MiWay

[Articulated]

3 hours ago, sdgta2008 said:

2053....?  I thought there were only 11 on order.  Are there new MiLocals currently on order?

MiWay has always ordered artics with numbers starting at xx51, leaving space for potential 40 foot units. Although none seem to be arriving this year, the pattern stands likely for consistency.

[curlingteam333]

8 hours ago, Articulated said:

MiWay has always ordered artics with numbers starting at xx51, leaving space for potential 40 foot units. Although none seem to be arriving this year, the pattern stands likely for consistency.

Interesting. This Reminds me of Brampton Transit that regular bus start with xxx1 while zum 40ft start with xx50 and zum 60ft start with xx75.

[GTAmissions1]

9 hours ago, Articulated said:

MiWay has always ordered artics with numbers starting at xx51, leaving space for potential 40 foot units. Although none seem to be arriving this year, the pattern stands likely for consistency.

Interesting detail. Especially since most transit agencies go by the year for the first two digits, then the last two for the unit number. Except for some agencies like TTC and Go Transit that order a large volume that they simply categorize differently depending on bus type.

53 minutes ago, curlingteam333 said:

Interesting. This Reminds me of Brampton Transit that regular bus start with xxx1 while zum 40ft start with xx50 and zum 60ft start with xx75.

Each agency likes to categorize depending on what they operate. Viva in York Region also categorizes their Nova LFS Artics starting with xx70. 2013 buses started with 1370 and 2017 buses starting with 1770. The 2019 LFS Artics start with 71 (1971 to 1980). 

TTC, they number their articulated buses current with 90xx or 91xx.

[transitfan100]

On 10/17/2020 at 5:53 PM, TTC Guy said:

I noticed it looked different but couldn’t place exactly what was different, I didn’t realize it until you said it and now I can’t do anything but notice it

i dont see any "MiExpress" branding on the bus, even though i was expecting to see the express sign like the previous xcelsiors

 

ive also noticed the driver side mirror is 15x8 mirror instead of 10x10 flat with round convex on bottom

[ZümmyZüm]

40 minutes ago, transitfan100 said:

i dont see any "MiExpress" branding on the bus, even though i was expecting to see the express sign like the previous xcelsiors

 

ive also noticed the driver side mirror is 15x8 mirror instead of 10x10 flat with round convex on bottom

The mirrors are being changed for parts uniformity as the novas going forward will have the 15x8 on the left and the single 10x10 on the right side and their training department at the time of the novas believed the 15x8 was a safer option for visibility 

[Gil]

On 10/16/2020 at 2:10 PM, Eren Jaeger said:

According to one of the Facebook posts with pictures, #2053 arrived on this week. The pic is not mine.

Could you at least cite the Facebook group?

Progress on the CCTT Renovation has progressed to replacing the elevators, which means MiWay is again rerouting the 6 CREDIT WOODLANDS via Square One Dr. as they had done this past spring.  The notice isn't explicit, so I looked at the stop listing on the revised routing and it struck me that the lower CCTT stops (both directions) on Square One Dr. are the only ones between CCTT and the regular routing on Living Arts Dr.  The roundabout at Duke of York Blvd. and Square One Dr. probably precludes having a stop at the intersection and all of the turns the route takes also makes putting in a pair of stops problematic.  Staying along Square One Dr. from Living Arts Dr. would provide service to at least another pair of stops another pair could be added on Square One Dr. between Living Arts and Duke of York at the crosswalk where the median island is formed which would also restore direct access to the Sheridan campus for those who may need it.

Since the detour is related to the elevator replacement at CCTT to provide wheelchair access (they really should at the very least also mark off a pedestrian route through the parking lot west of the terminal to access the wheelchair ramp off Rathburn) is expected to last through to next year I guess the construction schedule was also affected by COVID or MiWay jumped the gun showing the route change in place for August.

Back to the CCTT Renovations, MiWay also posted this update:

For those who aren't familiar with the new layout, we're facing north where the Customer Service/Lost & Found used to be.  I was never a huge fan of the way the next departures were displayed on the screens showing only the next departure.  With the wide screens there's more than enough room to show the next two or three departures.  Especially (pre-COVID) if you wanted to know how much time you had to duck into Square One if you weren't going to make an immediate connection.

[Orion 1200]

On 9/17/2020 at 3:53 PM, Gil said:

Depending on how much later this year they're talking about could we see the migration take place with the late October Service Change or will they just hold off until the January Service Change?  If it were ready mid-board period would there be a contingency plan to migrate as soon as it was ready?  The terminal itself is further along than the PPUDO, but then again it's a far more complex build.

My understanding is that MiWay will be allowed in there starting the first week of December. Whether that means service will start that date or not is another story.

[MiExpress]

23 hours ago, transitfan100 said:

i dont see any "MiExpress" branding on the bus, even though i was expecting to see the express sign like the previous xcelsiors

 

ive also noticed the driver side mirror is 15x8 mirror instead of 10x10 flat with round convex on bottom

There is a MiExpress logo on the driver side below the driver window (see pic attached).

As well, the engine access door has a vent on it, and there are exterior cameras. 

Some minor changes inside. No more reading lights but there are USB power outlets like the Nova LFS HEVs. 53 seats with the rear centre seat blocked off. 

[Gil]

4 hours ago, Orion 1200 said:

My understanding is that MiWay will be allowed in there starting the first week of December. Whether that means service will start that date or not is another story.

Inside sources?  That's also around the time GO typically makes their service cuts for Christmas break for post-secondary.  Seeing as they're already scaled back they may just wait until January to introduce service.  I'm sure both MiWay and GO will take the few weeks after the handover for drivers to familiarize themselves with manoeuvring within the terminal as well as get used to the potential new routing (especially for the 26 BURNHAMTHORPE which is supposed to continue serving both Islington and Kipling).  I'm sure like the rest of us, drivers will also be taking their holidays so it make sense to stretch out the familiarization process.

Will MiWay continue to pay the TTC "rent" (when does the typical rental/lease period end? That could be an indicator for the transfer) for the single route at Islington or will it simply get evicted and serve the on-street stops?  Driver layover aside, could the 26 BURNHAMTHORPE offload and board at the same stop on Islington at Aberfoyle?  If they plan on giving the driver a layover without a platform in the station, then boarding will have to take place at Green Lanes.

[MiExpress]

1 hour ago, Gil said:

Inside sources?  That's also around the time GO typically makes their service cuts for Christmas break for post-secondary.  Seeing as they're already scaled back they may just wait until January to introduce service.  I'm sure both MiWay and GO will take the few weeks after the handover for drivers to familiarize themselves with manoeuvring within the terminal as well as get used to the potential new routing (especially for the 26 BURNHAMTHORPE which is supposed to continue serving both Islington and Kipling).  I'm sure like the rest of us, drivers will also be taking their holidays so it make sense to stretch out the familiarization process.

Will MiWay continue to pay the TTC "rent" (when does the typical rental/lease period end? That could be an indicator for the transfer) for the single route at Islington or will it simply get evicted and serve the on-street stops?  Driver layover aside, could the 26 BURNHAMTHORPE offload and board at the same stop on Islington at Aberfoyle?  If they plan on giving the driver a layover without a platform in the station, then boarding will have to take place at Green Lanes.

Preparations for operating into Kipling Terminal are already being made and MiWay conducted their first test runs into the terminal last week.

Regarding the route 26, the route will no longer enter Islington Station, but rather serve the station on street in both eastbound and westbound directions on the way to and from Kipling Terminal which will be the end point and layovers will be taken there. From Burnhamthorpe and Kipling, the eastbound route will be Burnhamthorpe, Cordova, Central Park, Islington, Bloor (serve Islington Station on street at Bloor/Green Lanes), Dundas, Subway Crescent to Kipling Terminal. From Kipiling Terminal, the westbound route will be Dundas, Bloor, Islington (serve Islington Station on street at Islington/Aberfoyle), Cordova, Burnhamthorpe to regular routing. New stops will be placed to accommodate this revised routing.

With this change, route 20 will be rerouted off Burnhamthorpe in Etobicoke and instead connect to Kipling Terminal using Highway 427 and Dundas. Route 70 will also use this routing.

There are no changes to the other routes currently serving Islington other than revising them to terminate at Kipling Terminal.

I've attached a (crude) drawing showing the planned platform allocations once the terminal opens. Bays 3, 14, 15, 16 have been designed to accommodate articulated buses.

 

 

 

 

[Gil]

On 10/7/2020 at 1:35 AM, drum118 said:

Oct 2

Until I get some shots from the GO platforms to confirm what I am seeing on the north side, it looks like there is now 16 bays in place of 14. The north side saying 8 bays with GO having 7 & 8 at the east end. All bays have display screens for both direction, with platform 8 being testing.

...

No, they didn't increase the number of bays by 2, it's just Metrolinx' numbering scheme which includes the train platforms.  Kipling has 2 available track platforms, hence the bus platforms begin their numbering at 3.

17 hours ago, Silly Tilley said:

Preparations for operating into Kipling Terminal are already being made and MiWay conducted their first test runs into the terminal last week.

Regarding the route 26, the route will no longer enter Islington Station, but rather serve the station on street in both eastbound and westbound directions on the way to and from Kipling Terminal which will be the end point and layovers will be taken there. From Burnhamthorpe and Kipling, the eastbound route will be Burnhamthorpe, Cordova, Central Park, Islington, Bloor (serve Islington Station on street at Bloor/Green Lanes), Dundas, Subway Crescent to Kipling Terminal. From Kipiling Terminal, the westbound route will be Dundas, Bloor, Islington (serve Islington Station on street at Islington/Aberfoyle), Cordova, Burnhamthorpe to regular routing. New stops will be placed to accommodate this revised routing.

With this change, route 20 will be rerouted off Burnhamthorpe in Etobicoke and instead connect to Kipling Terminal using Highway 427 and Dundas. Route 70 will also use this routing.

There are no changes to the other routes currently serving Islington other than revising them to terminate at Kipling Terminal.

I've attached a (crude) drawing showing the planned platform allocations once the terminal opens. Bays 3, 14, 15, 16 have been designed to accommodate articulated buses.

I'm guessing Metrolinx is really trying to get MiWay to take over the TTC's 50 BURNHAMTHORPE route since the 26 BURNHAMTHORPE will completely duplicate the routing to and from Islington per my mock-up of the new routing based on your description.  That'll probably take some getting used to for residents along Burnhamthorpe to take a MiWay bus rather than a TTC bus.  Whose logo will show up on the stop if they do or will they use the generic Metrolinx stop?

Assuming some arrangement is struck between MiWay and TTC, that would resolve the issue of MiWay providing intra-Toronto service for the connecting routes from Kipling to get to Islington and possibly any transfers from the 20 RATHBURN for passengers wanting to reach points east of the 427 (the Loblaws at East Mall for example) since the only common stops outside Toronto with the 26 BURNHAMTHORPE are Ponytrail and Mill (well, not technically, but it is beyond the TTC service area).

Duplication on Bloor would be the next target, but since MiWay doesn't serve Markland Wood I'm not sure if they'd merge the services in the corridor.  You could add a branch of the 112 WEST MALL to cover Markland Wood.  Someone had pointed out in the TTC Discussion thread about the 49 BLOOR WEST returning to Islington.  With Six Points straightened out it would provide additional service to all of the development slated for the area (at the expense of a shorter trip to Kipling unless it served both stations).

Another interesting question with the completion of the Kipling Hub is the future of the Dundas BRT to Waterdown.  It's on Metrolinx' backburner at the moment incubating.  Depending on how they decide to format the BRT service (BRT-lite with simple stops like Brampton's Züm and possibly some painted roadway or something more substantial like physical separation on YRT's VIVA) and the phasing of service implementation would this be a GO Transit route, possibly a MiWay (the 101 Dundas Express did go as far as Uptown Oakville at one point) or overlapping and/or shared service between MiWay, Oakvile Transit and Burlington Transit?

[Gil]

Two recent tweets from MiWay that look interesting:

So MiWay is looking for public input on copying the accessible seat design from Toronto's streetcars with fold up seats.

And then:

The real-time displays along the Transitway are getting a system update.  Are they coordinating it with the displays being installed at GO Stations?  The systems appear to be physically different with the Transitway being an LED display while the GO Stations have full screens.  I wonder what else will be displayed on those screens aside from the next departure time?

Speaking of Transitway stations, why is Renforth the only one without municipal wifi?  I don't usually use the stations at the western end of the Transitway to see if they have wifi as well, but I'll get a notification on my phone as I'm passing through the eastern ones.  Trade-off for the washroom?!

[transitfan100]

3 hours ago, Gil said:

Two recent tweets from MiWay that look interesting:

So MiWay is looking for public input on copying the accessible seat design from Toronto's streetcars with fold up seats.

And then:

The real-time displays along the Transitway are getting a system update.  Are they coordinating it with the displays being installed at GO Stations?  The systems appear to be physically different with the Transitway being an LED display while the GO Stations have full screens.  I wonder what else will be displayed on those screens aside from the next departure time?

Speaking of Transitway stations, why is Renforth the only one without municipal wifi?  I don't usually use the stations at the western end of the Transitway to see if they have wifi as well, but I'll get a notification on my phone as I'm passing through the eastern ones.  Trade-off for the washroom?!

there is no wifi on the 2 western transitway stations

[wowzhao]

On 10/23/2020 at 4:35 PM, Gil said:

Speaking of Transitway stations, why is Renforth the only one without municipal wifi?  I don't usually use the stations at the western end of the Transitway to see if they have wifi as well, but I'll get a notification on my phone as I'm passing through the eastern ones.  Trade-off for the washroom?!

 

On 10/23/2020 at 8:34 PM, transitfan100 said:

there is no wifi on the 2 western transitway stations

Because all of those stations (Winston Churchill, Erin Mills, and Renforth) are built and maintained by GO/Metrolinx instead of MiWay. You will also notice that this is why the "artistic" style of those stations are different from the rest of the stations.

[GTAmissions1]

News release regarding the acceptance of 11 hybrid electric articulated buses with the option to convert to battery power. Aiming for revenue service in early 2021.

https://www.mississauga.ca/city-of-mississauga-news/news/miway-furthers-the-citys-commitment-to-climate-change-with-first-ever-60-foot-hybrid-electric-buses-in-ontario/

[Kobayashi]

9 hours ago, GTAmissions1 said:

News release regarding the acceptance of 11 hybrid electric articulated buses with the option to convert to battery power. Aiming for revenue service in early 2021.

https://www.mississauga.ca/city-of-mississauga-news/news/miway-furthers-the-citys-commitment-to-climate-change-with-first-ever-60-foot-hybrid-electric-buses-in-ontario/

Second ever in Ontario. HSR was the first in Ontario with their DE60LFRs in 2007 which are also hybrid electric.

[bus_7246]

1 hour ago, Eren Jaeger said:

Second ever in Ontario. HSR was the first in Ontario with their DE60LFRs in 2007 which are also hybrid electric.

Actually third, coming in nearly eight years behind the Zum fleet in Brampton

[Xtrazsteve]

17 hours ago, Eren Jaeger said:

Second ever in Ontario. HSR was the first in Ontario with their DE60LFRs in 2007 which are also hybrid electric.

I'm pretty sure they meant first every "2nd generation" artic hybrid buses.

[Bus_Medic]

10 hours ago, Xtrazsteve said:

I'm pretty sure they meant first every "2nd generation" artic hybrid buses.

Whatever that means.

[Orion V]

What defines 2nd generation hybrid?

MiWay's 2010 Orion VII hybrids are considered 2nd generation too as they are different than TTC's but they don't have the features that the LFS hybrids have.

[MiExpress]

2 hours ago, Orion V said:

What defines 2nd generation hybrid?

MiWay's 2010 Orion VII hybrids are considered 2nd generation too as they are different than TTC's but they don't have the features that the LFS hybrids have.

The term "2nd generation hybrid" is being used as a buzzword by transit systems and even manufacturers to refer to the newer hybrids which are capable of electrically driven accessories, engine stop/start and if specified, capable of electric only operation. MiWay uses this distinction as well, referring to their Orion hybrids as "1st generation" as they do not have electrically driven accessories. 

However as far as BAE systems is concerned, their "2nd generation" hybrid system was introduced in 2010, when the system was completely redesigned from seperate air cooled components to a "all in one" design that is oil cooled. (Called HDS 200/300). BAE also started using their own alternator system and about 2-3 years later, the "accessory power system" that can be used to electrically power accesories.

MiWay's 2010 Orion hybrids were the first to feature this updated system.

Since I am not a fan of buzzwords, I think the correct answer is MiWay's 2010 Orion hybrids are 2nd generation, but do not have the electric accessories the later ones do. It's probably more accurate to call it a evolution of the system rather than this "2nd generation" buzzword.

[Xtrazsteve]

14 hours ago, Bus_Medic said:

Whatever that means.

It doesn't mean anything beyond the media.

Terms like pre-2010 design and modern 2018+ updates would be more suitable.

[newflyerinvero]

A few questions and curiosities here.

Are there a couple runs on the 5-Dixie which are Central based, as a few times on Transee, there've been LFSA's operating on it.

Has the 39-Britannia been a Malton-based route? I'd thought that if that was the case, that some of the Malton 13xx XD60s would be on it rather than exclusively being on the 5.

Speaking of Transsee, just today before posting in here that many of the buses in service, there'd be a note, in green, indicating that there are "many seats available". Is this specifically to miWay, or to other agencies that Transsee tracks?

[blue.bird.fan]

1 hour ago, newflyerinvero said:

A few questions and curiosities here.

Are there a couple runs on the 5-Dixie which are Central based, as a few times on Transee, there've been LFSA's operating on it.

Has the 39-Britannia been a Malton-based route? I'd thought that if that was the case, that some of the Malton 13xx XD60s would be on it rather than exclusively being on the 5.

Speaking of Transsee, just today before posting in here that many of the buses in service, there'd be a note, in green, indicating that there are "many seats available". Is this specifically to miWay, or to other agencies that Transsee tracks?

I'll leave the first point to other users to answer, as I'm not as knowledgeable about that. The 39 Britannia is a Central Parkway division route, and from my looking at TransSee today, the "many seats available" feature is so far only available on MiWay within the GTA. It wasn't on any of other agencies I looked at.

[MT0603]

Prior to the September board period Malton had 3 base blocks on the 39, 1 base block on the 61, 3 AM/PM rush hour blocks on the 104 and 2 base blocks on the 107.

Since service cancellations have mostly affected Central routes most of the above mentioned blocks have been transferred to Central to balance out the amount of spareboard crews between the two divisions.

 

Of the above mentioned routes Malton now only has 5 base blocks on the 107 and Central has gained 2 AM/PM rush hour blocks on the 5. However, Central's two blocks on the 5 are both 40' blocks and the LFSAs that occasionally pop up on the route are in fact at Malton while some of their artics are down for maintenance. Currently 1351-1353 and 0866 have been out of service for 2 weeks or more. 

I should note that Malton has a single base block on the 35 and that remains unchanged.