Winnipeg and Artic Buses

[LilZebra]

59 minutes ago, vivablue5215 said:

387 on 36.

Yup, just rode that one SB today.

[car4041]

On 11/8/2019 at 2:54 AM, armorand said:

TMP implemetation would be an absolute nightmare.

SWBRT proposed route changes with a 47 to U of M, feeders and all, aren't bad. But the TMP is a joke. Nobody would ever want to see that plan come to fruition. And if it ever does, transit service to suburban Winnipeg will cease to exist. Especially if you're in St James, Charleswood and other places, going from appropriate transit service to none, is unacceptable.

Why can't they just extend and slash routes, like they've always done? Slash as in, cut portions and reassign them to different routes or make new ones, new schedules, and NOT completely erase them off the map...?

"Transit service to suburban Winnipeg will cease to exist" -- can we get a grip, please? There is tons of suburban feeder service in the proposed network.

Extending and slashing routes is just lipstick on a pig. The current network is not some masterpiece of design. A complete rethink was sorely needed.

[wt_enthusiast_photos]

388 entered service today but got traded off for 858 I guess it got stuck in mud

[trebor204]

3 hours ago, bus is coming 1965 said:

388 entered service today but got traded off for 858 I guess it got stuck in mud

or took a wrong turn and ended up near Morris.

[matt548]

#389 is on the 59

 

[Wpgtransit11-25]

385 is on 183-6 school charter and 183 

[matt548]

#390 is on the 54

[vivablue5215]

391 on 54

[wt_enthusiast_photos]

390 was on the 66 today 

[vivablue5215]

398 arrived at BG yesterday around noon.

[wt_enthusiast_photos]

975 is back inservice

[DavidW]

So exactly how many XD60 were ordered in the current purchase? 371-3??  I think I've seen 397 inside Brandon Garage.

[LilZebra]

28 artics ... 371-399

If you've already seen 397, then there's but 2 more to go until a next order.

[vivablue5215]

28 would be 398, not 399. The wiki's been edited to show 398 as the final bus.

[armorand]

6 hours ago, vivablue5215 said:

28 would be 398, not 399. The wiki's been edited to show 398 as the final bus.

28 buses must finally be relieving the infamous overcrowding... you know, since they're finally being used for routes other than the ones emanating to/from St. Vital. 

Hows crowding been, since they started being used all over the place? Kind of hoping its finally subsided...

[vivablue5215]

4 hours ago, armorand said:

28 buses must finally be relieving the infamous overcrowding... you know, since they're finally being used for routes other than the ones emanating to/from St. Vital. 

Hows crowding been, since they started being used all over the place? Kind of hoping its finally subsided...

Artics are mainly used on 35, 36, 54, 59, 60, 72, 160, and 161.

They've relieved most crowding issues on the 72 and 160. 36 is still the usual overcrowded loads despite at least 2 of 3 buses being artics on midday. 60 honestly does not need artics, the buses would've been better used for ensuring full artic service on the 36.

I don't see the 161 as much as before so I can't comment on that, although I may be in campus more come winter...

If anything the two problem routes at the moment are 75 and 162/170. 162/170 in particular you will never be on time and never not have standees unless you're lucky enough to have a 60 and 160 in front of you.

[LilZebra]

On 12/8/2019 at 11:27 PM, vivablue5215 said:

Artics are mainly used on 35, 36, 54, 59, 60, 72, 160, and 161.

The westbound 11 is always crowded standing room only wheneve I get on across from The Bay downtown.

We need some artic.  bus runs on that route, possibly for the majority of the day. Too many sketchy people, that, even if there were one or two seats left on an 11 Portage 40 ft. bus, I'd choose to stand. In other words, an artic. on the11 (until the routes are reconfigured with the TMP), it'd be making transit safer if WT does makes the 11 more roomy.

What would be great is a temporary public education campaign, such that:

• If you're heading westbound at PM peak and you're not going any further than Polo, then you need to take the 11
• If you're heading westbound at PM peak and you're not going past Grace Hosp. then take the 21 Portage Express.
• If you're heading westbound at PM peak hour and you're going to Assiniboia neighbourhoods of Crestview, Westwood, then you should be taking the 22 Assiniboia Express.
• If you're going somewhere on Ness Ave., don't take an 11, 21, 22 bus. Instead "keep in your lane" and hop abourd a 24 Ness Express or 25 Ness SuperExpress.

I know transit is not always neat and clean like this, but it would help Transit allocate bus resources if people kept to "their bus".

[Mark Walton]

On 12/10/2019 at 12:55 AM, LilZebra said:

The westbound 11 is always crowded standing room only wheneve I get on across from The Bay downtown.

We need some artic.  bus runs on that route, possibly for the majority of the day. Too many sketchy people, that, even if there were one or two seats left on an 11 Portage 40 ft. bus, I'd choose to stand. In other words, an artic. on the11 (until the routes are reconfigured with the TMP), it'd be making transit safer if WT does makes the 11 more roomy.

What would be great is a temporary public education campaign, such that:

• If you're heading westbound at PM peak and you're not going any further than Polo, then you need to take the 11
• If you're heading westbound at PM peak and you're not going past Grace Hosp. then take the 21 Portage Express.
• If you're heading westbound at PM peak hour and you're going to Assiniboia neighbourhoods of Crestview, Westwood, then you should be taking the 22 Assiniboia Express.
• If you're going somewhere on Ness Ave., don't take an 11, 21, 22 bus. Instead "keep in your lane" and hop abourd a 24 Ness Express or 25 Ness SuperExpress.

I know transit is not always neat and clean like this, but it would help Transit allocate bus resources if people kept to "their bus".

When I lived there, long before the routes were numbered, I often used the various Portage or Ness Express buses downtown to Polo Park, then either Charleswood, Grant or Waverly to get home - or the reverse to get downtown. Depending on connections, it was often quicker than Corydon or Academy, especially after those 2 ceased to be trolleybus routes.

[LilZebra]

We are so far behind in transit here, I mean, I know batt. powered buses are still "in testing", but no one really demanded that WT use XE60 models for the 'rt'.

Yet, I see videos of extra long electric trolleybuses in European cities that run effortlessly (at least on YouTube) along the way in Zurich. There, they may as well convert to rail tram.

 

[DavidW]

I wonder if New Flyer is developing an In Motion Charging option for the Excelsior line. Trolley poles for charging while on the busway, and batteries for operation off-busway. It would be a rebalance of the existing configuration of trolley bus with auxiliary battery. 

One of Winnipeg Transit's issues with the pilot project was the lengthy layover under the charger at the airport end of the route. With In Motion Charging there's no recharge layover, and the Transitway (once Phase 2 opens) should be long enough for a recharge. And as "private" road overhead trolley wires should raise less objections than, say, overhead above a public street.

Quiet electric buses might even win over some transitway neighbours...

 

[matt548]

#392 was on the 36 and 54 today

 

[vivablue5215]

395 on 72.

[wt_enthusiast_photos]

2 hours ago, vivablue5215 said:

395 on 72.

That’s been inservice for a few days now

[ConnorsCompShow]

394 is out doing 72.

[Taylorover9001]

396 on 54, 72 later.