TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[JSF-1]

So I have a question that I have wondered for a while now. At Dufferin and Finch there is an abandoned bus loop and I can't figure out what bus would have looped there. I thought it would have something to do with either the Dufferin North or Finch West buses but looking through there histories on TransitToronto shows neither used it at least in an official capacity. According to Goolge Streetview it was still connected to the road up till 2007.

 

[whydidimakethis]

There's a great video on youtube about this:

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

So I have a question that I have wondered for a while now. At Dufferin and Finch there is an abandoned bus loop and I can't figure out what bus would have looped there. I thought it would have something to do with either the Dufferin North or Finch West buses but looking through there histories on TransitToronto shows neither used it at least in an official capacity. According to Goolge Streetview it was still connected to the road up till 2007.

View attachment 454964View attachment 454965

Used by NOT IN SERVICE buses departing the Wilson Garage to make the left turn from northbound Dufferin Street to westbound Finch Avenue West, to bypass the lineup of single-occupant automobiles making the same left turn.

However, if there was a transit priority signal, the buses could turn left from the right lane, ahead of all other traffic.

Unfortunately, Ontario only uses has the vertical bar for transit signals, at this writing (see link).

This is a good case for using the diagonal bar used in the rest of the world.

 

[JSF-1]

Used by NOT IN SERVICE buses departing the Wilson Garage to make the left turn from northbound Dufferin Street to westbound Finch Avenue West, to bypass the lineup of single-occupant automobiles making the same left turn.

Thanks for the response. I definitely didn't expect it to be for that, it's an odd piece of infrastructure to me at least but I understand why it was built.

 

[DSCToronto]

Used by NOT IN SERVICE buses departing the Wilson Garage to make the left turn from northbound Dufferin Street to westbound Finch Avenue West, to bypass the lineup of single-occupant automobiles making the same left turn.

However, if there was a transit priority signal, the buses could turn left from the right lane, ahead of all other traffic.

Unfortunately, Ontario only uses has the vertical bar for transit signals, at this writing (see link).

This is a good case for using the diagonal bar used in the rest of the world.

Walter: I have been looking at UT since it began and you have posted this or similar info every few months for over a decade. You are preaching to the choir and if you want to see proper transit signals here you need to start working on the Ministry of Transport as THEY are the ones who need to make them acceptable here. Then you can start working on the City and the TTC to actually install them.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Walter: I have been looking at UT since it began and you have posted this or similar info every few months for over a decade. You are preaching to the choir and if you want to see proper transit signals here you need to start working on the Ministry of Transport as THEY are the ones who need to make them acceptable here. Then you can start working on the City and the TTC to actually install them.

There are new members of UT, and as we get older we tend to forget things. Like how UT's search is not that good if we want to go back in time for something.

 

[smallspy]

So I have a question that I have wondered for a while now. At Dufferin and Finch there is an abandoned bus loop and I can't figure out what bus would have looped there. I thought it would have something to do with either the Dufferin North or Finch West buses but looking through there histories on TransitToronto shows neither used it at least in an official capacity. According to Goolge Streetview it was still connected to the road up till 2007.

View attachment 454964View attachment 454965

Somewhat after the 1978 opening of the Spadina subway extension, buses to the northwest were quite substantially re-thought, with Sheppard and Finch getting routes that ran directly from their west ends to-and-from Wilson. There was the 116 Oakdale and 118 Finch via Allen - the hope was that riders would prefer the quicker ride to Wilson rather than going all of the way across those two respective streets.

As part of this, bus-only lanes were built along Allen Rd., and to help speed up trips by avoiding left turns, 2 of the above loops were built at the north-east quadrants of the intersection at Finch and Sheppard.

Of course, this wasn't really well appreciated by the riding public. Within months of the 118's launch it was cut back in frequency and service duration, becoming a rush hour only route. Oakdale was cut back similarly at the same time, was gone by 1987. The 118 soldiered on until the opening of Downview Station.

The one at Sheppard was removed as part of the construction for Downview Station, but the one at Finch soldiered on until 2009 (IIRC). With the impending opening of the Hydro Corridor busway later that year, it simply was no longer needed.

Dan

 

[KevinT]

Used by NOT IN SERVICE buses departing the Wilson Garage to make the left turn from northbound Dufferin Street to westbound Finch Avenue West, to bypass the lineup of single-occupant automobiles making the same left turn.

However, if there was a transit priority signal, the buses could turn left from the right lane, ahead of all other traffic.

Unfortunately, Ontario only uses has the vertical bar for transit signals, at this writing (see link).

This is a good case for using the diagonal bar used in the rest of the world.

The vertical bar can already be used for buses making a left from the right hand turn lane. KW is using it that way on Courtland Ave at Hillmount St for buses u-turning into the bus bay at the Block Line ION station. See https://goo.gl/maps/pEmGTRD8oMwmAq936 for a wide view of the intersection, and https://goo.gl/maps/22ThnMX2kJ5upcgSA for a close-up view of the signal.

 

[Undead]

Maybe I'm missing something, but how does that loop avoid left turns?

 

[JasonParis]

The York University Express from Downsview used to use that all the time. It provided a secure stop, while also preventing the bus from waiting behind a long line of cars trying to turn left onto Finch. Sort of a right-in, right-out.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Maybe I'm missing something, but how does that loop avoid left turns?

The buses got their own "private" left turn "cloverleaf".

 

[smallspy]

Maybe I'm missing something, but how does that loop avoid left turns?

270 degrees to the right equals 90 degrees to the left.

Slightly more seriously, when looking north the entrance to the loop was located about 150 feet north of the intersection in the right-hand lane. The bus would enter the loop, continue turning to the right and then exit the loop about 75 feet east of the same intersection - but now facing west. Yes, the bus would have to go through the same intersection twice, but it was still felt to be faster at rush hours than waiting in the left turn lane.

The York University Express from Downsview used to use that all the time. It provided a secure stop, while also preventing the bus from waiting behind a long line of cars trying to turn left onto Finch. Sort of a right-in, right-out.

I'd forgotten that the York U express went up that way. By the time I had starting going that way, what was now the 196 went up Keele instead of the Allen/Dufferin.

Dan

 

[Northern Light]

So, in this year's budget, the TTC is moving to fund mid-day cleaning of streetcars.

In point of fact, they've already launched this.

I had wondered how they were going to do this.

I encountered the operation yesterday at Broadview Station.

They have a very large team of cleaners who are boarding streetcars immediately after passenger alight at the station and moving through the vehicle with sweeping, mopping and spot cleaning of seats in about 75 seconds (yes, I timed them, LOL); very reminiscent of the quick mid-game grounds crew tidying at BlueJays Games, but no soundtrack. Pffft, I think they missed the boat on that one. Would be more fun to watch w/o a good beat behind it!

 

[T3G]

They clean the seats???

I can't imagine very thoroughly, if they want them to dry in time.

 

[Amare]

At this rate, maybe they'll have to move funding to have streetcars cleaned 24/7 the way the homeless problem is getting. The other night I counted around 6-7 homeless individuals on the 510 on just 1 streetcar. Actually hold on, can the city actually find money for this? I thought we couldn't afford things like this apparently.

I've never seen the problem so bad in my life and i've been using the TTC for over 20 years regularly. Good thing we've got politicians who care oh so much about the problem...to the point they cant even fund warming centres through to April, let alone fund more shelter spaces or actually *bulld* affordable housing. The city's plan has literally just been to beg the province for more money and study (which was on full evidence in yesterday's counsil meeting).