[Miscreant]

I found I really disliked Boston's system when I visited a few years ago. Old, ratty, completely falling apart. The TTC feels much cleaner and more comfortable.

It depends on what lines you were using. The blue line is new and quite nice; the orange line is old, but not overly. The red line as well. If you were using the green line, then yes, it's in rough shape. But overall the system runs more smoothly and efficiently than the TTC.

 

[robmausser]

I found I really disliked Boston's system when I visited a few years ago. Old, ratty, completely falling apart. The TTC feels much cleaner and more comfortable.

Most of the preWW2 systems in North America are like that.

Chicago and NY system is filthy and rusted out.

 

[innsertnamehere]

It depends on what lines you were using. The blue line is new and quite nice; the orange line is old, but not overly. The red line as well. If you were using the green line, then yes, it's in rough shape. But overall the system runs more smoothly and efficiently than the TTC.

I took the red, orange, green, and silver lines while I was there. The Silver line was nice and new, but very odd given the massive amount of infrastructure for a friggen bus.

I found that the red line was quite ratty, and the station I used (Harvard) looked like it dated from about the 1970's. The train was absolutely ancient. Only one of the two doors on the subway car opened when entering the train.

From what I recall the frequency was way lower. I remember waiting 5-6 minutes almost every time I took a train.

I find New York's system to be cleaner than Boston.. but Toronto is a more pleasant system than either of them.

 

[smallspy]

But overall the system runs more smoothly and efficiently than the TTC.

I've never heard anyone - and that includes employees - ever describe the MBTA as "...runs more smoothly and efficiently than X".

Considering that the newly-minted TTC CEO got his start at MBTA and helped oversee the design and entry to service of the disastrous Type 8 LRV, I shudder to think if there was ever a day that the MBTA does run better than the TTC.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[Miscreant]

I've never heard anyone - and that includes employees - ever describe the MBTA as "...runs more smoothly and efficiently than X".

Considering that the newly-minted TTC CEO got his start at MBTA and helped oversee the design and entry to service of the disastrous Type 8 LRV, I shudder to think if there was ever a day that the MBTA does run better than the TTC.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Well, consider me your first. I used that system daily for 5+ years. It runs more smoothly than the TTC.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I've never heard anyone - and that includes employees - ever describe the MBTA as "...runs more smoothly and efficiently than X".

Considering that the newly-minted TTC CEO got his start at MBTA and helped oversee the design and entry to service of the disastrous Type 8 LRV, I shudder to think if there was ever a day that the MBTA does run better than the TTC.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

MBTA could fix the commuter rail service as well.

 

[crs1026]

The Green Line has other warts also. One is that the inner section is fare paid, but the outer areas require payment as you board. So every trailing vehicle has a very bored fare collector riding along. MBTA workers are about the most jaded and inert emplyees on any transit system I have used.

- Paul

 

[ssiguy2]

This demand for more money and time is great news for both Ford and the travelling public.

It will give Ford the excuse to cancel the eastern at-grade section and make the line fully grade separated which is what it should have been from the very beginning. It also will make the line cheaper to run as it can then be automated. The only reason why the eastern section wasn't grade separated is due to Miller's fantasy of complete streets thinking he can turn a commercial/industrial road into some form of mini-Yorkville and particularly because his union backers never want a line that could be automated. This line exemplifies the lunacy of Miller's LRT or nothing transportation plan which was just as bad as Ford's subways, subways, subways.

 

[Leo_Chan]

This demand for more money and time is great news for both Ford and the travelling public.

It will give Ford the excuse to cancel the eastern at-grade section and make the line fully grade separated which is what it should have been from the very beginning. It also will make the line cheaper to run as it can then be automated. The only reason why the eastern section wasn't grade separated is due to Miller's fantasy of complete streets thinking he can turn a commercial/industrial road into some form of mini-Yorkville and particularly because his union backers never want a line that could be automated. This line exemplifies the lunacy of Miller's LRT or nothing transportation plan which was just as bad as Ford's subways, subways, subways.

While I support the line being underground between Laird and Kennedy, what would to happen to the Brentcliffe and Don Mills portals? There has been substantial work done on them and just demolishing/abandoning them doesn't seem right.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The only reason why the eastern section wasn't grade separated is due to Miller's fantasy of complete streets thinking he can turn a commercial/industrial road into some form of mini-Yorkville and particularly because his union backers never want a line that could be automated

Also the fact that grade separating the eastern portion would have deprived other parts of the city of higher order transit

 

[Leo_Chan]

Also the fact that grade separating the eastern portion would have deprived other parts of the city of higher order transit

But would it have made sense to trade Finch West and Sheppard East for a complete Eglinton?

 

[BurlOak]

While I support the line being underground between Laird and Kennedy, what would to happen to the Brentcliffe and Don Mills portals? There has been substantial work done on them and just demolishing/abandoning them doesn't seem right.

At first I thought I thought the Brencliffe portal, and a couple of hundred metres of track towards the west, would be torn up and shifted to the south. Looking at it a bit more carefully, I now think that portal can be left as is, and all lanes of Eglinton be shifted to the north of the portal. It requires some retaining walls against the properties to the north. By Leslie, Eglinton would return to its proper alignment, and the LRT would be on the south side - where it should have been all along.



At Don Mills, I think construction is a bit farther behind. Here the line would have to stay underground as it makes a shift to the south. The portal would likely be at the CPR embankment.

 

[BurlOak]

This demand for more money and time is great news for both Ford and the travelling public.

It will give Ford the excuse to cancel the eastern at-grade section and make the line fully grade separated which is what it should have been from the very beginning. It also will make the line cheaper to run as it can then be automated. The only reason why the eastern section wasn't grade separated is due to Miller's fantasy of complete streets thinking he can turn a commercial/industrial road into some form of mini-Yorkville and particularly because his union backers never want a line that could be automated. This line exemplifies the lunacy of Miller's LRT or nothing transportation plan which was just as bad as Ford's subways, subways, subways.

3 subways. If Ford had his way this would have been Eglinton (instead of the on-street portion), DRL (which was still planned as on street LRT from Pape station northwards), and Sheppard.

 

[Streety McCarface]

Most of the preWW2 systems in North America are like that.

Chicago and NY system is filthy and rusted out.

I have used Chicago's system extensively. While the downtown tunnels smell like piss (like most other north american subway systems), reliability within the last few years has increased substantially. Service coverage is better and stations are generally tolerable (compared to the Chambers Street station shown). While Toronto's frequencies are much better, I would say Chicago's certainly bypasses the MBTA and other American subway systems. I wouldn't call it filthy and rusted out.

 

[TrickyRicky]

I visited Chicago and Boston in the last few years with my wife and very young daughter. While I respect the likely more informed opinion of people here I would say without question riding the TTC subway is like coming home to a futuristic dream-land of clean, modern, spacious and efficient transit. Boston's system is decrepit, Chicago’s looks good on the map but it was so rickety I had a hard time keeping our stroll from flipping over (yes that rickety). I thought the TTC was bad for accessibility!