Transit Detour/Delay Thread

[tristan]

The yellow line was down yesterday June 24 just before lunch time and RTL offered SPS shuttles between metro Papineau and Longueuil. There buses were used, P9-408 from Longueuil division, 20110 and C20114 from Saint-Hubert. The service on the yellow line was back to normal in less than one hour.

[Tranzit]

Yesterday, the northbound 37 I was on made its usual turn from St. Remi eastbound onto St. Jacques, but instead of getting into the left lane to turn north onto Glen Ave., it continued further east, turned left on Lenoir and then turned westbound onto St. Antoine before making a right turn onto Glen northbound.

There was no roadwork anywhere nearby which would have required the driver to make that detour, so I am wondering if this is a new route plan for the 37 or if the driver simply had a momentary lapse of memory and screwed up?

Such things do happen, of course. Last week, for example, I was waiting for the Metrobus 143 westbound at its deginated special green and white bus stop sign on Amos near Lacordaire when the bus appeared but zipped by me and parked further west at the route 40 stop instead.

When I asked the driver why he did this, he realized his mistake, looking back at the admittedly unusual green and white Metrobus sign and replied that he was new on this route.

I should also mention that the route 40 westbound bus I had taken to make this connection in the first place, also diverted from the route shown on the map, by continuing west past Lacordaire where the driver let me off at no designated stop, when--according to the map--he should have turned south and then west onto Amos where the 40 stop is located. Such errors could mess up someone's schedule, to say the least. Then, of course, perhaps the map itself is wrong.

I am also noticing that the updated route schedules attached to bus stops were in place before the actual commencement date. This is all well and good, but if you don't look at that date, you will automatically assume the schedule is for the same day you see it, so pay attention.

[novalfs26001]

Today had to be the worst I've ever experienced regarding busses not just being late, but of a system having a flagrant disregard for the travelling public.

At 16:15 I'm waiting for the 103 at its last stop, when one with a lady driver pulls up but says she's going out of service. Anyway she drives me the couple of blocks to the stop nearest to Westminster where a few senior citizens are already waiting.

So I wait as well, but what happened next was an outrage, for no fewer than 5 more 103's drive by us, go the end, and then return in front of our stop but showing "Hors de Service", and then zip right by us heading east!

Needless to say, as time goes by, I am fuming and even waving my arms at the last two 103s as they run away, letting them know in no uncertain terms what's wrong with this picture. Meanwhile, route 162 busses down the block are all stopping at their designated stop to pick up passengers. None of them are going out of service! Indeed, some of the less patient members of our group run over to catch the 162s, but I deliberately hang around to see what happens next.

Oddly, and infuriatingly, the old fogies and other bleating sheep waiting for the bus, seem resigned to what I suspect is an all-too-common routine on this particular route--which, admittedly, I haven't used myself in years--until today. Jeezuz...what a wake-up call!

Finally, 20 minutes later than the scheduled arrival time, a 103 actually in service (the 60-013 no less!) pulls up to us and I jump on board first, venting my displeasure at the driver (not about him, but about the poor service) who mumbles something or other about the dispatcher and who then attempts to placate the old folks who have no fight in them whatsoever.

When we are all on board the bus, some of the old people query the driver, who says they should conplain to the STM--not to him. He's "only a driver", he says. Well, yeah, I know that, but pray tell what is your radio for? Shouldn't drivers be reporting mis-managed schedules right on the spot?

If this is the sort of treatment west-enders are putting up with, is it any wonder Mayor Tremblay and his predecessors have managed for so long to ignore the legitimate wants and needs of the travelling public in this part of the city--all taxpayers by the way? Yesterday we got a "shrug and a smile". How about we give him a shrug and a smile come tax time? I'd like to give him something else, but it wouldn't get past the censors if I typed it here!

Furthermore, with spineless bureaucrats like Marvin Rotrand (a west-end resident himself, no less!) doing little or nothing to speak for his own constituents, you can rest assured that any dream of a Metro extension (hahaha!) will remain exactly that--a dream!

Look--NDG, VSP, Lachine: wake up! For you will have only yourselves to blame as you watch our newly-funded "Master Transit Plan" do all sorts of wonderful things for the east end and elsewhere--but certainly not for you!

Please, PLEASE, please tell me you are joking. Everybody knows that at rush hour, especially towards the end, service in the peak direction is far more frequent than in the non-peak direction. Therefore most buses arriving at the end either return to the garage or to another line. It is possible that a bus was missing, or had a break down. As a transit fan, you of all people should understand this. Throwing your arms in the air and giving the driver that does show up a load of s**t - the 80 year old little old ladies don't even do that anymore. If a bus is missing or late - the control centre already knows . ITS NOT up to the driver who is behind to tell them! The radio is NOT FOR THAT. You have done the MOST USELESS form of complaining. The driver who has a bus missing in front of him or her is usually informed by the control centre. He does not need every single passenger to remind him HE KNOWS! If you are not happy with the frequency call the STM and tell THEM - NOT the driver- He or she cannot do anything. Then you wonder why bus drivers are always in a bad mood. Having to confront passengers who act this way is the WORST part of the job.

[SMS]

Thank you!

The yellow line was down yesterday June 24 just before lunch time and RTL offered SPS shuttles between metro Papineau and Longueuil. There buses were used, P9-408 from Longueuil division, 20110 and C20114 from Saint-Hubert. The service on the yellow line was back to normal in less than one hour.

What was the message used on the destination sign of the SPS buses? Where did they load from at Terminus Longueuil? At Papineau was it the 170 stop? Do RTL customers know to head to Papineau when the service is down?

[Tranzit]

Please, PLEASE, please tell me you are joking. Everybody knows that at rush hour, especially towards the end, service in the peak direction is far more frequent than in the non-peak direction. Therefore most buses arriving at the end either return to the garage or to another line. It is possible that a bus was missing, or had a break down. As a transit fan, you of all people should understand this. Throwing your arms in the air and giving the driver that does show up a load of s**t - the 80 year old little old ladies don't even do that anymore. If a bus is missing or late - the control centre already knows . ITS NOT up to the driver who is behind to tell them! The radio is NOT FOR THAT. You have done the MOST USELESS form of complaining. The driver who has a bus missing in front of him or her is usually informed by the control centre. He does not need every single passenger to remind him HE KNOWS! If you are not happy with the frequency call the STM and tell THEM - NOT the driver- He or she cannot do anything. Then you wonder why bus drivers are always in a bad mood. Having to confront passengers who act this way is the WORST part of the job.

Read my lips: FIVE 103s going out of service at the end of the route and an in service bus showing up 20 minutes late is not normal.

I have never seen this before. I am glad I don't need to rely on the 103 to get me anywhere.

Yeah, sure I'll phone up the STM and complain. What a laugh!

[tristan]

What was the message used on the destination sign of the SPS buses? Where did they load from at Terminus Longueuil? At Papineau was it the 170 stop? Do RTL customers know to head to Papineau when the service is down?

The drivers driving these buses used Special but they could have used "Navette Métro Longueuil" and "Navette Métro Papineau". As for the bus stop, I don't know. I believe the 169 stop at Papineau has a yellow SPS flag, maybe they used that stop.

[Tranzit]

Regarding bus detours: what's the story on the Latour Bridge connecting Bishop Power to Shevchenko over the aqueduct?

This bridge has been "under renovation" seemingly forever, requiring some routes to cross elsewhere, although I recently noticed a southbound-only lane opened up there.

Is it possible that some contractor goofed, requiring a major re-start. Strange it has taken this long, considering its size.

[mtltransitguy]

The drivers driving these buses used Special but they could have used "Navette Métro Longueuil" and "Navette Métro Papineau". As for the bus stop, I don't know. I believe the 169 stop at Papineau has a yellow SPS flag, maybe they used that stop.

Yes there is a flag topper for Yellow line SPS.

Funny cause I was just wondering how people would know to go to Papineau yesterday while waiting for the 169.

I guess they make an announcement in the metro to go to Papineau.

Tranzit should like this one;

two 169's LO right bumper to bumper, if they wait for each other to show up, there is no point, you only need one bus...ok, service is every 15 min, but when passengers see this it really pisses them off.

The average passenger dosent care about all this technical stuff, they just see a crapload of empty buses, and there bus never showing up.

I have at least one skipped run a week, sometimes on the week-end.

But since St-Laurent is missing almost 100 buses, I'm not surprised, too bad it's been so long that is almost normal now.

[Tranzit]

Two (or more!) busses showing up at a stop after waiting ages, is nothing new, of course. I remember this happening back in the 50s and no doubt it goes back to the early days of the trams as well.

Indeed, I recall seeing a cartoon in some American magazine deriding the practice.

Get ready to see two or more artics pull up to your stop in a neighbourhood near you someday soon!

Is there an STM rule which forbids a bus of the same route number scheduled behind the one in front to pass it? I've often seen this happen, of course, but I'm not sure if this is a driver's option or a tolerated permission. Leap-frogging is common as well. Needless to say, such a "no pass" rule exists in other cities.

* * *

Okay, while I'm here: what's with the mess at Agrignon? The place looks like Miron Quarry all dug up and fenced off. An ugly, unpleasant place that definitely needs an upgrade!

And then there's the grungy-looking Lionel-Ghoulx Metro with its fenced-in mountain of dirt that seems to have been there since last year, and the crummy-looking field next to St. Jacques. Arrgh!

Can't the city find the funds to landscape this crappy public place with some new turf, trees, and more benches. Never enough benches in our parks! Why?

Is it any wonder Oscar Peterson emigrated to Toronto? Hell, I'd be ashamed to have this Metro station named after me.

[SMS]

Okay, while I'm here: what's with the mess at Agrignon? The place looks like Miron Quarry all dug up and fenced off. An ugly, unpleasant place that definitely needs an upgrade!

And then there's the grungy-looking Lionel-Ghoulx Metro with its fenced-in mountain of dirt that seems to have been there since last year, and the crummy-looking field next to St. Jacques. Arrgh!

Can't the city find the funds to landscape this crappy public place with some new turf, trees, and more benches. Never enough benches in our parks! Why?

Is it any wonder Oscar Peterson emigrated to Toronto? Hell, I'd be ashamed to have this Metro station named after me.

Please post these comments in a separate relevant thread, in this case, here: http://www.cptdb.ca/index.php?showtopic=6008 - we thank you for observing http://www.cptdb.ca/features/termsofuse.pdf

In other news... here's evidence of a 208 no show tonight!

[M. David]

For some strange reason, my NB 535 made a slight detour on Park Ave. today. It made a right turn on Beaubien, and then a left turn on to St. Laurent. It went up St. Laurent to Jean-Talon, where it made a left turn and headed for Metro Parc. At Metro Parc, where I got off, the bus continued via its regular routing. There were as many as 4 or 5 535s lined up at Metro Parc, and one of them went out of service once it arrived there. Some white-shirted STM staff (are these the COs?) were at Metro Parc as well for some reason. Some of them were talking to the 535 drivers.

[SMS]

Yes! Those are route supervisors.

[SMS]

Because of the major traffic jam on WB TCan service road...

I saw the 214 detouring via Miller and St-Regis and likely Deacon and Brunswick to Davignon. This is huge... the 214 hasn't served St-Regis since 1985/6 (the creation of the 215)!

[Matt Demers]

The 30 ended at Sherbrooke Metro yesterday. Some parade or rally closed off near Berri Metro.

[SMS]

Because of major work on Atwater Avenue, the 144 detours via Cote-des-Neiges.

[2-8-2 Mike]

The Milan Viaduct over Autoroute 10 has been closed to vehicles over 5 tonnes by the Ministère des Transports until further notice, result of the lastest inspection.

City of Brossard Website

Routes 41, 43 (off peak) and routes 33, 44, 48 in the PM rush will have to detour via Taschereau/Mario/Malo to get to Milan blvd.

IIRC other routes affected are:

32 PM Rush

38 PM Rush

42 PM Rush

132 PM Rush

142 PM Rush

I assume that these will be routed via Chevrier/Lapiniere.

Please feel free to correct me, there isn't anything on the RTL website about it yet.

Mike

Edit:

The website is now updated, so I'll correct myself

RTL Travaux

32-132, 33, 44 are not affected but the 150 is. Also the 48 is affected in both rush hours.

Mike

[SMS]

Cote-Vertu WB is closed west of Begin. Therefore 196 and 174 detour SB via Cavendish to A40 service rd.

[Matt Demers]

The 52 and 135 board on the opposite side of Berri street because of construction. Yes, that's right, you have to cross the street and get on the bus from the street ground!

mtltransitguy has pics of this. If he may post them?

[mtltransitguy]

The 52 and 135 board on the opposite side of Berri street because of construction. Yes, that's right, you have to cross the street and get on the bus from the street ground!

mtltransitguy has pics of this. If he may post them?

Working on it.

[mtltransitguy]

Here you go:

52 loading in the middle of the road.

This may now be over.

[SMS]

STL 20 is on slight detour approaching Cartier Stn. It does not go east of the Ahuntsic Bridge. Also unfortunately the reserved lane on the bridge has fallen into severe neglect now that the metro has made it obsolescent. It is still useful to get to Terminus Henri-Bourassa nord for southbound buses, but it is completely useless northbound. It should still be kept in good working order in case of emergency SPS.

[mtltransitguy]

STL 20 is on slight detour approaching Cartier Stn. It does not go east of the Ahuntsic Bridge. Also unfortunately the reserved lane on the bridge has fallen into severe neglect now that the metro has made it obsolescent. It is still useful to get to Terminus Henri-Bourassa nord for southbound buses, but it is completely useless northbound. It should still be kept in good working order in case of emergency SPS.

Yes I agree.

It was actually closed down last year though, when that bridge was at risk. Apparently it was just the bus lane, not sure what happened about that, and everyone seems to have forgotten about it by now anyhow.

It really would and will be needed during an SPS, unless of course they decide to create even more traffic, and block a lane of traffic.

[M. David]

Route 97 Mount Royal has been on a detour for the past few weeks. When it turns right onto Mount Royal at St. Michel, it then makes a right turn onto Chambly and follows Chambly to Rachel. It then makes a left turn on Rachel, where it continues until Valois. At Valois, the 97 turns right and continues down to Sherbrooke. At Sherbrooke, it makes a left turn and continues on Sherbrooke until it reaches Pie-IX. It then makes its way down Pie-IX where it drops its passengers off at the SB 139 stop at Metro Pie-IX.

[Matt Demers]

Here you go:

52 loading in the middle of the road.

This may now be over.

It is over. Well I saw a bus parked on the proper side yesterday morning..forgot to mention it!

[80-040_Guy-Concordia]

Buses that use the Atwater street exit of the Ville-Marie are now detoured to the Guy st exit, since the Atwater one is closed till October. I spotted the 211 coming off the Guy st. exit yesterday, getting to L-G is pretty simple from here, left on Rene-Levesque, then a left on Atwater.

More bus action here!