[rbt]

Incidentally, even if the LRT costs less to operate than the bus, it still benefits Toronto if Metrolinx pays the LRT operating subsidy, allows free TTC transfers, and Toronto does not operate the bus.

The province has aggressively pushed Metrolinx into Toronto's planning and transit system. Politically, this is an opportunity to make Metrolinx eat their own cake, albeit at the cost (or benefit?) that every future line will probably be automated like the Ontario line; which will make the proposal Sheppard extension very interesting to watch.

If the province refuses added funding, the city can add a $106M property tax line-item (TTC Operations of Metrolinx Lines) and blame them.


Tendering private operations will be very tricky given the signalling systems of both lines are hooked into the TTC control room.

When Ford said Chow would break stuff, he was talking about the PC Party narrative and this is an example of it.

 

[EnviroTO]

If the city successfully gets the province to pay for the LRT they can take all the buses that were running on Finch West and Eglinton and deploy them elsewhere making it look like they magically delivered a service increase with no change in budget. I'm not saying that the city wouldn't benefit from the province paying for the LRT, I'm saying the selling the LRT operating costs as a burden is a false narrative.

 

[smallspy]

Hmm. The 430 makes sense, but the $100K seems really low for direct operating expenses unless it is all expenses minus fuel, because the driver is maybe $75K of that (more when you factor in paid benefits). When I look at the fuel a bus would use over 8h shifts annually if travelling 15km/h... it seems like it would be more than $800K so the costs of running a bus for an 8h shift all year round would approach $1 million.

That number was directly from the TTC less than 10 years ago, and yes, accounted for the driver and fuel. No maintenance, no wear and tear, no capital costs - just the cost to staff a vehicle and provide it with fuel. It's definitely higher now, but not as high as you think it is.

Dan

 

[asey20]

If you want to do some more math....

This is a bit out of date, but it costs ~$100k per bus to run an 8 hour shift every single regular weekday per year. This factors in all direct operating expenses.

Finch West has about 430* service hours (number of buses multiplied by the hours in service) per regular weekday day. (* the number is actually higher, but I'm rounding down to capture only the service that would be directly replaced by the LRT.)

Have at it.

Dan

This came out to around $5.4 million per year. Factoring in inflation, wage increases and increase in diesel prices - multiplying by 1.4 (40%) seems fair. In that case, the cost would be $7.6 million.

 

[EnviroTO]

That number was directly from the TTC less than 10 years ago, and yes, accounted for the driver and fuel. No maintenance, no wear and tear, no capital costs - just the cost to staff a vehicle and provide it with fuel. It's definitely higher now, but not as high as you think it is.

Dan

If the $25K was all fuel and we assume 50 weeks of 5 weekdays... 25000/50/5=$100 to fuel a bus for an 8h shift. The average transit bus fuel consumption is 3.4mpg or 0.69L/km. Fuel price $1.57/L (using a Miway 2022 purchase to estimate). 100/1.57/0.69 = 92km/8h = 11km/h. I guess that is close enough. So annual fuel would be $100 * 6.5 days (accounting for service reductions on weekends) * 2 shifts * 22 buses = $28,600. So Chat GPT stinks and this becomes a lesson in why Chat GPT shouldn't do our homework . I think it multiplied the distance captured in the speed and shift length, and the route length so basically squaring the distance.

 

[ViewerOfToronto]

Although the dead silence from station updates, Metrolinx uploaded about a backup control centre.

 

[micheal_can]

Is there a date that the line is expected to be opened?
What is left to be done?

 

[toronto647]

Is there a date that the line is expected to be opened?
What is left to be done?

No public date as of yet, insider reports indicate December 2024 at this point. However no denial or confirmation from the province or metrolinx. We should be getting another bi-monthly update at the end of the month from Metrolinx CEO. I wonder whether they announce an opening date at this one or the next update after at the end of Jan. I suspect they would want the holidays to pass and an announcement at the end of Jan. But who knows at this point.

 

[nfitz]

No public date as of yet, insider reports indicate December 2024 at this point.

Perhaps that's just a placeholder?

I'd guess 2025 at the earliest. Maybe 2026.

 

[Aplus23]

Perhaps that's just a placeholder?

I'd guess 2025 at the earliest. Maybe 2026.

There's probably 6 more months of work and then 6months of testing. My guess is sometime October next year

 

[nfitz]

Has there been a schedule out to address all the deficiencies. Most should be relatively straightforward, but some less so.

 

[Mount Dennis Resident]

Subject to budget approval.

The 32D EGLINGTON WEST Emmett & Jane bus could be replaced by the 73B ROYAL YORK bus from Royal York Station to Mt. Dennis Station. Will it be one-way along Emmett Avenue to Mt. Dennis Station? What about Mt. Dennis Station to Emmett Avenue?

A 901 AIRPORT-EGLINTON EXPRESS could be running between Pearson Airport, via Dixon Road, Scarlett Road, Lawrence Avenue West, and Weston Road to Mt. Dennis Station. Likely to detour around the construction on Eglinton Avenue West for the Eglinton West LRT extension.

Is the 935 JANE EXPRESS going bye-bye? Replaced with RapidTO Jane? Or is it a typo?

Wayfinding sign at Mt. Dennis Station...

 

[Mount Dennis Resident]

5-Year Service and Customer Experience Action Plan — Round 3 Survey​

https://ttc5yearplans.ca/survey

 

[smallspy]

Is the 935 JANE EXPRESS going bye-bye? Replaced with RapidTO Jane? Or is it a typo?

The 935 will not go into Mount Dennis Station - this has been reiterated in the plans for many years.

Dan

 

[robmausser]

View attachment 520341

Subject to budget approval.

The 32D EGLINGTON WEST Emmett & Jane bus could be replaced by the 73B ROYAL YORK bus from Royal York Station to Mt. Dennis Station. Will it be one-way along Emmett Avenue to Mt. Dennis Station? What about Mt. Dennis Station to Emmett Avenue?

A 901 AIRPORT-EGLINTON EXPRESS could be running between Pearson Airport, via Dixon Road, Scarlett Road, Lawrence Avenue West, and Weston Road to Mt. Dennis Station. Likely to detour around the construction on Eglinton Avenue West for the Eglinton West LRT extension.

Is the 935 JANE EXPRESS going bye-bye? Replaced with RapidTO Jane? Or is it a typo?

Wayfinding sign at Mt. Dennis Station...
View attachment 520342

UGH they aren't going to have a stupid bus running along Eglinton like they have the 97 for the subway are they?

The stop spacing is not that far! Its so not needed. Thats why we built a freaking LRT! To get rid of the bus!!

If you can't walk 500m thats what WheelTrans is for...

FFS