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TTC: Other Items (catch all)

W. K. Lis said:
Have you ever been behind a snow covered tractor-trailer?

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Even places like Rona clear snow from trucks entering their yards. It is a huge liability issue, it is the winter equivalent of driving in a torrential downpour. You cannot see the road nor can you avoid getting into an accident until it is too late.
 
I’m just going to share my close call transfer I had with the TTC and GO.

I had class until 9:00 pm today and it was finished early at 8:45 pm. I had parked my car at Maple GO so I decided to take the subway north to Downsview Park to transfer to the Barrie Line. Since the next Barrie train from Union was at 9:40 and would arrive at Downsview Park, I thought it would be unlikely that I’ll miss it. So I got to Queens Park Station at 9:00 and waited a few minutes for the northbound train. I got on and was heading north.

I noticed a few slowdowns and stops, but didn’t make anything of it. However, then an announcement said that the train was out of service at St Clair West. Okay, it was 9:40 and the next train was moving incredibly slow towards Eglinton West.

Then went I got to Lawrence West, the train STOPPED for over 5 minutes. It was 9:50 and the train was pulling into Wilson, I check the Transit App and it said the Barrie train would arrive at Downsview Park at 10:02.

As the train pulled into Sheppard West and left it, it was moving quite fast. As it arrived at Downsview Park, I walked to the middle of the train to take the “spiral staircase”, ran up the stairs, waited for the fare gate to open, ran up the escalator, turned around and saw the GO train. There was a TTC staff member that said "GO" and then I realized it was arriving, so I ran to the doors, went out, tapped, and got on the train. I made it.

Some things to learn from this experience:
  1. The TTC is not always reliable
  2. Park at Richmond Hill GO
  3. Don't try new routes just because
  4. Downsview Park is a good TTC/GO transfer station (when you have ample time).
If I had missed the train, I would have had to call someone to pick me up to pick up my car to go home.
 
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Leo_Chan said:
I’m just going to share my close call transfer I had with the TTC and GO.

I had class until 9:00 pm today and it was finished early at 8:45 pm. I had parked my car at Maple GO so I decided to take the subway north to Downsview Park to transfer to the Barrie Line. Since the next Barrie train from Union was at 9:40 and would arrive at Downsview Park, I thought it would be unlikely that I’ll miss it. So I got to Queens Park Station at 9:00 and waited a few minutes for the northbound train. I got on and was heading north.

I noticed a few slowdowns and stops, but didn’t make anything of it. However, then an announcement said that the train was out of service at St Clair West. Okay, it was 9:40 and the next train was moving incredibly slow towards Eglinton West.

Then went I got to Lawrence West, the train STOPPED for over 5 minutes. It was 9:50 and the train was pulling into Wilson, I check the Transit App and it said the Barrie train would arrive at Downsview Park at 10:02.

As the train pulled into Sheppard West and left it, it was moving quite fast. As it arrived at Downsview Park, I walked to the middle of the train to take the “spiral staircase”, ran up the stairs, waited for the fare gate to open, ran up the escalator, turned around and saw the GO train. There was a TTC staff member that said "GO" and then I realized it was arriving, so I ran to the doors, went out, tapped, and got on the train. I made it.

Some things to learn from this experience:
  1. The TTC is not always reliable
  2. Park at Richmond Hill GO
  3. Don't try new routes just because
  4. Downsview Park is a good TTC/GO transfer station.
If I had missed the train, I would have had to call someone to pick me up to pick up my car to go home.
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Things like this happen which is why you do not risk it. I would rather park along the subway line than risk not being able to get home because I missed a train.
 
Richard White said:
Things like this happen which is why you do not risk it. I would rather park along the subway line than risk not being able to get home because I missed a train.
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I just wanted to try the Barrie Line going both south and north in the morning and at night. Normally, I would have parked at Richmond Hill GO to take the Richmond Hill Line south and take the 61 bus north.
 
Leo_Chan said:
I’m just going to share my close call transfer I had with the TTC and GO.

I had class until 9:00 pm today and it was finished early at 8:45 pm. I had parked my car at Maple GO so I decided to take the subway north to Downsview Park to transfer to the Barrie Line. Since the next Barrie train from Union was at 9:40 and would arrive at Downsview Park, I thought it would be unlikely that I’ll miss it. So I got to Queens Park Station at 9:00 and waited a few minutes for the northbound train. I got on and was heading north.

I noticed a few slowdowns and stops, but didn’t make anything of it. However, then an announcement said that the train was out of service at St Clair West. Okay, it was 9:40 and the next train was moving incredibly slow towards Eglinton West.

Then went I got to Lawrence West, the train STOPPED for over 5 minutes. It was 9:50 and the train was pulling into Wilson, I check the Transit App and it said the Barrie train would arrive at Downsview Park at 10:02.

As the train pulled into Sheppard West and left it, it was moving quite fast. As it arrived at Downsview Park, I walked to the middle of the train to take the “spiral staircase”, ran up the stairs, waited for the fare gate to open, ran up the escalator, turned around and saw the GO train. There was a TTC staff member that said "GO" and then I realized it was arriving, so I ran to the doors, went out, tapped, and got on the train. I made it.

Some things to learn from this experience:
  1. The TTC is not always reliable
  2. Park at Richmond Hill GO
  3. Don't try new routes just because
  4. Downsview Park is a good TTC/GO transfer station.
If I had missed the train, I would have had to call someone to pick me up to pick up my car to go home.
Click to expand...

I've had the same concern about Downsview Park - the TTC has been awful at operating service properly north of St Clair West, especially into the extension. Cumulative 20-30 minute waits for a train that actually goes up are quite common, and that train when it finally arrives normally crawls.

In your case, since you were done at 8:45PM, it would have made more sense to go to Union. It's a much nicer station to wait at, with heating, washrooms, and ample retail; not sure if you noticed with how briefly you were there but Downsview Park is normally freezing, significantly colder than the outside, and it lacks washrooms and any retail, doesn't even have benches/seats unless you exit and go to one of the shelters. Service to Union, being only 4 stops, is generally less likely to have problems than the long trip north, and the TTC tries harder in the core than they do up at the extension. Even if there was a problem, as long as you don't get stuck in the tunnels with 55 minutes you could easily get out and walk or take a cab to Union. The only downside I can think of is that a GO fare about $1 more expensive.

Also, had you missed the train, you could have taken the subway to York U or Pioneer Village and transferred to one of two buses that run north on Keele to Maple GO, or gone to either 407 or VMC and taken the 20 Jane to Vaughan Mills then connected to the 4 Major Mackenzie. Would have taken a while but presumably been quicker than waiting for someone to come pick you up.
 
Leo_Chan said:
I’m just going to share my close call transfer I had with the TTC and GO.

I had class until 9:00 pm today and it was finished early at 8:45 pm. I had parked my car at Maple GO so I decided to take the subway north to Downsview Park to transfer to the Barrie Line. Since the next Barrie train from Union was at 9:40 and would arrive at Downsview Park, I thought it would be unlikely that I’ll miss it. So I got to Queens Park Station at 9:00 and waited a few minutes for the northbound train. I got on and was heading north.

I noticed a few slowdowns and stops, but didn’t make anything of it. However, then an announcement said that the train was out of service at St Clair West. Okay, it was 9:40 and the next train was moving incredibly slow towards Eglinton West.

Then went I got to Lawrence West, the train STOPPED for over 5 minutes. It was 9:50 and the train was pulling into Wilson, I check the Transit App and it said the Barrie train would arrive at Downsview Park at 10:02.

As the train pulled into Sheppard West and left it, it was moving quite fast. As it arrived at Downsview Park, I walked to the middle of the train to take the “spiral staircase”, ran up the stairs, waited for the fare gate to open, ran up the escalator, turned around and saw the GO train. There was a TTC staff member that said "GO" and then I realized it was arriving, so I ran to the doors, went out, tapped, and got on the train. I made it.

Some things to learn from this experience:
  1. The TTC is not always reliable
  2. Park at Richmond Hill GO
  3. Don't try new routes just because
  4. Downsview Park is a good TTC/GO transfer station.
If I had missed the train, I would have had to call someone to pick me up to pick up my car to go home.
Click to expand...
Took you long enough to realize #1
 
Leo_Chan said:
I’m just going to share my close call transfer I had with the TTC and GO.

I had class until 9:00 pm today and it was finished early at 8:45 pm. I had parked my car at Maple GO so I decided to take the subway north to Downsview Park to transfer to the Barrie Line. Since the next Barrie train from Union was at 9:40 and would arrive at Downsview Park, I thought it would be unlikely that I’ll miss it. So I got to Queens Park Station at 9:00 and waited a few minutes for the northbound train. I got on and was heading north.

I noticed a few slowdowns and stops, but didn’t make anything of it. However, then an announcement said that the train was out of service at St Clair West. Okay, it was 9:40 and the next train was moving incredibly slow towards Eglinton West.

Then went I got to Lawrence West, the train STOPPED for over 5 minutes. It was 9:50 and the train was pulling into Wilson, I check the Transit App and it said the Barrie train would arrive at Downsview Park at 10:02.

As the train pulled into Sheppard West and left it, it was moving quite fast. As it arrived at Downsview Park, I walked to the middle of the train to take the “spiral staircase”, ran up the stairs, waited for the fare gate to open, ran up the escalator, turned around and saw the GO train. There was a TTC staff member that said "GO" and then I realized it was arriving, so I ran to the doors, went out, tapped, and got on the train. I made it.

Some things to learn from this experience:
  1. The TTC is not always reliable
  2. Park at Richmond Hill GO
  3. Don't try new routes just because
  4. Downsview Park is a good TTC/GO transfer station.
If I had missed the train, I would have had to call someone to pick me up to pick up my car to go home.
Click to expand...

This line has really turned to crap in recent years with all the frequent stoppages, speed reductions, train traffic and short turns. The TTC claims that the travel time between Union and VMC is 45 minutes, but in reality my regular commute time between Sheppard West and Union is about at long. If I trusted the TTC's schedule I'd be late for work everytime.
 
Megaton327 said:
In your case, since you were done at 8:45PM, it would have made more sense to go to Union. It's a much nicer station to wait at, with heating, washrooms, and ample retail; not sure if you noticed with how briefly you were there but Downsview Park is normally freezing, significantly colder than the outside, and it lacks washrooms and any retail, doesn't even have benches/seats unless you exit and go to one of the shelters. Service to Union, being only 4 stops, is generally less likely to have problems than the long trip north, and the TTC tries harder in the core than they do up at the extension. Even if there was a problem, as long as you don't get stuck in the tunnels with 55 minutes you could easily get out and walk or take a cab to Union. The only downside I can think of is that a GO fare about $1 more expensive.
Click to expand...
Yeah, definitely faster to go to Union.

No washrooms at all in Downsview Park station? I thought there was a requirement in the building code that new transfer stations required washrooms.
 
nfitz said:
Yeah, definitely faster to go to Union.

No washrooms at all in Downsview Park station? I thought there was a requirement in the building code that new transfer stations required washrooms.
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I'm sure there are staff washrooms, and in an emergency they certainly should let you use them, both for general human decency and for human rights code reasons, but I've heard of TTC staff refusing to let people use them elsewhere.

Not sure if the building code requires public washrooms there. There certainly aren't any public ones in the station. Fortunately there are some at Sheppard West within the fare paid zone, and when the GO train comes at Downsview Park they do have washrooms. And once service is every 15min it won't matter nearly as much. But it is a significant problem for the time being with hourly service.
 
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