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TTC: Other Items (catch all)

drum118 said:
April 10
Have to reshoot the Queensway video as the focus log on to late and not happy with it.
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It doesn't look like there's much actual work going on there, is that just because it was a weekend? I'd have expected a lot more activity, even on a weekend, for such a major intersection.
 
KevinT said:
It doesn't look like there's much actual work going on there, is that just because it was a weekend? I'd have expected a lot more activity, even on a weekend, for such a major intersection.
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At this stage, will be slow with no work on the weekend. This is the tip of the ice berg of work to be done.

Want to get out there this week to heard the noise from the concrete remover for the track as well see it in action.
 

Real Time Bus Occupancy Info - Starting April 16, 2021​

From link.

he TTC is partnering with transit trip planning mobile apps, Rocketman and Transit to provide real-time bus occupancy information to help customers plan and take their trips. Starting April 16, 2021, you’ll be able to see the volume of passengers on vehicles approaching your stop to help you choose which vehicle you’re most comfortable boarding.

Most TTC buses are equipped with Automatic Passenger Counting (APC), which are electronic devices that use invisible infrared lights at doors to determine how many passengers board or exit buses. This data is now being shared with Rocketman and Transit to inform customers of the passenger volume on the next few buses, indicated by one, two or three icons. Information will be available for the next two or three buses approaching a stop; routes with more frequent bus service will have occupancy information for more vehicles. The TTC uses this same passenger information to deploy extra service where practical to reduce the number of customers on each bus.

Rocketman and Transit will categorize this data as:
  • Not Busy: One icon, 0-30% of capacity (up to 15 people on a standard bus, 23 on an articulated bus)
  • Busy: Two icons, 30-80% of capacity (15 to 40 customers on a standard bus, 23-54 on an articulated bus)
  • Very Busy: Three icons, Greater than 80% of capacity (more than 40 customers on a standard bus, more than 54 on an articulated bus)
Note: Standard buses hold approximately 51 people while articulated buses hold 77
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For the time being, the feature is only available for TTC buses. A small number of buses (34 of more than 2,000) currently in service do not have APC installed. If an approaching bus does not have APC, the occupancy level icons for that bus will not appear and only the arrival time will appear on the apps.

The Rocketman and Transit apps are available for iOS at the Apple App Store and for Android devices at the Google Play Store. Once downloaded, the passenger volume information for buses on each route will automatically appear.

The information offered through these apps is intended only as a guideline and relies on data outside the TTC’s control that, while rare, can be delayed getting to the apps potentially causing inaccurate readings. The TTC reminds customers that actual bus loads can change quickly as passengers board and exit vehicles, particularly at busy stops. Customers are advised to continue to use their own discretion and comfort level when deciding to board a vehicle.
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How does Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) work?​


Most TTC’s buses are equipped with VISION, which communicates many pieces of information about the bus back to the TTC in real-time. Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) data is just one piece of data. The VISION system provides the vehicle location information in real time to journey planning apps Rocketman and Transit. APC and its related technologies are used by many transit agencies to understand how many passengers are on board for service planning purposes. The technology of data collection is quite simple, but effectively counts passengers as they enter and exit each door of a bus. This data does not identify individual passengers.


When is Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) information used?​


We normally use Customer Usage information from APC data system to assist with service planning and transit control, so we know where, when and how many customers are using TTC bus services route by route. We use APC data to monitor bus occupancy and optimize assigning buses on routes with higher demand.


The app isn’t working/downloading. Can you help?​


Please contact Rocketman or Transit app directly for technical assistance.


How often does the app update the passenger ranges?​


Data is updated approximately every 20 to 40 seconds.


The information on the app wasn’t accurate. Why did this happen?​


At any one time, the on-board system knows how many people are on board within 95% accuracy. When used to provide customers with occupancy levels, the level of accuracy increases as we are reporting on ranges (0-30%, 30-80%, and >80%) rather than exact numbers of passengers. However, we understand that passenger numbers can change quickly as customers board and exit vehicles, particularly at busy stops. Customers are advised to continue to use their own discretion and comfort level when deciding to board a vehicle.


The icon didn’t appear for my bus route. Why did this happen?​


A small number of buses currently in service (34 buses of more than 2,000 in the fleet) do not have Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) installed. If an approaching bus does not have APC, the occupancy level icons will not appear and only the arrival time will appear on the apps.


How far in advance will information be available for customers?​


When a customer selects a particular stop, they will be able to see information for the next two or three buses approaching a stop depending on scheduled headways between vehicles. Routes with more frequent bus service will have capacity information for more vehicles.


How will this app feature help with physical distancing?​


The TTC’s goal is to keep buses to a maximum of 50 per cent capacity or better. And while we are meeting or surpassing that goal 95 per cent of the time, there will be times a bus has more customers on board – the information in these apps will help customers see those vehicles in real time and plan accordingly.


Is this feature available for subway or streetcars?​


For the time being, the feature is only available for TTC buses.


Will it be available after the COVID-19 pandemic?​


Yes. While currently being used to promote physical distancing, this feature will be permanently implemented on the Rocketman and Transit apps, and possibly others in the future.
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duffo said:
Lots of very real operational issues with this idea. We know that Presto data is far from accessible (and certainly not instant), and APC data is never 100% accurate either. Maybe value after the fact to do some datamining and figure out which routes/times are prone to fare evasion, and then extra inspectors could be sent there to monitor.
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I see a different issue with this idea. Imagine the controversy if the data shows that the "routes prone to fare evasion" go through racialized neighborhoods. Now imagine if the data doesn't show that, but fare inspectors are disproportionately summoned in such neighborhoods.
 
April 10
Soon to disappear
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TTC equipment to remove concrete between rails
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Towered said:
I LOVE this - it'll make it so much easier to determine which vehicle to wait for with a higher chance of scoring a seat!

Avoiding people is a big motivator for me :cool:
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Photo of bus packed with essential workers makes TTC consider ramping up service

From link.

20210415-ttctoronto.jpg

A photo of an overcrowded TTC bus during an early morning commute has gained a lot of traction online this week, so much so that Toronto's public transit agency is now considering increasing service on at least the route in question.

The photo, taken on the 300 Bloor-Danforth bus at around 5 a.m. on a weekday, shows riders with little standing room and packed together with no physical distancing as they head to work.

Taken by an employee of a meat production plant, it is especially concerning given that settings such as warehouses, factories and construction sites in Ontario have proven to be the source of most outbreaks, yet are continuing to operate with the same measures in place while the rest of the province is under a stay-at-home order.

"I wanted to share this picture from this morning because my commutes, like many essential workers, have turned from frustrating to literal nightmares," the original poster, Daniel Monich, wrote on Facebook alongside the photo on Monday.

"I am commuting far distances through some of the worst numbers yet. I work in one of the worst industries hit by COVID... In my 10 years of taking transit in this city, I have never seen more collective exhaustion and fear than I have now."
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Those watching rising COVID-19 case counts that have spiked over 4,000 per day in Ontario amid a provincewide emergency shutdown are shocked that this type of congestion on a public transit vehicle is happening at all, let alone regularly.

The bus in question has been at least 20 minutes late, leading to backlogs of transitgoers, which is "a fairly common occurrence," Monich writes in the post.

He also goes on to cite some of the other unmonitored atrocities he's seen on the bus over the course of the pandemic: people spitting or coughing on others, people removing their face masks immediately after boarding, and more.

"I have yet to have a single commute where everyone is wearing a face mask," the post reads.

"This is really challenging for the TTC to monitor, I get that... but it is my opinion that to provide safe service, they must be focused on providing on-time service. To me, this should be fairly easy when the streets are empty at 4:30 a.m."

The TTC told the CBC yesterday that such documentation of what they consider to be rare conditions on some of their vehicles are helpful for determining where to ramp up service, which it plans to do for the busiest routes.
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This is normal for the 300 buses that ran every 10 minutes before COVID-19, that some times you had to wait for the next bus to get on. Getting a seat on a 300 would require service every 3 minutes with articulated buses today.

There was talk years ago that ridership on Youge justify having an LRT on it to deal with the growing ridership at night even after you use one track for the subway.

A lot of ridership will fall once the Crosstown Line runs from end to end come 2030 with new service to the airport from Renforth.

If they every get the fare correct for all systems, the UPX would become a 7x24 line and will help the 300's.
 
EastYorkTTCFan said:
I don't really know how many people are actually going to use it or look at it.
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I would...In the before time when I'm wasn't in a hurry and maybe taking a longer trip I would let full vehicles go by if others were close behind to get a seat. While I'd only do it when a convoy of 3-4 shows up, when vehicles were spaced I wouldn't bother. With this feature I'd have more confidence to wait for the next vehicle if I knew it wasn't as busy.
 
max said:
I would...In the before time when I'm wasn't in a hurry and maybe taking a longer trip I would let full vehicles go by if others were close behind to get a seat. While I'd only do it when a convoy of 3-4 shows up, when vehicles were spaced I wouldn't bother. With this feature I'd have more confidence to wait for the next vehicle if I knew it wasn't as busy.
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It makes some sense but I still don't see many people actually using it. I think the statistics on people who actually use apps for wait times are very low compared to what people seem to think. For example I have a few of them but rarely use them.
 
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