Which bus routes need articulated buses?

[nfitz]

Artic buses worked out well for MT and YRT

I was on MiWay this morning, on an articulated bus.

It's bizarre, they are running articulated buses on routes that only have a 25-minute frequency. (as I just missed a bus, and the next one was 20 minutes late, the 40-minute wait at minus 13C, with no bus shelter wasn't very fun).

This is a problem with such vehicles. Rather than increasing frequency to something more reasonable, they simply make the buses longer, and run very infrequently. Based on my experience, I'd say that the buses have not worked out well in Miway.

Next time I'll stick to the highway. And I thought the TTC has service problems ... I've never waited that long for the TTC, even though I use it almost daily. And my second time ever on Mississuaga Transit get's me my longest bus wait this century?

 

[gweed123]

I was on MiWay this morning, on an articulated bus.

It's bizarre, they are running articulated buses on routes that only have a 25-minute frequency. (as I just missed a bus, and the next one was 20 minutes late, the 40-minute wait at minus 13C, with no bus shelter wasn't very fun).

This is a problem with such vehicles. Rather than increasing frequency to something more reasonable, they simply make the buses longer, and run very infrequently. Based on my experience, I'd say that the buses have not worked out well in Miway.

Next time I'll stick to the highway. And I thought the TTC has service problems ... I've never waited that long for the TTC, even though I use it almost daily. And my second time ever on Mississuaga Transit get's me my longest bus wait this century?

Yeah, running artics on low-frequency routes doesn't really make much sense. In order to be effective, they need to be run on routes that have under 10 minute frequencies (ideally 5 min or less).

 

[doady]

Yeah, running artics on low-frequency routes doesn't really make much sense. In order to be effective, they need to be run on routes that have under 10 minute frequencies (ideally 5 min or less).

The frequency of the route doesn't matter. Articulated buses cause plenty of problems on high frequency routes as well, which have already been discussed here. I think the frequency of the stops that matters more. Whether it is for 5 minute frequency or a 25 minute frequency, the important thing is that artics are full and don't slow down the route when they are full, and that's only possible with limited stops and/or POP. So based on my daily experience riding MT, I don't support artics on ANY bus route without POP and fixed stops.

Btw, I don't know of any MT route that operates at 25 minute frequency in the morning rush hour with artics. In weekday morning, the only fully articulated MT routes are:

1 Dundas - 9 minutes
5 Dixie - 9 minutes
26/76 Burnhamthorpe/Sq. One - 6.5 minutes
110 University - 7.5 to 15 minutes

That's it.

 

[nfitz]

Btw, I don't know of any MT route that operates at 25 minute frequency in the morning rush hour with artics. In weekday morning, the only fully articulated MT routes are:

The 70 is partially articulated. It runs on a 15-minute basis to 8:05, and then it's 25 minutes to the 8:30 departure which they seem to regularly use an artic on - and it's pretty full as well. Clearly if they ran an 8:20 and and 8:35 departure with regular buses, they would still be relatively full, and providing a better service. Can't speak to all the days and departures as I'm normally in Toronto, but I was on the 8:30 today, and drove past it one day last week on the 427 (actually it drove past me ... I guess I'm wrong on what I think is the fastest lane on the Hurontario ramp).

 

[doady]

The 70 is partially articulated. It runs on a 15-minute basis to 8:05, and then it's 25 minutes to the 8:30 departure which they seem to regularly use an artic on - and it's pretty full as well. Clearly if they ran an 8:20 and and 8:35 departure with regular buses, they would still be relatively full, and providing a better service. Can't speak to all the days and departures as I'm normally in Toronto, but I was on the 8:30 today, and drove past it one day last week on the 427 (actually it drove past me ... I guess I'm wrong on what I think is the fastest lane on the Hurontario ramp).

The 70 only has artics because it is interlined with the 89 and possibly the 201, which use a few artics. The departure times of the 70 from Islington are determined by the arrival times of the 89 or 201 at Islington. I don't think artics have much to do with that 25 minute interval on the 70, especially so late in the rush hour.

 

[nfitz]

When I complained to them about using the artics with the large gap in service, their response was that they couldn't run more buses because of a shortage of buses, and that's why they were using the artics.

Probably BS ... but at least Mississauga Transit responds to e-mailed complaints, unlike TTC.