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- Thread starter drum118
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Jayomatic
Active Member
Came across this great piece that talks about the London station design. Wish TTC would take design as serious as other cities. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/station-design-idiom-2.pdf
muller877
Senior Member
I think they worry about the slippery slope it may lead to. If they pay the TTC (indirectly via a 3rd party management fee) will they have to pay others? Will Brookfield or Oxford want cash or else they remove/install cell sites from the PATH? Or malls? Or will Brookfield set up their own (just like the TTC) and try to charge the operators?
They also are willing to play the long game. Will the Australian company which own the rights be able to renew it in the future? Can they get a lower rate if the renewal is at a lower rate?
amnesiajune
Senior Member
There's already wi-fi service in stations, and there are plans to have wi-fi in the trains too. It doesn't make much sense for them to pay to be included in the system when everyone can already use the internet, send texts and make calls over wi-fi. They also own a competing company (which operates the cell service in Montreal's subway), so they'd rather not give revenue to their competitor -- if BAI decides the system isn't worth losing money on it would likely end up being sold to that consortium.
The ability to use wi-fi calling is unknown to many. It always surprises me when I tell people about it and they have no idea. For both condo living where reception can be spotty and US travel, it has been a game changer for me.
Richard White
Senior Member
Wi-Fi calling? I know when I was in London I had VoLTE which was a drain on my data.. a big drain.
The phone works on WiFi. Your carrier has to enable it. When I am in the US I can use my phone on WiFi without incurring roaming charges. Solves the problem of having to hang half off your balcony when you live in a Condo or of being out of cell range. No data is used.
Megaton327
Senior Member
Yeah, this was the only way I could reliably make/receive phone calls when I lived in a Fort York-area condo. Rogers coverage was awful. Had to go to the balcony to make calls. Got so bad that I ended up buying cordless handsets and VOIP service from Yak. I was thrilled when Rogers finally enabled it for the iPhone.
Used it a couple of times on the subway wi-fi too. Incredibly useful feature. Good point about travelling, too.
hw621
Senior Member
Have to say when it comes to mobile technology some Canadians are not so well informed...
hw621
Senior Member
Honestly with more integration coming TTC should add GO Lines and streetcar lines to their map.
amnesiajune
Senior Member
This is a bad idea since those services aren't part of the TTC system. Some people will hear that and assume it's a free transfer.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
There's no "free" transfers to the island ferries, 905 buses, airplanes at the Billy Bishop or Pearson Airports, nor to taxis for that matter.
muller877
Senior Member
urbantoronto...great article on Innisfil
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2018/01/look-innisfil’s-uber-transit-pilot
I wonder if the TTC will ever look at this to replace Wheel-Trans. The revenue from Wheel-Trans last year was $7.1m with operating costs of $125.5m (average cost to service a rideis $25) given there are approx 5m rides on the system. Plus capital costs for the fleet that it maintains probably takes the cost to over $30 per ride.
This is with horrible service levels. I know people who have to use it and they can routinely wait 1 hour+ for a ride even after it has been scheduled.
Instead Uber can work with the city to create 3 different services to those with special needs:
1. Door to door service with a wheelchair van
2. Door to door service with a UberPool car (your disability is not mobility related and/or you do not need a wheelchair
3. Door to low floor streetcar/subway service if you do not have a disability that precludes you from riding on them. With or without a wheelchair accessible van
This would ideally bring the cost to below the $25 per ride (same/lower subsidy) while delivering better service to the end user.
Of course there would need to be a transition period so Uber can find drivers that have the right vehicles.
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2018/01/look-innisfil’s-uber-transit-pilot
I wonder if the TTC will ever look at this to replace Wheel-Trans. The revenue from Wheel-Trans last year was $7.1m with operating costs of $125.5m (average cost to service a rideis $25) given there are approx 5m rides on the system. Plus capital costs for the fleet that it maintains probably takes the cost to over $30 per ride.
This is with horrible service levels. I know people who have to use it and they can routinely wait 1 hour+ for a ride even after it has been scheduled.
Instead Uber can work with the city to create 3 different services to those with special needs:
1. Door to door service with a wheelchair van
2. Door to door service with a UberPool car (your disability is not mobility related and/or you do not need a wheelchair
3. Door to low floor streetcar/subway service if you do not have a disability that precludes you from riding on them. With or without a wheelchair accessible van
This would ideally bring the cost to below the $25 per ride (same/lower subsidy) while delivering better service to the end user.
Of course there would need to be a transition period so Uber can find drivers that have the right vehicles.
Sandpit
Active Member
I think paratransit/specialized transit should be operated by a separate agency (and posssibly uploaded to the Province). Look at how successful the conventional-only agencies in Brampton and Mississauga are. But I'm not sure if Uber is an appropriate alternative to Wheel-Trans: it probably has special requirements that Uber can't meet. YRT should look into Uber as a replacement for its "Dial-A-Ride" services though.
hw621
Senior Member
I got an impression that some assume Torontonians are more ignorant than citizens in other international cities when it comes to transit and technology.