[junctionist]

Unfortunately, there will still be those who would insist that those rules would not apply to them:
[video=youtube;dVtuJ_0GWCU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVtuJ_0GWCU[/video]

I once saw someone drive down the ramp into St. Clair West station as I was on a streetcar heading in the opposite direction. The driver had a look of confusion on his face and it was funny. Since the tracks are embedded in the pavement at that station, the results were far less dramatic than in this video, though.

 

[Justin10000]

It is based on current GPS coordinates + magic sauce by NextBus (typical vehicle speed at that time/route/weather). The TTC has had (sometimes unreliably) real-time monitoring of vehicle locations since the 70's.

I do not think the subway train location is based on GPS. I am sure it is tied to the signal system in some way. GPS signals are very hard to acquire through most obstacles.

 

[rbt]

I do not think the subway train location is based on GPS. I am sure it is tied to the signal system in some way. GPS signals are very hard to acquire through most obstacles.

Erm. The thread is titled "New Streetcars". I had assummed we were discussing the surface routes.

Underground they get the information directly from the signalling system computers so it would be based on the track block the train is currently in. With ATO it will be more exact as trains will be actively targeting a specific time to arrive at a station (X seconds after the previous).

 

[Justin10000]

Erm. The thread is titled "New Streetcars". I had assummed we were discussing the surface routes.

Underground they get the information directly from the signalling system computers so it would be based on the track block the train is currently in. With ATO it will be more exact as trains will be actively targeting a specific time to arrive at a station (X seconds after the previous).

Your comment to Asterix sounded like you were talking about the subway system, and not the streetcars.

 

[Asterix]

Your comment to Asterix sounded like you were talking about the subway system, and not the streetcars.

Other way around. Someone else mentioned how they believed the subway 'next train' notification worked. I questioned that and rbt gave an explanation of how surface routes were tracked.

 

[Justin10000]

No prob.

 

[Parsnips]

So how will the POP system work?

 

[DSC]

So how will the POP system work?

Ticket/Pass Inspectors!

 

[Jonny5]

I once saw someone drive down the ramp into St. Clair West station as I was on a streetcar heading in the opposite direction. The driver had a look of confusion on his face and it was funny. Since the tracks are embedded in the pavement at that station, the results were far less dramatic than in this video, though.

Okay the Spadina clip is hysterical. I can't believe the car made it that far.

Some cars do regularly go into St. Clair West. I have seen operators and supervisors park there, as well I believe the people who work in the newsstand are allowed to drive in and out too.

 

[W. K. Lis]

One question I have is how will the new streetcars accommodate the visually impaired? The driver will be separated from the traveling public, and how will they know which incoming streetcar is coming? Is it the 504 or 505 coming down Broadview, for example? The stop announcements are fine, but what about the rest of the visual assists?

Came across this website on DISA – Digital Voice Output, at this link.

It has the following information:

DISA – Digital Voice Output

Passenger information system for blind and visually impaired people in public transport

In most of today’s large cities optical passenger information systems are now part of the ‘standard’ equipment of public transport. On displays incoming trams or busses are indicated with their approximate time of arrival. This information provides convenience and safety to the people using public transport. However, blind and visually impaired people (e.g. older people with age-related amblyopia) who usually depend on public transport do not have access to this information.

In order to make passenger information accessible to this group of people a system called DISA (Digitale Sprachausgabe = digital voice output) was developed in Linz (Austria) in cooperation with the Austrian association for blind and visually impaired people and the Linz transportation company (Linz AG Linien).

Via a digital voice output the information of the passenger information system is transformed into speech and is now available for people with a visual impairement. In order to locate DISA, which can be easily integrated into existing systems, the user has the choice to request a blip from DISA with a small hand-held transmitter. If a person is located further away from the tram/bus stop the blip is an excellent help to find the digital voice output. In case the person already stands next to the device the voice output can be either activated by using the hand-held transmitter or the push-button of the device.

After a long period of preliminary planning DISA was tested at 4 tram stops in Linz in spring 2004 in the context of a pilot project. Following a successful run further installations were planned. In the meantime 44 units have been installed in Linz and 60 additional units are planned until 2009. In medium term DISA is planned to be installed area-wide.

What is so interesting about DISA compared to other systems?

DISA is a system bounded at tram/bus stops and therefore features a great number of advantages for its user as well as for public transport operators. Some of these advantages are:

• Early information about arriving trams/busses
• Great user-friendliness because of its easy handling and therefore suitable for all ages
• Compared to systems bounded to vehicles a continuous installation is possible
• No changes within the operational control system or vehicle technology
• Simple and fast integration in existing systems
• Manageable costs for public transport operators
• Proven and tested system

There is a video at this link, however, it is in German. If you know what they're saying, please translate. One assistance is the transit map with raised lines and braille. Something the TTC should look into.

 

[Amy Rose]

You could have the streetcars say "This is the eastbound 5xx bound for ...", but tbh, its a pain if you're going from say Kipling to Bay on the 501

 

[drum118]

One question I have is how will the new streetcars accommodate the visually impaired? The driver will be separated from the traveling public, and how will they know which incoming streetcar is coming? Is it the 504 or 505 coming down Broadview, for example? The stop announcements are fine, but what about the rest of the visual assists?

Came across this website on DISA – Digital Voice Output, at this link.

It has the following information:



There is a video at this link, however, it is in German. If you know what they're saying, please translate. One assistance is the transit map with raised lines and braille. Something the TTC should look into.

It will be the same as today if you are on the street.

Mississauga Transit did have an outside announcement as to what bus it was for the AA system, but have stop using it as it was too long and volumn was too low.

There is no money in the budget for the system you asked about and not sure if ACAT has raised this issue.

If you want such system, you need to send a letter to the chair of TTC so it can be forward on to staff to look into it and report back to the commision at a later date.

Raise line and braille is been looked at now.

 

[nfitz]

One question I have is how will the new streetcars accommodate the visually impaired? The driver will be separated from the traveling public, and how will they know which incoming streetcar is coming? Is it the 504 or 505 coming down Broadview, for example?

Good question. It will be interesting to see how they handle this.

The question I've got (which I've asked before), is if they have sliding doors instead of doors that swing out, how will cars know not to drive past the open doors - which they can't easily see are open.

 

[DSC]

A decade later we seem to be about to order 13 (and maybe up to 47) more!

It is recommended that the TTC Board: Streetcars: 1. Delegate authority to the TTC Chief Executive Officer to issue a contract change with Bombardier Transportation Canada Inc. for the supply of 13 streetcars at an estimated cost of $140 million, inclusive of all taxes and project delivery costs, based on the following: a. Negotiation of an acceptable agreement that is satisfactory to the TTC Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel; b. Negotiation of acceptable contract pricing for the initial order of 13 streetcars and fixed pricing on options for up to 47 additional streetcars equating to a combined total of 60 streetcars; and c. All streetcars are to be delivered between 2023 and 2025.

See: http://ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commiss...5_TTC_Fleet_Procurement_Strategy_and_Plan.pdf TTC Board October 22 2020

 

[rbt]

A decade later we seem to be about to order 13 (and maybe up to 47) more!

It is recommended that the TTC Board: Streetcars: 1. Delegate authority to the TTC Chief Executive Officer to issue a contract change with Bombardier Transportation Canada Inc. for the supply of 13 streetcars at an estimated cost of $140 million, ...

Now we think back at the 60-car option for $361M that we didn't take in 2016 because we wanted to give Bombardier a message at the time.