March 2011 TTC Service Cutbacks

[W. K. Lis]

Here it comes...
''If there is a bus route that just doesn’t make sense and you have to take that out of service, the critics would argue that’s a service cut, but normal people would say it’s losing a ton of money… we’re better off to put an extra bus on Finch Avenue where people are crammed,†said Mr. Del Grande. ''

http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/12/28/rob-fords-to-do-list/

I think normal people would say that's a service cut, actually. And what would normal people say about junking every other transit expansion plan for a subway that will indeed, lose a ton of money?

Maybe to save on electricity, since no one is supposed to be out after 2 AM in the morning, we should turn off all the overhead street lights? Why should the street lights be on if I am home in bed?

Same reason for buses late at night, someone or anyone may still be out. If we cut bus service, might as well cut street lights as well for the same reason.

 

[spider]

Maybe to save on electricity, since no one is supposed to be out after 2 AM in the morning, we should turn off all the overhead street lights? Why should the street lights be on if I am home in bed?

Same reason for buses late at night, someone or anyone may still be out. If we cut bus service, might as well cut street lights as well for the same reason.

That empty bus circling my neighbourhood is service offered, not service used or needed so let's stop calling it SERVICE and start calling it waste.

 

[jje1000]

That empty bus circling my neighbourhood is service offered, not service used or needed so let's stop calling it SERVICE and start calling it waste.

It might be waste to you, but it's service to others. Stop thinking that you're the world.

Seriously, this "Things I don't use are should not be paid by my taxdollars" train of thought gets irritating after a while.

 

[spider]

It might be waste to you, but it's service to others.

So why aren't they on the bus?

 

[jje1000]

So why aren't they on the bus?

Maybe because you assume from the few buses that pass in front of you that no one uses them? It's an utter simplification of the entire matter.

 

[jje1000]

Would you like a scenario like Colorado Spring's to happen, as long as it saves you a couple hundred each month?

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14303473
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-25/...h-cans-trash-bags-million-budget-gap?_s=PM:US

 

[spider]

Would you like a scenario like Colorado Spring's to happen, as long as it saves you a couple hundred each month?

Interesting even though it is 10 month old news. I wonder how it played out.

We have to understand that the City in question is really a small town in a Libertarian society, there is no comparison to Toronto.

Just to clarify my position on taxes and waste I have no problem with my tax bill being increased 10 to 20% if the money is spent wisely. Wisely in my opinion would include Subways and a DRL, not replacing busses with streetcars. It would include contracting out garbage and selling Hydro as a start.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Interesting even though it is 10 month old news. I wonder how it played out.

We have to understand that the City in question is really a small town in a Libertarian society, there is no comparison to Toronto.

Just to clarify my position on taxes and waste I have no problem with my tax bill being increased 10 to 20% if the money is spent wisely. Wisely in my opinion would include Subways and a DRL, not replacing busses with streetcars. It would include contracting out garbage and selling Hydro as a start.

Wisely in my opinion would include Transit City, heavy rail subways, a DRL, and NOT replacing streetcars with buses. It would include contracting out garbage and NOT selling Hydro. As well as replacing the Fair Wage Policy, which is currently unfair to non-union companies.

 

[Dan416]

Wisely in my opinion would include Transit City, heavy rail subways, a DRL, and NOT replacing streetcars with buses. It would include contracting out garbage and NOT selling Hydro. As well as replacing the Fair Wage Policy, which is currently unfair to non-union companies.

Where has any politician in Toronto suggested replacing our legacy streetcars with buses?
As far as I'm concerned, you're fear-mongering to make a point. Just like this whole thread is fear-mongering without any facts.

 

[jje1000]

Ford has. He seems to have repeatedly gone from saying that the streetcar system will not be phased out to saying that some streetcar lines will be replaced with buses.

 

[GraphicMatt]

Yeah, seriously, the goddamn Mayor had "replace streetcars with hybrid buses" on his campaign literature. No one's fear mongering anything.

And the budget chief just used 'money losing' bus routes as an example of things they could eliminate to help balance this year's budget.

Eventually you're just going to have to admit that you miss David Miller.

 

[reaperexpress]

Where has any politician in Toronto suggested replacing our legacy streetcars with buses?
As far as I'm concerned, you're fear-mongering to make a point.

Are you seriously not aware of Rob Ford's election promise?!

 

[Ed Drass]

Note the Post story also cites "the TTC’s first meeting of the year, Feb. 2."
A "new" meeting on Jan. 12 would likely garner extra media attention -- and easily be spun negatively. It would take quite the sales job to justify a special session. So unless the Ford regime is planning a 'transit crisis' in the next two weeks...

 

[EnviroTO]

That empty bus circling my neighbourhood is service offered, not service used or needed so let's stop calling it SERVICE and start calling it waste.

If the average ridership on that half hourly bus was less than one then you would be correct, it would be service provided and not service used. However it only takes one nightly rider to be essential to someone. I personally don't think that they should run a bus at a particular time if that run doesn't average five people at the subway station end of the route.

If there is a bus route that just doesn’t make sense and you have to take that out of service, the critics would argue that’s a service cut, but normal people would say it’s losing a ton of money… we’re better off to put an extra bus on Finch Avenue where people are crammed,

At the times a bus route would seldom used the Finch Ave bus would not be crammed. This would indicate route removals are being considered which is definitely a service cut.

Right now the TTC has record ridership. It would only take a few months to see if a service change resulted in more or less customers.

 

[jje1000]

Note the Post story also cites "the TTC’s first meeting of the year, Feb. 2."
A "new" meeting on Jan. 12 would likely garner extra media attention -- and easily be spun negatively. It would take quite the sales job to justify a special session. So unless the Ford regime is planning a 'transit crisis' in the next two weeks...

What is this "crisis" you speak of? I don't understand how a transit crisis can persuade more people to use less transit without looking completely manufactured; in fact, the only thing a transit crisis could really be used for is to underline the fact that the system requires funding from the provincial government or that the system needs to be purged of unions.