC planners wrote a report
called Network 2011, saying what could be accomplished by 2011 if
construction started right away. Only half of the Sheppard line has
come true. I'm being a little more realistic, and saying that by
2050, we can build subways along some key roads, convert some of the
long haul bus routes to alternative technology, and create a
GTA-wide transit authority with fare integration on all levels.
Knowing the political landscape around here, it's unlikely my plans
will be fully realized, but we can, and we must always dream.
|
June 21 |
Comedians on the bus? |
| On CFRB this afternoon, John Moore was discussing the need to add some excitement to the TTC. We have musicians in the subway, and many of them are actually very good (Bloor - Yonge, in my opinion, is a great spot for subway musicians), but do we need to add some more excitement to riding transit? A while ago, I asked a friend of mine the following question: If you had your dream car, and there was no traffic or expenses associated with driving, would you drive or take transit? Of course, she said that she would drive. Then I asked her: If the subway was more like a martini bar, would you still drive? She said that she would take the subway. I'm not suggesting we install a bar in the subway, turn the inside of a bus into a club or convert streetcars to mobile coffee houses. All I'm saying is that we need to make transit more appealing on a higher level than just "can it get me from A to B?" The way I see it, there are four groups. Those who take transit because they must, those who take transit because they choose to, those who don't take transit because they choose not to, and those who can't take transit. We've already won over the first two, and we know we can't win over the last. With a combination of improving service and making that service appeal to citizens on a higher level, we can win over the third group and actually have everyone move from A to be B instead of driving to Z because of a backup on the 401 near Q. |
|
|
June 04 |
Transit In The News |
| After what seemed like a very short construction period, GO Transit's Kennedy Station opened on the Stouffville line. The station is connected to Kennedy Station on the Bloor-Danforth Subway and the RT, meaning that people living in Markham, Stouffville and Uxbridge can now take the GO Train to destinations in Scarborough without having to backtrack from Union. Hopefully, this will encourage many people to leave the car at home and get on the GO. In York Region, the VIVA articulated buses were unveiled. They are full low-floor designs with unique tables at the rear for laptops. If GO's experiments with tables is any indication, they will be removed in a few months, or will be vandalized by troublemakers. Brampton Transit, my home system, will be getting some Nova LFS buses this winter, which will add some variety to the current box-on-wheels design. Right now, members of the TTC are in Rome, looking at what might become the next generation of streetcars. Since streetcars are, in my opinion, the flagship vehicle for the TTC, the next generation should reflect that fact, but at the same time, still be able to operate on the current network. Finally, the St. Clair West right-of-way has passed the environmental assessment, so construction should be able to begin soon, bringing faster, more reliable service on the line. |
May 20 |
Metis Transit |
| As I've mentioned before, I live in the town of Caledon. Caledon is one of the largest municipalities in the GTA in terms of area, but only has a population of about 50,000 people. Caledon is north of the City of Brampton, and along with Mississauga, forms the Regional Municipality of Peel. Caledon is made up of several small villages, separated by sparsely populated farmland and rolling hills. It is not the ideal place to setup a transit system, which is why the local government has no plans to setup a system. In fact, as it stands now, only a dial-a-bus system could even come close to being possible, given the long distance between houses and streets in Caledon. But, one company is willing to try to bring public transit to residents of Caledon. Metis Transit Ltd is a private, Metis-run company that wants to setup a transit network in Caledon that will connect the villages together and offer connections to Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto, York, and even Orangeville. They claim that they'll be able to run their network for a $2.00 fare, and that they won't need any subsidy. While my left-leaning political views make me opposed to private solutions for public problems, I'm going to have to lend my support behind this project for two reasons. The first reason is that this company will employ persons of Metis descent, giving economic opportunity to one of the nations most disadvantaged minority groups. The other reason is that such a system can do wonders for the car dependant town. In Toronto, people own a car out of choice. The transit isn't great, but it's good enough to give residents the choice of owning a vehicle. In Caledon, vehicle ownership is a necessity, as there is no other option. With Metis Transit, we may have that option. We can only hope that this company finds the startup capital they need to get the foot in the door of the public transit scene. |
May 19 |
GO Transit's Strike Scare |
| Over the past week, we've came to the brink of another transit strike, but it was averted at the last minute when Teamsters Canada, the union representing CN Rail engineers reached an agreement with the company before the 12:01 Wednesday morning deadline. A strike would have cancelled service on the CN operated corridors, leaving the Milton line as the only trains running. While I'm a big fan of unions and the service that they provide to their members (keeping them from getting screwed), I would like to see some changes. While the train crews are employees of the railroad that the train operates on, perhaps they should be unionized seperatly than the regular freight engineers. That way, passenger service wouldn't be at the mercy of the larger negotiations, and issues specific to passenger rail could be addressed in the bargaining process. Ideally, I would like to have the crews be employees of GO, as there have been comminication problems between crews and GO representitives in the past, but I see the need for contracting the service out in order to save money that can be used for service improvements. |
May 07 |
Fare Zones |
| GO Transit's fare-by-distance system works well, as it brings a sort of equality among the riders. The fare you pay is based on the distance you are intending to travel. A person who lives in Long Branch might be willing to drive downtown, so a lower fare will give more incentive for them to leave the car at home. Fare by distance makes sense when it comes to operating a transit system. While a flat fare from Hamilton to Oshawa would do wonders for ridership, the loss of revenue would cripple the system. So, I propose two fare zones for local transit. The city zone, which fills the new city of Toronto, would be one fare zone, and the suburban zone, which consists of York Region, Brampton, Mississauga, Durham Region, Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton, will be another zone. There would be free transfers between systems within a zone, but an extra charge will be required when crossing zone boundaries. Essentially, it will be the system we have now. Where I'm calling for change is in the extra fare needed to cross the boundaries. Right now, it's set at full fare, but I'm calling for the reduction of that fare. Perhaps being set at a dollar or so, this would encourage riders to take local transit. With this, a trip into the city from Brampton on local transit would only cost $3.35 instead of $4.85. GO Transit might be worth the extra dollar for a speedy ride downtown, but for door-to-door service, this would do wonders for suburban ridership. |
May 05 |
Light Rail Transit |
| Let's face it, subways are expensive. They do move many more passengers than all forms except for commuter trains, but they are expensive. At $150 million per kilometer, it would take alot of money to build another Bloor-Danforth. The other alternative is Light Rail Transit, which has become somewhat of a buzz-word these days. At only $20 million per kilometer, it better financially, but the difference goes beyond the name and the price-tag. I would define a subway as a large train car operating primarily underground on a private right-of-way. Light Rail Transit (or LRT) would be defined as a medium sized train car operating primarily above ground, on a private right-of-way. A streetcar, or trolley, is a type of LRT running sometimes in mixed traffic, where passengers board at street level. Also, a streetcar has a trolley pole instead of a pantograph. A tram, in my opinion, has a pantograph. But anyway. LRTs can be built where there is room, and in Toronto, aside from Hydro corridors, there is no room to build above ground. Hydro corridors tend not to follow traffic patterns either. An LRT design would be perfect for the Finch-Etobicoke line I have mentioned before, but for a street like Eglinton or Sheppard, subways should be built below ground, as there's no room to build above ground. But, if we move out to the suburbs, we might find room for LRT's. In Toronto, most streets are four lanes, with a select few at six lanes wide. In the suburbs, there is a greater percentage of streets that are six lanes. Since these communities are much more modern than the city, these major streets tend to have wide embankments. This means that two lanes can be converted to BRT or LRT without taking much away from the cars. In Peel, Hwy 7 (Queen St), Eglinton, Dundas and Hurontario (Hwy 10) could be potential candidates. In York, the current VIVA routes, Yonge and Hwy 7 could be eventually converted to light rail. Out in Durham, Hwy 2 seems like the most logical route, as the Oshawa via Hwy 2 GO bus runs every 15 minutes in the off-peak, and even every half-hour on Sundays. LRTs are a great addition to any city that doesn't have the cash to build subways, but to quote Joe Mihevc, TTC vice-chair, "subways are the spine of a transit system, LRT is the ribs." |
May 01 |
Trolley Bus |
| Streetcars can carry alot of people, and have zero emissions, but are not very flexible. Buses don't carry as many people and use costly fuel, but can go anywhere. Somewhere between the two lies the trolley coach. They are have zero emissions, and car steer around problems in the route. Toronto once has a network of trolleys running out of Eglinton Garage (currently the Eglinton Station bus terminal) and Lansdowne Garage (currently a vacant lot), however the main advantage of the trolley bus was never really realized in Toronton. Electric buses work very well climbing hills, which is why they are popular in San Francisco, Seattle and Vancover. As Toronto is fairly flat, the advantages are lost. However, the rising cost of fuel might make converting some routes to trolley coach economical. In Toronto, there aren't many hills, but the difference in elevation between Bloor Street and St. Clair Ave makes north-south routes that cross these two streets prime candidates for conversion to Trolley Coach. 47 LANSDOWNE, 29 DUFFERIN, 7 BATHURST, 126 CHRISTIE and 168 SYMINGTON all make the run up the hill, and are basically straightforward routes. LANSDOWNE is the only one that has a branch that takes it off the main route, and 29 DUFFERIN could benefit from the 60 foot New Flyer articulated trolleys used out west. Some people will complain about stringing up wires along residential streets, especially Symington and Christie, but it might be offset by the lack of noise, as the only sound you hear of a streetcar is the clicking of the wheels on the tracks. The sound of a trolley bus would be simillar. Wychwood Carhouse would have to be rebuilt to house the trolleys, as Lansdowne Garage was demolished, an there would be a high startup cost, but it could carry the system into an age where fuel is becomming more and more expensive. |
Online Schedules |
| The internet, in addition to being a repository for pornography, has allowed for public transit schedules to be accessible to everyone at any time. However, there isn't a standard online for the publishing of these schedules. The agencies in Durham (Oshawa, Whitby and Ajax-Pickering - which will become one in 2006), YRT, Brampton Transit and GO use a spreadsheet style, where you can see what time a particular bus will arrive at a particular location and when the next bus will arive on the same sheet. Mississauga Transit also has a spreadsheet style, but lists the bus frequencies instead of the arrival times. The TTC uses a different system, where the arrival times for a particular location are on one page. By selecting the a particular route, you can see all the time when a bus will pass a particular intersection. After carefully searching all of the websites, I've come to the conclusion that the spreadsheet method is the best for a few reasons. First of all, it shows you exactly when a bus will pass by your stop, and if you happen to miss that bus, it shows you when the next one will be along, taking the guesswork out of waiting for a bus. Secondly, it shows you when the bus you are planning to board will arrive at your intended destination. You can easily calculate travel times this way, the time you will be waiting to make a transfer, and shows you what bus to take if you need to arrive at a particular time. However, there are some downsides to such a system. The systems in the suburbs don't have many route branches, so the schedules are fairly simple. In the city, the many route branches, short turns and different routing at different times of the day make for complex schedules. If each route branch were held on a seperate spreadsheet, it might clear up any confusion. Since a transit operator is only as good as the schedule it runs, making the schedule accessible to everyone will take away the "I don't know when it runs" excuse from those who refuse to ride the better way. |
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April 27 |
The Plan For Weston and Beyond |
| In response to the complaints of Weston residents, GO has come up with a plan. They are proposing that the tracks run in a giant cut through the area, so that all but John Street would remain open. While it shows that transit can be improved without causing problems by meeting the community halfway, Transit Toronto points out that SNC Lavalin, the company building the airport link. has been very quiet. Since it's their trains that are causing the trouble, perhaps they should be the ones to pay for the solution. But then again, this could all be avoided by building the airport people-mover to connect with Malton Station, then improving GO train service along the Georgetown line. Also, this plan calls for the Weston GO station to be moved from he north side of Lawrence to the south side. In other news, trackwork on the Newmarket Sub, south of York U has allowed for faster speeds, and trains now leave the suburbs five minutes later, but arrive at Union at the old time. In addition, more bus trips have been added on all the corridors, which is good for everyone. |
April 24 |
Pearson Airport |
| Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport is a maze. The terminals are connected by a complex system of roads that can easily overwhelm anyone. One missed turn, and it seems that you have to drive back out into North Etobicoke and try again. By 2020, the GTAA estimates that the airport will see 50 million passenger per year, and something will be needed to move all those people. Eventually, the Eglinton Subway will bring a better TTC connection, but the airport is a small city in itself, and needs a way to move people quickly between terminals. Pearson Airport needs a People Mover. Many airports in the United States have fully automated trains that carry passengers between the terminal, parking lots, and other areas around the airport. Such a system at Pearson could connect the airports terminals (soon to be only two), the parking lots, the hotels and Park 'N Fly lots along Dixon, the future Eglinton Subway and the Malton GO station. The TTC connection would provide a ride that's cheaper than any taxi, while GO connections would lead to a fast ride downtown, eliminating the need for the Blue 22 train, as GO would be cheaper, would benefit more people. |
April 21 |
Metropass |
| Starting in September, not only will you be able to buy a weekly TTC pass, but you'll also be able to transfer your Metropass. The weekly pass will be perfect for those who might use transit irregularly. During exams (when my schedule is irregular), I might get dropped off at the edge of the city and take the TTC downtown, since it's cheaper than the GO I would normally use. A weekly pass would help in situations like this, as I might only need it for two weeks out of the month. The weekly pass will give passengers access to automatic entrances, but won't work in metropass parking lots. They will be transferable, but like their monthly cousins, won't count as the extra fare needed to cross into York and Mississauga, nor will they count for the extra fare needed to ride the 140-series Downtown Express routes. For crossing borders, only the GTA weekly pass will count as the extra fare. As for monthly passes, a transferable pass makes sense for families, and even some companies. There will be a loss of revenue, but it will definitly add riders to the system. Of course, two people will not be able to use the pass at the same time, but systems are already in place to prevent that on automatic entrances. Even if this idea proves to be a bad one in the end, it will show that an old system is willing to try new things to improve service. |
April 14 |
VIA Rail Canada |
| While VIA Rail's network stretches beyond the GTA, but it plays a role in the grand scheme of things. Taking the train is a much less stressful vacation than a long drive, and with the state of affairs in the airline industry (being strip-searched at the airport only to find your airline has collapsed). When it comes to VIA Rail, I'm callling for a nationwide network that rivals the airlines. Alot of the lines VIA used to run on were torn up long ago, but there are some major corridor left that can offer rail travel to alot of people and also connect isolated communities. The first step is to restore the transcontinental trains. In today's world, VIA's "Canadian" travels from Toronto to Vancouver via Sudbury Jct, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Jasper. What I would like to see is this train be renamed the "Super Continental", it's historical name. The "Canadian" would then run out of Montreal, and travel via Ottawa and North Bay to a connection in Sudbury Jct. From there, it's Vancouver-bound via Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary. The next step is trains running between Edmonton and Calgary, and between Regina and Saskatoon. Here in Southern Ontario, VIA Rail's corridor trains link Windsor and Sarnia with Ottawa and Montreal by way of Toronto, and trains to Niagara Falls and beyond covers that area of the province. However, there are many communities along rail lines which could be connected by train service. I would like to see a hub and spoke system with Toronto and London as the hubs. From London, trains can serve many destinations in far southwestern Ontario, while trains from Toronto can serve the Niagara region and destinations to the east. Be it used as a premium commuter service, a business traveller's tool, or for a unique family getaway, travel by rail has the potential to rival the airlines in Canada like they do in Europe. |
Street Railways |
| Toronto has streets of all shapes and sizes. Some streets, like Don Mills and Unversity Avenue are very wide. University is so wide, the crossing is two stages. Other streets, like Victoria and Gould, are small, with only two lanes. When parking is allowed on both sides, these streets are effectively one lane. Some streets, like Kipling, are almost arrow straight, while others, like Huntingwood, weave around. Some streets, like Steeles, run from one end of the city to the other without stopping, while others, like Keele and Leslie (especially Leslie), are disjoint in sections. Why am I rambling on about the streets in Toronto? Because not all streets are made equally, and as a result, some routes aren't suited to conversion to streetcar. While they do carry more passengers than buses, and can be coupled together to carry even more buses, they do have their drawbacks. First of all, as streetcars require alot more than just stops to be installed, routes should be carefully selected so that the costs of installing tracks are justified. I would love to kick most buses out of downtown, but we must be financially responsible. With the exception of the QUEEN cars to Long Branch, and the KINGSTON ROAD extention to Birchmount, I think that streetcars should stay east of the Humber, west of Victoria Park, and south of Eglinton. This reduces deadhead time, and ensures the flexibility of the network. With so many intersecting routes in this area, cars will easily be able to divert around a problem. In the suburbs, this is far more difficult. The streets must be wide enough in each direction so that a stopped streetcar won't bring the entire road to a standstill. Very wide streets would need platforms in the middle of the street so that passengers wouldn't have to cross more than two lanes to board cars. Ideally, routes which have off-street looping at both ends would make the best streetcar routes, but routes with simple on-street loops would also work. Complicated on-street looping, or any complicated routes, don't really favour streetcar conversion. Also, routes which have branches that run away from the main route won't work very well. In short, only the routes that are straight, direct, and have simple loops at both ends work well to be converted to streetcar, but depending on ridership, exceptions to any of these rules can be made. |
Bramalea South Lot |
| I'm happy to report that the south parking lot is set to open at Bramalea GO station next week. As Bramalea is the terminus of the midday trains on the Georgetown Line, and the Brampton stop for the 407 GO bus, it is a very busy place. When you combine York University students using the 407 route and commuters heading downtown, the massive parking lot can get full very quickly during the school year. The south lot's entrance is a little out-of-the way, but it will add 200 spaces and a second kiss-and-ride loop to the station. The parking lot isn't acessible, as people will have to cross an abandonned spur at grade to get to the platform, and from that end, it's a very long walk to the elevator. Also around Bramalea Station, the plan calls for 450 more spaces, and it appears that they are placing the finishing touches on a bus depot. While this won't really affect passengers, it shows a commitment to public transit. |
April 12 |
Brampton Transit |
| Finally, Brampton Transit is getting a facelift, and it's about time. Comming May the 16th, Brampton Transit will see a complete makeover. The vast majority of the existing routes will be changed and improved, and five new routes where there were no routes before. This will bring service to the many developing areas of the city, many of which haven't even had the sod put down yet. Overall service will be improved with an easier to understand grid system, and they plan to have more frequent service and better connections across the board. Many routes will become fully accessible, and the 9 Vodden will be split so the William Parkway branch will get it's own branch letter. At downtown terminal, they stop at separate bays, but a passenger wanting to board on the street would have to flag down the bus and actually ask. Many of the routes will become fully accessible, and the system will see new buses. Finally, and the part I like the most, Brampton Transit is dabbing into the time-limited transfer. Unlimited travel on any route, in any direction up until the expiry time. If it works well, it will become a model for the other systems in the region. Finally, Brampton will have a system to be proud of. |
April 11 |
Strike 2005 |
| The drama seen over the weekend in
Toronto is worth of being made into a movie-of-the-week. On Sunday
morning, the two sides met in a hotel in Richmond Hill as a last ditch
effort setup by the Ministry of Labour. There are stories of secret
phone calls between Mayor David Miller and the head of the union Bob
Kinnear, and tales of hallway screaming matches between the union
president and TTC chair Howard Moscoe. At 5:45, it was announced that
both sides had come to an agreement, and the strike that threatened to
shut down the city was averted. I can just see the movie trailer now...
"In a city gripped by fear, the fate of millions rest in the hands of three men... David Miller, Howard Moscoe, and introducing Bob Kinnear in this summer's hottest action-thriller... Rocket's Red Glare." You might be thinking that the title is taken from the American national anthem, but was also the title of an action-packed episode of GI Joe. |
April 10 |
Strike 2005 |
| I've been silent over the weekend about the strike, but it's been a rollercoaster ride. The Friday at noon deadline passed, and at 2:00, the Union announced that it not talk over the weekend and would strike at 4AM Monday morning. On Saturday, the Ministry of Labour asked both sides to go back to the table, and that is where we are at 1:30 Sunday. Some people say there will be an 11th hour settlement to avert a strike, but other have far less hope. I, however, have a fair bit of hope that there won't be a strike, but at this point, we can only wait and see. |
April 09 |
Eglinton Subway |
| I've already written about the Eglinton West Subway as the potential for a major east-west line through midtown Toronto. The line would run from Eglinton West station at Eglinton and Allen, going as far west as the airport. On the east side of Yonge, the Sheppard line will eventually cover the east-west commute, but a subway along Eglinton proves its existance by simply standing at the corner of Eglinton and Yonge and observing how many buses operate along Eglinton but aren't mainly designed to serve Eglinton. By building finishing the Eglinton Subway between Allen Road and Kennedy Station, overlaping service on Eglinton Ave can be reduce, and travel time to the subway reduced. Essentially, 63 OSSINGTON, 5 AVENUE ROAD, 51 LESLIE, 54 LAWRENCE EAST, 56 LEASIDE, 61 AVENUE ROAD NORTH, 100 FLEMINGDON PARK and 103 MOUNT PLEASANT NORTH, would no longer provide duplicate service on Eglinton Avenue, saving alot of money in the process. Starting from Eglinton West/Allen Station, the line would run east, with the first top at Bathurst. Moving east, a stop at Chaplin Cr or Spadina Rd would serve Forest Hill resident. Avenue Rd would be next, before finally stopping at Eglinton-Yonge, the suburban gateway of the original Yonge Subway. The next stop east would be Mount Pleasant, bringing the subway close to George's Trains, one of the best model train stores in the country. Bayview and Laird come next, and then the line would cross the West Don River near the the foot of Leslie St. An above-ground stop could be located here, likely on the south side of Eglinton at Leslie. Don Mills comes next, where the line would connect with the future Don Mills BRT. A stop at St. Dennis Dr could offer connections to a future GO station on the Richmond Hill line, and would need provisions to cross the East Don River. Bermondesy Rd would be the next stop, and could provide an interesting opportunity for artwork in the subway. This station would be near to the Korean Canadian Association and the Latvian Canadian Cultural Centre. These organizations could help in the design of the station, and I'm sure it would be like no other in the system. Eglinton Square would be the next stop, at the junction of Eglinton, Victoria Park and O'Connor. Warden comes next as the subway cruises under an area known as The Golden Mile, finally stopping at Birchmount before comming to a stop at Kennedy Station, which will likely be turned into a massive transit hub, with buses, Eglinton and Bloor-Danforth subway, the RT, and GO connections. The line could stop there, but if left to continue, stops could come at Midland, Brimley/Danforth Rd, Bellamy (connections to Eglinton GO station), and finally Markham Road, where it will then turn northeast. Following Kingston Road, stops would come at Guildwood Parkway, Lawrence, and then finally running up Morningside to the U of T at Scarborough. I could list the communities this line and its bus connections would serve, but that would double the lenght of this post. Suffice to say, a subway from Eglinton from end to end would reduce congestion on the Bloor Danforth line and provide faster transit to many residents in the city. |
Peterborough GO LIne |
| There has been alot of talk about extending GO train service to Peterbrough, a community that has been growning very rapidly. Peterborough sits on the Kawartha Lakes Railway, and internal short-line of CP's St. Lawrence & Hudson Railway. There are many positives and negatives of this plan, but it will bring back rail transit to an area of the province that last saw a VIA train to and from Havelock via Peterborough. That service ended in 1990. In favour of the plan will likely be the governments in the Kawarth Lakes, and likely Trent University in Peterborough. They have numerous environmental programs, and would likely be in support of anything other than more freeways. This line would defintly take pressure off of Highways 35 and 115, and give quick transit to Trent students. In addition, only a few road-switchers make the run along the line, so interference with freight trains isn't a problem. However, the fact that there is essentially nothing along the line between Peterborough and Toronto works against the plan. There are a few small towns on the line, but the Greenbelt means that these towns will stay small. This route could perhaps be serviced more efficiently by self-propelled coaches like the Budd RDC or Bombardier Talent, which are less expensive to operate. Starting at North Toronto, the line will head east to Leaside, where it will stop at the old station. The building still exists, but will likely need a new makeover. The line will continue north, stopping in Scarborough, likely near Ellesmere Warden. No subways connections would exist, but it would be a short bus ride to Ellesmere on the RT. The line continues northeast, past CP's Toronto Yard, where it leaves the developed area of the city behind. If this are converts from industrial to residential, a station could be built in this area. Crossing into Markham, a stop could come in the village of Locust Hill, near Highway 7 and Markham-Pickering Townline. From here, it's out into the countryside of Durham Region, beyond the scope of my maps. The next few stops are only speculative, but they are located in the major villages in the area. They are Claremont, Raglan, Burkton, Pontypool, Manvers, Cavan until finally crusing into Peterborough, where the track are centrally located. There are a fair amount of moveable bridges in the centre of town, which may complicate maters, especially in the summer, as Peterborough is a major centre on the Trent-Severn waterway. However, this tourism may end up adding to the support for this GO line. |
April 07 |
Community Buses |
| They aren't on the main TTC route schedules, but they serve a very important purpose. The 400-series community bus route run low-floor Orion II mini-buses on special routes throughout the city. These routes, 400 LAWRENCE MANOR, 402 PARKDALE, 403 SOUTH DON MILLS and 404 EAST YORK fill the gap between Wheel-Trans and the regular system. The routes use the same fares as the regular routes, and accept transfers from other routes. What sets these routes apart is that these buses can be flagged down at any point along the route, and stop at all the major destinations along the route, in addition to regular TTC stops. If a passenger need help getting on and off the bus, the driver will assist. These routes only run in the midday hours, but provide a vital link for those who cannot travel to a faraway stop. Out in Oakville, there is a similar service, but it far more advanced. It's called Zone Express, and though advanced, it can be summed up in three easy steps. Call the service an hour before you need to leave. Walk to the nearest bus stop. Travel to your destination. This service is more like a taxi service than a bus route, and again, it uses mini-buses. At the end of the day, these buses meet the last 2 late-night GO trains and take create a route based on passenger demand. Like the 400-series routes, regular fares apply. This kind of community-based, door-to-door service is impossible to sustain on a large scale, but it is an example of how in certain situations, public transit is better than a car. |
April 06 |
Hot off the Presses |
| The Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113 has annouced today that they plan to keep talking with management until Friday at noon. If there's no good offer by then, the union will go on strike at 12:01 AM Monday morning. If there is a strike, CFRB 1010 will do it's part by doubling their traffic reports, though I think that bad news repeated more often will cause more frustration. The city has plans to designate bus lanes as carpool lanes, turn parking lots at recreation centres into carpool lots, and be extra strict when it comes to no parking rules. city councillor Howard Moscoe is optimistic that there will be a resolution will be reached, but wages and pensions are still the outstanding issues. I'm fairly left-leaning politically, so I know the union is just trying to keep the working man from getting screwed, but there's always room for compromise. If there is a strike, the city will survive, and it might just show people how quickly the city becomes a hellscape without public transit. |
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Running on Schedule |
| I was on the 96 WILSON today, and it was running ahead of schedule. To get back on time, the driver was running slowly and making all stops. Of course, some passengers weren't too happy with this, but the concept of running on time is a double-edged sword. If you want the buses and trains to run on time, then they need to catch up if they fall behind, and slow down if they move ahead. |
April 05 |
Finch West Via Hydro Corridor |
| I was never a really big fan of the hydro corridor, because I'm a little weary of the parkland that tends to be under-wire of being lost, even for something as important as transit. However, if there can be a way to maintain the parkland (perhaps running on the surface and diving under parks), the hydro corridor is a unique opportunity to get Mississauga, Brampton and west York Region commuters onto trains and off the roads. The Hydro line would start at Finch station, where a station could likely be built at the current site of the York Region terminal. If the Yonge Subway is extended to Finch, this terminal would likely be abandonned. Running along the hydro corridor, the first stop would be at Grantbrook St, to serve Willowdale and connect with the buses along Senlac (currently #98 WILLOWDALE-SENLAC). Bathurst would come next, before the line dives under the North York Civic Soccer Field, and then around the G. Ross Lord Resevoir. The line could continue directly below finch, stopping at Dufferin and the Keele, where with connections to the Spadina Subway Extention. Shifting back up to the hydro corridor, the next stop would be Jane, serving the many malls in the area. Next, a possible stop at Hwy 400 could serve GO buses, but not much else, and as the corridor shifts southwest, a stop at in the Finch and Weston Road area could serve a new station on the Barrie/Bradford GO line. The next stops would be at Albion Road, Islington, and Rexdale. A stop at Kipling would be serve Etobicoke North GO station on the Georgetown line. Dixon Road comes next, and the line begins to shift southward. The next stop would be at Martin Grove, near Eglington. A connection with the Eglinton West Subway would be here, and with open space for a bus terminal, Mississauga Transit could save time on the run to Islington by running into this station. Princess Margaret Blvd, Rathburn and Burnhamthorpe come next, where more Mississauga Transit buses can stop. After a stop at Bloor, it's a short ride to Kipling Station. A possible extention could run south along the CP Canpa Sub, with stops at The Queensway, Evans Ave, Horner, then along the Oakville Sub to Long Branch GO station and connections with GO and the 501 QUEEN streetcar. Rapid transit along the Hydro Corridor would cut down travel times for west end residents, and also ease pressure on heavy routes like FINCH WEST, KIPLING and ISLINGTON, while giving residents of the west end suburbs a quick ride to a choice of either the Bloor Subway or the Yonge-University-Spadina subway. |
Accessible Alternatives |
| The subway was built long before accessibility was an issue, and today, the TTC is installing elevators in stations. As with everything, this takes time, and it could be 2020 until all the existing stations are made accessible. Not only will this benefit those with disabilities, but it will also benefit the elderly and also the lazy (like me). An interesting story was on CBC Radio this morning. A gentleman in a wheelchair was testing the TTC's Accessible Alternatives, which is a suggested route if a paticular elevator is out of order. I'd like to detail one of the TTC's plans, as it really shows how a single elevator out of order can ruin an entire trip. I'm not saying the alternative plans are bad, though. I'm just pointing out how hard it can be. Let's say I have to either get to the street or a bus at Main Station, but the elevator from the lower concourse is out of order. Here is what the TTC says I have to do. I must ride the subway eastbound to Warden, then cross the island platform to a westbound train. I ride that train to Bloor-Yonge, and then transfer to a northbound train. At Eglinton, I board a 100 FLEMINGTON PARK bus, and ride it to Broadview. There, I transfer to the 87 COSBURN for the final leg to Main Street Station. If another elevator was out of order at the same time, my day is pretty much done, and I probably won't even be able to get home. As CBC's Andy Barrie called it, "Main Street Station via the entire city". Until all the stations are made accessible, there is an temporary solution. Alot of the stations on the southern half of Yonge are accessible, so it's fairly easy to travel a block to find another elevator. On the north half of Yonge, the 97 YONGE accessible bus covers the route, making it easy for people needing an elevator to divert. Perhaps a service like this can be setup along Bloor and Danforth. An accessible bus running from end to end can serve the areas between stops, and can provide an accessible alternative when the subway station elevators go out of order. |
April 04 |
Two Proposals For Finch West |
| Proposals for the Hydro corridor north of Finch have been thrown around for decades. The pros of rapid transit in this area are pretty clear. It would lead to a faster trip eastbound to Yonge and to an expanded University Subway for west end residents, and a solution to York Region residents commuting into Toronto from Woodbridge. But, there are two options. The first is to run a rail system, likely an ICTS, from Finch Station, along the Hydro corridor north of Finch Ave. The corridor runs parallel to Finch, west as far as Highway 400. Then, it runs southwest to the 427 & 401 interchange. From there, it's south to Kipling Station. The advantages of this route is that parking lots can be built under the wires, meaning no one will need to drive downtown from the northwest anymore. The cons of this plan is that the hydro tower layout will likely require the train to travel underground, defeating the whole point of running it in the otherwise open area. The other proposal, one that I came up with, is to run the line as an elevated railway above Finch, as far as Highway 27, then south to Humber College and Woodbine Racetrack. The pros of this route is that it can serve as a replacement for the FINCH WEST bus. Having driven on Finch in the afternoon rush, this route would be a blessing. Also, this route would serve Humber College. But, running it above Finch would eleminate the possibilty of building parking lots, as there aren't too many open spaces along the road. Also, it wouldn't solve the north-south crowding on routes like Kipling. When they run KIPLING E express buses in packs, you know a north-south rapid transit is needed. Since alot of people get off at Eglinton, the Hydro corridor route wouldn't be much help to them unless the Eglinton Subway was built. As you can see, it's a complex issue. I plan to go through each route in more detail, as even I can't seem to decide which one I like better. |
Wow! Formatting! |
| Funny how to get the best out of this website, you need to use Internet Explorer. I've gotten frustrated with that particular browser, so I've been using Mozilla at home. Finally, Internet Explorer loaded MSN Spaces without error, so I was able to make use of its formatting capabilities. Then, it stopped working. Hopefully, it will magically fix itself again, but until that date, get use to seemingly endless blocks of me ranting. |
Money For Transit? Sorta... |
| My morning commute was a little
brighter today, as there's a very interesting article in the Star and
the Metro today. City council is going to debate the TTC's ridership
growth strategy, which could add 45 million riders. Based on an average
of 1.5 people in each car, that's 30 million car trips off the road,
assuming I'm looking at this correctly, and I'm probably not. Either
way, it's alot of people off the road. The plan calls for three
recomendations: Group 1: $19.1 M for peak and off-peak improvements. Hopefully this will include more blue night routes and improved service on branches of routes. $30 M for "surface rapid transit" to six major streets. Subways move alot of people, but only buses and streetcars can deliver door-to-door service. $9.1 M to reduce metropass prices and $6 M for other incentives. I think people who use transit should be rewarded, and this will help those who can't afford the metropass price in one shot. Group 2: $20.2 M for fare reductions for all, which is always a good thing. $30.4 to reduce waits on all routes to less than 20 minutes. This will prove to be a Godsend in winter, but it'll be interesting to see if this means 20 minute max on all route branches too. $15 M for surface rapid transit on 3 more streets. Maybe when the bus is traveling twice as fast as the cars, people will consider switching to public transit. Examples of this are on Gardiner and on the Allen, where the trains cruise past the gridlock. $1.5 M to upgrade the Scarborough RT. I have no clue what $1.5 M will buy, but money is always good. Since the line runs on magnets on the track, perhaps a hightech snowblower can keep the line clear, as snow and ice can cripple the line. Group 3: $175 M per year for continuous subway construction. This is the sustainable way to build subways. By opening a station of two every few years, it shows the public that they are getting bang for their tax bucks. Likely, the highest subway priorities is the Spadina subway from Downsview to Steeles, and the Sheppard subway, first to Victoria Park, then on to Scarborough Town Centre. This plan is a great step, but its future depends on the allmighty dollar. We can only hope the Province and the Feds come to the table. |
April 02 |
Bolton GO Line |
| The are of York Region to the east of Highway 400 is covered by the Bradford/Barrie GO line, but the area to the west of that highway is also being developed at an alarming pace. CP's Mactier sub runs near this area, and can provide the means to reduce traffic on Highways 400, 27, 427 and 50/Albion Road. The first step is to add more tracks to the line. It's CP's single-track mainline to Western Canada, and the route to the busy Vaughan Intermodal Terminal. In some places, up to two additional tracks will be needed to allow for both passenger and freight trains to co-exist. The first stop on the line will be in Bolton, which is the largest of the many villages that make up the Town of Caledon. The actual stop will be in an area known as Bolton Station, which is just west of Bolton, before you descend into the Humber Valley into town. Moving south, the next stop would be in Kleinburg, then a stop in Woodbridge. A possible stop could be located at or near Rutherford Road and Highway 27, to serve an area where alot of development is occuring. This might be a better alernative to a stop in Kleinburg. South of Woodbridge, the line crosses under the CN York Sub and would run to a stop at Finch and Weston Road, with connections to the Finch RT I've been planning. From there, the trains run south, and turn to run parallel to the CN Weston sub. A station at Weston will allow passengers to transfer to Georgetown trains for rides to and from Union Station. From here, Bolton trains will stay on CP lines and run up to stop at the Spadina Station at Dupont Subway and finally, at North Toronto station. Not only will the Bolton Line trains bring rapid, downtown transit for many people in developing areas of the city, it will also give more options to Georgetown Commuters who may work uptown, as it will allow them to transfer to North Toronto station. However, of all the midtown lines, Bolton will be the most expensive to construct, as new track will have to be built over the entire line. Orangeville and Peterborough (comming soon) would spend most of their time on lines which only see a few road-switchers and no mainline freight trains. |
March 31 |
Power Protection |
| I was on the 1645 to Georgetown today, when the engine failed while we stopped at Etobicoke North Station. While the GO locomotives aren't old when compared to the average freight diesel (CN still runs rebuilt GMD-1 locos from the 1950s), the stopping and starting nature of commuter service can really take a toll on these locos. This got me thinking of a temporary solution to the motive power woes. Back in the day when rail was the only way to travel, the railroads made sure that a freight engine was always ready to rescue a passenger train that might be experiencing trouble. This might be a good service for the freight railroads to provide, as it'll boost their image, and clear their lines faster. And faster service is what everybody wants and loves. |
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March 30 |
TTC Strike 2005 |
| This Friday morning, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, local 113, will be in a legal strike position. The union represents ttc surface and subway operators, collectors and clerical staff, so a strike would be crippling for the city. In TV and radio interviews with both sides, it seems that the possibility of a strike right away is very low, but if all you read is newspaper articles, then you will be a very scared person. I'm not accusing the newspapers of fear-mongering though... Well, maybe only the National Post. While contract negotiations are something that comes up every few years, I'm sure we'll never experience an era where someone isn't threatening to strike. But, this doesn't mean we can't see this as an opportunity to give transit in general a financial boost. What we all need is stable, long-term funding from higher levels of government, but until that day comes, I'll happily accept any one-time cash injection the goverment is willing to dish out. |
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March 28 |
Eglinton West Subway |
| The Eglinton West subway was already under construction when the conservatives cut funding to all capital projects. Really, they had just dug a hole and not much else, but that hole could have been the start of a far easier commute for west-end residents. The first stop on this future line would be Allen, where Eglinton West station is now. The next stops would come at Oakwood, which would be the terminus of the OSSINGTON streetcar, and at Dufferin, the terminus of the VAUGHAN ROAD streetcar. An alternate name for the Dufferin stop is "Fairbank" after the neighborhood. Continuing west, we come to possible GO connections at Caledonia and another stop at Keele (alternate name "York Centre"). Another possible GO connections come at Weston Road (alternate name "Mount Dennis"). Since Jane crosses Eglinton in the middle of a park, it's unlikely a station would be built here, but a possible branch of the 35 JANE bus can run from the north end and short turn at the Weston Road station instead of going all the way down to Bloor. After crossing the Humber River, the first stop will be at Scarlett Road. From there the line is pretty straight, with stops at Royal York, Islington ("Richview"), Kipling ("Princess Anne"), and Martin Grove. After passing Martin Grove, the line will turn north up Hwy 27 to a stop at Dixon Road. After turning back west, it will come to another stop at Carlingview, serving the many hotels in the airport area. At this point, it's west for connections to the airport. The Eglinton West subway will serve three main purposes. First, it will shorten the bus commute for people living in the west end of the city. Second, it will take pressure off the Bloor-Danforth Line and the possibly reduce the load St. George has to bear as a transfer point. Finally, it will bring a rapid transit connection to the airport, which Toronto desperatly needs. In my opinion, this is a better option than the Union-Pearson plan. It may be slower, but it's far more flexible for the visitors than a downtown express. |
March 27 |
Richmond Hill GO Line |
| GO trains to Richmond Hill share track 1 with GO trains to Georgetown at Union Station, so I regularly see Richmond Hill trains leaving Union for their run up the Bala Sub. These trains don't appear to even have their seats full, which is odd, when you compare it to the Lakeshore trains which are usually standing-room only. The main reason why the Richmond Hill line is underused is because of the location of the stations. The two stations in York Region (Richmond Hill and Langstaff) are fairly close to Yonge Street, and the Yonge buses offer a more flexible commute by going to Finch instead of all the way downtown. The two stations within Toronto (Old Cummer and Oriole) are fairly close to the sheppard subway, which is cheaper than taking the train all the way downtown. Finally, the part of the Bala sub north of CN Doncaster is CN's mainline to western Canada, meaning that increased service is severely limitted, and the main developments north of Richmond Hill (Aurora, Newmarket) are already covered by the Bradford trains. With the Greenbelt legislation, it is unlikely we'll see development along the Bala Sub, meaning that the Richmond Hill line is in a tight position. However, the old phrase "if you build it, they will come" might do the trick here. The first step is to build a new station at Eglinton, which is part of the Don Valley Master Plan. This stop could take some pressure off the southbound 100 FLEMINGDON PARK bus, which aparently is one of the heaviest routes. The route would likely benefit from a stop at Bloor, but this is unlikely, as the stop would be in the valley below the viaduct, making a subway connection impossible. The next improvement is additional tracks and a grade separation at Doncaster, to keep GO trains and CN freights seperate, but can must be taken to ensure CN, VIA and ONR operations can continue. If development occurs along the line, then extension can be looked at, but like I said, greenbelt legislation may prevent that. Protecting sensitive and beautiful environmental resources is, in my opinion, in the best interest of the people of Ontario. |
St. Clair |
| The 512 ST CLAIR is very unique in many ways. First of all, it's the only line that doesn't connect with another streetcar line, as the BATHURST cars don't operate north of Bloor. Next, it's the only line that is relatively straight. QUEEN is a close second, but has to navigate the curvature of the lake. Third, it's one of the most flexible lines. Cars can short-turn at St. Clair West Station, at Vaughan Loop, Oakwood Loop (the last example of cobblestone between the rails), Earlscourt Loop (Lansdowne), and Townsley Loop (Old Weston Road). These many loops are leftovers from abandonned routes that once operated this far north. Another oddity is the nearby abandonned carhouse on Wychwood Ave, which may be a candidate for rebuilding in order to store all the streetcars needed to operated the new routes I've been proposing. Finally, one unique point about this line is the controversy. Since the streetcar tracks run down the left-turn lane, a car turning left can potentially hold up streetcars for blocks. To counter this, the city is planning to build a spadina-like private right-of-way. The controversy surrounds the elimination of on-street parking, but I think that when construction is finished, the shops along St. Clair will benefit, and it will give the street a memorable character. The first step to improving this line is the separation of streetcars and cars from St. Clair Station to Gunns Loop, just west of Keele. The next step is to extend the line to Jane, where it would meet with an extended Dundas streetcar. This area is the old slaughterhouse district, and is undergoing development, and will eventually need improved transit. Eventually, the St. Clair streetcar will have a special connection with a particular Barenaked Ladies song, finally reaching the intersection of Jane and St. Clair. |
March 26 |
Station Names |
| When you're building a subway line, you must pick and choose where the train will stop. There needs to be a balance between minimizing the walking distance between stations and maximizing the amount of time the subway is running at top speed. When plans are finalized, the trains end up stopping at only the major streets along the way. And with a finite number of major streets, you will eventually have two stations on the same street. Of course, you can't have duplicate names, so you'll need to find some sort of alternate. First, the TTC used lesser streets, and then added the main street below it. For example, when the University Subway was built, the station at Dundas and University was named St. Patrick (a small street just west of University), and Dundas St. was placed on the walls under the primary name. The second naming scheme was adding the direction to the end of the name. The Spadina Subway stations have West at the end, as they are west of the original stations for those streets. The third naming scheme was to give the station the name of a local landmark, such as Queens Park, which is the University station at College St. Since there has been relatively little subway construction, station names haven't been a problem, but one day, we will need to think of alternate names for our stations. One option that hasn't been considered is naming stations after the neighborhood. For example, a subway station at Keele and Finch could be named Four Winds, and have Keele and Finch as the sub-titile. This could add a little bit of local flavour to each station and the community that surrounds it. |
March 25 |
Blue Night Network |
| On regular days, the TTC subway goes out of service at about 1:30AM. The last trains leave the east and west ends at 1:31, and the last soutbound trains leave Downsview and Finch at about quarter-after 1. For the RT, the last McCowan-bound leaves at 1:35, and the last Kennedy bound leaves at 1:20. Meanwhile, on the Sheppard Subway, the last train leaves Sheppard-Yonge at 2:14 and at Don Mills at 2:25. Because of this, anyone who misses the last train is either stranded (as I have been, but I was able to stay the night), is in for a long cab ride, or will be enjoying the long waits, long rides, and long walks that come with the blue night network. After the subway goes out of service, the 300-series Blue Night routes come into service. They provide service every 30 minutes or better on a skeleton system. The object is to have every part of the city within a 15 minute walk of a 24-hour bus route. This is a good thing to have, as Brampton Transit doesn't have anything close to all-night routes. However, a fifteen minute walk in the daytime is very different than a 15 minute walk at 3 AM, and a 30 minute wait at night is very different than a 30 minute wait in the day. Improving the Blue Night network will do two things. It will prevent the people who plan to stay after 1:30 from driving in the first place, and it will give the citizens who already ride a sense of safety in they city. Another night-time improvement can be to introduce later service on the subway on weekends. This will do wonders for the Toronto nightlife, but a balance will have to be found between extending service and the need to do routine maintenance on the system. |
March 23 |
Scarborough RT Extention |
| The Scarborough RT is a unique system, which is unfortunatly already running at capacity. Extending this line to the Malvern area will drastically cut down on the bus ride for Malvern residents, but will pose many problems that will need to be resolved. First, I'll talk about the extention itself. Starting from the terminus at McCowan Station, the line will continue through the McCowan Yard and run east to a stop at Bellamy. There, the line will turn northeast and stop at Markham Road and Progress, serving Centennial College. Continuing northeast, the next stop will be at Milner, and then a stop somewhere on Sheppard, and finally a stop at the Malvern Town Centre, where a number of bus routes appear to converge. The final push will be along the CP right-of-way for a final stop at Morningside and Old Finch. This is the alignment, and here are the problems. The extention will require new trains, but the RT Mark I trains are out of production, and the RT Mark II trains can't handle the turning radius on the line because they are longer. One option is buying Vancouver's old Mark I cars, but they will need to be replaced in only ten years - the same time the TTC's fleet will need replacing. This is complicated by the fact that the RT uses a magnetic propulsion system, so rebuilding old streetcars won't work (Chicago did it). The next problem is that McCowan Yard is very small, and a new Yard will need to be built. Where to locate this yard will be the problem that needs to be solved, but it can be done, and knowing people who live in this area, I'm sure they will be very eager to see this line built. |
March 22 |
GO's Next Locos |
| Last year, GO announced that they planned to buy new locomotives to replace the older units in their fleet of General Motors F59PH locos. These locos were built in 1988. Last week, when I went to the annual Toronto Model Railroad show, I discovered that GO was planning to test some of VIA Rail's P42 locos on the Lakeshore line. This got me thinking, which locomotive should GO buy to last it for the next 15 years? If we look at the three major manufacturers, Electro Motive Diesel (EMD - recently sold by GM to another company), General Electric and Bombardier, you get three posibilities. They are the EMD F59PHI, GE P42DC and the Bombardier Jet Train. The Jet train uses jet turbine engines to produce 5000 horsepower and can top out at 240 km/h. It's designed to provide the service only an electric can provide without the need for wires. But there is no way the Jet Train would be able to achieve its potential without upgrading track and eliminating level crossings. So, the Jet Train is too impractical, in my opinion. That leaves the EMD and the GE. I cast my vote for the EMD, and here's why. The P42 is a passenger locomotive, while the F59PHI is a commuter locomotive. A passenger locomotive is geared for high speeds, but slower acceleration, while a commuter locomotive can accelerate quickly and afford to give up top speed because the stations are close together. Basically, the GE design would reguire modifications, while the EMD would be ready to go off-the-shelf. The next reason is maintenance. The F59PHI is basically a streamlined version of the F59PH, with a slightly more powerful engine. This means that while GO still runs the older engines, they will only have to buy one type of spare parts. With a few GE's on hand, they will need two sets of parts, and will need to train mechanics on the new equipment. Speaking of training, the engineers will be able to make the transition to an F59PHI very easily for the same reason. Finally, the F59PHI is built in Ontario in London, while the GE plant is in Erie, PA. EMD has gone through some hard times, so there may be political pressure to buy locomotives locally. While it really may not matter, I do however, wonder what the GO paint scheme will look like on the new power, but only time will tell. |
March 21 |
Brampton Transit |
| I live in a subdivision in Caledon, which is a very large municipality with several villages separated by long stretches of rural farmland and country homes. As a result, there is no public transit. Fortunatly, I live at the very south end of Caledon, along the border with Brampton. So I guess you can say that Brampton Transit is my home system. Too bad my home system has so many problems. Transit in Brampton has several problems. First, the major roads are very far apart in comparison to Toronto, meaning that one has to walk very far to access the grid system BT operates. The second is that within these grids, the streets follow a garden pattern, meaning that buses that bring residents closer to their homes would have complicated, twisted routes. The third is that development in brampton outpaces infrastructure construction. The roads are congested beyone anything I have seen in Etobicoke in normal conditions. Regular rush-hour traffic in Brampton is equal to rush-hour traffic trying to get around an accident in the city. Finally, Brampton transit has terrible connections with other systems. After I introduced my Aunt (who lives in Brampton) to the York Mills GO bus, she swore never to ride Brampton Transit to the subway again. The only bus that connects to the TTC subway is the 77 HIGHWAY 7, which is a joint BT-YRT route that runs between Bramalea City Centre and the York Region Terminal at Finch Subway. The travel time is measure in hours, not minutes. I hate to focus only on Brampton Transit's flaws, as it does have many strengths. It does have the only double-decker bus in municipal service in Ontario, and this bus is almost a tourist attraction. To improve service on Brampton Transit, the flaws of the system need to be addressed. The first is to streamline the routes into a stronger grid system, and then run neighborhood buses from the transit terminals located around the city. This includes running routes where there were no routes before. The next step is to improve connections with YRT, TTC and Mississauga Transit. Brampton is essentially a bedroom community, and for the system to be a success, it need quick connections with other municipalities. The final step is to add bus rapid transit to connect the many different transit terminals and to improve service on some of the more traveled routes. Potential candidates for BRT include the 1A/1B QUEEN, 2 MAIN, and 5 BOVAIRD. With these changes, and quicker response to changing traffic patterns, Brampton Transit has the potential to become a great system. |
Vaughan Road |
| A quick glance at a Toronto street map reveals that Toronto is laid out in a series of uniformly spaced grids. These grids are small in the old city, and larger in the suburbs. This is a product of the concession system of land division used by the first europeans to arrive in the area, and is much more visible in the rural areas, where there aren't any smaller streets within the grid. Occasionally, one road will run diagonally, as is the case with Weston Road and Albion Road. These roads served a purpose of linking the village of Weston and Albion Township (the Bolton area) with the city, but another road like this seems to have been turned into a residential street. Vaughan Road is this road, and is currently covered by a bus that runs out of St. Clair West station. The street is a candidate for streetcar conversion, as it would serve the residents in this area, and could provide a connection between streetcars on Oakwood, streetcars on St. Clair and streetcars on Bathurst north of Bloor. The VAUGHAN ROAD streetcar could either run out of St. Clair West, as the bus currently does, or could be operated as a northern branch of the BATHURST cars. Either way, the route would operate along Vaughan to Eglinton, where a connection would be possible to the Dufferin Station on an Eglinton West Subway. While this route never had a streetcar, it could be built as a tribute a routes that cannot be rebuilt. Harbord St. saw streetcar service, but I believe that University Ave and Queens Park Circle are the last two great avenues left in the city, and i'm a little weary of laying streetcar track on these roads. As a result, the VAUGHAN ROAD route can be built instead of the 94 WELLESLEY. |
Milton GO Line |
| Since GO Transit, for the most part, doesn't own it's own rails, their trains are at the mercy of freight trains. This is generally what restricts operations. Fortunatly, most of the rails that GO runs only sees the occasional road-switcher, which run on a "however long it takes to drop and pickup cars from industries" schedule. For example, on the Georgetown line, aside from a once-a-day freight to and from the CP interchange, no regular freight trains operate on the line between Union and Bramalea. On the Lakeshore West and Richmond Hill lines, regular freights only run west of CN Burlington West and north of CN Doncaster respectively. On the Stouffville and Bradford lines, the trains must pass an active rail crossing, which can tie things up. This also occurs on the run to Georgetown. The only line that doesn't have to deal with fright traffic is the Lakeshore east, which runs on GO's own rails next to the CN main line to Montreal. The Milton Corridor is different, as the trip is 40.1 miles, but only 4.9 miles are free from freight traffic. This means that unless another track is added, Milton trains likely won't see any increased service, aside from the plan to run 12-coach train as soon as the new locomotives begin arriving. With the amount of buses that make the midday runs between Milton and Union, and plans to increase that service, there is a clear demand for midday service, and an additional track on the CP Galt Sub will allow for this. Earlier this year, GO Transit announced a new station to be built in the Winston Churchill and 401 area, to be named Lisgar. I drove through that area today, and judging from the amount of development, a station is needed to serve this area and to get people off the road who would otherwise have to drive to Meadowvale or Streetsville. Another station could be built in the Jane an Dundas area in Toronto, and would be able to connect with a DUNDAS streetcar extention to Jane. Finally, the at the end of the line, trains can run west of Milton, with stops in Guelph Junction (Campbellville) and Galt (Cambridge). Grand River Transit, with no less than three post-secondary institutions within their network, has a pretty good system, and will be able to serve the stop in Galt. The Milton corridor has always been a very busy corridor, and is definitly the place to start when it comes to increasing train service. |
March 20 |
Bathurst |
| When I was young, my cousin used to take me and my brother to the CNE every year. We would always drive to Yorkdale, get Kernels popcorn, ride the subway to Bathurst Station, and then ride the 511 to Exhibition loop. It was the highlight of my summer. Nowadays, we tend to drive to Port Credit and take the GO train to Exhibition, but I wouldn't mind riding the 511 again. The 511 BATHURST streetcar one of the two lines that run Articulated Light Rail Vehicles (ALRV). The other is QUEEN. These articulated cars can carry 155 passengers under normal conditions, and 205 under a crush load. A regular Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV) can only hold 102 passenger and 132 under crush load. Now, there are streetcar tracks on Bathurst extending north all the way to St. Clair, but BATHURST cars turn back at Bloor. How come? One of the reasons is that a subway station is a perfect division point. Since the 7 BATHURST bus runs all the way up to Steeles and beyond, the station makes a logical transfer point, simillar to the separation of ISLINGTON and ISLINGTON SOUTH at Islington Station. For Bathurst cars to run up to St. Clair and into St. Clair West Station, which is what I am proposing, changes would have to made to the number 7 Bus. One option would be leave it alone for combined service on that stretch of Bathurst, and the other option would be to have it run express from St. Clair, stopping at only the major streets on its way to Bloor. The other reason BATHURST cars don't run further is that the ALRVs are too heavy to make it up the hill between Dupont and Davenport when the rails are wet. This is definite challenge, and may not be overcome until the next generation of streetcars are purchased. But when these are overcome, it will return streetcar service along one of the city's major north-south streets. |
March 19 |
Lakeshore GO Line |
| The Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West lines have always been the backbone of the GO system, linking not only the western and eastern suburbs with Toronto, but also linking the suburbs to each other. It's the only line that runs true all-day service, and the only lines that operate on weekends. In my opinion, the lines are nearly perfect. However, sometimes there are still ways to improve perfection. In their 2005 plan, GO has covered just about everything to help improve the lines. Starting from Hamilton, the plan is to build a layover facility at the station, allowing trains to be put into service more quickly. An additional track will be built from Hamilton Jct to Burlinton, separating GO trains from a freight-heavy section of the Oakville sub. Next, an additional track will be built between Port Credit and Oakville, improving the entire subdivision to a three track minimum. More trains can mean more trains, or it can mean more options when a challenge arrises. Continuing east of Union Station, a third track will be built between Don Yard and the point around Eglinton GO station, where the Uxbridge Sub branches off. This will separate the Lakeshore East and Stouffville lines, allowing for the improvement of service on both corridors. The end result of all these improvements will eventually mean all-day service from Hamilton GO Centre to Oshawa GO station. With buses connecting Oshawa with Bomanville and Newcastle, GO train service could eventually reach these communities one day. |
Parliament |
| Streetcars along Parliament date back to the days before the TTC, and like BROADVIEW, is an easy route to convert to streetcar that will serve Parliament St and Queens Quay East. Starting from Castle Frank station, the cars would run south on Parliament to Queens Quay, serving some of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. At Queens Quay, it would head west to Bay and to Union Station via Queens Quay, serving some of the newest neighborhoods in the city. With five routes now serving Union Station's streetcar station, a redesign would be needed to manage and separate these routes. A setup like Dundas West might work, but more tracks may be needed. Given the fact that the station is underground, this might make things challenging, but the benefits will result in all surface routes to Union being consolidated in one place, simplifying things for residents and tourists alike. |
Broadview |
| At the time the ROGERS ROAD, WESTON ROAD and OAKWOOD streetcars were being proposed (including the LAMBTON which was not built), there were also proposals by the Township of York for routes in East York. These proposals never amounted to anything, one route of today could be converted to streetcar, allowing the residents of East York to finally see streetcar service. The route to convert would be 8 BROADVIEW, and could be run as an extention of the KING streetcar. The route would travel north of Bloor on Broadview to where Broadview becomes O' Connor. There, it would continue east to Cowell and loop in the heart of Olde East York Village, finally finishing an unfinished chapter in Toronto transit history. Routes like BROADVIEW make streetcar conversion easy, as they are straightforward, with few twists and turns, and very little running on sidestreets. |
March 18 |
Kingston Road |
| Streetcars along Kingston Road have a long history, as does the road itself. I'm not sure if you can still use the road to get to Kingston, but just like Weston Road, it's name likely comes from the final destination. However, it doesn't appear that Rogers Road fits the pattern. The two streetcar routes that run along this road are unique in two ways. First of all, the KINGSTON ROAD TRIPPER (503) is the only remaining route with Tripper in it's name. To avoid a complicated discussion, a tripper is a streetcar that comes from the outskirts of the city and loops in the financial district. As for the 502 DOWNTOWNER, it's route has not changed in a very long time. However, perhaps some change is in order. Here is my proposition, which is also an ammendment to my DUNDAS plan. The first step is to extend the line out to Birchmount, the historical terminus of the KINGSTON ROAD cars. From there, they will continue on to the present terminus at Bingham Loop (Victoria Park), and follow the regular route to Queen and Coxwell. At Queen, the 503 cars will continue to Wellingon and York, but the 502 Cars will go north on Coxwell, then travel east on Dundas. This will form the eastern terminus of the DUNDAS cars, instead of having them turn up Carlaw to head to Pape station. Once the cars get to McCaul and Dundas, they will turn south on McCaul and enter the loop from the other side. This service will come closer to the Ontario College of Art and Design, allowing for a more convenient commute for OCAD students. The second ammendment to my DUNDAS plan is to extend the line even further, out to Jane, but maintain a short turn loop at Runnymede, as the 30 LAMBTON bus also covers this strectch of Dundas. All in all, this long route would have several loops to allow service to be concentrated as needed. Besides the ends at Jane and Birchmount, cars would be able to turn around at Runnymede, Dundas West station, Lansdowne, McCaul, Queen-Coxwell and Bingham, in addition to any number of cross routes. This ability to modify service to meet demand and to detour around blockages is key to running a efficient system. |
March 17 |
Mount Pleasant |
| Aside from the old tracks from the days when Adelaide, Richmond and Wellington were two-way, and the occasional tracks beginning to show from under pavement, there is a reminder of a fallen streetcar clearly visible if you know where to look. At St. Clair and Yonge, tracks extend for a few meters east of the lead into St. Clair station. This is all that remains of the MT PLEASANT streetcar. The Original ST CLAIR cars ran from Yonge out to Keele, while the section from St. Clair and Lansdowne to Mt Pleasant, then north to Eglinton was covered by EARLSCOURT and later, MT PLEASANT cars. This route has a special meaning for me, as George's Trains, one of, if not the, largest model train stores in the country is located on Mt Pleasant just north of Davisville. Building a model railroad has been an on-again, off-again project with my father and has been the source of many childhood memories. It seems that whenever I go to this area, it's always sunny. To get the MT PLEASANT cars going, there will need to be a redesign of the St. Clair Station loop to separated eastbound cars from westbound cars. The best solution would likely be a setup like St. Clair West station, where the different cars simply stop at different places along the track. From Yonge, the line will go east along St. Clair to Mount Pleasant, and head north. Aside from a slight incline, it should be smooth sailing to Eglinton, where the original line ended. At Eglinton, it's a short run back west to loop at Eglinton Station. This line will serve residents in Rosedale and business owners in Mount Pleasant Village, providing transportation for many. An option for this line could be to extend it south past St. Clair and down to Bloor where Mt. Pleasant becomes Jarvis, across Wellesley to Church, and down Church to front. In effect, this restore and expands on two streetcar lines in a very pretty and sunny area of the city. |
The Streetcar That Wasn't |
| I wonder how many people question why all doors open at Kennedy Station on the RT when it doesn't happen anywhere else. And I wonder if anyone asks where the tail track at that station goes in a loop just to dead-end right back at the platform. To answer these questions, one must understand that the Scarborough RT was originally planned to be streetcars running on an elevated track. For streetcars to run, there have to be loops at both ends. One was at Kennedy station, and the other was at McCowan Yard. The track had been laid, and all was set, when the Province jumped in to make things complicated. They had just created a crown corporation called the Urban Transportation Development Corp (UTDC), and wanted a place to show off their new Intermediate Capacity Transportation System (ICTS). The RT was chosen. The McCowan Yard loop was very large, so the cars had no problems there, but a problem that plagues model railroaders came up. When building a model railroad, you need a large turning radius to run large engines and cars, but usually space in a premium. The same thing happend here. A turning radius that was fine for a streetcar was not fine for the ICTS. Four car trains went down to two, but the cars kept derailing even at a crawl. When they weren't derailing, they were screaching like a banshee. In the end, the decision was to run the line as a traditional point-to-point line. The northbound station track was removed, as it was no longer needed for loop operations, and the platform was extended over it. The loop was left, as removing things cost money. All in all, the ICTS demonstration was a success, as Vancouver purchased the technology. Ironically, Vancouver ended up upgrading to fully automatic, leaving Toronto, the city that started it all, still using operators. One final note. The province paid for the cost overruns for converting the line to use the new technology. Now if they were always that kind... |
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March 17 |
The Next Generation Subways |
| Since subways run on electricity, we likely won't see any new propulsion systems. If anything, the improvements would be at the power plant that generates the electricity. As for design, I'm not sure anything needs to be done. High speed trains are streamlined, but the subway doesn't exactly need to run at high speed. For now, I think the box on wheels will work fine. If any structural changes occur, they will likely be in the construction materials, as stronger and lighter materials are developed. The next generation subways will likely have more computers to increase safety and efficiency of the system. An upgraded computer system will be able to locate where the trains are, and send instructions directly to the driver. The driver will be able to see the status of the next signal on a monitor. With a more precise signalling systems, the trains will be able to run faster and closer together without compromising safety. One day, the trains could be fully automated, although while I'm a big fan of technology, I'm not sure if I want to give computers control over the doors. |
The Next Generation Streetcars |
| On the rails is where we will see the greatest changes as technology advances, but there will be problems to overcome. The main problem is how to make the streetcar fleet accessible while having room under the floor for the truck assembly. The simplest way is to add a wheelchair lift to the front steps. The other way is to build a the frame in a flying U shape, with high areas at the front and back and a low area in the middle. This would give the car a low floor, but it actually causes more problems. First, the low floor doors would have to be in the centre of the car instead of the front. This would put the door behind the operator, making it hard to monitor passengers comming on and off. A two-operator system would solve this, but that would increase the cost. Aside from being wheelchair accessible, the next generation will see a higher percentage of articulated cars, and will overcome the problems the current articulated cars have. The first is that they don't take some intersections very well, and de-wire. The second problem is that when the rails are wet, they are too heavy to get up the hill between Dupont and Davenport. This is why they don't operate north of Bloor. This can be solved by doing what Montreal did for it's subway. By using rubber traction tires on the wheels, traction and smoothness of the ride can be improved. All in all, the new streetcars will be better, but should still retain the classic streetcar look. |
The Next Generation Buses |
| Eventually, the current fleet of transit vehicles across the GTA will begin to show their age, and will need to be replaced. So what can we look forward to in the next generation of vehicles? I don't think the design of buses will change very much, but we will start to see a change from the traditional box-on-wheels to a more sloped front, like the Nova RTS buses the TTC currently uses. Of course, the buses will either be low floor models, either with a fully low floor or a combination of low-floor and balcony. We will also begin to see alternative fuel technologies. The TTC has invested in compressed natural gas, but diesel-electric hybrid and fuel cell power is also on the rise. The new buses will have GPS trackers to allow for realtime service updates. In the future, we will begin to see more high-capacity vehicles. The TTC had a fleet of Orion III articulated buses, but they were retired due to abnormally high structural corrosion. The bus bodies were built in Europe, where road salt isn't used as much, which is the reason for the corrosion. We Canadians like our Timmy's hot and our roads salted. The current generation of articulated buses have overcome this problem, and Mississauga Transit has a large fleet of 60 foot, low floor articulated buses which are designed and built by a company that knows Canadian winters, the Winnipeg-based New Flyer. For areas where articulated buses cannot turn tightly enough, such as downtown Brampton, double-decker buses are an option. Brampton Transit has a double-decker bus, and is very interested in getting more. |
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POP |
| Because of the nature of heavy-rail transit, collecting individual fares is simply out of the question. So, GO Transit runs a proof-of-payment system. You must cancel your two-ride or ten-ride tickets in the machine in order for them to be valid. The fare system is enforced by random inspections, but there are only so many enforcement officers for the entire system. Once, my train was checked every day for a week, and then another month passed before I was checked again. While this is the best system possible, it does allow for fraud. Since GO uses a fare-zone system, some cheats only pay to a certain fare zone, but ride the line further. Another thing I've seen is people cancelling the 10th ride on the ticket, then throwing the ticket away immediately. Basically, they have just thrown away their proof of payment. This isn't really fare fraud, but rather stupidity. POP has it's advantages and disadvantages, but it's something that might work for the TTC. The QUEEN, DOWNTOWNER and KINGSTON ROAD TRIPPER streetcars use a POP system, which allows passengers with transfers to board at all doors. Now, these streetcars are unique, as they don't enter a subway station. That way, a fare cheat can't transfer to the rest of the system. This setup will only work on routes that serve subways without fare-paid bus terminals, such as 35 JANE and 47 LANSDOWNE. This could work really well on the 35 bus, especially at Wilson and Jane, where many people change buses. |
March 16 |
Don Valley Corridor Plan |
| I've ridden the 25 DON MILLS bus, and in my opinion, it's a candidate for bus rapid transit. Streetcars, since they don't run in the curb lanes, only really work on streets that have two lanes in each direction - perfect for downtown Toronto. Don Mills has three lanes, so either a Spadina-style setup would have to be used, with the platforms in the middle of the street. However, bus rapid transit requires only the street signs be changed to inform cars not to use the curb lanes. Bus Rapid Transit is the plan the mayor has been suggesting, in addition to some other things. They include a new GO station in the area and BRT lanes on the DVP for a faster downtown express. I'm glad to see politicians talking transit, but I think increasing local service would be a better idea than improving the downtown express buses (which i also like, by the way). Toronto is a very large city, and while alot of people work downtown, there needs to be options for people who don't work downtown. For example, my aunt lives in Milton and works in the Bloor and Dundas area. If it were not for the Kipling GO station, she would have to go downtown just to come all the way back. Rather than getting more people downtown faster, I think the public transit objectives for Toronto should be to get people to the subway faster. All in all, I like the plan for Don Mills, and it'll be interesting how well this plan flies. |
March 15 |
Orangeville GO Line |
| GO Transit currently runs a bus to Orangeville that meets the Georgetown Trains at Brampton or Bramalea and runs north to Orangeville via Hwy 10. The north end of Brampton is seeing an obscene amount of development, and overcrouding on the Georgetown line is obvious to anyone who rides this line (like myself). The Orangeville GO train would begin it's downtown journey in, of all places, Orangeville, at the original CP station site. Unfortunatly, the station building has been moved, forcing us to build a new building or move the station back. It is a very beautiful station. Continuing south along the Orangeville-Brampton Railway, the next stop would likely be in northern Caledon, likely in Alton. Continuing south, the next stop will be in Inglewood, where the now extinct CNR Beeton Sub crossed the line. The next stop would be Snelgrove, where a small yard exists. This is the stop that would serve the massive development in the north of Brampton. The line continues south, and the next stop would come in southwest Brampton, in a community called Churchville. This is the site of the original CP Brampton station. It was to be used as the station building for the new Mount Pleasant station on the Georgetown line, but I believe it was decided not to use it. Currently, the building is stored dismantled, but this line could return it to it's original site. Continuing south, the line enters Mississauga and approaches the junction with the CP Galt sub at Streetsville. Streetsville GO station is a short distance away, and is the next stop. Since this train is for Orangeville passengers, the train should run express between Streetsville and Kipling so that Milton line passengers (I have nothing against them) don't end up crowding the Orangeville riders off the line. However, in the event of low ridership, these trains can suppliment the Milton line. At Kipling, the trains will continue east, but instead of heading towards Union, the trains will continue to follow the Galt Sub with a stop at where the line crosses Spadina Rd. This will allow passengers to transfer onto the Spadina subway. Continuing east, it's a short run to the final stop at CP's majestic North Toronto Station. Assuming urban sprawel continues the way it's going, this line will be a necessity, as new home construction in Brampton and Orangeville shows no signs of stopping. In addition to that, this line, by going to North Toronto instead of Union, it will open up this station for future expansion while taking pressure off of the downtown hub. And might I say, the future can be as bright as we decide to make it. |
Bloor-Danforth Subway Extention |
| The Eaton Centre, Yorkdale, Scarborough Town Centre, Fairview Mall, and many of the smaller shopping centres are all serviced by the various subway lines, but one major mall remains just a few blocks away. Sherway Gardens, in the far southwest corner of Etobicoke, where the 427 meets the QEW. Building a subway to this area can help serve this mall and provide easiser connections to for Mississauga Transit. Building from Kipling station, the line would have to dodge the condo developments, and continue along Dundas to a stop at Dundas and East Mall. This stop would serve the other malls in the area, Cloverdale and Honeydale Mall. From here, the line would swing south and run to it's terminus at Sherway Gardens. This will allow Mississauga Transit a subway connection that's closer to actual Mississauga, and also bring the subway to a slightly more upscale conclusion than an industrial area near a rail yard. Although, the nearby Jaguar dealership is fairly ritsy. |
March 14 |
Sheppard Subway Extention |
| The Sheppard subway doesn't run anywhere near capacity, and that's been it's criticisms. Maybe that's because it's not finished. If I live at, say, Birchmount and Finch, why would I travel down Birchmount to Sheppard, then west to Yonge when I can just ride the bus down to Warden Station? The plan was to run the line out to Scarborough Town Centre, but there wasn't enough cash. In a way, building in stages is financially wise, but it does take longer. All in all, the Sheppard Subway will be a ghost train until we finish it. So lets finish it! The Sheppard line stations, like the northern Yonge stations were built far apart compared to the southern Yonge, University or Bloor-Danforth stations. This is mainly because there are fewer major cross-streets in that area. I can only assume this was the same reasoning behind the Sheppard subway, but in my opinion, they missed a stop at Willowdale Ave. This stop could streamline the bus network by splitting the U-shaped 98 WILLOWDALE-SENLAC route into two seperate routes. At Leslie station, a walkway is being built to the nearby Oriole GO station. There was talk of relocating the station, but I've always liked the location because it saves space by having parking under the 401 bridge. East from the current terminus at Don Mills, stations would be located at every major cross-street. From west to east, they would be Consumers, Victoria Park, Pharmacy, Warden, and Birchmount. The next stop is a toss up, as the line should serve Agincourt GO station, but it's located halfway between Kennedy and Midland. I'm leaning towards placing it between the GO station and Kennedy, as Midland on the RT is nearby. The next stop would be at Brimley, then the train would swing south to it's terminus at Scarborough Centre. This line will serve not only the people of this area, but also the people of Markham, who will no longer have to ride the bus down to Bloor to get downtown. My buddy's father was one of the lead engineers on the Sheppard Subway, so even though I have no physical connection that area, the Sheppard line is something I definitly want to see to completion. |
Dupont & Bay |
| Once upon a time, these routes were one. Before the University subway opened, the route was called DUPONT, and the cars ran from Christie Loop at Dupont and Christie to York Loop at the foot of York Street. The routing was by way of Dupont, Davenport, Bay and Queens Quay. The original DUPONT cars only went to City Hall Loop, while the original BAY cars ran from York Loop to Earlscourt loop via Bay, Avenue and St. Clair. Today, the old DUPONT cars are split into two routes. 6 BAY and 26 DUPONT (which is also made up of the old ANNETTE Trolley bus) are these two routes, and a return to streetcars will bring trendy transit to the annex at the north end, and something more upscale than buses to the financial district. Short turn loops would be placed at the Dupont/Dundas/Annette/Old Weston Road Junction, and also in the Dupont and Davenport area. This will allow sectional operation in case traffic patterns show the routes are better off staying seperate. At the south end of the line, cars can be routed onto Harbour Street, Yonge and Queens Quay to access the tunnel to Union Station by the same new entrance that would have to be built for my PAPE streetcar proposal. While streetcars can carry much more people than buses, they cannot swerve around things blocking their path, making an accident crippling for the entire line. Since a line along Bay would cross most of the major east-west lines, a streetcar route would allow traffic controllers a number of options in the event of a blockage, making the BAY streetcar not only good for moving people, but good for operations in general. |
Davenport |
| In my opinion, Davenport and Spadina is one of the most scenic areas of the city, but then again, I tend to think that of every corner of Toronto. Davenport once had the DOVERCOURT streetcar, which ran from St. Clair and Old West Road to Dovercourt via Davenport, and in the 1940s, a bus covered the section from Spadina to Dovercourt. This is the allingment today, with the route going south on Spadina Road to end at Spadina Station. By converting the 127 DAVENPORT to streetcar operation, it would bring a service that would look perfect alongside Casa Loma, Spadina House and the Toronto Archives and add to the heritage feel of these landmarks. Also, this route would serve George Brown College, and could take pressure off of St. George station by allowing George Brown students to take the streetcar from Spadina station. The trick would be to find a way for the cars to enter the underground Spadina Station loop, which only has an entrance on the south side of Bloor. A new entrance could be built, but that would be complicated by the subway tracks. The other option would be to run around on side streets or even to divert to another station. |
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Rogers Road |
| ROGERS ROAD was one of the 4 township of York routes (the others were LAMBTON, WESTON ROAD and OAKWOOD), and originally ran up Oakwood from St. Clair, then west along Rogers to Bicknell loop, near Weston Road. Along with a new streetcar along Ossington, this route would effectively reinstate the DOVERCOURT streetcar, since the 161 bus covers Dovercourt from Bloor to Davenport. At the end of the line, tracks would have to be extended along Rogers past Bicknell to Weston Road, with a short turn loop at Avon Loop, right at the corner of Weston and Rogers. While this seems pretty straightforward, it's this point in the route has an operating challenge. I'll come back to that. Once the Rogers Road cars get to Weston Road, some can short turn at Avon Loop, while others can run up Weston Road to Eglinton, where a stop on the Eglinton West subway would likely be. This stop would also connect with the Georgetown GO line, making a regional transit terminal in the area. Now for the challenge and it's solution. Only the 161A buses turn around at Avon Loop to head back to Ossington station. The 161 regular buses go north on weston for a block, then go west on Humber Blvd and Alliance Ave to Jane. The first option to solve this problem would be to rework the nearby 71B RUNNYMEDE bus to pick up some of the lost streets. The second option would be to create a new route that serves this neighborhood, and would operate out of the future Eglinton West subway station at Weston Road. Depending on the way in which my fantasy system comes to being, the first option can be temporary until the second option is ready. |
Once Upon A Time |
| I'm really on a roll today, and I think it's because it's the weekend. I was going to write a post about the 161 ROGERS ROAD, but I got off track and started talking about the history of the TTC in my preable. So, I started over, and I'm going to write about a chapter in the history of the TTC and the 161 later. Once upon a time, the TTC actually made a profit and was able to operate without tax money. How was this possible, especially compared to the perennial financial crisis of today's era? In today's system, there are two fare zones. When leaving the new city of Toronto (post-amalgamation), riders have to pay an extra fare. Now, lets flash back to 1954 when the Yonge subway opened. Instead of 2 fare zones, there are 3. When leaving the old city of Toronto, riders had to pay an extra fare. For example, someone who lived in Port Credit and wanted to go downtown would have to pay a second fare at Long Branch loop, and a third when crossing into the old city of Toronto at the Humber River. This setup continued until 1972. As the municipalities of Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York and East York grew, they gained more political power and were able to eliminate zone 2. Ever since then, the TTC has had to rely on subsidies to operate. The system is one of the most cost-effective systems in North America, but because of the tax support, politicians, not urban planners get to decide what goes where. In my opinion, we need to reverse that if we ever want a system that's reliable and goes where people need to go. |
March 13 |
Ossington |
| 63 OSSINGTON is a route that once had streetcars, but it was a trolley bus route before being converted to bus in 1992. This line may have replaced the Oakwood streetcar, but is one of the many places I would like to see streetcars return. Tracks exist on a Ossington between College and Dundas, and on Shaw between King and Queen. With alot of development in the King and Strachan area, this line would serve those residents very well. Extending the line along Strachan south of the tracks could serve the developments in the Liberty Street area, and from there, the line can run to either Exhibition Loop or to Fleet Loop for the return trip. A short turn loop should be built to loop via Douro Street, as this is the current terminus of the bus, and also at Oakwood and St. Clair, where a short turn loop for St. Clair cars is already located. |
Union Station |
| Union Station's terminal building is majestic, but it's train shed is slightly less than majestic. It's in need of refurbishment, and this is an opportunity to build something beautiful. We only have to look to Europe for inspiration. The station in Bonn Germany has a glass trainshed roof, which could do wonders for the dark and dreary nature of the union station platform.The trick will be removing and replacing the roof without interfering with the station's daily operations. Also, the stations interlocking system which controls the switches and signals needs to be upgraded, as they are still using vintage 1930's equipment. Again, the trick will be to replace the current system without interfereing in the stations operations. When it's done, it will bring back the majesty Union Station once had. While all these things will improve Union's train station, Union TTC station will need some upgrades. It currently has the narrowest island platform on the line. THe current plan is to completely redesign the station to make it more rider friendly and to build a second platform. All I have to say is "it's about time." |
Bradford GO Line |
| The recent opening of the new GO Station in East Gwillimbury is the start of alot of improvements to this line. Alot of the things I was going to suggest for improving the line is already going to begin, and I can't complain about that at all. The first improvement should be a grade separation where the CN Newmarket Subdivision crosses the CP North Toronto Subdivision, CP's main line through the city. Not having to wait for freights to clear will make a faster, more reliable trip. Next, we need a new stop where the line crosses Eglinton. There was an old CN/VIA passenger stop at St. Clair, but a stop at Eglinton would connect with the Caledonia station on the future Eglinton West Subway. The next stop will be a relocated York University station, either where the line crosses Finch or where Chesswood approaches the track. There would be subway connections with the Spadina extention at Chesswood, or with the my Finch Elevated proposal (comming soon) at Finch. Continuing north, GO is already working on a grade separation at CN Snider, where the line crossed the York Sub. With all the trains comming in and out of CN MacMillan Yard, the largest railyard in the country, there's a definite need to avoid having to wait for a freight to clear. However, there's a catch. VIA Rail's transcontinental train, the Canadian, crosses past the York Sub, the backs onto the line to continue east. The design will have to take this move into account. From this point, the line continues north to Bradford as usual. The plan is to extend the line to Barrie with a stop in Lefroy and two stops in Barrie, bringing the cut service back to the city. The stations are planned for the north and south outskirts, but a station in the downtown area might also be a good idea. Finally, the extension to Barrie might open up special GO seasonal service to Collingwood via the Barrie-Collingwood Railway. If you've ever driven through Collingwood during the Elvis Festival, you'll know why I'm suggesting this. I don't recommend driving through downtown Collingwood during the Elvis Festival. |
Georgetown GO Line |
| I've decided that instead of going back and editing previous posts when I think of something new, I'll just make a new one, so that anyone who's already read it (if anyone acutally reads this thing) won't miss the update. The Eglinton West subway, which is on hold pending funding, would pass under the CN Weston Subdivision, which carries the Georgetown GO line. It only makes sense to build a connection so people who work uptown won't have to travel downtown just to come back north, which is the entire reasoning behind the other GO-TTC connections. The station would be in the Weston Road and Eglinton area, and would likely be named Mount Dennis. Even with Toronto so flat, there are alot of places with Mount in their names. Likely the station would share facilities with it's subway counterpart. Speaking of connections, Bloor GO station needs some sort of walkway to connect to the Dundas West subway station. Currently, the only legal way is to walk down to Bloor street, then walk a block west to Dundas. I have seen people try and cut through the field before they fixed the fence about a year ago, and I have seen them almost get hit by a Milton line train, which doesn't stop at Bloor. Probably the easiest way to do this would be to make a secondary entrance at the east end of the Dundas West platform, and run a tunnel under the building at the corner and under the tracks to the GO Station. This can also pave the way for an exit to the opposite side of Dundas. |
Lower Bay |
| The TTC is far from being a secretive organization, but many people don't know exaclty what lies below their feet. Everyone knows that St. George station is a transfer point, and has the two platforms stacked on top of each other, but not many people know that Bay station has this same arrangement. When the Bloor-Danforth subway opened, there was a unique routing of trains. A train would leave Eglinton and go to St. George via downtown, then transfer onto the Bloor Danforth line to end at Keele. The train would then go east to Woodbine normally, and then come back westbound. Instead of running through the upper level of Bay, it would drop down to the lower level and use the connection to transfer onto the University line and head to Eglinton via downtown. This was the routing for every second train, and at the time, it matched the pattern of travel for most passenger. Perfect, or was it? Well, since both lines were being operated as one, a delay on one line caused a delay on the entire system. That, and studies showed that 60% of people didn't care either way about the routing. And that (and a bunch of other reasons) is why, today, subways don't stop at lower Bay. Today, lower Bay is used for movie shoots, subway charters and equipment moves. There was a plan to reinstate the downtown service back in 1995, minus the stop at lower Bay, but nothing became of it. It might be a good idea, as anything to take pressure off of Yonge-Bloor would be good. It also reminds me of the DANFORTH TRIPPER streetcars of the pre-subway era that brought east end residents directly downtown. Sometimes we only need to look to the past for some really good ideas. |
Yonge Subway Extention |
| Yonge Street north of Finch has at least five TTC routes, and numerous GO Transit, YRT and Brampton Transit buses. This begs a simple question. Why does the STEELES WEST and STEELES EAST bus have to head down to Finch to head into the subway? This is where I propose we extend the Yonge subway. The line currently ends at Finch, but under my plan, would be extended north. The first stop would be at Drewry Ave/Cummer Ave, but would likely be named the first, as I can't keep a straight face when I say Cummer. Clearly, I'm fourteen. The next and final stop would be at Steeles, which would serve Centrepoint Mall and become a gateway to York Region. This leaves the only bus to run up Yonge to be the 97 YONGE, instead of nearly a dozen. Unfortunatly, extending a subway from a terminus that has been around for a long time is alot harder than laying new streetcar track. Finch has an extensive bus terminal for TTC, and is the site of the large YRT and GO bus terminal. It would be a shame to abandon these facilities, as the York Region terminal would have to be relocated to Steeles. Also, the Finch bus terminal would now only serve the FINCH EAST and FINCH WEST bus (97 YONGE doesn't enter the station). While nothing can really be done about the TTC Terminal, but the York Region terminal can be turned into park n' ride, or it can be sold for a very nice price and redeveloped. |
Viva York |
| Bus rapid transit is an option for communities where subways or light-rail won't work, either logistically or financially. A bus on a private road can cruise past gridlock, and then pop back into traffic where private roads can't be built, like historic downtown areas. York Region has invested heavily in bus rapid transit, and the first section is set to open in September. What makes the new service, named Viva, special isn't necessarily the route, but it's the technology supporting the system. The shelters are going to have ticket vending machines, allowing riders to purchase tickets in advance, which allows for boarding at all doors when the bus arrives. The shelters also have displays that not only show the service status, but they also show the time till the next bus arrives and the time it takes to get to the end of the line. I have always felt that there would be fewer complaints if passengers fully understood the nature of delays, and that kind of display will definitly do the trick. I'll post a link to the website for Viva, which has a route map. YRT might be on to something here, and many communities might want to follow their lead. |
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March 12 |
Wheel Trans |
| In Toronto, wheel trans provides transit service to the disabled and to people who cannot take regular transit for whatever reason. In Peel, where I live, it's called Trans-Help, and is run by the Region instead of by Brampton or Mississauga Transit. These special transit services are vital services, as I believe no one should be confined to their homes. Everyone should be able to access any service. But one day, I hope there comes a time when these special services are not needed. I hope one day all bus routes are accessible to people in wheelchairs and mobility devices. All subway stations should one day have elevators. All GO stations should one days have mini-platforms. I even think they should build accessible streetcars. With the truck assembly being so large, this might be difficult, so we may need to look at buses and cars with lifts instead of only low-floor models. Accessibility must be phased in. All you need to do is look the movie industry. They built too many giga-plexes too quickly, and had to raise ticket prices to cover the cost. It may take a long time, but eventually, we won't need special services like Wheel Trans, and that is what I want in the end. A system where eveyone who wants to get around the city can do just that. |
Spadina Subway Extention |
| All you have to do is stand at the corner of Sheppard and the Allen to see why York University needs a subway. I've always joked about how the 29 DUFFERIN runs every 10 seconds, but the 196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET runs every five seconds, in groups of 2. Something needs to be done, and while an environmental assesment isn't putting any trains in the ground, it's a step in the right direction. Here is the plan I would like to see. York University GO station needs to be connected, but right now, it's so far out of the way that it's useless. It should, in my opinion, have been built where the line crosses Finch or where Chesswood approaches the tracks. This will be the first stop on the subway. The next stop should be Keele and Finch, which is already a stop on the proposed plan. Next, we need a stop at York University, preferably near the commons loop for easy transfer to busses. Care has to be taken to make sure the sound of the subway doesn't interfere with the classes. The next stop would be at Steeles, between Jane and Keele. York Region Transit can serve this stop, as well as a large park n' ride lot for those who still insist on driving (they are people too). From here, it's north into York Region, with a stop at Keele and the 407. GO bus passengers can use this stop to avoid transfering at York University. Next is Downtown Vaughan at the 400 and Highway 7 to serve the Vaughan Corporate Centre. From there, it's up alongside the 400 to Vaughan Mills mall and the YRT bus terminal. There is alot of development in this area which will need better transit. This would be the end of the line, and have seasonal bus connections to Paramount Canada's Wonderland. But, you never know... Maybe ridership will be high enough to warrant service to the park, but the jury is still out on that one. |
Georgetown GO Line |
| With the subject of the airport rail link on my mind, I think I'll talk about my suggestions for improving GO service to Georgetown. The first is the West Toronto grade separation, which is already in the works. If the line doesn't have to cross the CP mainline, more trians can be run. The next suggestion is to double track the line. There are alot of single track sections, which means that only one train can pass at a time. This is the main restriction to all-day operations on the line. Once this is done, we can finally start to see Lakeshore Line-style all-day service, with trains going to Bramalea. Because of the investments made to the station already, it's perfect for a gateway terminal. The next step is to improve service further west. VIA rail runs a commuter to and from Kitchener, and this run could be absorbed by GO. Stops would be in Kitcher, Guelph, Rockwood, Acton and then the regular run from Georgetown to Union. As for GO bus service. it would have to be improved to meet the new increased train frequency. Also, I think the Brampton Local buses to and from York Mills should actually enter the bus loop at Bramalea Station. Right now, they stop at the corner of Steeles and Bramalea, which is a very long walk. |
Airport Rail Link |
| Recently, details of the Union-Pearson Group's plan for the high-speed rail link between Union Station and Pearson Airport have been in the news. The trains, which I've heard will be refurbished Budd RDCs, will run on a 22 minute schedule (hence the name Blue 22) from Union. It will stop at Bloor GO Station, and then run express to somewhere around CN Woodbine West, where it will leave the mainline and run to the airport. The problem is that the increased frequency will push the line into a higher safety category, where level crossings are forbidden. The residents of the village of Weston fear that to close the crossings would sever their community in two. Frankly, I agree with them, so I want to offer some alternatives. Since the houses on the streets are so close to the tracks, building overpasses or underpasses might make these homes inaccessible. It can be done, but it's an expensive option. Next, the streets could be closed, and in it's place, a community bus setup by the TTC to shuttle residents on the north side of the track around to Weston Rd or Lawrence, the only underpasses. The final option, and the one I would most like to see, is to not have the Blue 22 at all. As much as I like heavy rail, I've got an idea. Many US airports have People-Movers to ferry people around the large airport complex. These mini-trains tend to be computer controlled. A Pearson People-Mover could connect the terminals, hotels, Park N' Fly lots, a new bus terminal, and most importantly, Malton GO Station. Combine this with improved service on the Georgetown line, and you have a link to Union Station while keeping the crossings in Weston open. The citizens of Malton are also complaining about the possibility of their crossing being closed, but since they have only one, I'm a little less sympathetic. However, they can build an overpass with much greater ease. |
March 11 |
Pape |
| If Toronto ever gets it's act together and revitalizes the waterfront, then improved transit will be needed. Since there isn't much in that area aside from industrial buildings, there's no real need for transit. Hopefully the beautification will get under way eventually, and when it is complete, the city will need to add transit to move people in and out of the area. Here is another route which i think should be converted to streetcar. Just like the HARBOURFRONT streetcar that serves Queens Quay West, it makes sense to me to have a streetcar serve the eastern waterfront and the historic distillery district, as streetcars can be pretty historic. Instead of serving union station from Front and Bay, the new streetcar route would go south on Yonge to Queens Quay and dive underground to run into Union Station Loop. There would be a short turn loop at Carlaw and Queen, as some PAPE buses turn around here. The waterfront will attract tourists, and a while "memories of my day at the waterfront" is good, "memories of my day riding the streetcar to the waterfront" is better. |
Dundas |
| I thought I would start off my entries about restoring the streetcar network to it's former glory by talking about a route that I see every day. That route is the 505 DUNDAS (you might notice I type route names in capitals), which passes by Ryerson University. The 505 runs from Dundas West Station along Dundas Street to Broadview, where it turns north to go to Broadview Station. As it stands now, KING and DUNDAS overlap on Broadview Ave, and this is why I'm proposing changes to the DUNDAS route. Instead of turning north on Broadview, I think the Dundas cars should continue along Dundas past Broadview to Carlaw. At Carlaw, the cars will turn north and follow the 72 PAPE bus' current route to Pape Station (north on Carlaw, east on Riverdale, north on Pape). Right now, the section of Dundas between Carlaw and Broadview has no public transit, making it a long walk north to Gerrard or south to Queen. Also, this line can take some relief off of Bloor-Yonge station, as people comming in from the east can use it to get downtown. Like I said before, I'm not an urban planner, but the way I see it, transportation where there was no transportation before is always a good thing. On the other end of Dundas, the line should be extended west out to Runnymede, which would convert the 40 JUNCTION bus into a streetcar, which aparently is a plan that's been floating around for some time. It's a good idea, and I say run with it. |
| The History of the Toronto Streetcar System |
| Ever wonder why there are streetcar tracks on some streets that see no regular service? Every wonder why the 503 is named CARLTON when it only spends a few blocks on that street? In this post, I'm going to try to explain the history of the streetcar system as it was way back in 1933. Since a this blog doesn't really allow the formatting I want, I'll have to make an offsite page. I'll update this post as soon as that page is up and running. |
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Transfers |
| Some people collect coins or stamps or figures. My collection is (you guessed it) related to public transit. I have a collection of TTC transfers that I have saved over the year. Not only are they colourful and pretty to look at, each one tells a story of a trip taken somewhere in the city. In my opinion, we should return to the days when each subway station transfer was unique, as those were colourful and pretty to look at too. My collection consists of the following surface routes in no particular order: 506 CARLTON, 503 KINGSTON ROAD TRIPPER, 505 DUNDAS, 21 BRIMLEY, 106 YORK UNIVERSITY, 46 MARTIN GROVE, 501 QUEEN, 96 WILSON, 89 WESTON ROAD, 45 KIPLING, 510 SPADINA, 116 MORNINGSIDE, 73 ROYAL YORK, 36 FINCH WEST, 60 STEELES WEST, 108 DOWNSVIEW, 42 CUMMER, 32 EGLINTON WEST, 25 DON MILLS, 84 SHEPPARD WEST. If this collection makes me lame, I really don't care. |
March 10 |
Image |
| When someone asks you about public transit in San Francisco, what is the image that comes to mind? Of course, it is the famous cable cars. What about London? No doubt you are thinking of the double-decker buses. How about New York? The extensive subway network is the first to come to mind. When someone asks you about transportation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, images of the monorail are sure to come up, even if you've never been there. Finally, what about Vancouver? Maybe it's West Coast Express and it's Bombardier Bi-Level coaches (a GO innovation), or the Sky Train (upgraded versions of the Scarborough RT cars), or if you're me, the trolley bus routes (Toronto had an extensive network, and you can still see poles if you know where to look). The point I'm getting at is this. Each city's transit system has an image. Something that's not only a method of getting from A to B, but it's also a tourist attraction in itself. Something that the city can be proud of. May it be Tokyo's bullet trains, Kenosha Wisconsin's historic street railway (which uses restored PCC streetcars in original colours, including a handful of ex-TTC cars), Ottawa's busway, or even Montreal's subway system (which is the only one in the world to run on rubber tires), each city has a transit icon. Toronto's icon has to be it's streetcar system, as it is one of very few, if any left on the continent where the cars run with traffic. That's why I'm a strong believer that the streetcar system should be restored to it's former glory days of the late 1930's early 1940's. I plan to go into detail route by route, but that's something for another day. |
An Introductory Preamble |
| Public transportation is something that is a very touchy issue. Maybe, since the majority of citizens have cars, politicians fear that policies that favour the bus over the car will cause them to lose support. This may or may not be true, but in order to fight gridlock and make sure that anyone who wants to travel around the city can, we need to improve public transit in the Greater Toronto Area. That's why I've started this web-based, blog-like page (I believe blogs are a fad). My plan is to share my ideas on ways transit in this are can be improved. I'm not an urban planner, but I think I have some ideas that I can bring to the table. If nothing else, I hope I can make people wonder "what if?". One day, and hopefully someday soon, the powers that be will realize that public transportation is the wave of the future. It truly is the better way. |