Divas S.
Active Member
^^ Every city in Ontario should have presto for that reason.
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London Rapid Transit (In-Design)
- Thread starter Midtown Urbanist
- Start date
pman
Senior Member
True, they do seem to make mistakes sometimes. My wife and I are sometimes charged different fares for the same trip, though maybe that’s some daily maximum thing? And I’ve had two free bus rides this week because the card readers weren’t working. But on the whole it’s pretty good.
ssiguy2
Senior Member
As I stated, I don't see the point. With no connecting transit systems, no zone fares, no different fares for different times and already having a SMART card system that can be reloaded online, it seems like a big waste of funds which could be used elsewhere. If London creates a connecting suburban system with other areas like St.Thomas, Strathroy, and Ingersol then I could see the need but until that happens it seems like nothing more than a make-work project.
Eventually yes but until it is needed London Transit could use those funds on far more pressing priorities.
Eventually yes but until it is needed London Transit could use those funds on far more pressing priorities.
crs1026
Superstar
Operationally, it works. The issue is cost. It charges the transit operators more than other transaction systems. In some cases the operator would be better off financially if it went back to paper tickets and transfers. It’s a fiscal boondoggle.
(And before someone argues that it enables data mining.... the added cost is beyond what a trip data capability delivers).
In the GTA one can argue that it enables more complex inter-agency fare calculations, but we can see how that is progressing. For an agency like LTC which is effectively standalone, more complex fare structures are decades away.
- Paul
drum118
Superstar
Then, why did Burlington had a smart card that was better than Presto??? It was around long before the Presto show up. Burlington is a lot smaller than London then with a lot less bus routes. You either reload the card on the bus or at the central station that accept cash, debit and credit card.Paying by cash, your transfer was printed out like Presto. If you had a larger dollar bill, the fare machine would print out a credit bill that would become cash at the Central station for the excess cash after the fare was deducted.
kEiThZ
Superstar
Do we have data that shows this is the case today? And how much would that differential be impacted by provincial funding for any retrofit? In an ideal scenario, the MTO would take over Presto and cover the running costs as a subsidy to transit operators through out the province.
This didn't seem to stop Queen's Park on insisting that OC Transpo adopt Presto. And Ottawa has a substantially better case for being excluded from Presto than any other transit system in the province. I would bet there's enough traffic between London and Toronto, and sufficient planned growth in that traffic that the switch would be warranted. Especially if we start talking about GO services in London.
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ssiguy2
Senior Member
I don't see how you can compare Burlington to London. Burlington has a whole plethora of transit systems the citizens may use in their daily commute while London has only one. A Burlington commuter could be going to Miss/Oak/Ham/Mil/Bra/Tor or even combination of them and Londoners don't have that issue.
Presto wouldn't mean squat to Londoners while using those precious transit funds to renew the fleet or put up more bus shelters would mean a lot to them.
Presto wouldn't mean squat to Londoners while using those precious transit funds to renew the fleet or put up more bus shelters would mean a lot to them.
Jonny5
Senior Member
This debate is being over-complicated on how many tens of people do or don't use multiple systems. The answer is it's an immaterial number not worth caring about at all in both places.
The PRESTO benefit is the turn-key approach to getting the asset and depreciation expense off your municipal balance sheet and the responsibility for future capital expense upgrades to the system software and hardware capabilities in perpetuity on to Metroilinx
The operating cost is, well, the PRESTO operating cost (10%?)
The PRESTO benefit is the turn-key approach to getting the asset and depreciation expense off your municipal balance sheet and the responsibility for future capital expense upgrades to the system software and hardware capabilities in perpetuity on to Metroilinx
The operating cost is, well, the PRESTO operating cost (10%?)
Haljackey
Active Member
There is no Metrolinx for London.
London isn't even a region like K-W. It's one city. No other big cities directly neighbour it or are nearby. The nearest major city is an hour's drive away.
At this time there isn't a need for a regional transit authority / PRESTO/PRESTO-like system because the city is isolated and on it's own. It doesn't need to work here.
London isn't even a region like K-W. It's one city. No other big cities directly neighbour it or are nearby. The nearest major city is an hour's drive away.
At this time there isn't a need for a regional transit authority / PRESTO/PRESTO-like system because the city is isolated and on it's own. It doesn't need to work here.
drum118
Superstar
London can be a Hub with service to KW, Hamilton, Windsor, St Thomas and Sarnia.
As I stated before, there is nothing wrong for LTC having its own smart card as it will save money in the end, but not a Presto card. Burlington used their own smart card for "THEIR" own system only and was not part of GO or HRS systems.
I call for Mississauga to move to a smart card in the early 2000's and was being look at until Presto was forced on them.
As I stated before, there is nothing wrong for LTC having its own smart card as it will save money in the end, but not a Presto card. Burlington used their own smart card for "THEIR" own system only and was not part of GO or HRS systems.
I call for Mississauga to move to a smart card in the early 2000's and was being look at until Presto was forced on them.
ssiguy2
Senior Member
It just come down setting priorities. Sure a Presto system would be a nice thing to have as offering people more payment options is always a plus. The issue is that it would mean almost nothing to 95% of riders and I'm sure Londoners would rather have those precious transit dollars that are going to make a difference in their day to day commutes like higher frequencies, more express buses, newer buses, and some more good old fashioned bus shelters. Ask Londoners if they would rather have $20 million spent on a rather useless and unnecessary PRESTO system or use those funds to buy 30 new buses and build 200 new bus shelters and guess what the answer will be.
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kEiThZ
Superstar
If the province imposes Presto, it isn't going to give them a choice.
Haljackey
Active Member
BRT getting slammed during budget meeting
Daryl Newcombe on Twitter: CITY BUDGET: Wow! BRT remains a touchy subject! Councillor Paul Van Meerbergen takes opportunity to slam Bus Rapid Transit Plan for “social engineering” and “shoe horning everybody onto a bus” during debate of capital funding in budget.
Daryl Newcombe on Twitter: CITY BUDGET: Wow! BRT remains a touchy subject! Councillor Paul Van Meerbergen takes opportunity to slam Bus Rapid Transit Plan for “social engineering” and “shoe horning everybody onto a bus” during debate of capital funding in budget.
Towered
Superstar
Let them choke on their traffic.
SaugeenJunction
Senior Member
First Look: BRT bus shelters and King Street designs unveiled
Looks like the Downtown Loop will get underway in 2021, and will open in 2023. More can be found on the City of London’s website here.
Looks like the Downtown Loop will get underway in 2021, and will open in 2023. More can be found on the City of London’s website here.