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

[rbt]

What do you think of the idea floated by the TTC board that the Finch LRT should also link up to the airport and to the Crosstown West line?

It made sense to me in 2009 and continues to make sense today. Pearson Airport seems a fairly natural location to have a multi-mode transit terminal; doubly so if HSR is implemented. GO, Brampton, Mississauga, and TTC all meet at that point today but transfers between services are fairly challenging.

"A feasibility study to determine potential routings for the future westward extension of the Etobicoke-Finch West LRT to the vicinity of Woodbine Live! development and the Pearson International Airport has been completed and is under review."​

http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Com...mber_16_2009/Reports/Request_for_approval.pdf

I don't know where that feasibility study is but that implies it was complete in 2009.

 

[David Brake]

Thanks RBT! Now that I know it exists I can go ask the TTC if they know where it is!

 

[Megaton327]

I finally used UPX as a paying passenger (first two rides were freebies) returning from Pearson, using Presto.

One thing I noticed, though, is that instead of charging me $5.02 from the start, it charged me $9 from Pearson, then credited me for $3.98 when I changed at Dundas West. Is that how it always works?

The outdoor connection to the TTC at Bloor is still dismal, but I thought I saw some notices about tunnels - anyone have info?

$9 fare: yes, with the silver UPX Presto terminals, they have always charged the maximum fare (previously $19 from Union or Pearson, now $9) then credited if tapped at an earlier station. I think it's ridiculous--I was taking it from Union to Bloor once and missed a train because my card only had $18 on it. However, the green GO presto terminals used for travel between Union/Bloor/Weston, not involving Pearson, operate entirely using GO fare rules i.e. they'll charge the ~$5 base fare, and credit or surcharge that as needed at the end of the trip, rather than assuming the higher amount from the start. Presumably when they either reprogram the UPX presto readers to act the same as the GO ones, or replace them with the GO ones altogether, this will finally be completely fixed.

TTC connection: not sure why there would be notices about tunnels there--there's been a planned direct underground tunnel from TTC Dundas West to UPX/GO Bloor for a while now, however the Crossways shopping mall between them has refused to allow Metrolinx a right of way through their underground parking garage to build it, and Metrolinx has declined to expropriate the needed space, so there is currently no indication that it will ever be built.

 

[nfitz]

... there's been a planned direct underground tunnel from TTC Dundas West to UPX/GO Bloor for a while now, however the Crossways shopping mall between them has refused to allow Metrolinx a right of way through their underground parking garage to build it, and Metrolinx has declined to expropriate the needed space, so there is currently no indication that it will ever be built.

A while being the mid-1980s, which was when the Ministry of Transport started looking at this. TTC may have been at it even longer ...

 

[mdrejhon]

$9 fare: yes, with the silver UPX Presto terminals, they have always charged the maximum fare (previously $19 from Union or Pearson, now $9) then credited if tapped at an earlier station. I think it's ridiculous--I was taking it from Union to Bloor once and missed a train because my card only had $18 on it. However, the green GO presto terminals used for travel between Union/Bloor/Weston, not involving Pearson, operate entirely using GO fare rules i.e. they'll charge the ~$5 base fare, and credit or surcharge that as needed at the end of the trip, rather than assuming the higher amount from the start. Presumably when they either reprogram the UPX presto readers to act the same as the GO ones, or replace them with the GO ones altogether, this will finally be completely fixed.

How fun -- even more Presto reader inconsistency for borderline Presto cards.

More reason to tap on the GO readers instead of UPX readers whenever using UPX for non-Pearson trips. One problem I can see arising from applying GO reader rules, is newbie travellers forgetting to tap-out and getting a discounted UPX fare out of it all. Unless it's automatically charged the maximum fare after a time period of no tap-outs.

Should be interesting to see how they solve this one.

 

[nfitz]

Should be interesting to see how they solve this one.

Presumably they just make the few UP Presto devices think they are GO devices. Problem solved.

 

[mdrejhon]

Presumably they just make the few UP Presto devices think they are GO devices. Problem solved.

And for those traveller newbies who forget to tap out?
Get charged full Kitcher fare?

That is the angle I meant when I said that "Should be interesting to see how they solve this one."

 

[rbt]

And for those traveller newbies who forget to tap out?
Get charged full Kitcher fare?

Fare gates at Pearson would take care of a lot of those kinds of issues, including the necessity to have on-train fare checking staff. Bar-code scanner for printed tickets and a Presto terminal on each gate.

 

[ssiguy2]

The UPX exemplifies what is wrong with GO and why it will never be the mass transit system it could and should be.

Just look at Weston.................hundreds of thousands just west and north of the station and lots of buses that could feed into the station. Now it has 15 minutes all day service which is comparable to an OK bus route. All this but it's ridership still sucks at 5000 and just a drop in the bucket of the tens of thousands that would use it everyday if they could afford to.

This just confirms what I have said about GO and the UPX for years.................you can provide service every 3 minutes if you want but it won't make any difference if people can't afford the fare and no amount of special bells or whistles is ever going to change that. Total fare integration will certainly help but the UPX and all GO routes in the city will never see near their ridership potential as long as the fares are higher than a standard TTC ticket/pass.

This is why U/Bahn and RER systems in Europe are so successful and why GO/RER will never be near the ridership levels that they enjoy nor be embraced by the public as they are because they are based on distance travelled and not on some stupid fare based on technology.

 

[LNahid2000]

This is why U/Bahn and RER systems in Europe are so successful and why GO/RER will never be near the ridership levels that they enjoy nor be embraced by the public as they are because they are based on distance travelled and not on some stupid fare based on technology.

Most of the European systems are zone based (which is pretty similar to distance travelled). The problem in Toronto is that we're spoiled by a flat fare on the TTC.

 

[Napoleon]

One thing I noticed, though, is that instead of charging me $5.02 from the start, it charged me $9 from Pearson, then credited me for $3.98 when I changed at Dundas West. Is that how it always works?

Yep, that seems to be how it always works. It makes for an interesting time with the accounting department trying to explain what was going on when you're trying to reimburse work travel.

 

[crs1026]

After all our complaining about wayfinding and signage, I arrived home at Terminal 1 last night to find these big ads at every baggage carousel in the International arrivals area.

Pretty big ads, and pretty clear and simple wayfinding guidance.

Of course, our plane got in a 02:10 thanks to the weather....so we limo'd it.

But I would say UPE couldn't do much better to put their pitch to incoming travellers.

- Paul

 

[jamincan]

They should consider adding kiosks in the baggage claim area so people can buy a ticket/Presto card/reload their card while waiting for baggage to show up.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Wonder if my grandkids' grandkids will ever see a Dundas West Subway Station to Bloor GO/UPX Train Station connection, in their lifetime?

 

[vic]

Wonder if my grandkids' grandkids will ever see a Dundas West Subway Station to Bloor GO/UPX Train Station connection, in their lifetime?

I like that they included the Frogger option in the current pedestrian route.