March 2011 TTC Service Cutbacks

[jeffreym]

I know they've spoken about shifting the money to busy routes, but the Toronto Star story says "The move is supposed to save $7 million this year". I don't see how they can save money if they're reallocating it.

 

[nfitz]

I know they've spoken about shifting the money to busy routes, but the Toronto Star story says "The move is supposed to save $7 million this year". I don't see how they can save money if they're reallocating it.

Presumably they think they'd need about $7 million to institute the service increases in the fall.

I question the $7 million though. That doesn't look like $7 million to me ... it's not as extreme as I'd have expected to save $7 million.

 

[doady]

The TTC is probably the first transit system ever to use record-high ridership as justification for cutting service. Rob Ford has only been mayor a short time, but Toronto has already become a trail-blazing city. It's nice to finally have a mayor with fresh new ideas.

 

[allabootmatt]

One of the things I find surprising about the cuts is that they seem to fall mostly on Ford Country, if anything. One of my fears about the first Ford budget would be that it would seek to, basically, provide gold-plated services for the outer 416 by gutting everything downtown. That doesn't appear to have happened.

 

[gweed123]

One of the things I find surprising about the cuts is that they seem to fall mostly on Ford Country, if anything. One of my fears about the first Ford budget would be that it would seek to, basically, provide gold-plated services for the outer 416 by gutting everything downtown. That doesn't appear to have happened.

That was my thought when I looked at them too. The majority of the cuts seem to be on suburban routes. Oh the irony. Part of me welcomes the increased gridlock on the suburban arterials every morning, that's the price they paid for voting Stupid. You get what you deserve. I can only hope a more transit-friendly candidate jumps on this "improvement" next election.

 

[CDL.TO]

This is just a list of times when service is being ELIMINATED. Should we expect another list of service reductions to follow (every 10 minutes to every 15 minutes and such)?

 

[gweed123]

This is just a list of times when service is being ELIMINATED. Should we expect another list of service reductions to follow (every 10 minutes to every 15 minutes and such)?

If it happens out in Ford country... Meh, just some more karma.

 

[drum118]

What do you expect in the suburbs that have large lots, big houses, 4-6 cars, never use transit, but most of all, buses that are in the way of these single cars that run a muck on the roads in the first place?

 

[jeffreym]

This is just a list of times when service is being ELIMINATED. Should we expect another list of service reductions to follow (every 10 minutes to every 15 minutes and such)?

This is the first round.. what about next time?

Thinking about it today, I really don't understand the 'reallocation of resources' idea (even ignoring the fact that the reallocation would be at different times of the day). A good number of the listed routes don't use too many vehicles; some only 1 or 2. If we took those vehicles and added them to a route with say, 30 vehicles, the impact is limited. It's not to say that there isn't any, but especially when vehicles are bunching the effect is minimal. On the other hand, going from 1 or 2 vehicles to 0 has a huge impact. It makes some parts of the city inaccessible without unreasonably long walks.

Obviously you don't want to 'waste' resources, but the '12 person' number seems rather large. Are we only going to run routes past 7pm if there is no space left to move?

 

[GraphicMatt]

The problem, of course, is that you can't take a vehicle off a low-performing route at 10 p.m. and use it to add service to a busy route during peak hours. Unless we get some sort of time traveling bus.

 

[Paleo]

This is the first round.. what about next time?

Thinking about it today, I really don't understand the 'reallocation of resources' idea (even ignoring the fact that the reallocation would be at different times of the day). A good number of the listed routes don't use too many vehicles; some only 1 or 2. If we took those vehicles and added them to a route with say, 30 vehicles, the impact is limited. It's not to say that there isn't any, but especially when vehicles are bunching the effect is minimal. On the other hand, going from 1 or 2 vehicles to 0 has a huge impact. It makes some parts of the city inaccessible without unreasonably long walks.

Obviously you don't want to 'waste' resources, but the '12 person' number seems rather large. Are we only going to run routes past 7pm if there is no space left to move?

You can't re-allocate off peak vehicles to peak service because most of the fleet is already being utilized at that time. The point is that the capital expense is put off for further study and quietly shelved after off peak service has already been cut. It's Mark Towhey's dream.

 

[EnviroTO]

They are cutting off-peak service so they can increase service on other route due to record ridership which is partially attributed to increases in off-peak service. I'm guessing a year from now the ridership will be down, problem solved, now we can cut. The following year ridership will surprisingly be down so obviously service can be cut further.

 

[jeffreym]

@Paleo Yup, that's why I said "(even ignoring the fact that the reallocation would be at different times of the day)"

I guess I was just working with their claims, though I agree that believing them might not be the best idea,...

 

[reaperexpress]

That was my thought when I looked at them too. The majority of the cuts seem to be on suburban routes. Oh the irony. Part of me welcomes the increased gridlock on the suburban arterials every morning, that's the price they paid for voting Stupid. You get what you deserve. I can only hope a more transit-friendly candidate jumps on this "improvement" next election.

If it happens out in Ford country... Meh, just some more karma.

What do you expect in the suburbs that have large lots, big houses, 4-6 cars, never use transit, but most of all, buses that are in the way of these single cars that run a muck on the roads in the first place?

Man, I hope you guys don't complain about Rob Ford's divisional tactics.

 

[GenerationW]

What do you expect in the suburbs that have large lots, big houses, 4-6 cars, never use transit, but most of all, buses that are in the way of these single cars that run a muck on the roads in the first place?

What I don't expect is ignorant and idiotic claims that everyone in the suburbs has 4-6 cars, never uses transit.......