Transit Windsor

[JacobWL]

Very interesting concept, i would love to see a regional transit system around here.

[JacobWL]

Yeah, same here, but nothing big though.

I noticed something interesting when i was on the Walkerville 8 heading home today. More people got off the bus at North Talbot and Pioneer than all of legacy park (and there were quite a few). I'm not sure if this is a regular thing or not but i just found that a bit interesting.

[JacobWL]

Stats Can recently released commuting data from the 2011 Census and here is how Windsor stands:

Personal car: 91.3% (Highest in Canada)

Transit: 3.0% (Lowest in Canada)

Walking: 3.7% (Lowest in Canada)

Biking: 1.1% (tied for lowest with Halifax and Edmonton)

Average time: 18.8 minutes (Second lowest to Regina)

[MAX BRT]

Stats Can recently released commuting data from the 2011 Census and here is how Windsor stands:

Personal car: 91.3% (Highest in Canada)

Transit: 3.0% (Lowest in Canada)

Walking: 3.7% (Lowest in Canada)

Biking: 1.1% (tied for lowest with Halifax and Edmonton)

Average time: 18.8 minutes (Second lowest to Regina)

Very interesting. I'm guessing transit is so weak because commuting times are low. . . and also because they are next to Detroit and heavily influenced by American car culture?

[JacobWL]

Windsor has its own car culture, but that isn't the only reason. Transit can take up to 5 times as long as driving or even biking in Windsor. As an example, if i were to ride my bike to work, it would take less than 10 minutes, even with the ignorant Windsorites trying to run me off the road. On the other hand, It would be a 30 minute journey by bus, assuming the bus is perfectly on time and i arrive at the stop just before the bus does.

Then there is getting home by bus... I can't, the bus stops at 7pm and i walk 40 minutes.

[Girardin71]

Transit in Windsor is unreliable and i agree that it does take 5 times longer to take the bus than faster way by car. worst part of TW is that some route don't have evening service. TW really needs help from Ontario Government but that will ever happen.

[JacobWL]

So, i think there is a potential to increase the number of people who regularly use the Walkerville 8. Some issues are that 40 minute frequencies are not good enough to take the bus to work, the route doesn't cover enough of Oldcastle and there are not enough benches or shelters in the neighbourhoods on the 1-way loop. So i created this "ideal route structure" and would appreciate criticism. Maybe TW could actually do something like this?

8, Walker (see map for route and stop changes)

30 minutes peak frequencies and 45 minute off-peak and 90 minute way off-peak (sunday evenings) with a possible larger vehicle every 3rd trip, set to line up with the end of the industrial workday in Oldcastle (after 3:30)

Airport service is by request only.

[JacobWL]

i was thinking, for request only stops, we could have a button that activates a light at the previous stop that lets the driver know someone wants the bus. Also, even when it is scheduled to go to the airport, the drivers frequently turn around and ask if anyone is going there, when no one says anything, they just drive right by. With the 30 minute plan i made, i only had time allotted for one direction and northbound makes sense because it is nearer to the southern end of the route than the northern end. to have service in both directions to the airport it would have to go to 40 minute service which ruins the whole plan and would inconvenience hundreds of other people for the one person it may benefit.

[902]

i was thinking, for request only stops, we could have a button that activates a light at the previous stop that lets the driver know someone wants the bus. Also, even when it is scheduled to go to the airport, the drivers frequently turn around and ask if anyone is going there, when no one says anything, they just drive right by. With the 30 minute plan i made, i only had time allotted for one direction and northbound makes sense because it is nearer to the southern end of the route than the northern end. to have service in both directions to the airport it would have to go to 40 minute service which ruins the whole plan and would inconvenience hundreds of other people for the one person it may benefit.

But with service like this how do you expect it to be an attractive alternative for someone to use it instead of driving? And for the button idea, how could one tell if it's working or if the driver would actually see it, or pretend not to see it lit and continue on?

[JacobWL]

for the button idea, how could one tell if it's working

Your point is too big to overlook, so i guess every Northbound trip would go there as it is now, not delaying the southbound so everyone can get to work quickly and on time.

But with service like this how do you expect it to be an attractive alternative for someone to use it instead of driving?

Airport Windsor doesn't really move a lot of people and there are few Windsorites willing to take the bus to the airport in the first place, (those who can afford to fly generally would drive or take a taxi anyway.) i'm just trying to make it easier for people who would like to take the bus to work, as it is very difficult to do now with the under-served Oldcastle and poor 40 minute peak service and virtually useless 70 minute service.

I do appreciate the comments, but i'm not much worried about the airport as i don't see it as having a major potential to attract riders in this city, but Legacy park and Oldcastle have lots of employment and Legacy Park is one of the largest shopping areas in Windsor, and i think there is much potential in those areas, they're simply not served as well as they could

So, i guess in conclusion, what i am saying is i believe it would be best to make frequency and route improvements before trying to improve airport service and likely squandering resources. Improvements to the airport can come later if there is a demand for it.

[JacobWL]

I don't think that is necessary, especially for the Walkerville 8 where many boardings do occur South of Division in Legacy Park, Oldcastle and the residential areas around North Talbot/Sixth Concession. Fixed route service where you know where and when the bus will get there is better, especially for people without a cell phone. What we really need to do is increase service on the route, extend it further into the industrial area, as now it only covers a small portion, and improve the stops on North Talbot, 6th Concession, Holburn and Ducharme to attract more riders from those areas. The stop i use can be a good example. There is nothing to sit on, it is in direct sunlight most of the day and you can't even see the transit sign from the direction people are coming. Here is the stop, quite a few people use it, actually.

[JacobWL]

"Once the standards are in place, we have an arrangement in place where we will be ordering buses," -Eddie Francis regarding BYD eBus.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2013/07/11/windsor-byd-bus-quebec-trail.html

[Chris W]

Oh goody. I was hoping to hear more about the farce known as the BYD order. I think Dr McCoy said it best: "She's dead, Jim."

[Cimon8000]

Oh goody. I was hoping to hear more about the farce known as the BYD order. I think Dr McCoy said it best: "She's dead, Jim."

well don't put too much hope on it still..........especially for the fact that BYD is not putting a plant in Windsor now, and that agreement to buy already expired in May.....so.......

i just can't believe that Quebec would be the first to test the BYDs in Canada, while we are all waiting for that to happen in Windsor. Anyway just hope that demo is going to be sent to Windsor after STM finish testing it next year.

[JacobWL]

I don't like the buses much anyway. They are really ugly and there isn't much space inside. I prefer the New Flyers.

here is an inside view of the bus:

not very nice IMHO.

[Girardin71]

i prefer New Flyer too just the diesel ones. On Thursday June 11th 608 broke down on the 1A southbound to Devonshire Mall with a over heat transmission or Hybrid Drive. Its only 601-618 that seems to brake down a lot more than 619-629. when i and other passengers boarded the next 1A the replacement bus for 608 was its sister 609, too bad TW didn't have a diesel one to replace 608.

[JacobWL]

I don't much care about the drive, as long as it is reliable and comfortable. I currently prefer the hybrids because they are much quieter and therefore more comfortable to ride. If they can get a diesel only bus that is as quiet or quieter than the hybrid, then i don't really care what technology is driving it, as long as i get to work.

I haven't rode the XD40, as Windsor only has XDE40 so i don't know if they're any louder at all, but i like what they did with the interior.

[JacobWL]

source: http://www.windsorst...5665/story.html

Transit Windsor projects a $180,000 budget deficit by the end of the year because the city did not budget enough for fuel expenses.

Jeez i hope they don't make more service cuts, the service on the 7 is already horrible and i would be very depressed if it disappeared barely 10 years after it started. Also, if they have to raise fares, i will be really peeved to pay for for much worse service seeing as i already have to walk nearly 2km home from work instead of the <1km that i used to for the 7. ( i live in the neighbourhood inbetween the 7 and the 8, so i can use both buses, the 8 is just much further.)

Maybe we could use those electric buses...

[Girardin71]

They better leave the 7 alone and if a route has to be cut than it better be 14 than the 7. I say that because the 7 is only route where I live and I would be screwed. it wasn't Transit Windsor's fault for the deficit it was the city's fault and their the one who need to get Transit Windsor that money by cutting back another city run service.

[JacobWL]

the new fall schedule is out and save for the South Windsor 7, the schedule is the same as last year's. The only difference is the 7 now ends at 6:55.

[2822]

So no increased service on the 1 & 2?

[JacobWL]

nope, they seem to be using the same schedules as last year, except for the South Windsor 7, which is the same as its summer schedule. That means they made only cuts for this fall/winter, no enhancements at all. This also means i can no longer get home from work because i can not even use the Walkerville 8 due to poor scheduling and i am not walking home through the snow for an hour.

[armorand]

Where does the City of Windsor's money go?! How don't they have any funding for transit?

[JacobWL]

Transit Windsor is funded pretty well, but ridership on some routes is quite low, as well as they do not have afternoon off-peak scheduling, so lots of money is being wasted. Also, fares are only $2.50, right for the poor service you are getting but quite low compared to other ontario agencies.

[Girardin71]

The only reason that some routes like the 7 is low is TW thinks that cutting down the route will make the ridership higher but that only keep new riders from riding it. I'm very disappointed that the 1C and the 2 didn't get the 10min service increase they promised. That someone at TW is good at giving fake info to the passengers. On the lighter side that my transfer to the 2 will little easier in the fall.