[Skeezix]

Why are we worrying about trains in particular, given that there are no major problems, and more riders, on buses, RTs, and streetcars? I recall no such campaign on buses and streetcars.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I find subways to be relatively nice in comparison.

 

[Catenary]

I presume that it won't. Old streetcars are on their way out, I don't believe they're going to bother. As for buses, I can possibly see them foregoing debit/credit, if not then I think we'll most likely see a small additional box next to the presto reader for those payments "to reduce customer confusion" as the TTC is likely to state regarding having the same Presto reader handle all types of payments.

The PRESTO readers the TTC is installing are capable of reading credit/debit cards when that functionality is rolled out. When a credit/debit card is tapped against one of the identical readers in Ottawa, the machines flash yellow as they detect the card but can't identify it. London England recently added credit/debit functionality to their Oyster system, and there was a large campaign around preventing "Card Clash" and making sure you tap off with the card you tapped on with.

 

[44 North]

The other day someone linked to an article, which at its bottom contained ridership #s for the region's different transit systems. I'm sure there are reports floating around with a side by side graph, but if not here's how it'd look. Definitely puts things in perspective as to how important the TTC is.

 

[nfitz]

How low is Burlington and Oakville - looks like less than a single underused TTC bus on that graph. Which article was this?

 

[44 North]

it was at bottom of this: http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/6122439-north-south-bus-links-needed-markham-councillors-say/
And I got the 2014 GO number from Wiki

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

How low is Burlington and Oakville - looks like less than a single underused TTC bus on that graph. Which article was this?

2014 ridership in Oakville topped out just over 3 million, up from less than 2.5 million in 2009. Not bad for a system that didn't even have Sunday service about 10 years ago. Oakville population is about 185,000 give or take. Service was reorganized into a grid system in 2009 which has helped make the system more useful for local ridership. Commuters to and from GO stations make up a large proportion of the ridership.

 

[nfitz]

Thanks!

Using the standard rule of thumb of dividing by 300, that's about 7,000 a day for Burlington - maybe 8,000 given low weekend ridership. I hadn't realized it was this low - similar to a single short TTC route such as Sherbourne or Coxwell. Maybe the 168 Symington if it's closer to 8,000.

I knew it was low, but I figured it was double or triple that. I guess we won't be seeing any LRT in Burlington or Oakville anytime soon!

 

[W. K. Lis]

Dear Santa.

All I want for Christmas is:

1. The new streetcars... to start arriving weekly.
2. No more bunching of buses and streetcars.
3. No more unscheduled short-turns of any vehicle
4. Eglington Crosstown LRT will be extended west to the airport.
5. Early subway opening on Sundays.
6. Late subway closings on Fridays and Saturdays.
7. PRESTO
8. 2-hour transfers

Thanks,

Virgina

(okay, its a pseudonym)

 

[Dan416]

Dear Santa.

All I want for Christmas is:

1. The new streetcars... to start arriving weekly.
2. No more bunching of buses and streetcars.
3. No more unscheduled short-turns of any vehicle
4. Eglington Crosstown LRT will be extended west to the airport.
5. Early subway opening on Sundays.
6. Late subway closings on Fridays and Saturdays.
7. PRESTO
8. 2-hour transfers

Thanks,

Virgina

(okay, its a pseudonym)

9. No more Metrolinx deciding on local station names

 

[salsa]

Dear Santa.

All I want for Christmas is:

1. The new streetcars... to start arriving weekly.
2. No more bunching of buses and streetcars.
3. No more unscheduled short-turns of any vehicle
4. Eglington Crosstown LRT will be extended west to the airport.
5. Early subway opening on Sundays.
6. Late subway closings on Fridays and Saturdays.
7. PRESTO
8. 2-hour transfers

Thanks,

Virgina

(okay, its a pseudonym)

Did you use a typewriter to write that?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

You can typewrite on the Internet!?

 

[salsa]

The TTC is looking to get out of their headquarters to a more modern building and consolidate their office staff under one roof.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tra...ants-to-get-out-of-hellhole-headquarters.html

 

[smably]

Byford describes the TTC's headquarters at Davisville as a "Stygian hellhole", and that sounds accurate. Persistent mold problems, asbestos, no sprinklers above the basement, elevators at the end of their life... The place is a dump.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tra...ants-to-get-out-of-hellhole-headquarters.html


[Edit: salsa beat me to it by a split second.]

 

[W. K. Lis]

The TTC is looking to get out of their headquarters to a more modern building and consolidate their office staff under one roof.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tra...ants-to-get-out-of-hellhole-headquarters.html

The Ford administration had nixed a proposal to consolidate the TTC's office in one place, for a lower cost, at York Mills Station. Instead, it costs the TTC more to have scattered offices and it will now cost more to do so now.

 

[gweed123]

Some outside the box thinking here: Davisville has a huge amount of air rights overtop of the yard and the mainline tracks. Why doesn't the TTC sell those air rights to a developer, they can build a combination condo/office complex, and the TTC can lease (for a reduced rate, of course) office space in one of those new towers? The TTC gets a new office, and the cost is offset by the selling of the air rights.

I'm sure that option would be a lot less politically unpopular than asking for a new building covered completely by taxpayers.

EDIT: The yard space is separate from the TTC's current offices, so they could conceivably stay in their current location while the construction of the new complex is taking place, then switch over when completed, and then either do a large retrofit or a complete teardown of the existing TTC building.