Recently in Transit Diary Category

Here are some thoughts I have on the recent fail grade of Bombardier's bid for the new streetcars.

Despite this being a huge deal, I haven't found anything since the early release of info saying that the streetcars would derail on corners because bombardier modeled the drivers slowing down more than the TTC did. [Surprisingly enough I can see how this would be a problem - I was convinced a westbound 505 streetcar on Dundas was going to derail today as it shot around the bend just east of McCaul. Why this is considered safe is beyond me.]

There were also rumors that the TTC required a streetcar be able to push another disabled car up and out of the portal on Queen's Quay at Bay. The idea is that if a streetcar dies in the tunnel, they need to be able to get it out. Both of these are separate issues that seem to be easily addressed.

There's no question that the TTC needs new streetcars. The ones that they have are old and dying, and even then they don't have enough to meet service demand, never mind growth.

It'd be nice to see all of the TTC's problems addressed, but there are a few things that need to be considered. The easier one is the broken down streetcar problem. As I've seen mentioned before, a simple cost-benefit analysis needs to be done: how much more expensive is a streetcar that can push another disabled streetcar out of the way, and how much is that going to cost at an aggregate level. There's a certain point where ordering a towing/pushing vehicle may be in order.

In terms of derailing, if it is a simple matter of speed - slow the cars down. There are not that many sharp turns on service track, except for maybe where the 504 and 505 turn on Broadview, and the 506 turns (twice) on Parliament and again at the terminals. [Don't hold me to that though.] A lot of people have started recommending serious track reconstruction, or limiting the new streetcars to certain routes. That does no good because the current CLRVs and ALRVs are on their way out anyway. So we would just end up with no streetcars on a lot of routes. I can't imagine where else the streetcars would run into problems though, and I'm not helped by the fact that the TTC still hasn't released what went wrong.

Someone needs to get their shit together so we can move past this.

Retired Bus Driver Of Durham is a blog I read on occasion, written by a retired transit worker living in Durham. It's not updated vary often, and some of what he says, like Canadian content requirements, I disagree with on economic grounds.

Today when I checked, there was a post titled Go wrongfully takes passengers from DRT. Normally I would post a quick paragraph from the article that I want to disagree with but he doesn't actually argue why this is the case. Even the previous post he links to in this new post, Parking lot plan drives councillor mad, doesn't say much on the subject.

Now, it's hard to poke holes in an argument that isn't really there is both hard and terrible, but I'm going to try it. I surmise from readings done elsewhere, like Steve Munro's blog that the problem is that GO Transit, in adding more parking, will take people off the buses because they can now drive and park their cars instead. Steve's arguments are more focused on GO's need to stop focusing on peak-period travel, and the local transit services need to grow to support regular service.

Now, there are some potential problems I see in this argument, and to get to them requires some background information. First, being a semi-regular user of GO Transit's Lakeshore West line to get to my parents when I have appointments, need money, or need to get out of the city, I've seen the state of the stations. I've also taken the train out East on a few occasions over the last two years so I've seen those stations too. I'm also well aware of the abysmal state of public transit in the suburbs. So I see the amount of work GO Transit is doing to turn itself (at least on the Lakeshore lines) into a legitimate service. People tend to ignore things like additional track and platform construction, and the new engines that pull more train cars. So GO seems to be doing its part to get people riding its service.

Second, I would like to assume, although this assumption is weak, that GO transits funding is separate from the suburban services, despite Metrolinx (I still shudder when I read that). If GO deems that a parking garage is what they want to do with their money to maximize the utility from their budget, then that's GO's decision.

When I say the suburban transit is abysmal, I mean it. I don't bother taking Oakville Transit because (if it's even there when my train gets in) it takes me longer to get from the GO Station to my parents' house than the train ride does. Granted that is usually it's ZONE service, not regular bus service, but my memories of late, semi-regular service are more than enough to keep me away from their buses whenever possible. I can't even imagine what Durham Region Transit is like. I've never ridden on it, but the stories I've heard make Oakville Transit seem like a paradise. The suburban services seriously need to improve their routes. Oakville Transit should consider just scrapping their system and starting from scratch with a number of important focus points (GO stations, shopping centres, high schools and Sheridan buildings).

So, to say that GO is taking customers from DRT bothers me. It gets under my skin. If DRT can't run a service that attracts passengers to it, that is DRT's problem. Not GO's problem. DRT should consider improving its service if it wants to get more people riding, not complaining about GO trying to better service its customers.

Bombardier became a shoe-in for the $3-billion contract after its main rival, Germany's Siemens AG, pulled out of bidding at nearly the last minute.

680 News: Bombardier most likely to receive streetcar replacement contract

Well fuck. Toronto, get ready for ugly, uncomfortable, "utilitarian" LRVs on the Transit City LRT lines that were supposed to show the GTAH that transit doesn't have to suck.

Every major Canadian newspaper that publishes in the GTA had an article yesterday about the problems the fire department has with the new ROW for streetcars on St. Clair. What does it come down to? Centre poles. They cite the curb might be hard to hop, which I doubt, as well, but say the centre poles only give the fire department 6 inches of clearance.

I laugh at this because Steve Munro's said this over and over. I also sigh, because the fire trucks we have now are way too big.

There was a link to this report on Steve Munro's page, about route choice for the Waterfront West LRT.

That's not what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is Exhibit 6, on the last page, a depiction of what the route under the Gardiner can look like. Look at the stop. It still uses the standard TTC streetcar stop pylon. I can't believe that. In a time where you're trying to differentiate between the terrible traditional streetcar service you run, and entice people with what is supposed to be a new approach to transit, you can't even design a new stop pylon?

VIVA did a great job with a new brand. The TTC needs to do the same.

Please to be watching this, it is made of win.

So. The TTC is back to its regular (almost) working glory. I'm not going to be using it until Wednesday when I go to write my micro final, so I'm going to be missing out on the first full-day back experience. The whole time everyone was talking about how the union members needed to be protected from the CRAZY public. Ask Union President Bob Kinnear:

"We have assessed the situation and decided that we will not expose our members to the dangers of assaults from angry and irrational members of the public...We have a legal responsibility to protect the safety of our members and so does the TTC."

Now, here's my issue with that. I get paid just under 1/3rd what most of the TTC staff makes. I have no protection from the angry and irrational public. Don't believe me? Take one moment to walk into ANY entry-level job where you have to deal with consumers. Part of my job is forcing myself to be nice to people even if I don't want to be.

My mom was talking about how some drivers are apparently attacked by people who are mentally unstable and sit along Queen near the crack hospital. If that's true, it's definitely a shame. I don't think I ever blogged about it, but I was attacked by an angry, alcoholic, piece of shit homeless guy on my second shift. My second TRAINING shift. I was lucky that I was tall, but I'm hardly buff. The two girls who were working with me at the time were tiny and wouldn't have been able to handle it. They called the cops. They were shaken up. If TTC drivers are being harassed, then the TTC Special Constables should be doing more about it.

As for being mistreated AFTER the fact, I doubt that. We've had a solid weekend of news coverage absolutely tearing the union leadership to shreds. As it should have been. They still haven't fessed up and told us what they told their union members to get them to vote against a contract that gave them WAY too much to begin with.

It is absolutely disgusting that we live in a society where striking is allowed. None of them deserve to keep their jobs. Pay raises are something you're supposed to earn. If you have issues with your pay or work conditions, you get another fucking job.

By now I'm sure everyone has heard that the TTC unions are set to strike starting 4pm Sunday, shutting the system down completely by 4am. Monday.

This is a choice quote from the article in the Canadian Press:

Of course most of the public won't be on your side. Everyone knows how spoiled low level public sector workers are in general. And the TTC employees have a huge nasty streak. For everyone 1 incredible streetcar driver, you will have 5 abysmal ones. There's no such thing as a nice subway fare collector anymore. Especially when they get to hide behind their glass window. Nothing like separation of space to make you feel smug about mumbling incoherently and given bad information to anyone asking. I guess they need the time to hand write terrible signs to post in the stations as part of their own attempt at way finding material.

I'm so incredibly happy that we're moving to a point in time where our society stops excepting the professional equivalent of a hissy fit as a reasonable way to negotiate contracts. Now all I need is the province to declare it an essential service and Christmas will have come early.

This is a map my friend sent me of the proposed Sheppard E LRT routing and proposed/potential station locations: Google Maps: Sheppard E LRT