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TTC: Streetcar Network

This weekend, the Toronto Transportation Society had an excursion on an ALRV. Some of the more unique places the car visited include Main Street Station, High Park, Little Italy, and Wellington Street where the ALRVs rarely travelled.

Below is a photo of the ALRV on Gerrard in Little India.

 
Only thing is, GO couldnt care less about providing bus service within Toronto, because the TTC starts to whine and complain the minute they even think about it.

At the very least, GO should be providing point to point service between their hubs in Toronto (ie: Yorkdale, Renforth, Scarborough Town Centre, Finch, Union, and soon Kipling). I really dont care what the TTC has to say about it, as they have been dropping the ball for decades with respect to certain routes in the city.
This irks me every time I have to find a way in from Square One after taking the 25 or 29 bus in from Guelph or K/W and get dumped at Sq One. I live in the west end at Bloor West, transfer to the UPX from the 40 bus at Pearson is forbidden, and the 21 takes me all the way down to Union to have to take the UPX or the subway all the way back to Bloor West. The TTC still hasn't started direct service (that I know of) from the Renforth Busway Station to Kipling. (There's the milk run available, but c'mon). GO should run a route from Sq One to Kipling. As it stands, my best bet is the MiWay 109 Express, and then the subway, but that's two fares on top of the GO one, and three transfers.

Pizzes me off, big time.

Edit to Add: If GO won't run connecting buses from Sq One to Port Credit where one can continue heading east on the Lakeshore West service, at least inform Presto that if a passenger is using Presto to connect on Miway to PC, to allow the trip to be one continuous one on GO, plus the co-fare on Miway. I don't mind paying the co-fare if it saves over half an hour or more.

One can do this without having to phone GO or Presto every time they charge two fares for it (they always say: "Oh yes, we're fixing that"...for the last five years!) by buying a paper ticket with the Presto Card, but then the co-fare becomes difficult on the Miway bus.

Someone's asleep at the controls somewhere...
 
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40 + UPX would not be any faster than 109 + subway.
As it stands, my best bet is the MiWay 109 Express, and then the subway, but that's two fares on top of the GO one, and three transfers.
Would you be able to pay the 80¢ Miway co-fare plus the $1.50 TTC co-fare or would you have to pay full for TTC? Although it is 3 transfers, at least 109 comes very frequently.
The TTC still hasn't started direct service (that I know of) from the Renforth Busway Station to Kipling.
Who could benefit from that?
GO should run a route from Sq One to Kipling.
That would duplicate 109 and not be any cheaper for you(correct me if I am wrong) unless you have to pay full for TTC.
 
The TTC still hasn't started direct service (that I know of) from the Renforth Busway Station to Kipling.
99% of the riders from Renforth Stn wouldn't be from Toronto. If you live in that area, it would be so much more convenient to just take the 112 or 32>45E to Kipling. Why would anyone want to walk or get a ride to Renforth Stn? Running an express bus on the 427 is not cheap. Just let Miway suffer.

I don't know how they'll even get the 927 to connect to the Eglinton West LRT without adding significant travel time to the route.

How did we get so off topic? Expand streetcars to Renforth anyone? How about a Renforth line.
 
Should have dyed the concrete red, not painted. Hope they use red dyed concrete when the reconstruct The Queensway between Glendale Avenue & Roncesvalles Avenue next year.

Red paint is a good idea but really does nothing in the long run. Rising bollards are needed not some red paint. Paint won't stop anything but a bollard will.
 
Would you be able to pay the 80¢ Miway co-fare plus the $1.50 TTC co-fare or would you have to pay full for TTC? Although it is 3 transfers, at least 109 comes very frequently.
You get the Miway co-fare, but not the TTC one. So you end up paying on three systems, two of them full fare. I'm also lugging a bike this time of year, and it's reasonably light, but I also have a heavy backsack with road tools and necessities for distance cycling.

There are two GO bus routes from Sq One that call at Pearson airport. It would be supremely more convenient to connect through that way. It will eventually happen, but it could happen now. I live right at Bloor Station.
 
I'm also lugging a bike this time of year, and it's reasonably light, but I also have a heavy backsack with road tools and necessities for distance cycling.
Oh okay, I can see why the subway would be inconvenient for you.
There are two GO bus routes from Sq One that call at Pearson airport. It would be supremely more convenient to connect through that way. It will eventually happen, but it could happen now. I live right at Bloor Station.
Could you enlighten me as to which two? I only know of one--route 40, which comes every 30 mins during peak times and every hour off-peak.

You should consider moving to SQ1 as an alternative. It's not a bad place.
 
Oh okay, I can see why the subway would be inconvenient for you.
Actually I like subway for bike, you don't have to secure it, and on mine, I attach a velcro strip to across the back wheel rim to the rack for a number of reasons, not least that a 'lively' frame will jump out of the rack on rough roads when turning a corner. Second is quick release wheels. All that's holding on that machine is the hope that the bozo who loads up his junker next to yours doesn't damage the bike (it's happened) and knock the QR lever on the front wheel (also happened)! In some of the US SW states at least, it's required in many jurisdictions for the carrier to have an attached velcro strip on the rack for the back wheels, they've lost some expensive bikes and at least one caused an horrific accident. Actually, under the HTA load provisions section, Ontario also requires bikes to be secured by two points to the vehicle. I went through the Transport Minister a few years back to straighten out a massive hassle GO were giving me by their supervisors. Long story short (and I still have the letter) it hit the National Post, and suddenly I had the head of GO bus operations phoning me to apologize profusely, straighten out his department, sent me the letter, and $100 of Preto card time for my hassles. (I was barred by one super at Square One for complying to the law. Go figure...)

Could you enlighten me as to which two? I only know of one--route 40, which comes every 30 mins during peak times and every hour off-peak.
I've got to clarify that claim. It is now only one. There were two available last year when they started running them along the Busway extension. I believe it was this one:
upload_2018-9-7_20-57-25.png
But it doesn't show it continuing to Sq One. I tried the other one not 40 last year, waited the half an hour, after getting off the 29, got to Renforth, only to find the only TTC bus ran along Eg to Spadina Subway. WTF? I ended up getting a local Miway along Dundas and Bloor to Islington, the expresses didn't stop there then.

You should consider moving to SQ1 as an alternative. It's not a bad place.
Errr...pass. What a God awful place.

That being said, decades ago, I used to "cycle out of town" along Burnhamthorpe when it was a country road! (Great route to connect through to Galt in the day) I saw this building going up in the middle of a field in the distance, thought it was a penitentiary, maybe a landing base for Zontar...only to find out years later it's Miss City Hall.

And things have gone down hill since...

On an up note, I'm still doing 100 km treks. Btw, with a treasured Brooks leather saddle (Swallow model) I also use a saddle hood on the bus rack for protection, especially in case it rains. One more thing to hassle with every time I load and unload coming into/out of Toronto living between Bloor GO Station, and Dundas West Subway Station.

I am going to challenge Metrolinx on their bylaw (2B IIRC) that indicates they have to honour GO bus transfers through Pearson. I've posted the issue in another string at this site, with the applicable clause and reference. Still considering how to stage this, or whether to just confer with their legal department. Sometimes demanding to be ticketed, and then taking it to court is the only way to get their attention...and...hrrrmppphhh...the press too.

Not allowing a transfer is an absurdity...and I'm being diplomatic. It's not only allowed from the Union end, but since it's actually backtracking, there's no additional charge Union to Bloor....but they do charge you for the added distance to Union! I also have an issue with that too according to their fare schedule, ("cheapest fare from point to point") but I digress...
 

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Edit to Add: If GO won't run connecting buses from Sq One to Port Credit where one can continue heading east on the Lakeshore West service, at least inform Presto that if a passenger is using Presto to connect on Miway to PC, to allow the trip to be one continuous one on GO, plus the co-fare on Miway. I don't mind paying the co-fare if it saves over half an hour or more.
As you say, a solution would be to extend the Waterloo/Guelph bus to Port Credit GO to connect to the frequent LSW Train. I could also see an extension to Kipling via Transitway once the hub there opens.
Long story short (and I still have the letter) it hit the National Post, and suddenly I had the head of GO bus operations phoning me to apologize profusely, straighten out his department, sent me the letter, and $100 of Preto card time for my hassles.
Do you still have the link to the article?
I am going to challenge Metrolinx on their bylaw (2B IIRC) that indicates they have to honour GO bus transfers through Pearson. I've posted the issue in another string at this site, with the applicable clause and reference.
Not allowing a transfer is an absurdity...and I'm being diplomatic. It's not only allowed from the Union end, but since it's actually backtracking, there's no additional charge Union to Bloor....but they do charge you for the added distance to Union! I also have an issue with that too according to their fare schedule, ("cheapest fare from point to point") but I digress...
Yeah that doesn't make any sense. Especially since the UP Express have more capacity at the airport than Union.
Have you ever tried going to Union from SQ1 via GO bus and then back tracking along UP? If so, what what the the cost of that v.s. Miway + TTC?
If you want to go via Renforth which seems to be the cheapest option at this point, you can always take 112 + subway or Eglinton bus + Weston bus.
 

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