TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[Megaton327]

When I got off the streetcar this morning at Union - there was two fare officers. I showed I had a presto card, one waved me through, the other stopped, me grabbed there phone and then waved me through without scanning the presto card. Are they unable to scan presto cards there ?

Those phones they use to check Presto fares have serious problems--I was with a friend on the westbound 509 at Bathurst, they boarded there to check fares, tried to tap my friend's Presto card, and their phone didn't work. They commented (this was about 4-6 months ago) that the phones were very unreliable and worked a small percentage of the time. Not sure if improvements have been made since then or if reliability is still that poor.

Odd since they seem to use the same thing on UPX and they've never been unable to check my card on that - though often it takes them several minutes to boot up the phone, log in, set it up, etc, as they told me it apparently automatically logs off/shuts down after a fairly short idle period. Still works though--not sure why TTC would be different.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

The last few days or so I've seen someone standing of main subway station with signs saying something about the sidewalk being dangerous and he wants people to contact the TCC to put in better lighting. Is it the TTC's responsibility or the City's to have better lighting on sidewalks?

I took a closer look at his signs apparently he want the TTC to put in traffic lights at the entrance to main street subway station because it's dangerous to pedestrians.

 

[reaperexpress]

Sorry if this goes off topic, but I couldn't find the correct thread to post this question in.

Does anyone know or have any information about the Scarborough RT in terms of speed limits? Entering Stations and Exiting Stations?

Just building a simulator that needs some data to be put in.

thanks in advance.

Totally the right thread.

I don't know the answers off-hand, but I'd suggest tracking it with GPS. Since the line runs with Automatic Train Control, the speed will probably be exactly the speed limit. I'd track it myself, but I'm out of town at the moment.

I think I read that the speed between stations is 70 km/h, and that there is indeed a lower restriction within stations.

 

[kotsy]

Bands on the subway are really common on the MTA in NYC as well.

I didn't many musicians the actual trains, but they are very frequent on the platforms and it certainly makes waiting for a train MUCH more enjoyable. I wish TTC would allow more musicians to play in all parts of the stations and not just the concourse level where they usually reside. The average rider will only hear the music for 5-20 seconds in this instance. The only two stations I can think of that allow musicians close to the trains are Bloor station and Sheppard/Yonge (Sheppard Line).

Two times I was blown away by music in the New York underground

 

[ShonTron]

I had an interesting subway ride yesterday despite missing out on the racoon.

My first time riding the New York City Subway - in 2005 - I was treated to a Mariachi band passing through the 7 train through Queens from Jackson Heights busking for dollars. That, and a cranky conductor reminding passengers that due to track work, we would be taking the express track as far as Long Island City, plus the Manhattan skyline looming closer along the elevated route, made for a very memorable introduction to New York.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I bet Mr. Coyote didn't pay fare.

Yes, but he's a super genius...

 

[Johnny Au]

I didn't many musicians the actual trains, but they are very frequent on the platforms and it certainly makes waiting for a train MUCH more enjoyable. I wish TTC would allow more musicians to play in all parts of the stations and not just the concourse level where they usually reside. The average rider will only hear the music for 5-20 seconds in this instance. The only two stations I can think of that allow musicians close to the trains are Bloor station and Sheppard/Yonge (Sheppard Line).

Two times I was blown away by music in the New York underground

The second video (Penn Station/34th Street) looks so much like Bloor–Yonge station (Line 1 platforms). I wondered if Bloor–Yonge Station's renovation was inspired by that New York City subway station.

 

[animatronic]

Does anyone know the purpose of the construction hoarding at the Keele subway sheds? Looks like the two southern sheds are also tarped off. Are they removing the sheds, repairing them or repurposing the space?

 

[smallspy]

Does anyone know the purpose of the construction hoarding at the Keele subway sheds? Looks like the two southern sheds are also tarped off. Are they removing the sheds, repairing them or repurposing the space?

Cleaning them up and preparing to reopen them as subway train storage.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[animatronic]

Cleaning them up and preparing to reopen them as subway train storage.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Thanks! Is that for crush volume relief, or are their other sheds running out of space?

 

[ehlow]

Tried the 140-series downtown express bus. Very comfortable ride overall compared to the subway during rush hour, many seats available, sunlight, could use phone data.
I find having data the whole way a big plus since you can do emails or read the news.

Some sections had some traffic but the bus kept moving. During the express part the bus zoomed super fast. If you're closer to the bus route than the subway then it's basically comparable to the subway in travel time, I believe, possibly slightly faster.

Of course, it costs extra. In a way it's similar to UberHop.

What are your thoughts/experiences with this service?

 

[nfitz]

Thanks! Is that for crush volume relief, or are their other sheds running out of space?

Mostly storage space, afaik. There's barely enough space at Greenwood for all the T1s currently, and in only get's worse when they replace the T1s on Line 4 with TRs later this year. Though being able to start the line up with trains from that far west would presumably cut operating costs a bit too.

Tried the 140-series downtown express bus. Very comfortable ride overall compared to the subway during rush hour, many seats available, sunlight, could use phone data. ...

What are your thoughts/experiences with this service?

I take the 143 occasionally to Queen/Woodbine and jump on the 92 north to Gerrard occasionally, if there's no 503 or 504 coming - normally saves about 5 minutes (but 10 minutes if it's going to be a 5-minute wait for a 504!). But getting on near Sherbourne, it's normally standing-room only. And sunlight - can't see out the windows in the winter - much grimmer ride than a streetcar. Meanwhile I pay double but have to stand ...

 

[ehlow]

Mostly storage space, afaik. There's barely enough space at Greenwood for all the T1s currently, and in only get's worse when they replace the T1s on Line 4 with TRs later this year. Though being able to start the line up with trains from that far west would presumably cut operating costs a bit too.

I take the 141 occasionally to Queen/Woodbine and jump on the 92 north to Gerrard occasionally, if there's no 503 or 504 coming - normally saves about 5 minutes (but 10 minutes if it's going to be a 5-minute wait for a 504!). But getting on near Sherbourne, it's normally standing-room only. And sunlight - can't see out the windows in the winter - much grimmer ride than a streetcar. Meanwhile I pay double but have to stand ...

Interesting, maybe it was just the route/time that I took that was not as crowded.

 

[nfitz]

Interesting, maybe it was just the route/time that I took that was not as crowded.

143? I'm normally on somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00 - I seldom get a seat - and if I do it's just about the last one. The exception being one occasion when there was only about a 5-minute gap behind the previous 143 rather than the usual 25 minutes (and the reason I don't use it often, is with a bus only every 25-minutes, normally the streetcar is faster!).

Oops, I mentioned 141 earlier ... can't keep those numbers straight - though only one goes to Queen/Woodbine! 141 looks like the bastard step-child - only runs twice in the afternoon - all the others run at least 6 times in the afternoon, if not more! If it's that empty and infrequent, perhaps it shouldn't exist!

 

[Steve X]

The two 141 trips don't get their own run either. They are just special 32's that start downtown. The 143 in the meantime need to head back downtown once it's done its first trip. I could imagine the operating cost for the 143's are much higher than 141. 144 is even worst by running on the DVP.