Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

The fact that this cant all be done with one machine that figures out where you got on and got off with PRESTO is such an epic failure its unbelievable.

its so simple from a programming perspective.

If the Trips dont involve a start or terminating destination with Pearson, its a GO trip. DONE.

Funny thing is, its already done at all go train stations with the override button on the machines to discount the trips for intermediate stops.
I honestly cant see why they did this. Are they that serious to clearly define the 2 sub services even though they are operated by the same agencies?
 
Funny thing is, its already done at all go train stations with the override button on the machines to discount the trips for intermediate stops.
I honestly cant see why they did this. Are they that serious to clearly define the 2 sub services even though they are operated by the same agencies?
I think it was casued by the original fare structue where a trip (for example) between Union and Weston was a different fare on UP than GO....so trips starting and stopping in the same place had different prices depending on what train you boarded....so the solution was two different tap machines.

In the rush to change the fares, forcing the passenger to carefully tap the correct machine was a (temporary) solution. But now they could/should be on one
 
I think it was casued by the original fare structue where a trip (for example) between Union and Weston was a different fare on UP than GO....so trips starting and stopping in the same place had different prices depending on what train you boarded....so the solution was two different tap machines.

In the rush to change the fares, forcing the passenger to carefully tap the correct machine was a (temporary) solution. But now they could/should be on one

Well, I still don't think tapping off is good idea. Can anyone tell me what is so good about tapping off??
 
Funny thing is, its already done at all go train stations with the override button on the machines to discount the trips for intermediate stops.
I honestly cant see why they did this. Are they that serious to clearly define the 2 sub services even though they are operated by the same agencies?
My belief is that some day we are going to learn in someone's memoirs that the McGuinty govt planned to sell off UPX. Nothing about how UPX launched makes sense otherwise.
 
My belief is that some day we are going to learn in someone's memoirs that the McGuinty govt planned to sell off UPX. Nothing about how UPX launched makes sense otherwise.

UPX wasn't really something the province or feds ever wanted to run in-house. Selling it if it made a profit would have been a reasonable thing to do given its history.

Also, possible is UPX was seen as a prototype for "first class" and GO currently as "economy class". Numerous fare-by-distance systems have classes in an effort to boost revenue. It wouldn't take much to swap 1 in 12 coaches on GO to nicer seating with a bit more room and charge a 30% premium.
 
UP always defaults to assuming you got off at one end, when starting at the other end. With no penalty.

So why tap off if going from one end to the other?

This is basically the scenario that's making them keep two readers.

For example, if I tap on at Bloor, but don't tap off, should Presto charge me full fare for the UP or GO? If it's UP, then the most I could get charged for is a trip to the airport. But if it assumes GO, then I'm paying for a ride to Kitchener.

So... Metrolinx could probably set a default "did not tap off charge" as being the maximum UP fare. This would screw passengers less, but it could be taken advantage of by anyone going much further but paying less. Or, set it to be the maximum charge on the Kitchener line, but then passengers that did not tap off on the UP get really screwed too.

I guess that's the dilemma when trying to integrate them....

-Vic
 
Hmmm.... the Presto readers at Union's UP platform and Pearson, at least, could be consolidated. If you''re tapping on/off at either of those locations, you're only using the UP.

They could at least make it so that if I tap on a Bloor GO reader but tap off at Union UP, it knows that I just took an UP ride.
 
GO should be free? Is that what you are saying there....hard to tell.
I think what they mean is that Union UPX and Pearson UPX Stations should be in a different zone than GO Union and GO Bus Pearson Stations. Tapping on at either UPX terminal station should default to the Pearson-Union trip, and when you tap off at Bloor, (Mount Dennis,) or Weston, it takes the GO fare.
 

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