TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[Amare]

No criteria have been released, but there's no way it'd be much more than this. Most rideshare/demand response pilots have been in areas where potential ridership is around 50-100 passengers per day. Anything above 200 doesn't make much sense when compared to services by hourly buses all day or 15-30 minute buses during rush hours (in both cases, ridership would be around 10 passengers per bus, which for most agencies is adequate).

With this Conservative government, the threshold might be much higher than you think. I wouldnt be surprised if we start hearing of more signifant routes being a part of this (very likely) fraud of a deal. I wont speculate, but I already have routes in mind that might fall into the Conservatives definition of "low ridership".

 

[TheTigerMaster]

No criteria have been released, but there's no way it'd be much more than this. Most rideshare/demand response pilots have been in areas where potential ridership is around 50-100 passengers per day. Anything above 200 doesn't make much sense when compared to services by hourly buses all day or 15-30 minute buses during rush hours (in both cases, ridership would be around 10 passengers per bus, which for most agencies is adequate).

It’s not about what makes sense, it’s about whatever makes the lobbyists the most money.

 

[allengeorge]

I have very little faith that this government will put aside ideology and think about what’s right for the transit _system_ as a whole.

While micro transit solutions may have a place in certain areas, this feels very much like strong arming your ‘partners’.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Perhaps we could get those Quebec City busses for micro transit

 

[drum118]

2007 talks of doing this coming to life and expect to see more of 2007 happening over time.

Atlantic City is a good example of what been proposed.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Paying a private sector company for transit means paying the company enough so that the shareholders get a big return on their investment.

 

[ARG1]

Paying a private company for transit means paying the company enough so that the shareholders get a big return on their investment.

How can they have shareholders if its a private company?

 

[W. K. Lis]

How can they have shareholders if its a private company?

Private companies do have shareholders, which are not exchanged on the stock market but between "friends".

Should have been "private sector company".

 

[Steve X]

I think it means when microtransit is cheaper than a regular bus at certain times of the day. TTC would have to do the math and produce a report for every route and every period.

Ford isn't going to fund a bus when there's only a two riders hoping on the entire hour. As we all know that'll fail ttc's financial requirements so there isn't much of those around.

I think the idea works for low ridership periods for those branches that loops to serve a specific neighborhoods. Let's say the 55 Warren Park. They could have park a van at Jane and take any riders that is heading to those specific stops only served by the 55. Or they could use a van for the 118 to bring riders to and from the 96/165. The van won't go pass Wilson/Jane so riders going east would have to transfer. This only works during times when the 118 is an extra bus serving Wilson. Spring the day, the 118 is also need to add capacity for the 96/165 or otherwise they'll need to increase service, it is obviously better to keep the bus running.

I wouldn't be against it if this is temporary only till ridership recovers and funding ends. Long term use of this would be a major inconvenience to riders and security is questionable. Do everyone trust being alone at night in an Uber?

 

[JSF-1]

So the TTC will begin the Public Engagement phase for the design of new subway trains on Line 2. Guess we can begin the speculation and wish list making now.

http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects/New_Vehicles/New_Subway_Train/index.jsp

 

[kali]

But operations costs aren't really a feature of bus size, but operator salary, no? So if the microbus is being driven by a human, there won't be any savings.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

So the TTC will begin the Public Engagement phase for the design of new subway trains on Line 2. Guess we can begin the speculation and wish list making now.

http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects/New_Vehicles/New_Subway_Train/index.jsp

I think the most likely outcome is that it will be an updated version of the Toronto Rocket

 

[Steve X]

But operations costs aren't really a feature of bus size, but operator salary, no? So if the microbus is being driven by a human, there won't be any savings.

If that is true then physics has gone wild. There is no way driving a 30 ton bus with 400 litres of fuel around cost the same as a 3 ton van with 50 litres.

Although this is a bit dated: YRT quotes a TTC bus costs roughly $160 per hour in 2013, more than twice the privatized transit cost. No operators aren't getting paid anywhere close to that.

https://www.york.ca/wps/wcm/connect/yorkpublic/58f0da3e-aa0a-4f04-b0e8-dae2044be898/may+1+operations+ex.pdf?MOD=AJPERES#page=4

That's why YRT went on strike for such a long time those years as they demand closer to TTC pay.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Give it the same colour scheme as the new busses and streetcars, maybe including continuous windows. And 500m long.

 

[W. K. Lis]

So the TTC will begin the Public Engagement phase for the design of new subway trains on Line 2. Guess we can begin the speculation and wish list making now.

http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects/New_Vehicles/New_Subway_Train/index.jsp

The new trains need to have railfan windows, so that passengers (aka kids) can see out the front or back of the train. Automatic train controls to line up with the platform screen doors (can see the non-transit using councillors saying "no" on this).