Thoughts on priorities
Once upon a time, most of the employment lands were located downtown and most of the residential lands were located uptown. It was fairly easy to plan the transportation network, because travel would always be downtown in the morning and uptown in the afternoon. Whichever line was the most crowded deserved an upgrade. Today, we live in a very complex region with travel patterns that resemble a spider web. There are plenty of jobs downtown, but a large number of office parks and factories are now located in the 905. There are plenty of houses in the suburbs, but more and more people are now living downtown. This has made prioritizing the lines much more difficult.
Under the old paradigm, the people in Markham would benefit from more GO Transit service because they would be going downtown. In today's world, however, is it better to invest in more GO service towards Toronto, or to invest in better VIVA service within the town?
This blog post isn't about which transit line should be our top priority - I don't think we will ever receive consensus on that topic. This is, however, a post about where small projects should fit in the capital budgets of the various transit providers.
Read more »Labels: GO Transit, GTTA plan, politics
Thoughts on co-fares
Most of GO Transit's parking lots are full during the day, and many fill up long before the last train of the rush hour has departed. At my home station, Brampton, demand for parking is so high that one has to arrive before 7:10 am in order to get a parking spot even though the last train departs for Union for nearly another hour. GO Transit has expanded lots at many stations and has even entered into the business of parking structure construction - including one massive one planned for
Erindale GO - but many planners believe the land around GO stations would more productive if they were developed into transit-supportive communities. If this becomes an urban development goal, then we'll have to find other ways to get people to the station.
Read more »Labels: GO Transit
Thoughts on ye olde iron plateway
The mayor of Stratford is calling on GO Transit to
bring the proposed service extension to Kitchener to his city to support tourism (particularly to the Stratford Festival), provide alternatives to a potential highway expansion, and to deal with opposition associated with the extension. The preferred alternative for the Kitchener extension is to build a layover yard between the hamlets of Baden and New Hamburg in Wilmot Township, just west of Kitchener. While the area residents do not want the yard, politicians in Stratford are willing to accept the yard provided it come with a station.
Read more »Labels: GO Transit, railways
Thoughts on Google Transit
As you may have heard, the TTC has joined York Region Transit, GO Transit, Hamilton Street Railway, Burlington Transit, Brampton Transit (it's a secret!), Grand River Transit and Guelph Transit by sharing its data with Google (Guelph Transit is currently offline because the city is one giant construction zone right now). If you want to plan a trip using transit in areas served by these services, just use the same Google Maps interface you would use to plan other trips, but be sure to select the transit option.
I've been a long-time fan of Google Transit (much to the chagrin of a certain someone who, despite leaving negative comments and not responding to rebuttal, is still a cool person), but the benefit of this system over the in-house travel planners that many agencies have developed is two-fold. Google Maps is available to most mobile device users allowing you to plan trips while on the move, whereas the in-house planners often use web code not supported by all mobile browsers. Secondly, Google's trips plans span multiple agencies, so a trip between two random points within the coverage area is just as easy to plan as a trip between two other random points within the coverage area.
Now, Google has a few limitations which users should keep in mind before using.
Read more »Labels: brampton transit, burlington transit, durham region transit, GO Transit, GTTA plan, guelph transit, hsr, mississauga transit, oakville transit, ttc, york region transit
Thoughts on reasonable expectations
Earlier today, the administrator of GO Transit's Facebook page put up a link to advertise their airport services ahead of the long weekend. The comments on the link, however, pointed out that there is no direct bus from Halton or Hamilton to the airport. Apparently, this is an epic fail, according to the commenters. But, is it reasonable to expect that there will be a direct service from any random location in the region to Pearson Airport? From my perspective, in a world with limited budgets and competing priorities, no.
If you want to travel between locations in Halton or Hamilton and Pearson Airport, you're going to have to transfer from the 407 service onto the Brampton Local at Bramalea GO Station. If you're travelling on the weekends, your best bet might be take the train to Long Branch and then take the TTC to the airport via Kipling Station. Yeah, transfers suck, but there is no way that any transit agency can provide a direct service to cover every conceivable trip. At the end of the day, we have to have a reasonable expectation about what sort of service public transit can provide. It may be able to replace 99% of the trips that the average person takes, but is it truly an epic failure if 1% of the trips aren't as smooth?
People love to use the internet to complain. Haters gonna hate and trolls gonna troll. But, wouldn't it be awesome if those same people stood up and said that they would support the revenue tools necessary to fix the problems we have?
Labels: comments, GO Transit
Open Payment
According to Adam Giambrone's Facebook profile:
With all the talk about Presto today, remember that the TTC will have a signed binding deal for Open Payments (credit card and debit payment at the turnstile) this fall with implementation starting Jan. 2010. We have not said no to Presto, but Presto will take longer and be slower than "Open Payments"
I have been a huge supporter of the PRESTO fare card pretty much since day 1, and the benefits of the way its being implemented are many:
- Virtual monthly passes (where the rider pays for each ride until the reach a monthly cap) allow those who can't afford a monthly pass in a lump sum to still get the discounts because the PRESTO balance can be loaded as needed.
- Virtual monthly passes let riders pay for what they use, so they aren't left with a monthly pass that hasn't been used to its full potential, nor are they left regretting buying a monthly pass because they underestimated their use.
- PRESTO will work for all transit agencies in the GTHA, and is the vehicle through which future fare reform can take place.
- For Brampton residents, PRESTO will end the confusion at two ends of the city. Going northbound from the courthouse, Mississauga Transit buses come most frequently and offer free transfers to Brampton Transit - but Brampton tickets and passes aren't valid even though you're boarding in Brampton. With PRESTO, it won't matter - you'll get the discount of having a pass regardless of the system. Out in the west end, Route 77 is shared between Brampton Transit and YRT, and it has never been clear to anyone which tickets are valid under what circumstance. Under PRESTO, it won't matter - you'll get the discount of having a pass regardless of the system.
Now, back to Mr. Giambrone's Facebook post. I support, in principle, any effort to improve public transit in the GTHA. So, let's take a look at open payment.
Read more »Labels: fares, GO Transit, mississauga transit, municipal sillyness, york region transit
Quick question...
On the Georgetown line, midday service consists of a train running between Union Station and Bamalea every two hours or so. Because of the West Toronto Diamond construction and the forthcoming Georgetown South Service Expansion we probably won't see regular (hourly) service for the next three to five years. In fact, the construction might make the existing runs less reliable than they are today.
My question is this:
What if the trains every two hours were replaced with coaches running every half-hour from Malton, Bramalea, Brampton and Mount Pleasant until the construction is finished?
There are a group of people who don't like taking buses (I never really understood them), but there are also a number of people who choose to drive because they don't want to have to choose between being fifteen minutes late or being an hour and forty five minutes early. Will the people attracted by a 300% service increase result in a net increase when weighed against those who will only take the train?
Labels: GO Transit
Visions for the GTTA: Regional Rail
As the price of gasoline climbs ever higher, the citizens of every community in Ontario will be affected. Businesses will begin to relocate closer to their markets to reduce shipping costs, which means that many one-industry town in the province may lose their only employer. As the businesses move, employees will follow. Since they will be unable to afford the commute, employees will likely move with the companies and settle in the cities where sustainable transit is available. While intensification is a good thing, cities like Windsor, Kitchener, Kingston, Ottawa or even Toronto could not possibly accommodate every single citizen from the hinterland. Something will have to be done to prevent the wholesale dismantling of rural Ontario.
Once upon a time, railways crisscrossed Ontario and moved freight and passengers between almost every city, village and town. But, as roads were improved and automobiles and trucks became more popular, passengers and shippers migrated to other means of travel. Railways were gradually abandoned and quickly torn up. Today, passenger rail service in Ontario is limited to the GO Transit regional services in the Toronto area, Ontario Northland's services in the far north, and VIA Rail Canada inter-city service, rural and transcontinental service.. The freight railway network isn't much bigger, limiting the potential to construct new railway routes. But, what if we hadn't abandoned those lines? What if we could undo the past?
Read more »Labels: GO Transit, GTTA plan, railways
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
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
Presto and the magical monthly passes
Presto, the region's long-awaited smart fare card has begun it's GTA-wide rollout. Unlike last year's Launch One phase, this week marks the field test of the final product that we will see across the region in the next few years. Right now you can use at Bronte GO Station, Oakville GO Station, Union Station (both TTC and GO Transit) and Oakville Transit routes 22, 32 and 110.
In the spring you'll be able to use it at all Lakeshore West, Georgetown and Milton line stations, on Oakville Transit, Burlington Transit, and at 6 TTC Subway Stations. It's unclear which 6 subway stations they are talking about, but the rumour is that it will be the six surrounding Union Station so return trips to Union at the end of the day will be covered.
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. It is my sincere hope that the TTC's rollout at the rest of the subway stations will be completed by this time with the bus and streetcar fleet not far behind. We know from the provincial transit framework that the Sheppard LRT Line has to be Presto-friendly, and this is scheduled to come online in 2012. I'm not advocating for the province to force their hand, but...
Winter 2011 will also see Presto come online for OC Transpo riders in Ottawa. Being in Ontario, there's no reason why our nation's capital should not participate in a made-in-ontario program. But, it's unclear if it will be compatible with the Toronto system and it's unclear if it will be compatible with the "Passe-Partout PLUS" smart card STO is using across the river. If I were in charge, though, I would sacrifice Toronto compatibility for STO compatibility.
The interesting thing about this switchover is how the fare rules for GO Transit are going to change. It might seem complicated at first, but these new rules solve a bunch of problems with the system that have annoyed riders and enthusiasts for years.
First of all, GO is said to be moving towards a more per-kilometre-oriented fare system and away from a zone fare system. This will eliminate quirks like a trip from Brampton to York U costing 20 cents less than a trip to Union but taking half the time.
Second, and most importantly, the monthly pass dance is over. Every month we make a calculation in our heads on how many trips we'll make and if it makes sense to buy a monthly pass or to buy a series of 10-ride tickets. If you overestimate then you've purchased a monthly pass that you haven't used to its fullest. If you underestimate then you have to purchase additional 10-ride tickets (at a higher per-trip rate). GO is now phasing out monthly passes and introducing progressive discounts. If you ride more than 10 times in a month then you get a 5% discount on further trips. If you ride more than 20 times you get a 20% discount. 30 times gets you 30%, 35 times gets you 65% and 40 times gets you a whopping 95% off the rest of the rides you make in a month. Based on the numbers provided by GO for the Bronte - Union trip, your fares should not go up. A round trip every work day actually saves you money over the current scheme. If you ride more then every work day you will pay slightly more, but each trip will be pocket change (somewhere in the neighbourhood of 30-cents). If you ride less than every work day (either accidentally or deliberately), you'll save money by not having a pass that only gets half-used.
As a bonus, the trips can be made anywhere on the system. You won't have to wait in line to buy a new ticket if you decide to take a daytrip to Niagara Falls, and this trip will count towards your daily discounts.
I've been a big fan of these "virtual monthly passes" for quite some time, partially because it eliminates the monthly pass dance, and because it opens up cheaper transit to many lower income families. Buying a period pass reduces the per-trip cost significantly over the cash rate, but not everyone has a large sum of money to drop on a transit pass at the beginning of the month. By extending the cheaper rate these individuals we can make transit more affordable to people living paycheque-to-paycheque. We haven't reduced the cost, per say, but we have made it more affordable by the strict definition of the term.
What do you, the readers, think? Virtual monthly passes do have many advantages, but they don't have that psychological comfort of knowing that you have an all-you-can-eat pass. Is that 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?
Labels: fares, GO Transit
TTC steps up fight against fake passes and tokens
According to the Toronto Star, the TTC is installing new fraud detection devices in all its vehicle fare boxes and station turnstiles later next year to weed out fake passes and tokens. The new system will cost $1.5 million and will require metropass users to swipe their card when they board, but will apparently pay for themselves in less than a year due to the decrease in fare evasion.
This is all fine and good, but my fear is that they will declare "problem solved" and not commit to any other fare improvements. I have always been a big supporter of the Presto smart card currently being deployed on all of the 905 transit systems and GO Transit, and my experiences with SmarTrip in D.C. only solidified that. I believe in cutting down fare evasion, but incremental steps should not be an excuse against the move towards an integrated fare card which will have many of these anti-fraud systems already built in.
Labels: fares, GO Transit, municipal sillyness, ttc
Georgetown South Service Expansion Approved
As you may have heard, the Georgetown South Service Expansion project has received environmental assessment approval, subject to conditions that are strict but reasonable. I've made my position on this controversial project quite clear in the past so I won't repeat it, but I do believe that moving forward on this project will improve transit for much of the west end of the GTA. Love it or hate it, it will give us multiple local trains every hour, express trains serving the highest ridership stations, a doubling of VIA rail service to London via Kitchener, a much-needed rail link to the airport, and it will get some of those services moving sooner rather than later. The bottom line is that, in the opinion of this transit user and resident of the corridor, getting people out of their cars and onto trains is a good thing.
Labels: GO Transit, GTTA plan, railways
How I spent my summer vacation
Full disclosure time:
I spent the summer working at Metrolinx. It was an amazing learning experience and, while I wasn't in a planning position (my field), it gave me an opportunity to learn aspects of the transportation planning industry that I haven't yet been able to learn about in my course work. Having said that, I think I would be naive to say that the work experience didn't affect how I think about transit issues in the GTA.
I've always had a pro-Metrolinx bias, I've never tried to hide it, and it probably won't go away. I sincerely believe that, while no agency is perfect, the regional focus that Metrolinx has as its mandate is the only way we can achieve the transportation goals of moving people sustainably across the entire GTHA. We expect the population of this region to increase by about 2-3 million people. Intensification is a must, but there is no way we'll be able to accommodate that kind of growth within the 416 alone. We have to improve links within the 416, within the 905 and between the two. I'll be critical when I need to be, but the forward looking, positive and collaborative forum that I've tried to build this blog into will continue. Call me a trained seal (again) if you want, but these are the things I believe.
Now, to get back into the spirit of posting, here's one thing I observed over the summer:
In mid-July I cycled the Waterfront Trail from Burlington to Niagara Falls over two days and took the weekend GO excursion train back to Toronto, and was fairly impressed by the way the service was operated. Knowing that there would be plenty of cyclists taking advantage of this service (since Niagara has a very well-kept trail system), GO ran 10 car trains with 8 coaches available for passengers, the ninth coach (with tarp on the seats) became a bike car, and the cab car closed to passengers. This increased the amount of bikes that could be carried, but was only available to people who were travelling the entire way from Union to Niagara Falls - people getting on or off at intermediate stops had to mix it up with the passengers. By all measures the service was a great success, and was done fairly cheaply with platform expansions the only real hard infrastructure needed to make it happen (the concept of "quick wins vs full service on opening day" is something that I will address in a future post).
Looking to the southeast, the Long Island Railroad runs a similar excursion service. During the summer, the Cannonball has left NYC in the early afternoon and run express to the Hamptons - a 100 year tradition. The LIRR also runs local service to these same destinations, but by their own admission, the Cannonball remains their most popular service. As GO expands further into the Niagara Region, I suspect that an express will remain popular. Therein lies the question: should the GO express service to Niagara Falls have a name?
In the golden age of railroading the premier trains had names, with some remaining to this day. Is it time to bring some of these names out of retirement to give a bit more prestige to an already special service?
Labels: admin, cycling, daily travels, GO Transit
When is an email scam not an email scam?
Late Saturday night I received an email from Ryerson University reminding us that students need an official GO Transit student ID in order to purchase and use student 10-ride and monthly passes. The discounts are on the order of 40% off the adult price, but since the card is free it couldn't hurt to apply for one even if you live in the 416. A close friend of mine has an apartment only a few minutes from campus, but she goes home to the Niagara region every other weekend. With daily GO bus service to Niagara starting in the fall, she'll be able to puchase a student 10-ride ticket and save money over the cost of Greyhound or Coach Canada. In the past, the process has been to fill out a form on campus and take it to Union Station to be validated. Uptown schools like York University have an online process where students apply online and have the card sent in the mail, and according the email, Ryerson was moving down the same direction - but there was something phisy about the communication.
Whereas York students use their online administrative management website, Passport York, to apply for the card, Ryerson was asking me to send my name and address over email. Since my email is published so that anyone reading this blog can contact me, I get a half-dozen emails every day telling me that I have won the UK national lottery / had my Chase bank account frozen / been selected to smuggle several million dollars out of Nigeria and that all I had to do is sent in my personal information. Once, I even received and email from the FBI saying that I had been implicated in a Nigerian bank scam and that I needed to send my personal information to clear my name (now that one was crafty, I must say). Suffice to say, I was very suspicious of the email.
Monday morning I contacted the University, and they were able to confirm that the email was legitimate. They said that they were planning to migrate the process to the online administrative website RAMSS, but they didn't meet the deadline and had to use this as a last resort. I'm very happy that Ryerson is moving away from the old method of applying, since this means one less hour-long line to stand in during registration week. Knowing that it isn't a scam is also great news for the people who sent in their information without a second thought. But, I really wish that Ryerson had made it look less like an email scam. It's fairly easy to disguise your email address, and seeing "@ryerson.ca" doesn't necessarily mean that the message is an official communication.
Do whatever it takes to protect your identity online, especially if you want to have good credit or if you want to be a homeowner one day. But, apply for the GO student ID card if you're eligible. It's a great way to save on daily or occasional travel.
Labels: GO Transit, municipal sillyness
Question of the Day - Late Night Parking Window
Living in 905 and being a student is very difficult, especially if you like to enjoy a night on the town every once in a while. The last GO buses of the night generally leave around 1:30, but this can be too early for many revelers. Driving to a TTC lot and taking the subway downtown gives you access to the blue night bus network for an extended evening, but what happens if you decide at the last minute to have a few drinks because your friend has a sofa for you to crash on?
According to GO Transit's by-laws, it is unlawful to leave a car parked at a GO station for more than 48 hours. Staying overnight and catching a morning departure back to your vehicle wouldn't put you anywhere near the limit, but what about on the TTC? The signs at commuter lots are very clear - no overnight parking is permitted at any lot between 2:00 am and 5:00 am. So, say I park at the Finch lot at 8 pm to meet my friends downtown for 9:00. If I stay at the bars until last call it would be approaching 3:00 before I returned to my vehicle. Am I parked illegally? What if I have had a bit too much to drink (and, knowing my body, fatigue alone may be "a bit too much") and decide to stay downtown for the evening? Will I get a ticket or be towed for trying to do the right thing?
No, I'm not planning to go on a bender in the future... I'm just looking for ways that we can encourage people to use transit during the times when the congestion deterrent turns in for the night.
Labels: GO Transit, ttc
Much ado about a bridge 2
In my post "
Much ado about a bridge" (which was published in the Toronto Sun best of blogs section) I talked about the showdown over the railway grade separation at Strachan Avenue, between East Liberty and Douro, just south of King.
Biking Toronto is reporting that the City of Toronto's preferred option will be carried forward. Much more expensive than raising Strachan above the railway corridor, the new plan calls for the tracks to be lowered below their current alignment and pass under Strachan. This option is the optimal solution according to the planning matrix, but it does cost $100 million more. Carrying this option forward is a sign that citizens are willing to spend more on a project when the urban design benefits will be greater, but I still wonder what would have happened if this project was being paid for entirely from the City of Toronto's capital budget. Would they have pushed for this option with as much zeal, or is this just reckless speculation?
Labels: GO Transit, municipal sillyness, politics, railways
Metrolectric
Today, Metrolinx
announced that they will be studying the costs and benefits of electrifying the GO Transit rail network, a move which could allow for faster and more frequent regional trains, as well as addressing the concerns of many people who live near rail lines which are expected to receive service expansions in the coming years. While most modern diesel electric locomotives max out at around 4000 horsepower, the most modern north american electric locomotives are pushing between 7000 and 8000 horsepower, allowing them to accelerate faster. This means faster trips or more stops in the same amount of time. In addition, electric locomotives have fewer moving parts and can last upwards of 75 years in service. The lowered local emissions are obvious.
When it comes to electrifying rail lines, my stance has always been to view tracks and wires as two separate projects that should not depend on each other. Of course I would prefer wires to be strung up sooner rather than later, but if there is an opportunity to expand service sooner using modern diesel equipment then we should seize that opportunity. Transport for London, one of the agencies everyone aspires for the TTC or Metrolinx to become, for example, will introduce new Bombardier Class 172 Turbostar diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains on the Gospel Oak - Barking Line (GOBLIN) next year. If they are doing it then I don't think it's a step backwards if we do so here. That being said, the start of this study is welcomed and the first step in better service across the region. You can't build a house without blueprints, just as you can't embark on a capital project without knowing the costs and benefits.
Since electrification and electric locomotives or electric multiple unit trains isn't exactly cheap in the initial investment, I anticipate that this study will set out the minimum number of trains per hour required to justify the cost. At the frequencies planned in the next 15 years I can only see the Georgetown and Lakeshore lines meeting this bar, but if there's no reason not to continue to add service to justify it on lines that don't quite make the cut. If four trains per hour is found to be the minimum but the Bradford line only warrants three then I doubt anyone will complain if the fourth train magically appears.
Labels: GO Transit, GTTA plan, railways
Quality of service
Adam Giambrone's Facebook profile is always interesting to read. Like a great blog, it generates dozens of comments on almost every post. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm jealous. But, this post isn't about his profile - it's about one particular comment posted a while back.
When the TTC chair posted that he was working on a note to explain why the subway cannot run 24 hours per day (due to necessary maintenance being conducted overnight), someone commented saying "One train an hour during off hours doesn't sound unreasonable... no? Or at least a train right after the bars let out!" Likely this would not fly as the power to the tunnels has to be cut entirely to ensure worker safety, but it got me thinking:
What is better from the perspective of the quality of service provided to the rider - a single subway train once an hour or a frequent night bus service every 10 minutes or better? Subways are viewed as a higher quality transit service than buses and would probably encourage people to stay out and enjoy the city later - in theory - but an hour is a very long time to wait for a train at 3am. If the choice is between waiting for up to an hour to get home and getting home immediately then I suspect that most people would choose the latter and take a cap or slug it out on the night bus. People will be willing to wait longer for a subway train than they will for a bus, but there is a limit. People will not use a service if it doesn't provide convenient departure times, and an hour between trains is really pushing it.
The same line of thinking can be applied to the off-peak train service on the Georgetown line. Currently there is an inbound train departure every two hours or so between 9 am and 2 pm and until recently, a departure every three hours after that. While the GO train is much more attractive than a GO bus, a departure every two hours has caused me to choose between arriving an hour-and-a-half early or a half-hour late to my appointments. From a quality of service perspective, buses running every half hour would be more convenient for the average user of the service.
But, what do you think? If our objective is to provide high quality transit service that is convenient for people to use then is it better to provide an infrequent train service or a very frequent bus service? Our aim should be very frequent train service, but as an interim measure should we invest our money in creature comforts or in frequency?
Labels: GO Transit, service changes, subways, ttc
