Durham Region Transit / Pulse

[Fritter]

I'll be frank, I was expecting a whole lot more than this........ I assume/hope, that there will be another round of improvements this fall.

I’m frankly disappointed, especially with the documents from the last TEC meeting suggesting the fall service changes would be much more than this. Hopefully something comes along later in the fall or January

Is the disconnect due to waiting for the replacement busses destroyed by the fire? I was assuming that DRT was constrained in offering service due to the lack of busses from the fire.

 

[APTA-2048]

Is the disconnect due to waiting for the replacement busses destroyed by the fire? I was assuming that DRT was constrained in offering service due to the lack of busses from the fire.

Fifteen new buses were just delivered and entered service. These were ordered as replacements for the destroyed buses. Six electric buses are being delivered. Seven more diesel buses are supposed to come in. The leased buses are still here, and three buses have been bought from Barrie. Seems like they have quite a few buses at their disposal. But I’m not a planner, so I don’t know if this is enough for even better service.

 

[Northern Light]

Fifteen new buses were just delivered and entered service. These were ordered as replacements for the destroyed buses. Six electric buses are being delivered. Seven more diesel buses are supposed to come in. The leased buses are still here, and three buses have been bought from Barrie. Seems like they have quite a few buses at their disposal. But I’m not a planner, so I don’t know if this is enough for even better service.

If, as it seems, there are enough vehicles to sustain current peak-service, there are more than likely vehicles available to bolster off-peak service.

Peak service might be more constrained.

 

[421 harmony]

since Touch-A-Truck is next week I'm guessing that drt will bring 9100 again this year

 

[tmustudent9]

I was playing around with the Transit App, when I stumbled upon this:

This new Route 306 runs up Cochrane, then Rossland and then turns down Des Newman and loops back to the GO station. It seems to run during rush-hour only. It wasn’t in the list of September service changes, does anyone have any info about this?

 

[421 harmony]

idk any thing about this route but the way the route is set up

I was playing around with the Transit App, when I stumbled upon this:

View attachment 589653

This new Route 306 runs up Cochrane, then Rossland and then turns down Des Newman and loops back to the GO station. It seems to run during rush-hour only. It wasn’t in the list of September service changes, does anyone have any info about this?

kinda reminded me of the 409 2022 routing

 

[421 harmony]

since Touch-A-Truck is next week I'm guessing that drt will bring 9100 again this year

It was 6149

 

[Coolibop]

September Service Changes have been posted, here:
...
I'll be frank, I was expecting a whole lot more than this........ I assume/hope, that there will be another round of improvements this fall.

The latest exec committee agenda indicate why:

In addition (to the battery bus conversation), DRT is having a hard time getting responses from Infrastructure Canada re: helping fund their 2023 budget items on battery/electric buses/infra:

Last tidbit that I found interesting...the real time bus information for DRT is provided over 3G cellular which is being decommissioned in 2025 (Rogers). They are looking to update the devices by September to prevent service disruptions.

 

[tmustudent9]

The latest exec committee agenda indicate why:

View attachment 592605

In addition (to the battery bus conversation), DRT is having a hard time getting responses from Infrastructure Canada re: helping fund their 2023 budget items on battery/electric buses/infra:View attachment 592606


Last tidbit that I found interesting...the real time bus information for DRT is provided over 3G cellular which is being decommissioned in 2025 (Rogers). They are looking to update the devices by September to prevent service disruptions.

Glad to hear the service changes are a result of staffing issues and not a funding issue.

 

[Allandale25]

Looks like the Scarborough Durham BRT PDBC is now available? It's dated June 2024 but I don't recall it be posted here at the time.

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/Documents/Metrolinx/DSBRT_PDBC.pdf

User "Max" on the More Transit for Southern Ontario discord commented on it with the following:

Looks like theres 3 options

1. Full BRT (except EELRT segment), costing 1.115bn (capital costs only);
2. High cost segments deferred, with sections deleted at: Ellesmere between Orton Park and Morningside; Kingston between Notion and Rotherglen between Pickering and Ajax; Dundas st between Mcquay/Jeffrey to Anderson/Hopkins in Whitby; and
3. High traffic segment priority, with sections deleted at: Ellesmere between Military Trail and Kingston; King Street between Gibbons and syimcoe; and Bond Street between Stevenson and Simcoe.

 

[generalcanada]

Looks like the Scarborough Durham BRT PDBC is now available? It's dated June 2024 but I don't recall it be posted here at the time.

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/Documents/Metrolinx/DSBRT_PDBC.pdf

User "Max" on the More Transit for Southern Ontario discord commented on it with the following:

opening year of all options pushed back 4 years to 2033
That federally funded section sounds like construction should start next year
headway increased from 5 minutes to 3.75 during peak
looking at other options because of 200 million in capital costs? Thats quite short sighted considering operating costs are 25 million higher

 

[Coolibop]

I had been posting this in the Metrolinx thread given the Toronto component and being a ML project, but I suppose makes a lot of sense here. For reference:

The upcoming Durham Region Transit Executive Meeting agenda has been posted with an update on the DSBRT. The PDBC is still in progress and imagine is scheduled for completion this year given other information:

It looks like the first construction of section is now going to be in Ajax (I believe Pickering was slated first before) starting hopefully the end of this calendar pending first nations consultations (the last thing to hold it up?):
View attachment 561032
View attachment 561031
It's quite a slow moving project, but maybe this is only the infra-canada funded segments? I'll guess I'll wait to see the presentation on the 8th...

The update also has information about studying the Simcoe St rapid transit in Oshawa...and this stood out for me:
View attachment 561034

Cable cars in Oshawa? Or are they just trying to force the BRT over LRT discussion?

Following up from the May 8th meeting: Sadly this project is going to take well over 10 years...for a BRT. My understanding is that funding is the main issue, yet we are still at least 5 years away from any construction for segments not mentioned above. Here are some segments I thought merit discussion:

45 min:
Anyone have any insight as to why the indigenous consultations is a new process (as claimed in the meeting) and this is the first time we've done this? Because this is federally funded, I'm guessing somehow Metrolinx (or is it Durham Region?) was unaware of some federal requirement to engage indigenous population? Would that make sense?

50 minute:
View attachment 563766
They utilize the above bullet point (as it relates to existing DRT Pulse service/bus lanes) to promote the benefits of using a BRT service along Simcoe St in Oshawa, and at the same time, give an update to a BRT project that probably won't start construction for another decade (in Oshawa). One hand is saying look at all the great things we've got once we've got it...and the other is saying we aren't in a rush to build anything anytime soon. For a transit agency that has shown great latent demand this is frustrating to hear.

A bit further along, I found it funny they referenced the Portland Aerial transit system, which had cost overruns (over 4 times initial costs), at the same time they promote cost savings from using this method (over BRT). I cannot fathom that they are actively moving forward to study this method. Another example of them looking for excuses to not move projects forward with any sense of urgency.

1hr 6 minutes:
The team shared the small sections of the DSBRT (mentioned in previous posts) are indeed the only ones funded (via Infrastructure Canada). Metrolinx is working through the PDBC which will be completed by the summer, and will need to seek funding for other sections...which at the earliest would take 5 years once it goes through treasury. This means starting construction 2029-2030 (again, best case scenario - basically unlikely as I read).

So....yes, what an incredibly slow project. Again, we're not looking at anything partially complete for another 6 years at this point...ridiculous for something that has been going on for 5 years already and that they promised portions would already be complete next year. I embarrassingly had to lookup the Eglinton crosstown dates to compare how long things take...

...

opening year of all options pushed back 4 years to 2033
That federally funded section sounds like construction should start next year
headway increased from 5 minutes to 3.75 during peak
looking at other options because of 200 million in capital costs? Thats quite short sighted considering operating costs are 25 million higher

The segment in Pickering village (Ajax) can get quite congested... It'll be interesting how this impacts overall service levels once the median lanes are built on either side of this narrow area.

 

[Coolibop]

The committee of the whole is recommending a 1.75 percent (on total regional tax levy) bump for DRT in '25...Focusing on service enhancement/growth, transition to electric busses, and passenger amenities/infra. Down from the planned 2 percent they hoped because of police services needs (I believe similar to what happened in '24).

Additionally, they highlighted an ongoing issue around funding from the feds/province that are still holes in the planned budget...

Here's what the full budget recommendations look like (continuing on the planned increases in taxes through the end of decade); to be voted on Dec 18th:

If I had to guess, I imagine we will come under this number as we did in '24 given the lack of appetite for tax increases in the region...

 

[Northern Light]

The committee of the whole is recommending a 1.75 percent (on total regional tax levy) bump for DRT in '25...Focusing on service enhancement/growth, transition to electric busses, and passenger amenities/infra. Down from the planned 2 percent they hoped because of police services needs (I believe similar to what happened in '24).

View attachment 604852

Additionally, they highlighted an ongoing issue around funding from the feds/province that are still holes in the planned budget...

Here's what the full budget recommendations look like (continuing on the planned increases in taxes through the end of decade); to be voted on Dec 18th:
View attachment 604853


If I had to guess, I imagine we will come under this number as we did in '24 given the lack of appetite for tax increases in the region...

Service changes effective next week, October 21st will rollout.

Our Services

www.durhamregiontransit.com

From your post up page about what service increases didn't happen in September due to staff shortages:

It appears the improvements next week will implement two of the of the five items.

The new service in West Whitby and the weekend service to Seaton.

Hopefully the the balance will be delivered by year end.

 

[Coolibop]

Service changes effective next week, October 21st will rollout.

Our Services

www.durhamregiontransit.com

From your post up page about what service increases didn't happen in September due to staff shortages:

View attachment 604867


It appears the improvements next week will implement two of the of the five items.

The new service in West Whitby and the weekend service to Seaton.

Hopefully the the balance will be delivered by year end.

Others are included as well except the 915/916 15 minute service (still at 20 minutes).