[crs1026]

Those guys with the pole who are stationed at busy intersections to operate the switches are often spare board operators working on overtime.

Where's the logic in that practice as a way to save money on maintaining the switches?

While everyone likes to bash the Hydro, one of the things they do well is batch work so that whenever a generator is taken off line for maintenance, everything that needs to be done in planned maintenance gets done concurrently....while working to minimise the length of the outage. That avoids taking the unit off line a second time for additional work. Time offline is time not generating revenue.

I would like to know if TTC and the City took this approach with respect to the Queen Street outage. It would be really bad if some future closure happens that could have been dealt with right now. Anything on the 501 route that needs fixing, tweaking, oiling, or replacing needs to get fixed this summer.

- Paul

 

[sixrings]

One would think that this summer's replacement of 36 streetcars on the 501 QUEEN with 65 buses, might be a good time to repair and/or replace the faulty or manual track switches, between May and September of 2017.

Unfortunately, employing the extra drivers would eat away at the TTC's operational budget. And there is very little funding available to fix those troublesome switches. Easier to have the streetcars stop at each and every track switch, and sometimes having to use manually set the switches.

Get over it you selfish downtowner with all your fancy transit. The time of pay back is here and all your monies are being diverted to Scarborough so it can become hip and trendy to.

 

[aquateam]

One would think that this summer's replacement of 36 streetcars on the 501 QUEEN with 65 buses, might be a good time to repair and/or replace the faulty or manual track switches, between May and September of 2017.

Unfortunately, employing the extra drivers would eat away at the TTC's operational budget. And there is very little funding available to fix those troublesome switches. Easier to have the streetcars stop at each and every track switch, and sometimes having to use manually set the switches.

Not sure what that has to do with funding but that's a good point. Did the TTC adjust its track maintenance schedule to take advantage of this outage? I'm assuming not.

I see special work at Queen & Kingston road, Queen & Church, Queen & Shaw, as well as track overhaul on Queen from Bay to York that is all 2-3 years down the line. I seriously hope they advance that work to avoid future closures.

On the bright side, I see that track overhaul on Lakeshore and Queensway, as well as special work at Queen & Coxwell, Sunnyside loop, Queen & McCaul, Humber loop are already part of the plan for this year.

https://stevemunro.ca/2016/02/26/ttc-streetcar-track-plans-2016-2020/

 

[rbt]

I see special work at Queen & Kingston road, Queen & Church, Queen & Shaw, as well as track overhaul on Queen from Bay to York that is all 2-3 years down the line. I seriously hope they advance that work to avoid future closures.

Intersection pieces are typically ordered years in advance of TTC installing them because they're non-trivial for the manufacturer to create.

 

[crs1026]

Intersection pieces are typically ordered years in advance of TTC installing them because they're non-trivial for the manufacturer to create.

True... but I wonder how long ago the current work was put on the schedule. It would have been some time ago.

- Paul

 

[TheOneAbove]

Amazing that Canada has this great transit reputation but we have to talk about this. They should expand the other lines too.

Canada has a reputation for better transit because transit is absolutely better here than the average in the US, even in NYC you don't see buses running well in suburbs like is common here in Toronto as well as other municipalities. Even Winnipeg has decent bus frequency... And that is the revealing thing: buses are actually quite good at handling the volume necessary for most of these trips. There has been no need to build rail in the streets as buses can handle the traffic, and the higher frequency has made the utility quite good.

Check the PACE schedules in suburban Chicago. They are shockingly bad, and stereotypically American. You'd be hard pressed to find many routes with frequency better than 30-45 minutes.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Canada has a reputation for better transit because transit is absolutely better here than the average in the US, even in NYC you don't see buses running well in suburbs like is common here in Toronto as well as other municipalities. Even Winnipeg has decent bus frequency... And that is the revealing thing: buses are actually quite good at handling the volume necessary for most of these trips. There has been no need to build rail in the streets as buses can handle the traffic, and the higher frequency has made the utility quite good.

Check the PACE schedules in suburban Chicago. They are shockingly bad, and stereotypically American. You'd be hard pressed to find many routes with frequency better than 30-45 minutes.

Too bad we don't have proper go service to get people out of their cars. Outside of lakeshore of course.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Your TTC budget savings at work, from link:

Subway rider struck by train while he was on Bloor station platform

According to police, a man leaned a little too close to the track as a train passed through the station Friday night.

A man was rushed to hospital Friday night with severe head injuries after he was hit by a train while standing on a platform at Yonge-Bloor Station.

Toronto Police Const. Caroline de Kloet said officers were called around 9:50 p.m. Friday night. The man, who police said had been drinking, apparently leaned too close to the track as a train passed through the station.

The impact sent him flying back on the platform, de Kloet said. Paramedics arrived and rushed the man, who was in serious condition, to hospital.

The TTC had subway trains bypassing Line 1’s Yonge Station, and suspended service between Eglinton Station and Union Station, as emergency crews tended to the man. Full service resumed around 11 p.m. Friday night.

An investigation continues on Saturday into whether the incident was an accident, de Kloet said.

Think of the gravy money the TTC saved by not having to wastefully spend it on screen platform doors.

 

[sixrings]

At the very least there should be screen platform doors south of Saint George and Bloor.

 

[Cobra]

I thought bringing this thread back up was appropriate due to the Federal budget that is coming up

Expectations?

Montreal Mayor said on the radio this morning he's expecting the Feds to pay half of the new REM project ($3B), funds for the Blue line expansion and BRT on Pie-IX

and the Premier
http://montrealgazette.com/news/que...iver-cash-for-quebecs-transit-needs-couillard
Specifically, the province is expecting federal help for three major projects: the Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM) train; an eastward extension of the métro’s blue line; and an express bus system between Quebec City and Lévis.

 

[Cobra]

Seems we're not the only ones lol

http://www.news1130.com/2017/03/21/surrey-group-oppose-light-rail-regardless-federal-budget/
Surrey group to oppose Light Rail, regardless of federal budget
Skytrain for Surrey wants to see a 16-kilometer extension of the Expo Line that would add a stretch from King George station to Langley Centre.
The group has been opposing the current Surrey Light Rail Transit proposal and claims the plan is not the right way to go.

 

[WislaHD]

Seems we're not the only ones lol

http://www.news1130.com/2017/03/21/surrey-group-oppose-light-rail-regardless-federal-budget/
Surrey group to oppose Light Rail, regardless of federal budget
Skytrain for Surrey wants to see a 16-kilometer extension of the Expo Line that would add a stretch from King George station to Langley Centre.
The group has been opposing the current Surrey Light Rail Transit proposal and claims the plan is not the right way to go.

Now, that is pretty funny.

Surrey group opposes LRT in favour of technology used on the SRT corridor in Toronto.

If only we could put two and two together and upgrade the SRT corridor.

 

[WislaHD]

I thought bringing this thread back up was appropriate due to the Federal budget that is coming up

Expectations?

Montreal Mayor said on the radio this morning he's expecting the Feds to pay half of the new REM project ($3B), funds for the Blue line expansion and BRT on Pie-IX

and the Premier
http://montrealgazette.com/news/que...iver-cash-for-quebecs-transit-needs-couillard
Specifically, the province is expecting federal help for three major projects: the Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM) train; an eastward extension of the métro’s blue line; and an express bus system between Quebec City and Lévis.

If we don't ask the Feds to pay half of Relief Line Long, then we are a miserable set of incompetents.

Ugh, and the Scarborough Subway Extension has a realistic chance of eating up those funds because of politicians electoral aspirations.

 

[TOareaFan]

 

[BurlOak]

$20B over 11 years.

Assuming Toronto gets double their share based on population - that amounts to $4B. I think the SmartTrack commitment was $2.6B.

Thus, that leaves $1.4B for DRL long.