March 2011 TTC Service Cutbacks

[W. K. Lis]

In the TTC's "wisdom" (insert laugh track here), the service reductions seem to be going ahead on May 8th.

They are part of the TTC Service Changes as listed officially at their website, here.

Let us all bow and genuflect before the commissioners wise and noble judgement and decision.

 

[doady]

It's great the Mayor Rob Ford and city council of Toronto is willing think of the taxpayer and freeze taxes and eliminate excessive and wasteful subsidies of transit, unlike the bicycle-riding left-wing pinko like Hazel McCallion who run Mississauga, where the service still isn't being cut back despite huge ridership losses, and taxes are still increasing. Mayor Rob Ford may be the greatest mayor Toronto has ever seen, I wish he were my mayor instead of a left wing kook like Hazel McCallion.

 

[drum118]

It's great the Mayor Rob Ford and city council of Toronto is willing think of the taxpayer and freeze taxes and eliminate excessive and wasteful subsidies of transit, unlike the bicycle-riding left-wing pinko like Hazel McCallion who run Mississauga, where the service still isn't being cut back despite huge ridership losses, and taxes are still increasing. Mayor Rob Ford may be the greatest mayor Toronto has ever seen, I wish he were my mayor instead of a left wing kook like Hazel McCallion.

Repeat that remark in 2014 as you will be singing a different tune.

Hazel can teach Ford more tricks with her little finger than Ford can do with both hands.

Just think how much money the city would have in their bank account if they raised the taxes during the 11 years of no tax increases. Even a 1% yearly increase would add 10s of million to the current $320m that is down from the $900 a few years ago. Look at all the cities around Toronto who have raised their taxes 2 to 5 time more than Toronto has.

Tax cuts are for dreamers who think everything is free or someone else will pay their way.

Given the fact Mississauga gas never gone into debit since Hazel been in charge, said something that Ford or Toronto cannot say. Wait until the 12 and 13 budgets for Toronto show up and its not a nice picture.

I have never seen you a council meetings complaining or making suggestions how to improve transit. Until you go before council on your complaints, you have no rights to bitch about them.

Ford is a joke and never like him as an councillor. Some of his ideas are fine, but most of them are off the wall.

As for Hazel, she has her strong points, but a fair number of weak ones. I am not a Hazel fan. There is no one on Council at this time that do the job of Mayor. This is her last kick at the can if she doesn’t pass away while in office.

If you don't want taxes to go up, what are you prepared to cut and do without??

Wages are and always will go up yearly and we have to pay it one way or another.

Talk is cheap, but action speaks for itself.

 

[W. K. Lis]

From The Star:

TTC bus route cuts and seasonal service changes begin Sunday

TTC’s summer service changes, plus the cuts to bus routes announced earlier this year, will take effect Sunday.

First, the good news. TTC announced it will increase service to the many popular summer tourist spots:

• 192 Airport Rocket — Increased morning service to and from Pearson Airport up to 11 a.m. every day.

• 511 Bathurst — Increased evening service Monday to Saturday, and all day Sunday and holidays

• 29 Dufferin — Route extension to Ontario Place and to Princes’ Gate at Exhibition Place. The Princes’ Gate service will run at all times of the week. The Ontario Place extension will run after 9 a.m. every day.

• 509 Harbourfront — Increased service on evenings and weekends

• 72 Pape — Evening and weekend route extension to Cherry Beach. The route will be extended from Commissioners Street to Cherry Beach (Clarke Beach Park) during the early and late evening from Monday to Friday and during the daytime and evenings on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

• 86 Scarborough — Route extension for weekend service to the Toronto Zoo.

• 85 Sheppard East — Later evening service from the Toronto Zoo. The last trips to Don Mills Station and Rouge Hill GO Station will leave from the zoo at around 8:30 p.m.

• 510 Spadina — Increased service to Harbourfront.

• 165 Weston Road North — Service extended to Canada’s Wonderland on weekends and holidays. The extended service will operate from 9:35 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

• 92 Woodbine South — Service will be increased in the evenings, every day, to accommodate increased summer ridership to and from the lake shore. Service will be improved from every 20 minutes to every 10 minutes.

• 12 Kingston Road — New service will run to Variety Village on Danforth Ave.

TTC will decrease service on certain routes for the summer, including:

• 191 Highway 27 Rocket

• 196 York University Rocket

• 134 Progress

• 44 Kipling South

• 60 Steeles West

• 35 Jane

• 38 Highland Creek

Finally, the permanent service cuts to bus routes will also take affect this Sunday:

• 5 Avenue Rd.

• 6 Bay

• 8 Broadview

• 9 Bellamy

• 10 Van Horne

• 14 Glencairn

• 15 Evans

• 20 Cliffside

• 26 Dupont

• 30 Lambton

• 32 Eglinton West

• 33 Forest Hill

• 42 Cummer

• 43 Kennedy

• 51 Leslie

• 56 Leaside

• 59 Maple Leaf

• 61 Avenue Rd North

• 62 Mortimer

• 73 Royal York

• 74 Mt Pleasant

• 76 Royal York South

• 80 Queensway

• 86 Scarborough

• 94 Wellesley

• 96 Wilson

• 98 Willowdale-Senlac

• 103 Mt Pleasant North

• 105 Dufferin North

• 112 West Mall

• 115 Silver Hills

• 116 Morningside

• 120 Calvington

• 124 Sunnybrook

• 127 Davenport

• 132 Milner

• 135 Gerrard

• 162 Lawrence-Donway

• 167 Pharmacy

• 169 Huntingwood

Thank you, Mayor Ford (either Rob or Doug, sometimes can't seem to tell).

 

[W. K. Lis]

According to the CHIEF GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT
PERIODS 1 & 2
JANUARY 1 TO FEBRUARY 26, 2011:

Ridership to the end of Period 2 (February 26)... 1,262,000 (+3.4%) above the comparable period in 2010.

Because of the increase in ridership the TTC is cutting service?!!?

 

[Standard]

From The Star:



Thank you, Mayor Ford (either Rob or Doug, sometimes can't seem to tell).

Another thing to point out is that about half of the increases are done every summer. For example extending service to Ontario Place on the 29 Dufferin and the extending the 165 to Canada's Wonderland. These are only seasonal increases and will be cut once Fall arrives and fewer people travel there, these increases also have happened in previous years without requiring cuts to services elsewhere.

Given this fact, the increases we are getting to offset the loss of service seems very little.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The 74 Mt. Pleasant bus is the worse or best example of how bad service has been cut back.

There are 2 low-floor buses on the 74 Mt. Pleasant route in the morning and evening rush hours. This provides 18 to 15 minute headway.

At other times, there is a single (1) low-floor bus, providing a 30 minute headway.

The first bus comes at 6:04 AM, starting at Eglinton & Mt. Pleasant, 7 AM on Saturday or 9 AM on Sunday.

The last bus is at 7:15 PM from the St. Clair station, everyday.

Compare this with the four (4) streetcars that used to run on the Mt. Pleasant streetcar route. The last days of the streetcar ran until July 25, 1976. They were replaced by five (5) trolley buses, and the service has gone downhill to the 1 diesel bus now on the 74 Mt. Pleasant route today. Until 1976, there was an all night streetcar service as well, today nothing after 7 PM.

 

[nfitz]

When considering how the Mount Pleasant ridership has changed, surely much of the change is a function of the construction of the subway, and all the east-west bus-routes.

A good chunk of the route is still well served by the 88 Leaside. When was that bus added?

South of Davisville, everyone is a close walk to either St. Clair or Davisville, and is well served by the 11 or 88. The only ones with a more than 5-minute walk are the dead in the middle of the Mount Pleasant cemetery.

North of Davisville there's excellent service on the buses along Eglinton, and the 11. And the walk to Eglinton station is only about 700 metres.

Surely the real issue here is simply that the demand on this route has dropped significantly, because the area is so well serviced by other more convenient routes that get you to the subway faster.