TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[TheTigerMaster]

Maybe you've all seen this already, but I just saw it today from being mentioned on Steve Munro's blog:

CEO presentation to TTC board from Dec 9:
http://ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commiss...r_9/Reports/CEO_Presentation_Board_Report.pdf

Some interesting stats on TTC riders. Mostly stuff we already know, but it's a good summary.

TTC riders are rich! The plurality of riders have $85,000+ incomes.

I'd be interested to see this compared to the average income of Toronto car drivers. Given that more valuable homes tend to lie near areas with better access to transit, I wouldn't be surprised if the average income of a TTC commuter is higher than that of a car driver.

 

[ehlow]

TTC riders are rich! The plurality of riders have $85,000+ incomes.

I'd be interested to see this compared to the average income of Toronto car drivers. Given that more valuable homes tend to lie near areas with better access to transit, I wouldn't be surprised if the average income of a TTC commuter is higher than that of a car driver.

Yeah, and if you look at income maps, higher income people in Toronto tend to live near the subway lines as well, so it's not a huge surprise that a lot of TTC riders are high income.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Yeah, and if you look at income maps, higher income people in Toronto tend to live near the subway lines as well, so it's not a huge surprise that a lot of TTC riders are high income.

I'd be interested to know what motivates these people to take public transit, while driving their automobiles would almost certainly get them to where they're going faster.

Personally, I have cars readily available for me to use, but on most of my trips it never occurs to me that the car is an option. And even when I do consider using the car and acknowledge that it would be faster, I almost always opt to take the TTC over driving. This is mainly because I find public transit more relaxing (I don't have to be preoccupied with driving) and because I know I won't have to be looking for parking.

 

[ehlow]

I'd be interested to know what motivates these people to take public transit, while driving their automobiles would almost certainly get them to where they're going faster.

That's not necessarily true. Many TTC riders have a car but choose transit for the daily commute because it's faster and/or cheaper. I know many people who have a car and choose transit. They would not choose transit if driving was both faster & cheaper.

The two main factors that make the TTC faster or cheaper in some scenarios are: traffic & parking.

If Toronto had no traffic (like Detroit), then driving would be faster for every trip. With traffic, travel times become competitive for transit that bypasses traffic (subways), when travelling along subway lines and heading downtown.

Secondly, convenience & price of parking. In some places, parking is not conveniently available (you may or may not get a spot) and costs much more than a transit pass. If parking costs $150 a month or more, and transit is faster anyways, you may as well choose the cheaper & faster option. Parking can also be inconvenient when you have to drive a while through a parking garage or the parking is a far walk from your office anyways.

Of course, if you're working in a suburban office park surrounded by large & free parking lots near a highway with nothing but bus service, car is the obvious choice. But if you're like John Tory and have to commute St George station to City Hall, why wouldn't you choose the more convenient option, even if you have all the money in the world.

It's the same in any major city.

The other thing is, even if you're making a very good salary, you may decide not to buy a car and buy a house in a transit friendly area. If you also work near transit, it can work out. And even if you make >85K a year, as we all know, housing is expensive here.

 

[Jonny5]

TTC riders are rich! The plurality of riders have $85,000+ incomes.

I'd be interested to see this compared to the average income of Toronto car drivers. Given that more valuable homes tend to lie near areas with better access to transit, I wouldn't be surprised if the average income of a TTC commuter is higher than that of a car driver.

I believe that's household income, and it is unclear if it is weighted by frequency of use or not.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Please use the rear doors of buses and streetcars to exit the vehicle.

This is one reason to use the rear doors.

 

[DSC]

I'd be interested to know what motivates these people to take public transit, while driving their automobiles would almost certainly get them to where they're going faster.

It's also a matter of habit I think. Several years ago, before I moved to Toronto, I used to own a car and VERY seldom used public transit. I sold my car before I moved here and never think of using a car (even if I can access one very easily) unless I need it for carrying large items. That's why the (unfortunately, now forgotten) slogan from Waterfront Toronto "Transit First" made such sense to me. If we build new areas (like West Don Lands or Queens Quay East) without decent transit access from Day 1 then people living there will become 'programed' and habituated to use their cars. Fortunately, the Cherry Street spur was built (though it is unclear how much service will be provided on it) so the new residents of the West Don lands and Distillery will have reasonable transit access from late 2015 but we are still dithering about the QQE LRT line and if it is to be built before too many people move into that area the construction will need to start very soon.

 

[W. K. Lis]

It's also a matter of habit I think. Several years ago, before I moved to Toronto, I used to own a car and VERY seldom used public transit. I sold my car before I moved here and never think of using a car (even if I can access one very easily) unless I need it for carrying large items. That's why the (unfortunately, now forgotten) slogan from Waterfront Toronto "Transit First" made such sense to me. If we build new areas (like West Don Lands or Queens Quay East) without decent transit access from Day 1 then people living there will become 'programed' and habituated to use their cars. Fortunately, the Cherry Street spur was built (though it is unclear how much service will be provided on it) so the new residents of the West Don lands and Distillery will have reasonable transit access from late 2015 but we are still dithering about the QQE LRT line and if it is to be built before too many people move into that area the construction will need to start very soon.

It used to be that streetcar tracks were laid and serviced BEFORE people moved into new developments. People would then ride the streetcars to the new subdivisions using the streetcars to view them.

 

[salsa]

So I'm on the eastbound 401 near Cornwall ON, and I just spotted a TTC articulated bus travelling in the other direction. Must be a new delivery on the way .

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Maybe the bus is lost and can't find its way home

 

[Admiral Beez]

It seems the TTC is not having a good year for safe surface fleet operations. One driver with fatal hit and run, another driver charged in pedestrian death in October, now a bus collides with a streetcar, and lastly several buses recorded running red lights.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I wonder what will happen to the CLRV that was involved in the collision. It was damaged pretty badly. It could be scrapped and used for parts.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I wonder what will happen to the CLRV that was involved in the collision. It was damaged pretty badly. It could be scrapped and used for parts.

Stripped for parts and then scrapyard for sure, waiting for price of steel to go back up, and then recycled.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I wonder what will happen to the CLRV that was involved in the collision. It was damaged pretty badly. It could be scrapped and used for parts.

The bus came out worse than the streetcar.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

On second look, the streetcar looks like it can be salvaged if needed. But since it's at the end of it's life, they might as well scrap it.

Did the streetcar derail?

I'm really glad that nobody was hurt too badly. It could have turned out very differently if people were standing in front of the white line on the bus.