[RedRocket191]

Except that the buses have been replaced mostly on a one-to-one basis and that is largely why the buses are so overcrowded these days.

There's ways of improving accessibility, but most low-floor designs leave a lot to be desired. Plus low-floor buses seem to get much dirtier much quicker - as soon as one snowflake falls, the windows become barely translucent.

There has been an improvement since the first Orion VIIs (the 7400-7899 set) came out - on the 7900 series, the 8000 series and 1000-1149 series, the seats have since been spaced a bit better near the front, the rear doors close a bit quicker (the back doors on the older VIIs take forever to close). With the new seating configuration at the back, at least it sounds like, even if there isn't much extra standing room, all the seats will now be usable - the rows above the rear wheel wells were never set up properly.

The buses are being replaced on a one to one basis, but they are using a new standard when reviewing service. What would have been considered acceptable crowding with high-floors is now considered overcrowding with low floors. What they do with that data is anybody's guess though.

I agree with everything else you've said, but lift equipped high floor buses are not truly accessible.

 

[299 bloor call control.]

they should just get rid of the back rows altogether and only have inward facing seats, that way they can widen up the stairs up to the upper level... or just have a long ramp to the back and to get to the seats, u would have to step up a little bit -- most low floor double decker buses are equipped this way.

 

[CDL.TO]

they should just get rid of the back rows altogether and only have inward facing seats, that way they can widen up the stairs up to the upper level... or just have a long ramp to the back and to get to the seats, u would have to step up a little bit -- most low floor double decker buses are equipped this way.

I've been thinking about this for a few months and I think it would be a superior option to what we have now.

 

[junctionist]

I've ridden on Orion VIIs without rear rows on the TTC. They are very rare though.

 

[adma]

Woke up this morning, got myself a gun....

Woke up this morning with a wine glass in my hand...

 

[ShonTron]

Woke up, fell out of bed,
dragged a comb across my head....
...Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus* in seconds flat....

But I feel more like using that gun I got.

* Presumably, Paul was singing about an Orion VII, bringing this back on topic.

 

[adma]

Woke up, fell out of bed,
dragged a comb across my head....
...Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus* in seconds flat....

Or, *hoped* to make the bus in seconds flat. Instead, had to stand waiting for 20 minutes for a 4-5 bus convoy.

Darned Dufferin.

 

[ShonTron]

Or, *hoped* to make the bus in seconds flat. Instead, had to stand waiting for 20 minutes for a 4-5 bus convoy.

Did you say convoy?

Cause we gotta great big convoy, rockin' past St. Clair,
Yeah we gotta great big convoy, 'cause we don't give a care!
Come on an' join our convoy, we're drivin' for the TTC
We're gonna roll this busin' convoy, cross Dufferin Street
Convoy... Convoy...

 

[ShonTron]

I stand corrected, the new Hybrids are already in Next-Gen style:

Really crappy paint job.. shoudl have avoided the white and gone all black and red.

No kidding. The white at the bottom on the sides looks fine, but the front looks lousy with the white - like it's trying to be a RTS, though it doesn't work with the curvy front (which looks like what changed the most, at least it's less boxy). Above the red stripe, it should be all black really.

One of the very few things I like about the Orion VIIs is the combo of the solid blue lights and the orange LED display. The Orion VIIs are visible at night from far away.