In the interest of breaking up the long thread on MoveOntario, I am setting up various subsections where comments can be left on related topics. Comments left in the original thread, or in an inappropriate thread in the new scheme, will be moved to their proper place. Yes, this makes for more work on my part, but you can help by leaving your comment in the correct stream.
This thread will be used for comments that don’t fit anywhere else or talk about the announcement in general.
As announced in the following posts, I am breaking up the discussion of various subtopics within the overall MoveOntario discussion. This thread is for the local systems outside of Toronto (aka the 416).
The thread on MoveOntario is getting rather long, and in the interest of sorting out the various topics, I am setting up separate posts where they can accumulate.
Any comments about the TTC’s part in this that show up in other threads will be moved here.
With the growth in the comment string on the original post, it’s getting rather unwieldy. Therefore, I am setting up new subsections to continue the threads on separate major topics.
This one is for GO Transit. Any comments related to GO that are left on the other thread will be copied into this item. In a few days, I will close off comments in the old thread on the assumption that everyone will have relocated to this one.
I have not yet decided whether to have a thread just for Swan Boats since Dalton didn’t announce any funding for them.
The Ontario government is announcing a huge program of transit improvements and funding. Details are available on the Premier’s website.
Note to those who come to this item after about 10:30 on June 15: Many comments were posted earlier today before I had added my own review of the announcement. They reflect the developing level of information (there are still some gaps) as well as some gentle urging that I get on with writing about this.
Whether it’s just an election promise or a real plan for transit improvements in southern Ontario, Queen’s Park’s announcement today raises the bar very high. Not only will Ontario fund 2/3 of the cost of transit capital works, the sheer number of lines and services, including several nobody ever thought to see in print, sets this apart from all previous announcements.
There have been a few. Continue reading
The supplementary agenda for the TTC meeting on June 13 contains a report on the current status of Transit City and field observations from a review of the Finch West and Sheppard East lines. You can read the details, but in both cases the assumption is that a centre pair of lanes would be taken within the existing right-of-way with some widening as needed.
At this point, there are no details of possible connections between the subway stations (Finch, Finch West or Don Mills) and the LRT lines.
[To my regular commentators: Please do not start the debate about how to build the Don Mills interchange all over again. I think we have more or less exhausted that subject.]
An intriguing observation is the need for a connection between these two lines so that they could be served by a common carhouse. Maybe we will get a Finch East LRT after all, but let’s not get too greedy.
The report makes clear that the TTC is awaiting approval of the new simplified Environmental Assessment process before starting these projects formally (they will save about a year with the new protocol), but they are continuing with preliminary work in anticipation.
Note to Dalton McGuinty: Something really important you can do for transit is to get moving on this approval well before the election rather than making us all wait for months. It won’t cost you anything and will actually save money by simplifying the EA process.
The TTC hopes to begin construction in 2010.
According to today’s Toronto Star, PC leader John Tory’s solution to GO Transit’s on-time performance problems is to fire managers if they cannot meet the targets. Although this is a refreshing change from the usual right-wing habit of blaming everything on the unions, it is no more realistic or responsible a platform.
GO Transit operates in the unenviable position where much of the physical plant is not under its control. If CNR doesn’t have enough switch heaters, or decides that their freight train is more important than GO’s service, there is very little GO can do about it.
Yes, operating contracts could contain penalty clauses for poor performance, but I doubt that CN would ever sign anything with draconian penalties that would actually affect their profits. Indeed, performance management of “private partners” is a big problem and there is a balancing act between holding the private sector’s feet to the fire and reaching a point where they don’t bother trying to meet their obligations.
We need a much better public accounting and explanation of the reasons why trains don’t run on time so that everyone can discuss what areas (a) provide lots of opportunity for improvement and (b) why some problems will always be with us.
How often is GO service blocked by freight activities? How often does a train not run because there is no working equipment? How often does the crew show up late for work? How often is there a problem with the track or signals? How often is there a cow on the tracks?
Each of these problems needs its own approach, and there will be different issues on each line.
John Tory’s simplistic “solution” shifts the blame from where it really belongs — at Queen’s Park and the decades of underfunding — to the managers who try to run an organization under difficult times.
Tory needs to own up to his own party’s legacy, to changes in funding and downloading of costs to municipalities, and say what he would change. The Liberals may have left some Harris policies in place for their own convenience, but if there are things Tory would change, he should say so. He should acknowledge the damage that was done the last time his party ran Ontario and set himself clearly apart from that regime.
Renee Knight sent in two comments that deserve their own thread:
Accessibility is an issue, that I don’t see a space for on the site. I’d really like to address issues of accesibility on the site.
It’s an area that the TTC is working on, but nowhere near fast enough, especially in the subway stations.
I understand that there are agreements with neighbouring realesate/businesses for elevators/escalators in lieu of space on TTC property for such, and also realize that in those situations the elevators/escalators are frequently out of service where they exist.Try accessing Osgoode Station, St. Patrick, Union, Wellesley or Sherbourne Stations with a baby carriage, large suitcase, walker, or wheelchair. Some of these stations have their own escalators/elevators, but only have them going one way, others they are out of service so frequently, they might as well not even promote it being there.
We have a long way to go before our city is accessible to those with even mild disabilities, and mothers with strollers, let alone those with serious physical limitations.
Blessings,
Renee
And …
How many people can fit on a bus safely?
Far fewer on the new models supposedly designed to be more friendly for those with disabilities!
Also, these new accessible models are about as easy to stand on as an oversized skateboard with wonky wheels. Ever try to stand on one and keep your balance? Try doing that if you have a spinal disease, ribs wired together, or hip injury like I have! Try doing that if you are blind, walk with a cane or walker, have groceries to get home, or are simply frail or elderly and are getting knocked about by other riders trying to stay on their feet…
Did anyone at TTC test these vehicles out? I heard that the TTC was forced to buy these vehicles or get nothing new for the bus fleet. I am not sure if this is true, but I do know that ultimatums are never a good idea for purchasing anything, especially on the taxpayers coin!
While these accessible buses are designed to take wheelchairs, scooters…the majority of people who are not ambulatory take Wheel Trans, as when they get to the subway most of the stations cannot get them down to subway level or back to ground level. I know the TTC is working on this, but it’s going too slow to keep up with the population that is aging, having babies using stollers, even those travelling with suitcases down to Union Station will find the hoops one has to jump through to get from one station to the next, and finally into Union Station to be less than amusing entertaining…
Just for fun, go downtown and buy something large, that you cannot pick up and carry. Then put it in a cart, and see if you can get home on transit with it. Are there enough elevators, escalators…so that you don’t have to lug things up two flights of stairs to get down into the subway, and then between line transfers within subway system, and then bet back up to street level to take a bus or streetcar home. Now imagine doing that every day, like those of us with disabilities have to do! Not fun anymore, is it?
Like I have said before “the service is only as good as it’s weakest link!” If the link is weak to serve those who are ambulatory, and living with a disability, then other transportation options are chosen, purely from a safety perspective to prevent further injuries, though the options may be more expensive. If you find an alternative for part of the route, how likely is it that you’ll get on the TTC, and pay a fare for another leg of your trip.
Ridership loss! Exactly!
Steve: I have not been impressed by the low-floor buses we have seen in Toronto. They are an odd match of a fairly roomy, but small front half and a passenger-hostile upper gallery behind the centre doors. I have trouble sitting for any length of time where I cannot stretch my legs and those upper seats just don’t work except for short hops.
The TTC has proposed an alternative seating layout in the next batch of buses with seats facing each other across the aisle, but this will further reduce the capacity in this area and remove many of the forward-facing seats. I have written elsewhere about seating orientation, and it’s amusing to find the “solution” for the buses is to introduce even more perimeter seating. Maybe the TTC figures that those whose backs don’t work well on such seating also won’t want to climb the stairs, and so the riders can hope to get one of the handful of forward facing seats “downstairs”.
As for escalators and elevators:
The TTC tries to negotiate an accessible path to the surface through new developments at station sites, but in most cases has to retrofit elevators within their own stations. Where the escalators or elevators in, say, an office tower are out of service, the TTC really doesn’t have much leverage to get them fixed.
For a time here last year, I was tracking the frequency with which I encountered escalators that didn’t work, but I dropped that thread because, to the TTC’s credit, this was not happening anywhere nearly as often as a few years ago. Elevators, however, are a problem because the people who need them really don’t have an alternative.
Imagine if stairways were closed as often the chaos that would ensue and the complaints the TTC would get.
If the TTC is going to be serious about accessibility, if they are going to all the trouble and expense of putting elevators in the stations to save on Wheel Trans costs, then these elevators have to work reliably. As more and more stations have elevators, people will count on them working wherever they need them, not to be inexplicably out of service for days at a time.
Next week’s TTC agenda contains a report on potential ridership, costs and revenues for the Spadina Subway extension.
This is fascinating reading because we now begin to see vaguely real numbers about this project. Contrary to claims in an earlier report to Council, the line will not recover 80% of its costs from opening day and a special subsidy will be needed.
One particular observation notes that York University students now ride in from the 905 on a single York Region fare. They will not be willing to pay an extra fare for a “TTC” fare zone on the subway, and therefore won’t contribute much revenue to it. They are the single most important part of the revenue projections for the new line, but the marginal revenue they will actually generate is small.
The City of Toronto has been asked, through the operating agreement for the new line, to shoulder all of the future costs and losses despite the considerable benefits for both York Region and Queen’s Park. The TTC holds that this should justify a special operating subsidy.
The Toronto portion of the subway is projected to open with a 62% cost recovery for operations. This is quite respectable, but below average for the system and operating dollars will have to be found (or diverted) to run this line. On Sheppard, we got no special subsidy and absorbed the extra operating cost into the base budget. Remember that the next time the TTC says it cannot afford to run better service on your bus route.
The TTC is quite clear in saying that subways require a density of 100 persons and/or jobs per hectare, and that:
… the Spadina Subway Extension, especially the portion north of Steeles Avenue, is not expected to reach this density threshold for some time after the commencement of revenue service …
Revenue service is almost a decade away, and “some time after” even further in the future. Meanwhile, we have many pressing transportation requirements in the GTA that will go unfunded. The report ends by stating:
A substantial operating cost contribution from the Province of Ontario to the estimated $14.2-million in net operating costs for the entire line should be pursued to offset the City’s financial risk.
I’m sure further study of this problem will magically reduce the projected losses to politically acceptable levels. The Emperor’s tailor will be visiting any day now.
Robert Wightman sent in this update:
Since I retired again on May 31st (I do this every 6 months or so) I have been driving around and have a few observations on GO construction:
The three track section on Lakeshore West from Burlington to Bayview Junction is finished and new signalling has been installed. The signals are no longer searchlight but three (or in some cases two) aspect LED signals. They look quite sharp. The north track only goes up the Dundas sub and the South track only continues into Hamilton whilst the middle track can go to either.
Most of the track on the Barrie extension has been relayed with 115 lb. continuous welded rail. Every level crossing is having crossing gate installed including the one that runs about 200 yds to a farm house. The Station area at Allendale (Barrie) is all fenced off and levelled. There is a concrete foundation for what appears to be a sub station behind BDO Dunwoody. It looks like the parking lot here will be 200 to 300 feet wide and a mile long. Maybe they will have one long loading platform and you can park either beside where you get on or where you get off. All the new stations on this line are architecturally similar to the original stations which have been completely refurbished. The station in Bradford has, it appears, just been refurbished including the pole that held the train order semaphores. This line is supposed to open later this year.
The track work on the Georgetown line from Bramalea to Mt. Pleasant is proceeding as almost all of the bridges have been widened and in some places grading has started for the additional track. CN has started to replace the existing signals with gantries to hold the signals for the extra track and all the heads are 3 aspect LED signals like on Lakeshore.
They are going to have problems at the Brampton Station — is it is effectively one track east of the station and you very seldom get two trains passing there. People have gotten used to running behind the trains as soon as it has cleared Church Street to get to the train. When it is two tracks some one is going to get killed as they get hit by a through freight going the other way. They have had police out telling people that it will soon be two way all the time but it won’t help. It will be interesting to see the platform on the South side as it will be at street level at the West end and elevated at the East end, the Brampton EL, or is it L?
I do not venture out to the East end much so I have no idea what is happening there. The GO trains have disappeared from Guelph Junction so I assume the new storage yard in Milton is built. I have seen work going on at the Lisgar Station and it is supposed to be open in the fall.
If I see anything new I will report.
Robert Wightman
Anyone with news of events in the other half of the world is welcome to add to this post.
Steve Munro 