News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 02, 2020
A Message to Our Readers
 8.9K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
EarthCam Time-Lapse Documents Rafael Viñoly-Designed New Stanford Hospital Construction
 40K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
Resort Town
 5.1K     0 

drum118 said:
TTC putting more electric buses on the road

October 25, 2019

Tomorrow, the TTC will be increasing the number of all-electric buses (eBuses) it has in service and expanding eBus charging infrastructure to a second location, the Mount Dennis Bus Garage.

Vehicles from Proterra Inc., one of three companies manufacturing all-electric buses for the TTC, will be based exclusively out of Mount Dennis. The first route with the Proterra buses will be 6 Bay.

The TTC purchased 60 all-electric buses from three manufacturers: 25 from Proterra Inc., 25 from New Flyer Industries Inc. and 10 from BYD Canada Co. Ltd. The TTC's complete complement of electric buses, scheduled to arrive in full by the first quarter of 2020, will make up one of the largest mini-fleets of electric buses in North America.

The TTC's Arrow Road Bus Division was the first TTC location to be outfitted with the leading-edge charging technology and the TTC's Eglinton Garage will follow later this year. Ten New Flyer eBuses are already in service, operating out of the Arrow Road Bus Division and nine additional Proterra vehicles will enter service in the coming weeks as each completes testing and commissioning.

"Our city is committed to tackling climate change with meaningful action," said Mayor John Tory. "Investing in electric buses is one of the many ways Toronto is working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while improving our transit system."

"The TTC continues to plan for climate change and work towards a 100 per cent zero emissions fleet by 2040," said TTC Chair Jaye Robinson. "We're very excited to be making headway and moving forward with this important project."

The electrification of vehicles is a key component of the City's TransformTO climate action strategy, which targets an 80 per cent reduction in local greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To meet that target, 100 per cent of vehicles in Toronto must transition to low-carbon energy by 2050. The electrification of buses demonstrates the City's commitment to lead by example. Vehicles generate about one-third of the emissions in Toronto today. The TTC's new eBuses operate on truly green propulsion technology with zero tailpipe emissions.

The Government of Canada and the City of Toronto are investing $140 million in this project under federal Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF). The money is being used for these electric buses and to begin laying the infrastructure for future expansion of the TTC's zero-emissions fleet. This fund is helping keep Torontonians moving through investments in the repair, modernization and expansion of the city's transit and active transportation networks. In total, up to $1.8 billion is being invested in Toronto through PTIF, which was launched on August 23, 2016.
Click to expand...
I was wondering what the Proterra buses were doing in the storage for a month.
 
drum118 said:
The TTC's complete complement of electric buses ... will make up one of the largest mini-fleets of electric buses in North America
Click to expand...

TTC's PR flacks working overtime to come up with that laugher of a boast to fill out that useless information dump press release.
"We're one of the larger of the smallest!"
And you know if they did have the largest "mini-fleet" they would have said so. Instead they had to walk back even that to be only "one of the the largest."
 
Last edited:
The TTC and GO needs a co-fare agreement. If so, then the GO Trains can become an "express" service for those within the City of Toronto.

Can someone update this article. It's from July, 2019. From link.

Government will stop funding subsidy for discounted GTA transit fares

The Ontario government will be cutting a subsidy that provides discounted fares for riders using GO Transit and Toronto's transit system in the same trip, leaving the two agencies to come up with a way to keep the popular program running.

Regional transit agency Metrolinx - which runs GO trains and buses through the Greater Toronto and Hamilton region - said it hopes to work with the Toronto Transit Commission to sustain the program when the provincial funds run out next year.

The so-called Discounted Double Fare was created by the previous Liberal government in 2017 and offers riders using both systems, as well as the Union-Pearson Express to Toronto's airport, a $1.50 discount for a single trip when using a Presto fare card.

The province paid $18.5 million a year to offset the cost of the discount for both transit agencies, but the current Progressive Conservatives say the funding was designed to be temporary. A three-year agreement on the subsidy is set to expire in March 2020.

Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster said in a June 18 letter to the TTC that a new cost-sharing agreement is needed for next year, when the provincial funding ends.

“Metrolinx proposes a sustainable strategy for continuation of this fare integration initiative, one that does not use a subsidy from the provincial government,” he wrote. “A new agreement and strategy is needed for next year and beyond.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Transportation said Metrolinx's proposed strategy - where it and the TTC share the cost of providing the discount - would allow both agencies to “mutually benefit from the revenue generated through increased ridership.”
Click to expand...

The program has become so popular that it exceeded the provincial subsidy in 2018-2019 by $2.5 million and is on track to exceed it again, this time by $10 million, in the fall, Verster said in his letter to the TTC.

He said a new agreement to save the program is needed by October.

“Metrolinx intends to adopt the aforementioned discount to GO fares even if the City of Toronto and TTC decide not to match the transfer discount on the TTC fare,” he wrote.

TTC spokesman Stuart Green said Tuesday that nothing had been finalized but noted that Metrolinx had advised the agency of “potential changes to this popular program.”

“We have not yet responded as we need to understand the unanticipated cost pressures on our operating budget and report those to our board,” he said in a statement.

In a report to the agency's board ahead of a meeting Wednesday, TTC CEO Rick Leary said a detailed cost-benefit analysis will be conducted before a decision is made in September.

“If the TTC continues with the program, there could be unanticipated budget pressures for the remainder of 2019 and all of 2020 due to the loss of the provincial subsidy,” Leary wrote.

NDP transit critic Jessica Bell criticized the government for cutting the subsidy, saying it should be promoting fare integration across transit systems in the region.

“Forcing commuters to dig into their pockets for an extra $1.50 per round-trip is going to hurt the monthly bottom-line for already-squeezed working people,” she said in a statement.
Click to expand...
 
EastYorkTTCFan said:
I saw this on a T1 last night on my way into work it looks like they are replacing the old orange lights above the door that would flash with the chimes.

Click to expand...
I think it may be more useful if the "door open" light is an indicator of which side the door will open before arriving at a station.
 
11th said:
I think it may be more useful if the "door open" light is an indicator of which side the door will open before arriving at a station.
Click to expand...

Am I the only one who thinks this is a stupid idea?

If you are unable to see that the door is open the door open light won't help. If you are able to see that the door is closed but walk into it because the sign is illuminated you are an idiot.
 
Jonny5 said:
TTC's PR flacks working overtime to come up with that laugher of a boast to fill out that useless information dump press release.
"We're one of the larger of the smallest!"
And you know if they did have the largest "mini-fleet" they would have said so. Instead they had to walk back even that to be only "one of the the largest."
Click to expand...
Touché
 
Richard White said:
Am I the only one who thinks this is a stupid idea?

If you are unable to see that the door is open the door open light won't help. If you are able to see that the door is closed but walk into it because the sign is illuminated you are an idiot.
Click to expand...

You might want to reread the post.

"I think it may be more useful if the "door open" light is an indicator of which side the door will open before arriving at a station."
 
Last CLRV run on December 22 according to this:

212105


212106


Source: https://www.ttc.ca/Coupler/Editoria...6p7DNvExodrIXC1vRRJ5hrDL8B_5YWkDICL0gylIkEgP8
 
pstogios said:
Why would anyone want to celebrate those hunks of junk?

Good riddance. It’s 2019 man, bring on full Flexity service.
Click to expand...

Because millions of people have been on them, people have grown up riding them, and for many it was a symbol during pretty dark times that electric street railways can still exist in North America in regular revenue service. They might not have the retro cool factor of PCCs or the modern look of Flexities but they've been a symbol of the city of Toronto for decades. Watch a street scene in an 80s Cronenberg movie and you can sometimes spot them. For me and many, many others they're a part of how Toronto looked and felt at a certain time, and now that time is over. I'm not saying they should be kept on the street forever, and the replacement is certainly overdue -- but it's only fair that people have a chance to say goodbye, as I can't imagine many Torontonians, especially car free ones, will make the trip to Halton to ride the museum ones any time soon, unless they're serious railfans.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top