To a brighter 2010
As 2009 comes to a close, we stand as a region divided. The government is moving forward on transit projects like the Georgetown line improvements and the Sheppard East LRT, but many feel that these projects should not be constructed as proposed. Agencies like Metrolinx are delivering the transit improvements the government promised when they created it, but many feel that these agencies lack legitimacy.
Let 2010 be the year where we remember that, though not everyone will ever be pleased with the solutions we have proposed, we have moved forward on solving the problems we face. Let 2010 be the year of action because, like it or not, action is something we didn't have before.
Happy New Year!
Labels: admin
What's your sign?
I don't usually do this, but sometimes I need to act. I'm currently on GO bus number 2306, heading to Bramalea GO. This particular driver, I've noticed, rarely sets his destination sign correctly. It says "GEORGETOWN", but we are going in the opposite direction.
I think someone might have let the bus leave thinking that it wasn't going their way at Brampton GO. If the next bus was in a few minutes it wouldn't be an issue, but the next bus is at 3:30.
Everyone says that people don't read destination signs, but clearly people do. Obviously people should check with the driver if they are unsure, but having a correct sign helps a fair bit, no?
Labels: GO Transit, municipal sillyness
Just sayin'
The Sheppard Subway was first proposed in 1982, and construction began more than a decade later in 1994. It was (partially?) opened in 2002.
The Sheppard East LRT was first proposed in 2007, and construction officially began yesterday. It only took two years.
Just sayin'.
The Star - The 'C' question has no good answer
You can read the article
here, but here are two excepts that really grind my gears:
"And I have heard this exact question at least 10 times. Not, "How are you managing the commute?" or "How long does it take to commute?" The answer is simple: It's awful. None of what attracted me to moving back to my hometown had to do with being stranded, a prisoner caged in her car, on the Don Valley Parkway for an hour, twice a day. That's two hours a day from my life that I can't get back."At what point does a person come to the realization that they could be doing much more with their time?
"Of course, there are alternatives: the GO train, the subway etc. And I'm determined to explore those, and soon. But as far as I'm concerned – and perhaps the other 60,000 who drive to and from Richmond Hill feel the same – if I'm going to be stuck for two hours a day, I'd rather be stuck in my own space, completely independent and able to blast the radio and chat to friends (on hands-free cellphones, natch) than be squished onto a train."Seeing as the Richmond Hill train does not fill to capacity, one would never be squished. Seriously... People need to stop pre-judging things before they try them. An iPod can give you all the tunes you like and more, and do your friends really want to hear from you at 7:30 in the morning? I know mine don't.
Labels: urban design
We are here to talk about maps
Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to talk about maps. Maps guide us through the urban landscape, but they also hint at parts of our environment that have not yet been explored.
That is how I opened my final presentation on a comprehensive mapping and analysis project of the laneways and back alleys of Ward 20 (Trinity-Spadina). Today's post is also about maps, but of a different kind.
Should we put Transit City (LRT) lines on the TTC subway map?
Some feel that because these lines will not be subway lines they do not belong on a subway map and will cause rider confusion about the level of service being offered. Some have cited international precedent to support this argument. The Tramlink network in Croydon, Greater London does not appear on the base Underground Map, for example.
While we need to borrow best practises from the rest of the world, each city has developed its own subway map style. Just because the Europeans leave certain lines off of their subway maps does not mean that we should follow. Perhaps the solution is using a thinner line width than the subway lines, but we marginalize our LRT lines at our own peril. They may not be subway lines, but they are a service enhancement over a mixed-traffic bus route - and that's something we should recognize and celebrate.
That's what I think. What about you?
Labels: light rail
Presto Roundup
The whole point of this post is to amalgamate a few of the Presto posts that I have written over the last few weeks. Partially because more information has come out, partially because I don't think the major media outlets are doing a very good job of explaining how it's going to work, and partially because I've having trouble keeping up with spammers (I don't want to lock down the comment process).
What is Presto?
Presto is a debit-style smart fare card. After you purchase the card for $6, you can load a minimum of $10 onto the card and hold a maximum value of $320 dollars. If you choose to register your card, you can sign up for auto top-ups that will add value to your card when your balance drops below a certain level. The auto top-up can be anywhere between $20 and $300. Registering also lets you recover your balance if you lose your card, allows a transit tax credit receipt to be downloaded, and lets you finish your trip as long as your balance is greater than zero when you set out.
When can I use it?
Right now you can use at Bronte GO Station, Oakville GO Station, Union Station (TTC, only if you are boarding) and on Oakville Transit routes 22, 32 and 110.
In the spring you'll be able to use it on the Lakeshore West, Georgetown and Milton lines, on Oakville Transit, Burlington Transit, and at 6 more TTC subway stations - Bloor-Yonge, College, Dundas, Queens Park, St. George & St. Patrick.
In the fall you'll be able to use it on the Lakeshore East, Barrie and Richmond Hill lines, Mississauga Transit, Brampton Transit, the Hamilton Street Railway and at Kipling and Islington Subway Stations.
In winter 2011 you'll be able to use Presto on Durham Region Transit, York Region Transit, the Stouffville line and at Don Mills, Downsview and Finch subway stations.
2011 will also see Presto come online for OC Transpo riders in Ottawa, and the TTC's full roll-out should be complete around 2013, according to Adam Giambrone's twitter feed.
How does it work on local transit?
Instead of dropping coins or tickets into the fare box, you tap your Presto card onto the reader and your fare is deducted. That's it. When you transfer from one route to another, you tap again and the card will figure out if you're eligible for a free transfer. The individual transit providers will be able to set their own fare rules, so the transfer period could vary from 90 minutes to two hours from the time you first pay, and could include free transfers from other agencies.
The amount that you will actually have to pay depends, again, on the individual transit system. Some will allow you to load a monthly pass onto your card, but others will eliminate passes completely and move to a frequent rider program. On Oakville Transit, the following fare scheme is planned for trips taken within a calendar month:
Trips 1 - 8 : Adult Cash Fare
Trip 9 : 50% off Adult Cash Fare
Trip 10 :
Free
Trips 11 - 35 :
Adult Ticket Rate
Trips 36 + :
Free
By the end of the month you've paid about the same as you would have if you had purchased a monthly pass, and each system could make the scheme break even by modifying the point at which your rides become free.
The main benefit of frequent rider programs like this is that you don't have to pre-plan your monthly travels. You pay for what you use up to the value of the monthly pass, then you're free for the rest of the month. If you ride less you pay less. This program is also more affordable, as you can deposit the value over time instead of in one lump sum. Because of these benefits to the customer, I would hope that all transit agencies abandon monthly passes and move to frequent rider programs.
How does it work on GO Transit?
Just like on local transit, Presto works by tapping-on when you board and tapping-off when you reach your destination. However, GO riders will be able to set a default trip that simplifies the process. When you make your default trip, you only have to tap-on at the start. If you are making a different trip then you can override the default, but you'll have to remember to tap-off.
In addition to how you pay, what you pay will also change. Like Oakville appears to be doing, GO is planning on phasing out monthly passes and 10-ride tickets in favour of a frequent rider program:
Rides 1 – 35, 7.5% off the single adult GO fare
Rides 36 – 40, 87.5% off the single adult GO fare
Rides 41+, - 100% off the single adult GO fare
If you ride every workday in a month, you'll pay about the same as you would if you purchased a monthly pass - but you didn't have to purchase the pass in a lump sum. If you ride less, you pay less. But, if you more then you'll pay about 30-cents per trip instead of riding for free. This might inconvenience a few heavy users, but there are three things to sweeten the deal. First, you'll won't have to keep a separate ticket for the occasional side trip. Riders who keep one ticket for Union to Brampton and another for Union to Bramalea will appreciate this. Second, the way the fare-by-distance system is calculated will change to better reflect the actual distance travelled. In time, this will fix some of the fare quirks involving York University. Third, if the transit system participates in the co-fare program, the Presto system will automatically adjust the fare if the rider uses local transit to get to or from the GO station.
Since there are no fare gates on GO Trains, a rider won't encounter a problem if they have to change trains to complete their journey. They simply have to tap on in Brampton, tap-off in Pickering, and do nothing at Union. The system will consider this one trip and will not charge the $3.95 base fare twice. However, the policies for GO buses will have to be a little different. It's safe to assume that you'll have to tap-on when you board the bus (how will the driver know if you've paid or not?), but how will this affect an active trip? Will the driver ask you to tap-off when you leave, and how will this affect a default trips that has been programmed? How long will you have to transfer between routes before the system concludes that a new trip has begun? I'm sure these questions will be answered once GO buses are added to the rollout in the fall, but all that really matters is what the rider has to do. The system, if well designed, will do all the calculations and ensure that the right fare is charged.
Conclusions
The Presto smart card is going to revolutionize how we think about paying for transit services, and is the first stepping stone to a true region-wide integrated fare payment system. Instead of dealing with a rainbow of tickets, tokens and passes and waiting in line to pay a fare, riders will be able to show up at the stop and get moving. From my perspective, the biggest change is the frequent rider program ("virtual monthly passes", as I call them). They do have numerous advantages as I've described above, but there is a certain psychological comfort in knowing that you have an all-you-can-eat pass (except when you lose it). Is that feeling really important, or does it really matter what it looks like as long as the price is the same at the end of the day?
Oh... And don't poke a hole in it to put it on a chain. That will wreck it.
Labels: fares, GO Transit, oakville transit
