TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[APTA-2048]

From a spotter on the CPTDB:View attachment 609920
Apparently heading to HCRR.

Per Instagram, 3026 and 3027 are now on HCRR property.

 

[DSCToronto]

I note that the TTC now have the new Route map up for the 501 and they seem to be REALLY cutting back on stops!

Eastbound it stops at Queen and University (Osgood Station) and then not again until Adelaide and Yonge followed by Church at Queen.

Westbound it stops at Queen at Jarvis, Church at Richmond, Richmond at Yonge and Queen at University (Osgood Station).

At least a stop at Bay would seem like a good idea in both directions and a stop at or near Adelaide & Church going eastbound..

Steve Munro has blog on this (SEE: https://stevemunro.ca/2024/11/06/50...e-begins-november-10-corrected-date/#comments ) and he notes that TTC are not following their own stop spacing standards.

"TTC has confirmed that stops at York, Bay and Victoria have been dropped as they are in walking distance of other stops. Frankly I think this is a mistake considering where the existing bus service stops along the way. Nothing like making transit easily accessible."

 

[Jonny5]

Steve Munro has blog on this (SEE: https://stevemunro.ca/2024/11/06/50...e-begins-november-10-corrected-date/#comments ) and he notes that TTC are not following their own stop spacing standards.

"TTC has confirmed that stops at York, Bay and Victoria have been dropped as they are in walking distance of other stops. Frankly I think this is a mistake considering where the existing bus service stops along the way. Nothing like making transit easily accessible."

That's absolutely bizarre. Even if you make the distance argument, the time to get a streetcar through all the traffic lights and turns from Yonge to University is stupid.
These financial district commuters are the core market for the 501 and they are making it even worse to use the TTC for this diversion, when they actually have an opportunity make it better!

 

[DSCToronto]

That's absolutely bizarre. Even if you make the distance argument, the time to get through all the traffic lights and turns from Yonge to University is stupid.
These financial district commuters are the core market. They are making it even worse to use the TTC for this diversion, not better.

I suggest you (And others) send a note to TTC suggestions: https://www.ttc.ca/customer-service/complaints-compliments-suggestions/Forms/suggestions-form

I also emailed Dianne Saxe as she is on TTC Board and is clearly the most active Board member and actually asks good questions and follows up on the staff responses! Office of Councillor Dianne Saxe <Councillor_Saxe@toronto.ca>

 

[TDE]

This (undated) notice just appeared on TTC website. Not sure what their old procedures were but these seem pretty standard to me

Before, as you may have experienced, operators were stopping at all railway crossings, protected and otherwise.
Where basically you'd...

• Come to a stop (5m rule from nearest rail);
• open operator window, then the front doors only (somehow do not let passengers off);
• look both ways and listen for any trains;
• Check for traffic and clearances ahead, this also includes stop signs and traffic lights or any other obstruction (think Danforth Road and Midland Avenue)
• Close the front doors;
• and proceed with caution and with total assurance you have enough space after the tracks to sufficiently clear the bus from the railway and it's protection equipment.
  
  
• And if you were to hear the gongs sounding off and see the red signal lights illuminate while you're crossing, you're not to panic and continue on until you've cleared the crossing completely. Pull over somewhere safe and investigate immediately.
• Same goes for if the bus has made contact with the crossing arms (for example); continue and clear the crossing, pull over after cleared,
• ...and in both cases, notify Transit Control (yellow) immediately thereafter.
• You're only allowed to close your driver window at the next time you stop, ideally far enough away from the railway (like a stop sign down the road, next bus stop, red light signal, etc.)

Their procedures are this way to go above and beyond the HTA, so... take that as you will.

Hope this helps!

 

[T3G]

You're only allowed to close your driver window at the next time you stop, ideally far enough away from the railway (like a stop sign down the road, next bus stop, red light signal, etc.)

What is the point of this? I get the idea of stopping for crossings, but this seems really over the top.

 

[IRT_BMT_IND]

What is the point of this? I get the idea of stopping for crossings, but this seems really over the top.

There was a high profile incident in the 70s where a TTC bus was hit by a train at a crossing on the Kingston subdivision in Scarborough. I think that's what these rules are a reaction to.

 

[T3G]

There was a high profile incident in the 70s where a TTC bus was hit by a train at a crossing on the Kingston subdivision in Scarborough. I think that's what these rules are a reaction to.

I know, I'm talking about the last rule requiring the driver to wait until the next time the bus has stopped to close the window. For what possible reason should it remain open until then?

 

[TDE]

What is the point of this? I get the idea of stopping for crossings, but this seems really over the top.

No arguments from me there.

Something about not doing it while driving, and something about not being able to hear anything (outside) while traversing the tracks.

I don't know why this is/was a thing (if it is/was). And why its not in writing.

 

[evandyk]

That's absolutely bizarre. Even if you make the distance argument, the time to get a streetcar through all the traffic lights and turns from Yonge to University is stupid.
These financial district commuters are the core market for the 501 and they are making it even worse to use the TTC for this diversion, when they actually have an opportunity make it better!

I'm quite sure that if you were on an eastbound streetcar at Queen and York, it would be faster for you to get out and walk to Queen and Church than to stay on that streetcar. You might leapfrog a few of them. And vice versa.

 

[Northern Light]

Poster H4 5600 over at CPTDB posted this picture showing LED light strips installed the Kipling Stn Crossover:

Seeing them affixed to midpoint of the chain link fence is rather odd.

 

[Mind_the_gap]

Poster H4 5600 over at CPTDB posted this picture showing LED light strips installed the Kipling Stn Crossover:

View attachment 611313


Seeing them affixed to midpoint of the chain link fence is rather odd.

This is exactly what I had hoped to see on the open stretch between Victoria Park and Warden stations:

Apologies,

I took Line 2 between Warden and VP yesterday after a long time, and to my utter horror, I saw how the TTC had installed track lighting on that open ”railroad” stretch.

The job they did looks utterly atrocious. They just cut the (edit: 55) year-old fence in sections to make room for lamp posts. Why they even used ”standard” Toronto streetlights for this section is strange. The short poles really don’t need that long of an ”arm”.

They should’ve just replaced the fence/posts, and strung downward-facing lights from a horizontal wire. This just looks incredibly poorly done.

 

[Mind_the_gap]

This popped into my feed as well:

(Car 5072)

 

[DSCToronto]

This popped into my feed as well:

(Car 5072)

While the technique was interesting and the video very 'professional', I really do not like spray-painted public (or private) property. Clearly the TTC needs more cameras!

 

[Mind_the_gap]

Good video on broken windows theory about the DLR (London) by Jago Hazzard.