TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[T3G]

It's been an awful few years to be a 501 Queen user and clearly it's not going to get better any time soon.

 

[TRONto]

Spain Officials Quit Over Trains That Were Too Wide For Tunnels - Slashdot

WmHBlair writes: Two top Spanish transport officials have resigned over a botched order for new commuter trains that cost nearly $275m. The trains could not fit into non-standard tunnels in the northern regions of Asturias and Cantabria. The head of Spain's rail operator Renfe, Isaias Taboas...

news.slashdot.org

Wasn't sure where to place this one. I got a good laugh on seeing this especially since it's often said we should do things like Spain.

Not knocking how they do things in general, even the 'best' of us make mistakes too.

 

[drum118]

Spain Officials Quit Over Trains That Were Too Wide For Tunnels - Slashdot

WmHBlair writes: Two top Spanish transport officials have resigned over a botched order for new commuter trains that cost nearly $275m. The trains could not fit into non-standard tunnels in the northern regions of Asturias and Cantabria. The head of Spain's rail operator Renfe, Isaias Taboas...

news.slashdot.org

Wasn't sure where to place this one. I got a good laugh on seeing this especially since it's often said we should do things like Spain.

Not knocking how they do things in general, even the 'best' of us make mistakes too.

Heads roll over this mess on many level while we pat the back or hand slip the ones who makes mistakes like these.

At least the manufacture was on the ball to point the error out. If it was over here, the trains would have been built as specific and then charge an arm and leg to either modify the trains or built new ones.

Tunnels in Europe are a big issues for RR, especially for freight as you can't run double stack trains or ship long equipment. All trams that should be shipped by rail is done by trucks that have major issues been move with most being done at nighttime. Only 15% of freight is shipped by rail.

 

[tiffer24]

Torontonians will be waiting longer for streetcar, subway or bus service in some parts of the city this year, with the TTC set to cut service on some routes.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ttc-service-changes-1.6757715

 

[Richard White]

Torontonians will be waiting longer for streetcar, subway or bus service in some parts of the city this year, with the TTC set to cut service on some routes.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ttc-service-changes-1.6757715

This is just sending the system into a death spiral.

If the City or the Commission think that cutting service to save money will help it will not. It will only turn riders off the system and decrease revenue as the wait times get longer and longer.

At what point will they realize that cutting service will not solve anything and will only make the situation worse? I mean.. honestly.. who will wait 8 minutes or more for a subway train and be ok with it?

They need to bring back Children's fares, increase fare enforcement and actually do something. Just today, I watched someone tap their Presto Card and it said "Reload Funds", the whole thing flashed red for Christ sake. What did the operator do? He ignored it and let them on.

What we need is proper and random fare enforcement on the bus network. Have inspectors at stations checking people as they get off the bus, have them on buses checking fares and issuing fines.

Hopefully with Tory out things can be sorted out quickly.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

This is just sending the system into a death spiral.

If the City or the Commission think that cutting service to save money will help it will not. It will only turn riders off the system and decrease revenue as the wait times get longer and longer.

At what point will they realize that cutting service will not solve anything and will only make the situation worse? I mean.. honestly.. who will wait 8 minutes or more for a subway train and be ok with it?

They need to bring back Children's fares, increase fare enforcement and actually do something. Just today, I watched someone tap their Presto Card and it said "Reload Funds", the whole thing flashed red for Christ sake. What did the operator do? He ignored it and let them on.

What we need is proper and random fare enforcement on the bus network. Have inspectors at stations checking people as they get off the bus, have them on buses checking fares and issuing fines.

Hopefully with Tory out things can be sorted out quickly.

Children should be given a Presto card (and a lanyard) in school at age 10. Entered with their age and free fares until age 12. Their parents credit card or debit card information supplied by their parents or guardians, IF they so wish to use pre-authorized.

 

[DSCToronto]

 

[crs1026]

It's been an awful few years to be a 501 Queen user and clearly it's not going to get better any time soon.

I question the decision to buy a further 60 streetcars when there is little prospect of the existing fleet being utilised fully for the next decade.

- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

I question the decision to buy a further 60 streetcars when there is little prospect of the existing fleet being utilised fully for the next decade.

- Paul

Fair; however, the decision seemed more reasonable at the time it was taken; and since the contract is let; I would suppose that's 'water under the bridge'

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Fair; however, the decision seemed more reasonable at the time it was taken; and since the contract is let; I would suppose that's 'water under the bridge'

Don't forget about the Queen's Quay East and Villiers Loop.

From link.

And other streetcar extensions...

From link.

 

[Steve X]

I question the decision to buy a further 60 streetcars when there is little prospect of the existing fleet being utilised fully for the next decade.

- Paul

The decision was made before the pandemic and they can’t back out now. They also never realize till mid 2022 ridership won’t return. This would give them more cars for the long term maintenance pool as all 204 would have to be rebuilt as they hit 1/3 of their life within the next 5 years.

The sad part is the service cuts works likely become the new baseline instead of being labeled “temporary reduced service”. If ridership grow, they would call it increase service instead of restoring service. Just like how 1996 went down.

 

[nfitz]

The decision was made before the pandemic and they can’t back out now. They also never realize till mid 2022 ridership won’t return. This would give them more cars for the long term maintenance pool as all 204 would have to be rebuilt as they hit 1/3 of their life within the next 5 years.

The most significant service cuts are off-peak. I don't think there's expectation that ridership on some days won't hit 100% of pre-Covid - though perhaps not on Mondays and Fridays; which might warrant their own schedules at some point.

They need to bring back Children's fares, increase fare enforcement and actually do something.

Do we really want to reinstate children's fares, and reduce ridership further? The amount collected was so marginal, that it may not even cover the costs of running the program.

 

[TTCdinosaur]

WFH will continue to kill transit. It’s tough because no one wants to accept these consequences of having better work life balance, but it’s the way it goes. Increasing individualizations of benefits will detract from public systems. Maybe the OL will change be things.

 

[Richard White]

Do we really want to reinstate children's fares, and reduce ridership further? The amount collected was so marginal, that it may not even cover the costs of running the program

Between children not paying a fare, no fare enforcement and the fair pass the system is losing money.

At some point a hard look needs to be taken at all these discounts. You can't cut sources of revenue and hope to become more profitable.

The more service is cut to save money, the less palatable free and discounted service becomes.

 

[Tuscani01]

When Queen is closed to traffic @ Yonge - starting in mid-2023? - the plan was for the 501 to be diverted via Adelaide. As one might expect it is screwed up and there will be busses for 20 months! From CEO Report

The TTC committed to deliver the first part of this project, the tracks on Adelaide Street from Charlotte Street to York Street. This track work was substantially completed in late 2022. The TTC is still refining the detailed design of the infrastructure with the City and Metrolinx, including elements related to utility relocation, stop locations, and streetscape and traffic signal design. Construction on the remaining portion of the work was to start in Q2 2022. However, the amount and complexity of utility conflicts and relocations that have been identified through site surveys has surpassed previous expectations and has delayed the start of the construction of the streetcar tracks for the diversion. Currently, the TTC, Metrolinx, City of Toronto and various utility owners are working very closely to resolve all of the utility conflicts and relocations as expediently as possible. Metrolinx has identified that the potential delay to complete the streetcar detour work will result in approximately 20 months of shuttle bus service commencing in early May 2023. The TTC is still working closely with Metrolinx and the City on exploring options to optimize the construction schedule of the Adelaide civil and streetcar track construction work to reduce the duration of shuttle bus service.

The TTC has finished their part of the tracks, this seems to be Metrolinx and the utilities what a surprise!

The CEO report isn’t up to date. The city has taken over the project and is completing it in half of the time. The project will only take 10 months.