[drum118]

The #1 thing that would improve TTC service is to crack down on closures of TTC bus and streetcar routes for events. Yesterday 505 Dundas streetcar was detoured for "Portugal Day Parade" while Line 2 was closed St George to Broadview. 505 Dundas is one of the main alternate routes for that section of subway. This also caused severe traffic congestion in the area and severe delays to 506 Carlton and 501 Queen.

When should TTC do the work on the system?? How long do you expect it will take??

How long was the closure for the "Portugal Day Parade"??

How much work can TTC do in a 4-6 hour window if all work trains and crews where at the location at the start of work window? What happen to normal service when the work train show up earlier than the work window? How long does it take to get work trains from the yards to the work area as well back?? How much longer will it take TTC to the work without weekend closers?

When does the city do its work that effect TTC operation??

#1 one thing to improve transit is for riders to accept these closers and deal with the shuttle use since its a short pain than the long pain ones that will cost less to everyone.

 

[andrewpmk]

These closures for events are entirely preventable.

All road closures for events should be prohibited on weekends when the subway is shut down for construction, and on weekdays. They should be limited on other weekends.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Do you have any other topic you'd like to discuss beyond the issue of road closures for events? Your criteria is fanciful to say the least, considering we are having subway closures pretty much every single weekend.

AoD

 

[nfitz]

Do you have any other topic you'd like to discuss beyond the issue of road closures for events? Your criteria is fanciful to say the least, considering we are having subway closures pretty much every single weekend.

I think it's fair comment that TTC shouldn't be taking out parallel streetcar lines, at the same time as a subway closure.

Really? The #1 thing? From my experience TTC service is much worse during weekday rush hours than on weekends, and your #1 suggestion does nothing to address this time period. It seems your post was just another excuse to rant about the street closures that you hate.

Historically, 506 was often much worse on weekends, particularly Sundays than it was on weekdays. This is because they hadn't changed the route timings in decades, and congestion has only gotten a bit worse on weekdays, but much worse on Saturdays and Sundays. When you look at how much extra time they added to the route timings for 506 back in September 2015, they added 15 minutes for weekday peak, 24 minutes for Saturday afternoons, and 25 minutes for Sunday afternoon. (time for travel in both directions).

I'll agree though, at least on 506, that weekdays have been worse now that the weekend schedule has been fixed - though I'm not sure it's much worse.

 

[Steve X]

The problem is parking is allowed on weekends and not rush hour.

 

[DSC]

In his exhaustive (and exhausting!) analysis of transit on Queen and comparing streetcars and buses he notes that streetcars are slowed down by the TTCs inability (unwillingness) to install and maintain proper switches. He notes " Another factor at play is the TTC’s slow operation policy through special trackwork including a mandatory stop-and-proceed at facing point switches. This was a response primarily to the unreliability of the new automatic track switches installed a few decades ago after the arrival of the ALRV streetcar fleet, and the further decline of this equipment in recent years. However, the rule applies to all switches, even manual ones, and this has noticeably slowed streetcar operations through intersections. Another operating rule, rarely seen in action but still on the books, requires that streetcars not pass each other at intersections with special work lest one of them derail and strike the other. Both of these are ludicrous in the context of street railway practice elsewhere, and speak to the TTC’s long-standing unwillingness to address problems with its streetcar track.

After a long period of study and delays thanks to budget cuts, a new track switch system is to be procured in 2018 with installation to be phased over several years thereafter. Whether the operating rules will ever change is quite another matter." In answer to a reader comment he adds "I just hope it’s not another “TTC invention” based on the premise that no city/vendor in the known universe has done this before." See: https://stevemunro.ca/2017/06/11/co...bus-operations-on-501-queen-part-iv/#comments

 

[Johnny Au]

Thought for the day: with all the short turns, TTC ejects more people from their seats every day than United Airlines does.

Which transportation organization damaged more guitars?

 

[dowlingm]

Once ATC is complete hopefully outages on YUS will decrease, not to mention that the extra switches between St Clair and King will be activated. While I think running events should be sent down Bayview, community events can't be easily relocated and make Toronto what it is

 

[44 North]

When should TTC do the work on the system?? How long do you expect it will take??

How long was the closure for the "Portugal Day Parade"??

How much work can TTC do in a 4-6 hour window if all work trains and crews where at the location at the start of work window? What happen to normal service when the work train show up earlier than the work window? How long does it take to get work trains from the yards to the work area as well back?? How much longer will it take TTC to the work without weekend closers?

When does the city do its work that effect TTC operation??

#1 one thing to improve transit is for riders to accept these closers and deal with the shuttle use since its a short pain than the long pain ones that will cost less to everyone.

I think perhaps doing midnight to 6am subway work would be more optimal than these weekend shutdowns. Also to have TPS escort streetcars should be considered. Might sound extreme, but the "short term pain" isn't just for day-to-day transit users (i.e those accustomed to shutdowns and disruptions). It's also tourists, weekend visitors, and families who only use the TTC on summer weekends. We shut down such key parts of the system, and do a less than adequate job of providing alternatives, then that adds up to: bad impressions, people who'll think twice about visiting again, and those who'll opt for the car in the future. I think the ramifications of these shutdowns are bigger than we like to think.

 

[WillTo]

My only rule is that the DVP shouldn't be closed the same weekend as the Yonge line!

 

[chinesehorse]

Has anybody found one of the new ride guide's featuring the Spadina extension? All the one's I've seen on trains are the old one.

 

[drum118]

I think perhaps doing midnight to 6am subway work would be more optimal than these weekend shutdowns. Also to have TPS escort streetcars should be considered. Might sound extreme, but the "short term pain" isn't just for day-to-day transit users (i.e those accustomed to shutdowns and disruptions). It's also tourists, weekend visitors, and families who only use the TTC on summer weekends. We shut down such key parts of the system, and do a less than adequate job of providing alternatives, then that adds up to: bad impressions, people who'll think twice about visiting again, and those who'll opt for the car in the future. I think the ramifications of these shutdowns are bigger than we like to think.

So you are saying TTC can do 20 hours a week between midnight and 6 am that is better than 50 hours on the weekend?? I have allow travel time to get work trains to/from the yard.

Never will see TPS escorting streetcars since there isn't enough cars to do so.

Have you visited other systems world wide to see if they don't have disruption during the summer to have work done?? They do and I have ran into a few of them.

You know TTC is close to 40 years behind for their system since Toronto isn't willing to invest money in it to bring it up to standards today??

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Speaking of closures - what they really should do is closing the stretch of the street where replacement buses are used so that it comes an exclusive ROW to handle subway closures. But of course, you won't hear about that because that was never really "the point" when TTC gets dragged out as the reason for opposing whatever event.

AoD

 

[muller877]

So you are saying TTC can do 20 hours a week between midnight and 6 am that is better than 50 hours on the weekend?? I have allow travel time to get work trains to/from the yard.

Have you visited other systems world wide to see if they don't have disruption during the summer to have work done?? They do and I have ran into a few of them.

You know TTC is close to 40 years behind for their system since Toronto isn't willing to invest money in it to bring it up to standards today??

Do they have enough staff for the 50 hours? Is it 50 hours of continuous work or are there breaks?

MTR does not close down in the summer and it's arguably the best in the world.

MTR has decided to close their subway early every day so that the maintenance work can get done without any closures. I'd be willing to have the blue bus system operational at 11:00 pm (Sunday-Wed). Would give the maintenance workers an extra 10 hours a week every week. And then they wouldn't need the weekend closing.

have they also looked at battery powered work carts so they can turn off the 3rd rail sooner every night? So there can be more actual work time.

 

[44 North]

So you are saying TTC can do 20 hours a week between midnight and 6 am that is better than 50 hours on the weekend?? I have allow travel time to get work trains to/from the yard.

Never will see TPS escorting streetcars since there isn't enough cars to do so.

Have you visited other systems world wide to see if they don't have disruption during the summer to have work done?? They do and I have ran into a few of them.

You know TTC is close to 40 years behind for their system since Toronto isn't willing to invest money in it to bring it up to standards today??

Overnight work probably wouldn't be better, certainly not by the current metrics used. Costs more, takes longer, maybe inconveniences greater number of riders vs all-wknd closure. But I'm talking more about factoring metrics that aren't easily quantified, like the experience of infrequent transit users on summer weekends. There might not be a huge number of them, but IMO their value should be markedly higher than an avg commuter. In my eyes someone with a double stroller who visits the city once every year for a play should be weighted heavier than any average Joe.

And agreed, TTC is definitely behind relative to our ridership and size. Patently clear we need a new E-W line through the core that intercepts Line 2 in the east and west. But since we don't have that I think we should tread carefully when it comes to planned disruptions. Relying on sluggish surface transit (that may or may not be shut down too), and expwys (that may or may not be shut down too) leads to a lot of headache. Can't blame the TTC for looking at bottom line, so maybe powwows with various City departments and services could help.