TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[DSC]

It strikes me that trying to keep pace with industry/manufacturing specs in consumer electronics on publicly-funded platforms that live for decades is a fool's errand.

Absolutely, the TTC has a hard enough time trying to run a proper public transit system and (as noted here and by Steve Munro) often fails. Having chargers etc is a very nice 'extra" but better they devote their time to Job #1 .....

 

[W. K. Lis]

We could see more antimicrobial surfaces.

TransLink testing antimicrobial copper coating to kill bacteria and viruses​

From link.

The use of copper coating for high-touch surfaces on Metro Vancouver’s public transit system is being tested by TransLink as its latest health safety measure against COVID-19.

According to a release, copper alloy surfaces are naturally antimicrobial with self-sanitizing properties that kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses within four hours.

Another product being tested is organosilane, which is a wipe-on coating that can provide long-lasting protection against microbes.

These products will be applied on high-touch surfaces, such as poles, bars, and door handles.

Over the initial four-week pilot project, the products will be tested on two trolley buses on high-ridership routes and two SkyTrain cars on the Expo and Millennium lines. Two times each week, the surfaces will be swabbed and tested to determine the antimicrobial effectiveness of the products. Upon the conclusion of this pilot project phase, the surfaces will also be examined for durability.

“We’re proud to be the first transit agency in North America to pilot this industry-leading technology and I look forward to working closely with our project partners. We’ve been carefully examining new ways to ensure transit is one of the safest public spaces throughout the pandemic,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond in a statement.

“The risk of COVID-19 transmission on transit remains extremely low and this initiative will only bolster our comprehensive cleaning protocols which are already in place. Any findings from this pilot project will be shared with our fellow transit agency colleagues and other industries which may be able to use this emerging technology.”

This project is a partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), which is already testing the products that reduce infection rates in a healthcare setting. Vancouver mining giant Teck Resources is providing the funding and materials for the project, as part of the company’s Copper & Health program.

Other partners include the Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital Foundation, Coalition for Healthcare Acquired Infection Reduction Canada, and the University of British Columbia.

Previous studies by Teck and VCH have shown copper can effectively kill bacteria and is durable over many years.

“This project builds on preceding research and will increase our understanding of the effectiveness of copper in killing organisms on frequently-touched surfaces. Positive findings will then be used to study the impact of copper on bacteria and viruses such as COVID-19 and norovirus,” said Dr. Marthe Charles, medical microbiologist at Vancouver Coastal Health.

“This holds future infection control benefits not only for the public in their travels but for healthcare workers and patients who navigate their medical journey at Vancouver Coastal Health and beyond.”

If the findings prove to be positive, the learnings will be shared with other public transit systems in North America.

We may see copper surfaces on the new streetcars.

 

[Towered]

We could see more antimicrobial surfaces.

TransLink testing antimicrobial copper coating to kill bacteria and viruses​

From link.

The use of copper coating for high-touch surfaces on Metro Vancouver’s public transit system is being tested by TransLink as its latest health safety measure against COVID-19.





We may see copper surfaces on the new streetcars.

I remember the TTC boasting that the new rocket trains on line 1 would have such anti-microbial handles - gee, what happened to that?

 

[W. K. Lis]

I remember the TTC boasting that the new rocket trains on line 1 would have such anti-microbial handles - gee, what happened to that?

They're the yellow stanchions.

From link.

 

[smallspy]

They are becoming obsolete though Dan much like the Micro USB cables from the early cell phones.

USB-A which WAS the standard for years (and is what the ports are designed for) are giving way to USB-C. Even my new charger is dual ended USB-C

USB-A is not going away as a standard anytime soon. USB-C has some very serious advantages, sure. But if anyone has a computer, they're going to have cables that are USB-A.

Dan

 

[Richard White]

USB-A is not going away as a standard anytime soon. USB-C has some very serious advantages, sure. But if anyone has a computer, they're going to have cables that are USB-A.

Dan

My 3 year old HP laptop comes with a USB-C Port and most mobile phones are USB-C. Even my passport drive is USB-C.

I get where you are coming from Dan but the end is nigh for USB-A and supporting a technology that likely won't be around by the end of the vehicles life is a waste of resources.

 

[smallspy]

It strikes me that trying to keep pace with industry/manufacturing specs in consumer electronics on publicly-funded platforms that live for decades is a fool's errand.

I agree, but these are the choices that the organizations must make. And right now, that level of service to the customer is in vogue.

Although in their defense, you also need to see it from the standpoint from the vehicle manufacturers, too. On something like a bus, where all the internal electrical systems are 12Vdc and 24Vdc, wiring up for 110Vac can be a huge pain in the ass, not the mention trying to find space for an invertor of enough capacity to keep everyone happy. The move to USB charging - and it's 5Vdc standard - makes their lives a lot easier.

Dan

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

USB-A is not going away as a standard anytime soon. USB-C has some very serious advantages, sure. But if anyone has a computer, they're going to have cables that are USB-A.

Dan

True but how many people actually carry around usb -a to whatever end they have that goes into their phones that is long enough to either be used under a seat or on one of the ones on a pole? That's the bigger issue with having USB charging on public transit.

 

[Richard White]

True but how many people actually carry around usb -a to whatever end they have that goes into their phones that is long enough to either be used under a seat or on one of the ones on a pole? That's the bigger issue with having USB charging on public transit.

I have a 6 Foot Belkin USB A to USB-C cable for my phone but now that I got the S21 Ultra I am ditching the USB cable in favor of dual ended USB C

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

I have a 6 Foot Belkin USB A to USB-C cable for my phone but now that I got the S21 Ultra I am ditching the USB cable in favor of dual ended USB C

I wonder what the statistics on use of USB charging on public transit actually is?

 

[Richard White]

I wonder what the statistics on use of USB charging on public transit actually is?

When it was first introduced on Miway in 2015 I tried it out.. The problem was that the charging ports were not active on the vehicles which I find is a similar issue on the TTC even to this day.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

When it was first introduced on Miway in 2015 I tried it out.. The problem was that the charging ports were not active on the vehicles which I find is a similar issue on the TTC even to this day.

Interesting I wonder if after they put them in they talked to other transit agencies to see if they got any use. I think they sound like a good idea in principle but if people aren't using it what's the need for them? I can see having them on go trains the up express as people on go trains for longer than they are on a bus and with up express you have people who are coming from the airport.

 

[DSC]

I wonder what the statistics on use of USB charging on public transit actually is?

The point is really "Can transit providers (esp. those whose clients make short trips) provide reliable charging ports while also providing reliable transit? " I strongly suggest that the TTC should put all their resources and $$ into transit and forget about 'extras" like charging ports until they can keep up with SOGR and run reliable service!

 

[Richard White]

I can see having them on go trains the up express as people on go trains for longer than they are on a bus and with up express you have people who are coming from the airport.

Whenever I take the Niagara excursion train I make very good use of them.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

The point is really "Can transit providers (esp. those whose clients make short trips) provide reliable charging ports while also providing reliable transit? " I strongly suggest that the TTC should put all their resources and $$ into transit and forget about 'extras" like charging ports until they can keep up with SOGR and run reliable service!

I agree although it's possible that the buss manufacturers are just putting them in anyway because it's something that people thought that they wanted but don't really use. An example of this is at Disney World typically the buses they buy are pretty basic but the newest ones that they got in 2019 have USB charging on them.