TTC Ticket Kiosk at Pearson

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It's been speculated that this machine is a prototype for how an off-vehicle POP system would be introduced on the streetcar routes once the Flexities arrive. Certainly would explain why there's a solar panel on the top of a unit that's installed indoors.

lmao.

Also worth noting is that the flexities are electrical, running on electric overhead wires. Why on earth do you need a supplemental power system?! It's not like you’re going to reduce any sort of consumption. If they wanted to be more efficient, they should have just given the flexities solar roof panels and k.i.t.t. turbo boost for those hot sunny summer days.

Couldn’t they just jury rig the Toronto parking meters to work in TTC stations or something? They’re slow and unreliable as hell, but at least they handle all sorts of payment media and all sorts of fares. And they’re wifi with solar power.

 

[nfitz]

lmao.

Also worth noting is that the flexities are electrical, running on electric overhead wires. Why on earth do you need a supplemental power system?! It's not like you’re going to reduce any sort of consumption. If they wanted to be more efficient, they should have just given the flexities solar roof panels and k.i.t.t. turbo boost for those hot sunny summer days.

I'm not sure why you are laughing your ass off. It seemed pretty clear to me that he was talking about ticket machines that would be installed outside. You know, the way that other transit systems install ticket machines at all the stops?

Somehow I don't think TTC will go that route ... (though it might make sense for the Transit City lines).

 

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It's not Platform 27 I'm laughing at, it's the TTC and their zany schemes.

 

[nfitz]

It's not Platform 27 I'm laughing at, it's the TTC and their zany schemes.

What zany scheme? What's wrong with experimenting with solar-powered vending machines ... they've been using them elsewhere for years ... though I hear they have been a bit of a problem in Scotland with the short winter days ... but we are the same latitude as the Riveria, and Scotland is the same latititude as Hudson Bay.

 

[grey]

There's nothing wrong with it, it's just unnecessary. And, as per my post on the previous page, I'm pretty fed up with the TTC's investments in half-assed non-standard fare systems.

 

[nfitz]

There's nothing wrong with it, it's just unnecessary. And, as per my post on the previous page, I'm pretty fed up with the TTC's investments in half-assed non-standard fare systems.

What did you mean by "Also worth noting is that the flexities are electrical, running on electric overhead wires. Why on earth do you need a supplemental power system?! " then? I don't see the relation between the power supply for the vehicles, and a ticket machine.

And what's wrong with expermenting with solar-powered machines. If it works (and it's in use elsewhere), it seems a lot cheaper to install, than having to make sure there is power available at every stop.

 

[grey]

I don't see the relation between the power supply for the vehicles, and a ticket machine.

Why use solar power where there is already available electricity to power the machines at every stop?

And what's wrong with expermenting with solar-powered machines. If it works (and it's in use elsewhere),

It does work. That's why I suggested they adapt the technology already in use in parking meters (which also happen to accept multiple forms of payment, so they're already superior in some areas to other TTC ticket machines -- i.e. metropass boxes that are replacing ticket boxes) instead of spending who knows how much on yet another custom machine?

it seems a lot cheaper to install, than having to make sure there is power available at every stop.

There already is power at every stop! * The streetcar system is electrified.*

I don't understand why we're having this discussion!

 

[Voltz]

Unless their happens to be a 120 Volt AC (or whatever is required) electrical outlet installed at each stop then you really can't say there is power at every stop. That is like saying if you build a house next to high voltage transmission corridor then power is automatically available.

 

[nfitz]

Why use solar power where there is already available electricity to power the machines at every stop? There already is power at every stop! * The streetcar system is electrified.*

You are joking, right? The streetcar electrification is in the middle of the road. The machines would have to be on the sidewalk (at least for the majority of the existing stops). And isn't the overhead catenary 600 DC volts? Wouldn't that require a step-down transformer at every stop? I'm no electrical engineer, but that seems really infeasible.

I don't understand why we're having this discussion!

You raised it, because you thought that the solar power idea was dumb; but you've raised a really bizarre alternative.

The existing parking machines are indeed a good comparision. And I confess I have no idea how they get their power supply. Anyone?

 

[grey]

Thanks, Voltz. That makes sense.

I honestly didn't intend for a tongue-in-cheek statement to be discussed in a full page of nitpicking detail. The idea was this: (1) a solar panel installed on an indoor ticket machine is funny. (2) The fact that this musing that it's another hilarious TTC screwup (considering their other brilliant decisions, like replacing ticket machines with metropass-only machines that only accept debit) is nearly as plausible as the possibility that it's a prototype for a series of outdoor ticket machines supports the humour in (1).

Thanks for making me explain the funny out of everything, guys!

 

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The existing parking machines are indeed a good comparision. And I confess I have no idea how they get their power supply. Anyone?

They use solar panels (here we go again)

Hence my original suggestion that they use parking machine technology, which is already available to the city, instead of going to all the trouble of making a new machine. At this point I'll point out that nobody seems to be picking up on this idea, but the suggestion that electricity is available at all streetcar stops (where there are street lamps, hydro poles, underground wiring) is totally ridilcous!

 

[nfitz]

Hence my original suggestion that they use parking machine technology, which is already available to the city, instead of going to all the trouble of making a new machine.

Why do you think they made a completely new machine. Surely they just used something available commercially already. They are, of course, made by the same company that does the parking machines.

At this point I'll point out that nobody seems to be picking up on this idea, but the suggestion that electricity is available at all streetcar stops (where there are street lamps, hydro poles, underground wiring) is totally ridilcous!

? You are the only one who suggested that. You said "There already is power at every stop".