stanko
Active Member
Oops, yeah it was 72. As you can tell I don't have that much experience with Toronto as someone who actually lives there
Thanks for the tips
Thanks for the tips
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steveintoronto
Superstar
You know what? It never occurred to me that the 72B loops at the western end at Union until checking the map after posting that link. Every few years, the routes for buses seem to change down there, and the bus I used to take was the old Cherry Street route, now defunct. Middle of Winter, you don't want to be walking anywhere down there, although from Commish and Cherry it's a do-able walk even carrying an instrument to 29 Polson. The coffee at T&T helps...So the 72B from Union and back will be my back-up when my lift is unavailable. Pape bus used to loop on Villiers St.
Back in the 'old days' the Cherry St bus only ran during rush hours. Yikes....used to have to walk up to King St for transportation out.
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books
Active Member
I've been thinking of getting a Presto card since the nearest subway station to me is close to taking the wraps off the new fare gates. But after reading some of the comments here I'm not that enthusiastic. Is Presto really that buggy?
EastYorkTTCFan
Senior Member
It really depends on who you ask. I have never had a problem with mine and i have had it for about a year now. I've used it on the TTC, go train, upx and once on Viva with no problems. The only one I've had recently was I had my card go into a negative balance as I don't use it often.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Most transactions are as they should be, but that belies that when they aren't, quite often you don't just get dinged for the fare, you also get fined, and for multiples of what you should even if it was your fault. Concessions are withdrawn if you are deemed to have "missed a tap-off or a tap-on". In my case, that means double the regular fare, and double the penalty!
It's the broken litany of promises of how certain bugs "will be reported and fixed" and never are, so you constantly have to check your account on-line, and not go the ways you are told you can, so have to buy a paper ticket in lieu of tapping your way there. And the "failed tapping" is another problem. Sometimes reader hardware doesn't fully interface with the software, or the software glitches such that you are charged a fare, but not given credit for it, and then charged a penalty for a transaction that you did actually make. Every instance I've finally got figured out after twenty minutes or so on the phone, often the same glitch repeating.
To put a context to this: how many times would you tolerate your bank or credit card company falsely charging you transactions?
Co-fares are buggy too. For instance, service reps and supervisors tell me you can take a GO bus to Square One, and in lieu of taking the 21 to Union Station, you can pay the co-fare on Mi-Way to get down to Port Credit Station, and then board a GO train east to get to Union, or even stations between Union and Port Credit, as say Mimico. The Mi-Way 103 Express is fast, efficient, and cheap, well worth paying the little extra to save close to half an hour in travel time or more, as the 21 bus is highly unpredictable due to traffic. Should be straight forward, right? Wrong. You are charged a new fare when you board GO at Port Credit. Same if you make your way across Milton from the Milton GO station to the Park and Ride on the 401. Saves a huge amount of distance and time travelling from Hamilton to Guelph. (The closest change otherwise is Erin Mills Pkwy station) Again, via Presto, you are charged a second fare.
The answer is to buy a paper ticket with the start and end of the trip printed on it. Instead of being rewarded for taking the initiative to shorten the distance travelled and time on the system, you are penalized for it.
Now I'm not a computer tech, but I am an electronic tech, and know how machine coding works, I design and develop components, systems and interfaces. I can tell you that if cars ran on software that operated like Presto does, there'd be a lot less drivers on the road. Perhaps Presto's greatest advantage is being misapplied?
There's a almost 2M hits if you Google "Presto Card bugs".
Here's a recent review:
https://www.yelp.ca/biz/presto-card-toronto
Many of the bugs posted here are mentioned there too.
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TheTigerMaster
Superstar
Well we all only have our anecdotal experiences. I've been using Presto "full time" on the TTC over the past three weeks over about 15 trips or so. In those three weeks:
1) The online balance showed I had $20 on my card, while my actual balance was about $0.00. For whatever reason, Presto's website had decided to not update my balance in over a month. It finally updated online about 24 hours after I tapped a reader.
2) I was double charged for a TTC bus to subway transfer at Union
3) Was accused of not paying my fare by a driver
So in these three weeks Presto has caused me more grief than Metropasses have in my life time. But I honestly believe I've just been exceptionally unlucky. If you do chose to use Presto, I recommend that you check your card activity every time you use the system, while you still remember the details of your trip (good luck deciphering the website). I've seen a lot of complaints of inappropriate charges on the TTC. Presto is really great when it works, but it falls short too often. It's certainly in no position to be replacing Metropasses on the TTC.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
On Remembrance Day, veterans got free rides on the TTC. How will they do that with PRESTO? Didn't read about a veterans code being available on the PRESTO card.
Juan_Lennon416
Senior Member
They should have free rides on the TTC...period!
LNahid2000
Senior Member
Why? The TTC is already bursting at its seams. I can't imagine how crowded it would be if it was free. If anything, they should be charging more at peak.
nfitz
Superstar
That is odd. That kind of thing was working fairly well. Sounds like they've gone to far in tweaking the system, to try and stop people taking extra trips.
If they've started implementing a transfer table in Presto, I wonder if they forgot that route had been extended to Union recently. And if they've gone that route, it's all up in the air, any time there is a detour.
Juan_Lennon416
Senior Member
You are very disrespectful of the veterans who sacrificed so much. I rather they get a free ride than children 12 and under. And giving discounts to a few vets makes a lot more sense than giving discounts to thousands of children
steveintoronto
Superstar
It seems pie in the sky, but our doppleganger Melbourne has exactly that in the core:
http://hiddensecretstours.com/free-tram-zone/
- Home
- 1 January 2015 Fare changes
More affordable public transport from 1 January 2015
In 2015, Victoria’s public transport network will be more focused on you than ever before.
With a new Free Tram Zone in Melbourne CBD and cheaper fares when travelling across Zone 1 and 2, getting around Melbourne has never been easier, or more affordable.
The new Free Tram Zone includes the area from the iconic Queen Victoria Market, across to Victoria Harb
our in Docklands, up to Spring Street and over to Flinders Street Station and Federation Square.
Travel on trams within this zone is free, and you don’t need a myki, however, if your journey starts or finishes outside the boundaries of the Free Tram Zone, you must touch on your myki at the reader in the normal way to make sure you have a valid ticket.
The Free Tram Zone signs at tram stops will identify the boundaries of the zone.
Also in 2015, you will be able to travel on trains, trams and buses across Zones 1 and 2, for the price of a Zone 1 fare.
If you’re only travelling in Zone 2, you can still get the cheaper Zone 2 fare.
Important note for customers purchasing a myki pass
With travel on trains, trams and buses across Zones 1 and 2 now being at the price of a Zone 1 fare, Zone 1 passes are now being sold as Zone 1+2 passes at no extra cost.
If your Zone 1 and 2 pass is already paid up beyond 1 January 2015, a reimbursement for the Zone 2 component of your pass will be available.
For more information see FAQ 30.
Public Transport Victoria, just another way we’re transforming your network.
Free Tram Zone map
Click to expand...
A number of Cdn, US and European cities do same. It reduces congestion, and goes hand in glove with congestion charges for road vehicles.
http://www.calgarydowntown.com/getting-around/public-transit.html
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steveintoronto
Superstar
He means Veterans.
muller877
Senior Member
That's the problem with blanket discount rides. I agree that vets should have priority than kids....but neither group nor seniors should get free/discounted rides (other than 11/11)
Seniors have a lower level of poverty than the younger generation...so its not a poverty incentivized system. Its purely a crass political whim to get seniors to vote come election day.
The TTC should be about running an efficient and effective transit system. Let another part of the political system discount rides (e.g. social services) for those with needs.
Work with all level of governments to remove the transit portion of welfare, OAS, disability, TCHC income based subsidy, etc and and give the people that need them pre-loaded Presto cards. Remove the kid/student/seniors discount and do the same. You can create a larger bucket of cash by combining all these and then allocating to the truly needy.
Many transit agencies in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area honour the sacrifice of the veterans of Canada’s wars by offering vets and their traveling companions free rides Remembrance Day, this Friday, November 11.
Transit agencies that have specifically announced the free service include Brampton Transit, Burlington Transit, Durham Region Transit, Guelph Transit, GO Transit, the Hamilton Street Railway, MiWay, the Toronto Transit Commission and York Region Transit.
The agencies encourage vets to wear uniforms and medals on Remembrance Day or bring some other form of identification to let drivers and fare collectors know that they are veterans.
Many of the agencies also offer free rides to the families of deceased veterans. Families should bring documents that identify them as a family member of a veteran who has passed away.
http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/weblog/2016/11/09-veterans_r.shtml
It's the same on Warriors Day.