T3G Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 I am sorry to hear that drivers do not like the Van Hools. I had the chance to try one out today for the first time and it was wondrous. The ride was very comfortable, the noise insulation was very good, it was hard to believe they were 18 year old buses. They ride a lot better than any Canadian built bus I've ever been on. Riding on an LFS by comparison is like downgrading from a 5 star hotel to a beat up mattress in a dinky basement. I was very impressed, and it's very hard for a bus to do that to me nowadays. The interior seating arrangement is also very good. Lots of room to stand where you're not in anyone's way, and seats looking right out the front are a lost art on transit buses these days. If the TTC ran equipment like this, riding their buses would not be the grim and generally unpleasant and spine shattering experience it is. If only the service offered was as good... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
York Transit Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 9 hours ago, T3G said: I am sorry to hear that drivers do not like the Van Hools. I had the chance to try one out today for the first time and it was wondrous. The ride was very comfortable, the noise insulation was very good, it was hard to believe they were 18 year old buses. They ride a lot better than any Canadian built bus I've ever been on. Riding on an LFS by comparison is like downgrading from a 5 star hotel to a beat up mattress in a dinky basement. I was very impressed, and it's very hard for a bus to do that to me nowadays. The interior seating arrangement is also very good. Lots of room to stand where you're not in anyone's way, and seats looking right out the front are a lost art on transit buses these days. If the TTC ran equipment like this, riding their buses would not be the grim and generally unpleasant and spine shattering experience it is. If only the service offered was as good... The problem is the ride quality is terrible at both the front and rear-most areas of the bus. The short wheelbase makes those sitting on the outer most areas of the bus literally bounce. I once made the mistake of driving into a speedbump at full speed (no passengers on the bus) and my butt literally flew INTO the air. I'm not being figurative, my butt literally went into the air in the driver's seat. An A/C Transit Van Hool made the same mistake and a passenger sitting in the rearmost seat also ended up flying into the air and breaking her back Driving a Novabus or a New Flyer into a speedbump at full speed would be uncomfortable but you would not fly into the air. Routes with tons of speedbumps or potholes are an absolute nightmare to drive with a Van Hool. Drivers also complain about Novabuses for the amount of rattling and banging, but they are much more sturdy to drive than a Van Hool and if given a choice between a Nova and Van Hool. 100% the driver will take the Novabus. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T3G Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 That is surprising to hear that the front of the bus also has poor ride quality, that's where I sat yesterday. Maybe I got a really good unit. I will have to hunt more down at length, maybe on different routes, and inform myself more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toro Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 Are the status of the 2010 nova artics known? Have they been scrapped, sold secondhand, still on property, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 1 minute ago, Toro said: Are the status of the 2010 nova artics known? Have they been scrapped, sold secondhand, still on property, etc? Who would want to buy them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ber Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 WOW theyre only 13 yrs old... why the early retirements? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toro Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 38 minutes ago, Ber said: WOW theyre only 13 yrs old... why the early retirements? Most systems retire 60ft buses at 12 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion V Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 52 minutes ago, Shaun said: Who would want to buy them? Brampton at this point! LOL They would take anything... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 16 hours ago, Orion V said: Brampton at this point! LOL They would take anything... It's not just about having vehicles. You need drivers too. Those you can't just find on a whim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyerD901 Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 On 1/5/2024 at 7:50 AM, T3G said: That is surprising to hear that the front of the bus also has poor ride quality, that's where I sat yesterday. Maybe I got a really good unit. I will have to hunt more down at length, maybe on different routes, and inform myself more. Nova bus is the worst bus I've driven hands down. Front wheels are so far back, that you end up with back and shoulder issues. The operators area is very cramped , and you end up with joint issues when you come out the seat. Also the ceiling there's no room. If Nova fixed the front of the bus , I think it would have a shot. I find Orion's , personally, are very driver friendly. It could have a bad build quality, and despite that as a driver I would enjoy driving them. Again , all this is my personal opinion I heard a rumor of Nova admitting to needing a better driver's compartment, but I can't find proof of that. And I highly doubt they'll come out and be critical of themselves like that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtatransitfanner Posted January 7 Report Share Posted January 7 Route 720 is now route 320 Jane Express (effective today). Route 760 is now route 360 effective today (kind of ironic to reuse this route number). Also effective today, route 98E is discontinued, route 165F. Changes today as well route 91E rebranded to 391 and 165 now runs between Major Mack West and Pioneer Village. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilianaUwU Posted January 7 Report Share Posted January 7 On 1/5/2024 at 9:21 PM, Shaun said: Who would want to buy them? I mean, I would if I had the money just for the memes... With that said, the early Nova Artics are indeed rough. I did end up almost breaking my back on one of them (Réseau de transport de la Capitale 0968). Any early artics off the road is a win for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningsideExpress Posted January 7 Report Share Posted January 7 On 1/5/2024 at 9:21 PM, Shaun said: Who would want to buy them? DRT could be a prospect. They need buses just to cover the units lost in fire. I know they've acquired more from other systems, but DRT could surely use more artics on some of their key routes, even if it's just 2-5 years while they recover from the fire and budget constraints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawarthaTransiteer Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 Supposedly staring tomorrow, the 51 Keswick Local is coming back with 3 trips on weekday afternoons, at least according to Transsee and other sites/apps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
York Transit Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 Pedestrian was struck by a Westbound Viva Orange at Weston this morning. Judging by Transsee. Two buses were passing eachother at the same time. If I had to guess, I'm assuming a passenger got off the Eastbound bus and decided to cross behind the Eastbound bus and stepped into the path of a Westbound bus without looking. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTAmissions1 Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 16 hours ago, KawarthaTransiteer said: Supposedly staring tomorrow, the 51 Keswick Local is coming back with 3 trips on weekday afternoons, at least according to Transsee and other sites/apps. Just double checked the 2024 Transit Initiatives report and it does confirm that Route 51 Keswick Local is coming back, but on a very limited capacity. Operating every 75 minutes during the PM peak period only. This was pending the opening of the multi-use recreation complex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTAmissions1 Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 Going through the updated 2024 Transit Initiatives document, here are the updates: Route 7: Martin Grove Introduce Sunday/holiday service between 8 AM to 8 PM with a minimum frequency of every 72 minutes Route 8: Kennedy Restructure to loop around Milliken via Kennedy, left Passmore, left Midland, left Steeles to terminus Early morning, morning rush hour and afternoon rush hour frequency improved from approximately 16 minutes to 15 minutes Midday frequency improved from approximately 34 minutes to 26 minutes Early and late evening frequency improved from approximately 31 minutes to 23 minutes Saturday frequency improved from approximately 34-36 minutes to 25-35 minutes Sunday frequency improved from approximately 35-70 minutes to 26-69 minutes Weekday and Saturday late evening service extended from 11 p.m. to approximately 12 a.m. Changes are to better accommodate when York University Markham campus opens later this year. Route 9: 9th Line Frequency improvements in peak periods from 35 to 37 minutes to every 32 minutes Mid-day frequency improved from every 52 minutes to every 42 minutes Service along Highway 48/Main and Ninth Line/Hoover Park Drive removed to restructure routing via Reeve Ways Road and Millard Street/Baker Hill Boulevard Route 16: 16th Avenue Improved rush hour frequency from every 27 to 28 minutes to every 24 minutes Route 20: Jane Extend route north of Teston Road to McGown Road Route 24: Woodbine Extend hours of service to midnight on weekdays and Saturday instead of the current 11 PM on weekdays and 7 PM on Saturday Extend hours of service to 10 PM on Sunday instead of the current 7 PM Route 25: Major Mackenzie Frequency improvement during the midday and evenings from 60 to 63 minutes to every 40 to 44 minutes Introduce Saturday service between 6 AM to 8 PM with a frequency of every 70 minutes Route 33: Wellington-Leslie Discontinue service along Desjardins Way Extend service to Davis Drive/Highway 404 Park and Ride via Leslie Route 50: Queensway Morning rush hour frequency improved from approximately 32 minutes to 27 minutes Afternoon rush hour frequency improved from approximately 32 minutes to 27 minutes Saturday frequency improved from approximately 52-65 minutes to 41 minutes Sunday/holiday frequency improved from approximately 72-90 minutes to 58 minutes Improved connection options with Mobility On-Request North Route 88: Bathurst Saturday service frequency improved from every 32 to 36 minutes to every 26 to 29 minutes Route 90: Leslie Extend Saturday hours to operate until midnight from the current 10 PM Extend Sunday hours to 10 PM from the current 8 PM Viva Purple A: Andre De Grasse stop to be relocated to the rapidway stop along with renaming to Birchmount pending BRT rapidway construction Route 51: Keswick Reintroduce route operating only during PM peak periods with frequency every 75 minutes Provides connection to Keswick Marketplace and Multi-Use Recreational Complex This change is pending when the MURC or Multi-Use Recreational Complex opens Final comments: Some new changes and extensions of service that were approved to better accommodate. 2025 Service Initiatives comes out around the spring. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawarthaTransiteer Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 On 1/8/2024 at 3:59 PM, GTAmissions1 said: Just double checked the 2024 Transit Initiatives report and it does confirm that Route 51 Keswick Local is coming back, but on a very limited capacity. Operating every 75 minutes during the PM peak period only. This was pending the opening of the multi-use recreation complex. I did see that (albeit the day after I had posted about that). In the same way as the 51, the 414 St Katherine Drexel school special which is in the report is also showing up even though as far as I know that school isn't open yet. None of the routes anticipated to be changed soon (such as the 9, 20, and 33) have those changes showing up, nor is the new 472 school special appearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Articulated Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 6 minutes ago, KawarthaTransiteer said: I did see that (albeit the day after I had posted about that). In the same way as the 51, the 414 St Katherine Drexel school special which is in the report is also showing up even though as far as I know that school isn't open yet. None of the routes anticipated to be changed soon (such as the 9, 20, and 33) have those changes showing up, nor is the new 472 school special appearing. It depends on how far in advance the schedule changes are prepared, and whether external factors come up that prevent these planned changes from coming into effect. The return of the 51 was mentioned in another post earlier that it relied upon the opening up of certain new roads in southeastern Keswick. Similarly, the 414 is to serve a brand-new Catholic high school in northern Stouffville, which has yet to finish construction (I believe its original timeline was to open for the winter semester this January, which is why it was included in the GTFS data for this board period). Students for St Katherine Drexel CHS are being held at St Brendan (elementary), which is already served by routes 9, 415 and 417. On the flipside of your argument, existing routes need to have their current data in the GTFS data; having two sets of data (only one of which is functioning) will serve to confuse any computers reading that data, and potentially provide incorrect data and estimates to the public. And those changes were not yet planned to come into effect, so there would be no purpose in including them in a public-facing dataset. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway of Heroes Posted February 7 Report Share Posted February 7 All of the Southeast Buses got moved over to BRT Garage last Saturday & Sunday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTAmissions1 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Route 51 Keswick will be brought into revenue service effective March 4th. The Multi-Use Recreation Complex opens on March 2nd (Saturday). Frequency will be every 75 minutes during the PM peak periods on weekdays only. Operating from the Multi-Use Recreation Complex or MURC at Garrett Styles Drive/Woodbine Avenue (stop 7436) with the first trip at 4:05 PM with the final departure at 6:35 PM. I have also attached the route map for reference. Final comments: To be honest, not sure how much uptake there will be for the three trips with the limited frequency. 051.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
York Transit Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 Anyone have pics of the Van Hool interiors? 520+ What fabric were they reupholstered with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Admin ORION Posted February 24 Root Admin Report Share Posted February 24 17 hours ago, York Transit said: Anyone have pics of the Van Hool interiors? 520+ What fabric were they reupholstered with? I don't have pictures but I want to say it's the same fabric as the newer buses.. blue with dark blue lines or whatever it is. I haven't been on a YRT in... well forever. I should have taken an interior shot. I'll try to see if I can get one again if I see more getting redone at the vendors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway of Heroes Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 YRT route 414 St Katharine school special will start service on Wednesday March 6th 2023. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
York Transit Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 Seems these refurbished buses also got an interior repaint. The new seat fabric looks really sharp in these buses. Many of the Van Hool panels on the ceilings near the driver were yellowing really badly. As you can see in this video, they've repainted the ceiling grey as they originally appeared when brand new. Video of an unrefurbished unit for comparison 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now