TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[TheTigerMaster]

John Tory and Josh Colle have re announced their plan to boost TTC service:

http://m.thestar.com/#/article/news...-route-services-to-be-improved.html?referrer=

Curiously missing from their announcement was their plan to cut TTC funding.

 

[salsa]

Curiously missing from their announcement was their plan to cut TTC funding.

I await the press conference where I get to hear more about that.

 

[robmausser]

What is the status of the replacement of the TTC overhead streetcar wire to allow for Pantograph usage?

Just curious as I haven't heard much about this anymore.

 

[drum118]

Is TTC track construction the best one out there or over kill??

There been a debate going for years as to what is the best way to built tracks and based on what I have seen in person as well on line, its hard to say.

TTC has claim that the rail will not have to be replace for 20-30 years, yet sections have already been replace after 5 years. At the same time, TTC has said it would be days, not week to replace the rail since you are only removing the top coat of concrete to get at the rail clips on the steel ties.

The steel ties are supposed to last 50-75 years and most of us will not be around to see if this is true. The whole base is supposed to last 75-100 years and again not around to see if this is true.

Watching Detroit M1 Woodward line being built, this is an over kill and will be a bitch to replace various sections and will not be a few day or a week project.

On the other hand, seeing Cincinnati LRT line for the first time, its different what Philadelphia does some what. I find the ties narrow with some re-bar for the base. The one thing I like about Cincinnati line is they have used bricks between the rails to maintain the street look.

I also found Cincinnati platform being the highest I have seen in NA and Europe to date for low floor cars.

I have Albums setup as Detroit LRT & Cincinnati LRT showing the various photos shot in 2014-15

Detroit

Cincinnati

 

[CDL.TO]

I thought this was interesting.

Here in Amsterdam they have these prefab concrete sections around the streetcar tracks, kind of like big paving stones. You can see them in the pic below.

The each "stone" is around 6' long,and the ones on the sides on the tracks are narrower than the ones between the tracks.

They have little holes in them for lifting. So when they do track repair or replacement they bring in a little crane (or something) and just lift out the prefab sections, do the work, then put them back again.

Of course, these are only standard on straight or near-straight sections of track. Curves and special work use bricks, asphalt, or poured-in-place concrete.

I've never noticed these anywhere else. I wonder if they really offer any serious benefit and whether such an approach would hold up to a Toronto winter.

 

[junctionist]

Is TTC track construction the best one out there or over kill??

There been a debate going for years as to what is the best way to built tracks and based on what I have seen in person as well on line, its hard to say.

TTC has claim that the rail will not have to be replace for 20-30 years, yet sections have already been replace after 5 years. At the same time, TTC has said it would be days, not week to replace the rail since you are only removing the top coat of concrete to get at the rail clips on the steel ties.

The steel ties are supposed to last 50-75 years and most of us will not be around to see if this is true. The whole base is supposed to last 75-100 years and again not around to see if this is true.

Watching Detroit M1 Woodward line being built, this is an over kill and will be a bitch to replace various sections and will not be a few day or a week project.

On the other hand, seeing Cincinnati LRT line for the first time, its different what Philadelphia does some what. I find the ties narrow with some re-bar for the base. The one thing I like about Cincinnati line is they have used bricks between the rails to maintain the street look.

I also found Cincinnati platform being the highest I have seen in NA and Europe to date for low floor cars.

I have Albums setup as Detroit LRT & Cincinnati LRT showing the various photos shot in 2014-15

Thanks for the photos. It's great to see light rail making a return to downtown Detroit. It'll only improve a downtown core that's among America's best. That stone street with light rail tracks in Cincinnati also looks great. I support the TTC's efforts to use longer-lasting tracks that are easier to repair. No one likes road closures, and their new approach sounds like it will minimize closures.

 

[drum118]

Caught this bus in Louisville Kentucky: (Transit Authority of River City) TARC ZeroBus 09 40' Electric Bus By Proterra Inc Built 2015 and one of 10 buses in service.

2 routes with a charging station. Needs to be recharge every 2 hours or 30 miles. Take 10 minutes to recharge the bus. Is to save $10,000 yearly and cost around $700-$800,000.

Something TTC doesn't need nor the cost saving justify it.

More systems are going to CNG than this route, as well Hybrid.

 

[smallspy]

Is TTC track construction the best one out there or over kill??

There been a debate going for years as to what is the best way to built tracks and based on what I have seen in person as well on line, its hard to say.

TTC has claim that the rail will not have to be replace for 20-30 years, yet sections have already been replace after 5 years. At the same time, TTC has said it would be days, not week to replace the rail since you are only removing the top coat of concrete to get at the rail clips on the steel ties.

The steel ties are supposed to last 50-75 years and most of us will not be around to see if this is true. The whole base is supposed to last 75-100 years and again not around to see if this is true.

Considering that the TTC is now able to do a rail replacement at a stop in two days without interfering with operations, yeah, I'd say that there isn't much to improve upon. I'm not crazy about the continued use of creosoted ties under specialwork, but by the same token they are a lot cheaper than the alternatives, and last just as long.

As for rail only lasting for 5 years instead of 20-30, they know that and have always said that. There are locations, such as curves, intersections, and stops that will always see far more wear than regular straight track, and so will have to be replaced more frequently. Thankfully, those sections are generally quite short, and the rail can be replaced in fairly short order.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[ksun]

John Tory and Josh Colle have re announced their plan to boost TTC service:

http://m.thestar.com/#/article/news...-route-services-to-be-improved.html?referrer=

Curiously missing from their announcement was their plan to cut TTC funding.

the streetcar service needs some serious improvement. it is becoming incredibly unreliable.

This Saturday, I did some grocery shopping and waited for the EB Queen car. Jesus, it says 18 minutes, with all the bags I had to wait, but even the 18 minutes shown on Next bus is unreliable because after a few minutes, it keeps going back to 18 minutes repeatedly, after waiting for 5 already. what's more annoying is the schedule is like this: 18 minutes, 26 minutes, 26 minutes, 27 minutes. What kind of system is that?

Then again I took the EB bound yesterday afternoon to the beaches and ended up waiting for a whole 16 minutes at Yonge/Queen. Across the street, 3 west bound 501s were arriving all together between Victoria and Yonge. Seriously? is it the best dispatching strategy?

We have an excellent streetcar system, but how it works is horrible. If one can expect a streetcar to arrive every 7-8 minutes, I would have no complaint. What's worse is that, there are many ways to improve it and increase reliability, we simply choose not to do it. (in case one asks, giving ROW, and reduce number of stops are most effective).

 

[drum118]

Considering that the TTC is now able to do a rail replacement at a stop in two days without interfering with operations, yeah, I'd say that there isn't much to improve upon. I'm not crazy about the continued use of creosoted ties under specialwork, but by the same token they are a lot cheaper than the alternatives, and last just as long.

As for rail only lasting for 5 years instead of 20-30, they know that and have always said that. There are locations, such as curves, intersections, and stops that will always see far more wear than regular straight track, and so will have to be replaced more frequently. Thankfully, those sections are generally quite short, and the rail can be replaced in fairly short order.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

I have yet to see TTC do this in 2 days for a few spots that I saw being done. More like 3-4 days. Not doing 7/24 work doesn't help and time for it to happen to speed road closure up faster.

There will be various locations that will be replace as you noted and they will vary from location to location as well the amount of service on them.

I can't recall when or where I saw it, but in some places longer sections of pre-cast section was used for straight sections as well long section of rail and mesh framing pull into place. Long pre-cast section are great for crossing roads since it will be a day or less to do the work.

As for 501, what else is new for long headways. This has been my fear since 2005 going to the new cars as the bean counter will increase the headway and causing a longer gap than today. In fact, if the service remain a current levels or every 5 minutes, ridership would jump since there would be more room for riders than today along with the pent-up demand by stroller, accessibility riders and the growth along Queen in the first place.

 

[smallspy]

I have yet to see TTC do this in 2 days for a few spots that I saw being done. More like 3-4 days. Not doing 7/24 work doesn't help and time for it to happen to speed road closure up faster.

King Street at Atlantic - they did the work on July 23rd and July 24th. In the middle of service. With streetcars running while the crews were working.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[drum118]

Let see, Schedule calls for buses on 504/505 for Broadview due track work and overhead work this weekend, yet nothing was taking place on it as noted on the poster.

Had no idea what service level was to be, but a piss poor one at that. Sat on a bus at the loop for 10 minutes with no driver on it nor how long it was sitting there in the first place.

When I went to catch a north bound north of Gerrard, waited over 30 minutes only to see 3 go down and one out of service going north before 2 show up pack full. Caught the 2nd one and let the driver to have it as he was behind the driver I had going south and had already play follow the leader going down and up before getting on. The Transit Enforcers were on the first bus and got off at the Danforth stop.

He said it was the police and the Pan Am causing the delay. Let see, the Pan Am village is about a mile east at the start of the route, team members already at City Hall, pure BS.

Have sent the power to be an email on this. TTC=Take the cab/car. If my hip was hurting me, could walk the route faster than wait for a bus. A elderly lady with a buggy walk from Gerard after waiting 15 minutes to where she was going faster than wait for service.

 

[TheKingEast]

The Queen Streetcar is terrible. I constantly see people outwalking it. I've done it before but as someone mentioned...it is highly unreliable. There's also some serious overcrowding issues.

 

[ksun]

Because
1) the headway is unpredictable and often too long. I waited for more than 18 minutes on more than a few occasions. I don't think it is acceptable. 505 is as bad. Every time we take Yonge+ bloor subway and the 510 instead of Yonge and 505 to Spadina because it is frustrating to wait for it. 15 minutes or more is not rare.
2) excessive number of stops. 1) makes it worse because now because there are so many people waiting and in the car, it is bound to stop for every single stop, which is less than 200m/1 minutes on average.

Coupled with red lights, how can it not be out walked by pedestrians? I walk to Trinity Bellwoods park from Yonge every time instead of taking the Queen car, which is unbearably slow.

I have to say they have to change the way it works. It is simply NOT working.

 

[Electrify]

WATCH: Police clear TTC officers of wrongdoing

http://www.newstalk1010.com/news/2015/08/17/watch-police-clear-ttc-officers-of-wrongdoing

TTC spokesperson Brad Ross says the investigations found the officers' actions were 'lawful' and 'justified.'

That's some good customer service the TTC's got there...

Here's the video in case you forgot:

While the two detainees were hardly saints, I don't want to think what "unjustified" force looks like to Mr. Ross. I also wonder if this will be the end of it, or if the SIU or an external police force like the OPP will reopen the investigation. Regardless, they will likely get a nice settlement cheque out of all this.