TTC in the news

[Kelvin3157]

https://www.cp24.com/mobile/news/ttc-staff-recommend-scrapping-monthly-pass-implementing-fare-capping-system-1.5767698

[GTAmissions1]

10 hours ago, Kelvin3157 said:

https://www.cp24.com/mobile/news/ttc-staff-recommend-scrapping-monthly-pass-implementing-fare-capping-system-1.5767698

Reading the article and how it requires 48 to 49 one-way trips for an adult pass or 40 one-way trips for post-secondary students/senior/youth to break even on a monthly pass. Especially with $156 for an adult or $128.15 for concession pass for students/senior/youth is a lot to fork out covering for one month regardless of usage.

Fare capping which Go Transit uses caps how much is paid between two stations. Only paying for when you use it rather than paying a fixed amount for a month regardless of usage.

I think it is a good proposition which you only pay when you use rather than paying upfront regardless of how much or little you use that month. TTC would be concerned with the loss of revenue and how it affects their projections with the direction of fare caps. Especially since Presto cards and tickets also receive the benefit of two hour transfers. 

[MK78]

I stopped using the Metropass when the pandemic hit. Even since going back to work, i've not renewed it, since i have avoided non essential trips, and i end up paying far less with the 2 hour transfer feature.

Even if COVID magically disappeared, i dont think I'd ever go back to paying for a monthly pass. I do like the idea of capping it.

For years (before Presto) I paid for the Metropass for the pure convenience of it, not having to buy tickets, tokens or have cash on hand. I'm still pretty sure I never got full usage out of it over the time I paid into it. But Presto with autoload brings the convenience back.

[raptorjays]

https://www.cp24.com/news/ttc-plans-to-gradually-restore-100-of-pre-pandemic-service-hours-starting-sunday-1.5774107

Well that's the TTC's plan and it is kinda curious that BD line subway (line 2) is not part of that restoration... 

I've been seeing 4-5 minute headways often even during the am and pm rush, and now it is getting to a point of being overwhelmed. 

The crowding is getting worse especially universities are now switching to in-person. There are a lot of people commuting to U of T or Ryerson using BD line..

[lip]

Isnt Leary's contract up for expiration this month as well?

Hopefully that's another "service" change that comes, and the city's smart enough to not renew.

[Gil]

22 minutes ago, lip said:

Isnt Leary's contract up for expiration this month as well?

Hopefully that's another "service" change that comes, and the city's smart enough to not renew.

One would hope they have someone lined up to replace him.  I'd hate for the TTC to renew by default because they don't have someone waiting.  Or, given everything going on with the TTC right now, are they willing to have the position go unfilled or with an interim position until they do find someone?

[smallspy]

6 hours ago, raptorjays said:

https://www.cp24.com/news/ttc-plans-to-gradually-restore-100-of-pre-pandemic-service-hours-starting-sunday-1.5774107

Well that's the TTC's plan and it is kinda curious that BD line subway (line 2) is not part of that restoration...

What part of gradually isn't clear here?

 

They're going to do it over the course of several months. Once again: employees don't grow on trees. You don't just pluck them out and plop them into the seat and off you go. They have to go through the process, which includes months of training.

 

Yes, the B-D isn't part of this initial wave of improvements. Yes, it does need to happen soon. But subway training is some of the most involved at the TTC, and it takes time to get new people ready.

 

Dan

[FlyerD901]

4 hours ago, lip said:

Isnt Leary's contract up for expiration this month as well?

Hopefully that's another "service" change that comes, and the city's smart enough to not renew.

 When is his contract up? I thought he had another year to go. I dont recall any reports of Rick Leary being on a 4 or so year contract. But that position seems as though they last about 5 years.

[John Oke]

https://www.blogto.com/city/2022/02/contactless-debit-credit-card-payment-toronto-transit-ttc/
 

it seems like they’re having a go at this again 

[lip]

22 hours ago, Gil said:

One would hope they have someone lined up to replace him.  I'd hate for the TTC to renew by default because they don't have someone waiting.  Or, given everything going on with the TTC right now, are they willing to have the position go unfilled or with an interim position until they do find someone?

I'd hope the same as well, but I highly doubt the city has someone lined up waiting to replace him on a permanent basis. If he does (hopefully) get canned, I could see an interim CEO being put in place while the search begins for a permanent successor.

 

18 hours ago, FlyerD901 said:

 When is his contract up? I thought he had another year to go. I dont recall any reports of Rick Leary being on a 4 or so year contract. But that position seems as though they last about 5 years.

The last I heard on the situation was that it was this month that it was set to expire. Was looking to see if I could confirm for sure as it's likely this would've been confirmed at the July 27, 2018 board meeting, but of course the TTC's screwup of migrating links to the new website makes it pretty damn hard to find notes of that particular meeting.

[nfitz]

21 hours ago, smallspy said:

Yes, the B-D isn't part of this initial wave of improvements. Yes, it does need to happen soon. But subway training is some of the most involved at the TTC, and it takes time to get new people ready.

It's odd to me that they've reduced BD service but not more frequent YU service. Anecdotally, BD trains seem fuller than YU to me. Also, much of the peak YU load is bringing workers downtown to big offices, which are very empty. Much of the BD load is other things.

If there's more T1 operators than TR operators missing, they can do what they've done previously, and run TR trains on BD.

 

15 hours ago, John Oke said:

https://www.blogto.com/city/2022/02/contactless-debit-credit-card-payment-toronto-transit-ttc/
 

it seems like they’re having a go at this again 

Not so much again, but still. This is another step in the Presto open payment project - an earlier step was accepting open payment on UP Express.

[raptorjays]

1 hour ago, nfitz said:

It's odd to me that they've reduced BD service but not more frequent YU service. Anecdotally, BD trains seem fuller than YU to me. Also, much of the peak YU load is bringing workers downtown to big offices, which are very empty. Much of the BD load is other things.

I don't know if the TTC is grossly underestimating the demand of the BD line. I alternately use University Side and Yonge Side when I go home in the west-end, and Line 1 doesn't seem to be too crowded (which is not even close to the normal)

However, I started to see higher level of crowding which is getting to a point that the distancing isn't even possible on Line 2, and the crowding level is increasing faster on line 2 compared to line 1. 

I do think subway is more important corridor compared to buses, so I am hoping for an improvement as soon as possible. 

[MK78]

One issue I've always had with the open payment, is what happens when you just rub up against the reader with your wallet in your pocket? What's stopping the system randomly charging to debit or credit cards in someone's pocket?

I know a number of time my iPhone has pulled up the Apple Pay page when i had the phone in my jacket pocket at the level of the presto readers on the street cars. The saving grace with Apple Pay is that you need to authenticate it before it will charge anything. Not so much on standard debit or credit cards. Unless they impose a checkbox you press on the reader to acknowledge it.

[smallspy]

2 hours ago, nfitz said:

It's odd to me that they've reduced BD service but not more frequent YU service. Anecdotally, BD trains seem fuller than YU to me. Also, much of the peak YU load is bringing workers downtown to big offices, which are very empty. Much of the BD load is other things.

If there's more T1 operators than TR operators missing, they can do what they've done previously, and run TR trains on BD.

The beginning of One-Person Train Operation happened to coincide with the layoffs and firings due to the vaccine requirements, and the additional sick crew members. Thus there were more crews available right when they needed to be on the YUS. There was not such technological improvement capable on the B-D, thus they couldn't cover for the missing crews.

 

There were enough operators on the YUS to cover for those missing, but not enough to cover for the missing B-D operators.

 

Dan

[nfitz]

49 minutes ago, smallspy said:

There were enough operators on the YUS to cover for those missing, but not enough to cover for the missing B-D operators.

Couldn't they then move, say, something like eight 1-person crews from Wilson, and run 4 trains on BD during the peaks?

I hadn't realised one-person crews were an option on Line 1 before ATC was complete.

[yrt1000]

2 hours ago, nfitz said:

Couldn't they then move, say, something like eight 1-person crews from Wilson, and run 4 trains on BD during the peaks?

I hadn't realised one-person crews were an option on Line 1 before ATC was complete.

If I’m not mistaken they operate OPTO on line 1 only between St. George and VMC

[Gil]

7 hours ago, lip said:

I'd hope the same as well, but I highly doubt the city has someone lined up waiting to replace him on a permanent basis. If he does (hopefully) get canned, I could see an interim CEO being put in place while the search begins for a permanent successor.

 

The last I heard on the situation was that it was this month that it was set to expire. Was looking to see if I could confirm for sure as it's likely this would've been confirmed at the July 27, 2018 board meeting, but of course the TTC's screwup of migrating links to the new website makes it pretty damn hard to find notes of that particular meeting.

If his term is truly up, you'd think they'd start putting out feelers for a replacement.  To just openly start looking probably sends out the wrong message - that Leary is going to be replaced, which in turn could potentially affect his performance.  He is still an employee and there are probably HR regulations to follow.  The TTC was obviously pleased enough with his performance not to can him sooner but just let his term run out.

[smallspy]

15 hours ago, nfitz said:

Couldn't they then move, say, something like eight 1-person crews from Wilson, and run 4 trains on BD during the peaks?

Considering that they didn't, and haven't, I guess that no they couldn't.

 

15 hours ago, nfitz said:

I hadn't realised one-person crews were an option on Line 1 before ATC was complete.

OPTO is provided by a completely separate and independent system from the ATC/ATO. That's also why it's being used on Sheppard.

 

Dan

[MK78]

Yikes...

Toronto police say a TTC bus driver has serious injuries after being stabbed multiple times over a fare dispute on Wednesday, a week after another worker for the transit agency was stabbed.

At around 1 p.m., police said a male TTC employee was involved in a fare dispute with a group of suspects in the area of Keele Street and Gulliver Road.

Police said the dispute started on the bus while it was travelling. The bus driver, police said, then pulled over and the altercation continued outside of the bus before the driver was stabbed with a knife.

 

A TTC employee has serious injuries after a stabbing in the area of Keele Street and Gulliver Road on Wednesday. (Courtesy: Tristan Phillips)

“As a result of that interaction, the driver was unfortunately stabbed multiple times, in both his torso and in his shoulder area as well,” Insp. Richard Harris told reporters at the scene.

The man, who is in his 50s, was rushed to a local trauma centre for serious, non-life threatening injuries, police said.

https://www.cp24.com/news/ttc-bus-driver-stabbed-after-fare-dispute-toronto-police-1.5783928

[Xtrazsteve]

What is more upsetting is that so many crimes are being committed by kids under 18. In this case, the suspect is described as someone 16-17.

[MCIBUS]

I dought they'll find the individual.

[MK78]

10 hours ago, Xtrazsteve said:

What is more upsetting is that so many crimes are being committed by kids under 18. In this case, the suspect is described as someone 16-17.

Yep, they get more brazen every year, because they know the system is soft on crime for under 18.

But what's odd is that this operator was arguing the fares, where I believe the policy has been for number of years not to argue fares - especially since the pandemic I've not seen operators argue fares at all.

And he left the bus to confront them. That's just not smart.

[Bus_Medic]

14 hours ago, MCIBUS said:

I dought they'll find the individual.

Doubt.

https://www.cp24.com/news/boy-14-charged-in-stabbing-of-ttc-bus-driver-2-other-teen-suspects-remain-outstanding-1.5785858

[MK78]

14.. Unreal.. And guess what will happen to him? Absolutely squat.

Why isn't the TTC releasing video snapshots? Their faces are no doubt masked up but people can still recognize the  way someone looks with their clothing and rat them out.

[GTAmissions1]

38 minutes ago, MK78 said:

14.. Unreal.. And guess what will happen to him? Absolutely squat.

Why isn't the TTC releasing video snapshots? Their faces are no doubt masked up but people can still recognize the  way someone looks with their clothing and rat them out.

Blame the Youth Criminal Justice Act or YCJA for short which protects identities of those under the age of 18 years old.

TTC already forward all relevant video evidence. It is more of Toronto Police that is bound to that law which is why they can't release photos of the suspects.