TTC: Transit City Bus Plan

[scarberiankhatru]

Some of the proposals are hilariously minor ("install new door at Royal York") and others amount to nothing more than adding a bus or two to a route already served by many buses. These things need to be done, but doing it this way means you get to shout ENHANCED ENHANCED ENHANCED over and over, even if the enhancements are trivial. I wonder what the ENHANCED express service on Jane, Don Mills, and Morningside will be...regular ENHANCED service or something approaching the 190 Rocket (which is branded and functions as a rapid route and not just an ENHANCED regular route)?

 

[Ansem]

Some of the proposals are hilariously minor ("install new door at Royal York") and others amount to nothing more than adding a bus or two to a route already served by many buses. These things need to be done, but doing it this way means you get to shout ENHANCED ENHANCED ENHANCED over and over, even if the enhancements are trivial. I wonder what the ENHANCED express service on Jane, Don Mills, and Morningside will be...regular ENHANCED service or something approaching the 190 Rocket (which is branded and functions as a rapid route and not just an ENHANCED regular route)?

The Dupont enhancement was hilarious. I felt like searching for waldo looking for the ''enhancement''

 

[DavidH]

NEW BRT (new Ellesmere McCowan to Durham Region, ...

I'm going to go Hmmm... on this one. This sounds intended to link up to the Durham Hwy 2 BRT (STC to Ellesmere and Hwy 2) and provide the much-needed connection into Toronto.

Last I had heard, DRT was still considering whether to connect to STC, Kennedy, or Scarborough College.

I had always assumed that DRT BRT buses would take the 401 to McCowan and STC, particularly given that the Metrolinx plan does include a BRT ROW on the 401 between Markham Road and STC - but this makes some sense in that it would let them connect to both Scarborough College and then STC without leaving a BRT corridor. Travel time to STC would be slower but - assuming limited stop service inside Toronto - might be made up by the STC connection as well as the ability to connect to other TTC routes before reaching STC.

It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out.

 

[nfitz]

My overall reaction is *yawn*. It mostly a rehash of old announcements.

I was disappointed after seeing this post, but now that I've seen the plan I'm quite pleased. There's a lot to digest, but from the exectutive summary:

The committment to provide express service on Jane, Don Mills, and Morningside Express buses to parallel the LRT service starting in 2011 is new! And good news in my books (perhaps I spend too much time sitting on the 25 bus).

Committment to 20-minute-or-better service, with implementation dates is good to see.

Perhaps most interesting, is the entire plan ignores the Finch East LRT, designating Finch East from Yonge to Don Mills (and beyond) as a Transit City Bus line. And more interestingly the construction of a queue-jump lane on Finch East and Don Mills Road between 2010 and 2014. Given that they are highlighting this, the TTC doesn't seem to think that they are going to be constructing LRT on Finch East at Don Mills Road between 2010 and 2014!

Yes, some rehashing, but with the detail, dates, and budget numbers, it gives one hope that this will go ahead. Though it would likely require that the mayor and much of the council remain in place until 2014, given that some of Millers opponents have talked about cutting transit service.

Overall it seems well thought out. Though I'm sure that won't stop some of the whiners here to attack it mercilessly.

 

[lead82]

I find it hilarious that the Yonge BRT (Finch - Steeles) is still proposed. Since the Yonge subway extension is just awaiting funding, why bring this up? The BRT won't do much to improve bus traffic given the local/express buses that go on that stretch. The best interim solution is to either extend the subway up to Steeles or do nothing. Building the BRT here would cause more pain than gain.

Otherwise it's not a bad plan. A lot of small - medium improvements here and there. Question is, who is going to pay for all of this? City is almost bankrupt, yet the TTC is hiring people for frivolous positions such as route supervisors.

 

[nfitz]

I find it hilarious that the Yonge BRT (Finch - Steeles) is still proposed. Since the Yonge subway extension is just awaiting funding, why bring this up? The BRT won't do much to improve bus traffic given the local/express buses that go on that stretch. The best interim solution is to either extend the subway up to Steeles or do nothing. Building the BRT here would cause more pain than gain.

Until there's a go ahead on the Yonge subway, keeping the Yonge BRT floating around as a plan doesn't hurt. There's no indication that the $billions necessary for the Yonge Extension will appear, and the Yonge BRT is a cheap alternative, not preferred, but perhaps doable. Keeping the placeholder doesn't cost much.

Question is, who is going to pay for all of this? City is almost bankrupt, yet the TTC is hiring people for frivolous positions such as route supervisors.

City finances aren't THAT bad. Better than they were a few years ago. Surely the savings from the government of Ontario's announcement that they are uploading 100% of social assistance benefits, phased in between 2010 and 2018, will more than exceed the costs for this transit upgrade.

 

[JasonParis]

Still not enough new shelters - going 4,500 to 4,750 sheltered stops, out of 10,000, that's not even 50%

Also, a reflection perhaps that the TTC has too many stops.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

Surely the savings from the government of Ontario's announcement that they are uploading 100% of social assistance benefits, phased in between 2010 and 2018, will more than exceed the costs for this transit upgrade.

That was a promise made by McGuinty and is based on the Liberals holding power beyond 2011. Provincial elections are in 2011 and if PC wins, I do not see them uploading 70% of social services. Better yet, I do not see even 50%. PC would probably make the case that they need the money to pay off some of the debt McGuinty and the Liberals racked up.

 

[Jonny5]

I was disappointed after seeing this post, but now that I've seen the plan I'm quite pleased. There's a lot to digest, but from the exectutive summary:

The committment to provide express service on Jane, Don Mills, and Morningside Express buses to parallel the LRT service starting in 2011 is new! And good news in my books (perhaps I spend too much time sitting on the 25 bus).

Committment to 20-minute-or-better service, with implementation dates is good to see.

Perhaps most interesting, is the entire plan ignores the Finch East LRT, designating Finch East from Yonge to Don Mills (and beyond) as a Transit City Bus line. And more interestingly the construction of a queue-jump lane on Finch East and Don Mills Road between 2010 and 2014. Given that they are highlighting this, the TTC doesn't seem to think that they are going to be constructing LRT on Finch East at Don Mills Road between 2010 and 2014!

Yes, some rehashing, but with the detail, dates, and budget numbers, it gives one hope that this will go ahead. Though it would likely require that the mayor and much of the council remain in place until 2014, given that some of Millers opponents have talked about cutting transit service.

Overall it seems well thought out. Though I'm sure that won't stop some of the whiners here to attack it mercilessly.

I think what got me is that I knew most of this was coming already from multitudes of leaked information over the past few months. Someone who had no idea what was coming can be genuinely impressed. The PLAN is well thought out, but the ANNOUNCEMENT is not. Half of the document deals with trivial changes and spins them as salvation for riders. Unless people were being slaughtered by icicles at Dupont station and I wasn't aware.

I also have reservations about the extent to which all of this will be actually be followed through with.

 

[nfitz]

That was a promise made by McGuinty and is based on the Liberals holding power beyond 2011. Provincial elections are in 2011 and if PC wins, I do not see them uploading 70% of social services. Better yet, I do not see even 50%. PC would probably make the case that they need the money to pay off some of the debt McGuinty and the Liberals racked up.

If PC wins in 2011, then with the likes of Hudak running the party, they'd likely cancel Metrolinx, Transit City, and cut transit funding significantly. Hudak is already praising what Harris did when he took power in 1995. So rather than expanding transit, we would be significantly cutting service ... and filling the partially completed Eglinton tunnel back in.

But I really don't see anypoint planning around such maybes. In the meantime, by 2012, the province will already have uploaded 14% of the city's social benefits. that should release some cash.

I also have reservations about the extent to which all of this will be actually be followed through with.

Don't we all ... but unless we elect Giambone dictator-for-life, it's always going to be in question. It looks like a solid step forward. And it looks like a lot of thinking has gone into this. TTC should be proud of this.

 

[Jonny5]

Don't we all ... but unless we elect Giambone dictator-for-life, it's always going to be in question. It looks like a solid step forward. And it looks like a lot of thinking has gone into this. TTC should be proud of this.

I think it's in a more precarious position than normal. The TTC has A LOT on it's plate now. Subway construction, subway expansion studies, Transit City, New Streetcars, fare system changes and more. All this at a time when we are going into municipal and provincial elections where spending will be an issue. I think some sharp politician may take a knife to the TTC to engineer a tax cut.

This plan is as easy to cancel as it is to implement.

 

[nfitz]

Much easier to cancel. But hopefully we have learned lessons from the mistakes of 1995 - which set back transit in Toronto by 15 years.

 

[lead82]

I sure hope Hudak doesn't win in the next election. McGuinty for all his faults has done a tremendous amount for transit in Ontario. Hudak will not win if he tries to railroad this. There is too much momentum going now, with federal funding in place for several projects. At least that's my hope.

One of the issues with these announcements is the constant delays to get anything actually built. It seems like we're constantly waiting for shovels to hit the ground, then waiting for the bloody things to open. BRT's should be quick to built for the TTC, since they're not really doing much except just paving extra lanes. Those queue jump lanes they're talking about are so minor but could be done in a manner of months!

Anyhow, it's fairly positive news.

 

[kettal]

Perhaps most interesting, is the entire plan ignores the Finch East LRT, designating Finch East from Yonge to Don Mills (and beyond) as a Transit City Bus line.

I couldn't imagine it any other way. Finch needs service east of Don Mills, in fact this is the highest performing bus route in the system.

Expect that the section between Yonge & Don Mills will be a hybrid lane for both BRT and LRT.

 

[Ed Drass]

Don't we all ... but unless we elect Giambone dictator-for-life, it's always going to be in question. It looks like a solid step forward. And it looks like a lot of thinking has gone into this. TTC should be proud of this.

nfitz, my impression is this is not a plan that TTC staff would have proposed on their own. I could be wrong, but this is likely something Giambrone/Miller/Perks and others promoted. I'd be surprised if they did not also consult respected transit advocates and/or established transport consultants.

And you don't get a good plan without staff buying in -- voluntarily. There are hints that commissioners have in the past really leaned hard on policy matters -- to the distress of key civil servants. But with the TTC political and bureaucratic circles actively cooperating, obstacles to implementation may lie elsewhere... such as financial or NIMBYism. Especially when we get to exclusive lanes. How effectively do suburban 416 riders exercise their political clout when it comes to winning road space for high-volume transit? I guess car drivers are more likely to vote... or complain loudly.

One thing I'm wondering about is the partial bus-only shoulders on the DVP that GO has been asking the city for -- for ages. These could potentially be used by TTC for more expresses, no?