Miscellaneous TTC Discussion & Questions

[Gil]

I thought it was well known to the folks at Evergreen that TTC can't provide a bus service to Evergreen from Broadview Stn due to the steep slope along Pottery Road. You would think as a councillor, she would be aware of those issues in her own ward. Its been brought up before so this isn't a new finding if she gets the expected answer why TTC can't provide that type of direct service.

I thought the work done on Pottery was to make it less of a challenge to use. The alternative to Broadview if they wanted a Bloor-Danforth connection would be from either Sherbourne or Castle Frank and then go through Rosedale using the Governor's Rd. bridge to Bayview. Unless the City wants to add a ramp to allow access to northbound Bayview from the Don Valley onramp from Bloor probably through the Works Yard

.

Subway Cres. is already like a zoo with all the traffic thats there. Even Aukland gets really congested with all the car/bus traffic especially with the new condos that have been built since that time. Unless they do something with the park and ride, or some of the parking I would say it would be really infeasible to do this, and even if this was done it wouldnt really solve the problem due to the amount of routes MiWay operates out of Islington.

I'm not advocating moving ALL of the routes to Kipling. Just a select few. Again, when the express routes were relatively new (introduction of the 80-series) they operated out of Kipling. South on St. Albans to Subway Cres. drop off/pick up passengers and then continue back up to Dundas. The clockwise routing avoids the traffic backups from people trying to get into the commuter lots.

Alternately, that handful of routes could drop off/pick up passengers at the east entrance under the Kipling Ave. overpass. From there they can access Kipling and Bloor. The only down side is that entrance doesn't have a ticket booth, but it is wheelchair accessible. So you're faced with a tradeoff.

As for transferring between routes that serve Islington to the ones out of Kipling, there is a proviso in the transfer rules allowing for this. I've seen MiWay buses let off passengers at Aukland. If adequate notice was given that some routes would migrate to Kipling I doubt it'll be too much of a temporary inconvenience. The buses at Islington board in the fare-paid area, so hopping back on the subway to Kipling wouldn't incur another fare.

[vivablue5215]

I thought the work done on Pottery was to make it less of a challenge to use. The alternative to Broadview if they wanted a Bloor-Danforth connection would be from either Sherbourne or Castle Frank and then go through Rosedale using the Governor's Rd. bridge to Bayview. Unless the City wants to add a ramp to allow access to northbound Bayview from the Don Valley onramp from Bloor probably through the Works Yard

Why can't it go east on Bloor onto northbound DVP, exit at the Bayview/Bloor ramp and go northbound Bayview from there?

[Gil]

Why can't it go east on Bloor onto northbound DVP, exit at the Bayview/Bloor ramp and go northbound Bayview from there?

Completely forgot about that onramp! Yes, that is a possibility as well. If it's off-peak service they're looking for then running on the DVP shouldn't be a problem.

[Wilson & Fay]

Is 29 the only official HF accessible route out of Wilson?

Otherwise, where else can I gaurantee to find a 96 V from Wilson?

You can easily find some up by Downsview as well on the 106 (some days), 107 mostly everyday, and the 196 Rocket and I been seeing a few 94xx on the 509 as well with some 70\71xx from malvern.

[buschic]

We are in Kingston rd/Lawrence area, have great bus service on the 86/305, but morningside 116 is awful, as is the 54.

116 are so packed at times we can't get on with my wheelchair, so have to wait 2-3 buses go by before one can pick us up.

Drivers on the 86 are incredible.

Living near a Go Station is very handy too.

Sent from my ALCATEL ONE TOUCH 6040A using Tapatalk

[smallspy]

Why can't it go east on Bloor onto northbound DVP, exit at the Bayview/Bloor ramp and go northbound Bayview from there?

And how does it return then?

Dan

[vivablue5215]

And how does it return then?

Dan

...damn, you got me there.

[Ed T.]

I don't even know if this is a TTC question....

There's a new bus-only on-ramp from Eglinton Ave. West that runs up to the southbound Highway 27 continuation to Highway 427 just before those become the collector lanes for the southbound 427. The ramp is tucked in south off Eglinton between the 427 and 27. It's basically located where the light standard is in this picture, coming off Eglinton and going down the page onto 27: http://goo.gl/maps/Yhdm6

I have no idea why this was built and what routes on Eglinton W want quick access to 27/427 southbound.

[vivablue5215]

I have no idea why this was built and what routes on Eglinton W want quick access to 27/427 southbound.

Lots of MiWay routes?

[Ed T.]

Lots of MiWay routes?

It looks like 109 uses it, but I don't see any others. No TTC routes that I can see on the TTC map, nor can I think of any that might want to use it.

Interesting that the ramp was put in for MiWay when it's in the City of Toronto. Although the land all around there is probably provinically-owned.

[Gil]

It looks like 109 uses it, but I don't see any others. No TTC routes that I can see on the TTC map, nor can I think of any that might want to use it.

Interesting that the ramp was put in for MiWay when it's in the City of Toronto. Although the land all around there is probably provinically-owned.

The TTC hasn't updated their maps and the new format ones don't show non-TTC routes and probably wouldn't show up with the simplified format. Aside from the 109, the 35/35A also use the on-ramp. The ramp is supposedly part of improvements to the 427 to improve the connection between the Mississauga Busway (which GO will also use once completed) and the Kipling Regional Terminal. Once the Busway is completed, other subway-bound routes using it will probably use the on-ramp as well.

As for the TTC, I guess if they had or want and express/Rocket route from Eglinton down to Kipling they could use it. I think they may need to take the median out to allow westbound buses access to it.

[63 Ossington]

While looking at the upcoming service summary, I noticed the weekend service of the 160 is every 36 minutes. Do contracted routes fall outside the mandate of 30mins or better service? Or is that requirement done with in general as well?

[FlyerD901]

Well, the section on Markham Rd south of Steeles, north of McNicoll on route 102 is in a similar situation. I always see people waiting for the 102 bus southbound at Steeles

[Gil]

While looking at the upcoming service summary, I noticed the weekend service of the 160 is every 36 minutes. Do contracted routes fall outside the mandate of 30mins or better service? Or is that requirement done with in general as well?

Most of the contracted routes have a supplemental service either as a branch or a separate route that runs only as far as (or pretty close to in the case of the 102) the Toronto border, which when combined with the contracted route create 30 minutes-or-better service. As the name implies, the contracted sections run at or as close to the frequencies requested. In the case of York, it looks like they run the contracted services based on what they can afford.

[vivablue5215]

Well, the section on Markham Rd south of Steeles, north of McNicoll on route 102 is in a similar situation. I always see people waiting for the 102 bus southbound at Steeles

A lot of people don't realize you can take the 53B/E and connect with the 102 at Passmore, although there is fair grounds for extending 102 to Steeles.

[Ed T.]

The TTC hasn't updated their maps and the new format ones don't show non-TTC routes and probably wouldn't show up with the simplified format. Aside from the 109, the 35/35A also use the on-ramp. The ramp is supposedly part of improvements to the 427 to improve the connection between the Mississauga Busway (which GO will also use once completed) and the Kipling Regional Terminal. Once the Busway is completed, other subway-bound routes using it will probably use the on-ramp as well.

I was using MiWay's maps, but they're hard to read and come in multiple fvlavours.

As for the TTC, I guess if they had or want and express/Rocket route from Eglinton down to Kipling they could use it. I think they may need to take the median out to allow westbound buses access to it.

There are already ramps for westbound Eglinton to southbound 27 and northbound 27 to Eglinton. I have a hard time figuring the usefulness of this route, since it will be stuck in traffic on Dundas to get back to Kipling.

[Gil]

I was using MiWay's maps, but they're hard to read and come in multiple fvlavours.

There are already ramps for westbound Eglinton to southbound 27 and northbound 27 to Eglinton. I have a hard time figuring the usefulness of this route, since it will be stuck in traffic on Dundas to get back to Kipling.

The section in question gets treated with a thick grey line due to the multiple routes using the ramps. It's supposed to provide access to the HOV lanes, which given the location of the ramp looks like they will be going in the Collector lanes. They've already reconfigured the ramp at Dundas for a bus-only lane which MiWay and TTC use. Now if they could either enforce or physically separate the HOV lanes on Dundas it'd help!

I was thinking more of TTC-operated trips from the future Renforth Terminal to Kipling. I don't know how well-received express running of the 112 down to Kipling would be. The old Michael Power 112E entered the 427 via Eringate, but it would miss areas north of Eringate if that became a more regular route. Perhaps through-routing from Renforth or Skymark down the 427 could be an option?

[Airbus A320]

The section in question gets treated with a thick grey line due to the multiple routes using the ramps. It's supposed to provide access to the HOV lanes, which given the location of the ramp looks like they will be going in the Collector lanes. They've already reconfigured the ramp at Dundas for a bus-only lane which MiWay and TTC use. Now if they could either enforce or physically separate the HOV lanes on Dundas it'd help!

I was thinking more of TTC-operated trips from the future Renforth Terminal to Kipling. I don't know how well-received express running of the 112 down to Kipling would be. The old Michael Power 112E entered the 427 via Eringate, but it would miss areas north of Eringate if that became a more regular route. Perhaps through-routing from Renforth or Skymark down the 427 could be an option?

The 112E still exists but there are only 2 buses right after the school ends

[Ed T.]

The section in question gets treated with a thick grey line due to the multiple routes using the ramps. It's supposed to provide access to the HOV lanes, which given the location of the ramp looks like they will be going in the Collector lanes.

Yes, southbound 27 becomes the collector lanes. They are not busy until the crossover from the express further south. I wonder how HOV/bus lanes would work in the 427 collectors, given the frequent ramps both to many minor exits on the right, and the two crossovers to the express on the left.

I was thinking more of TTC-operated trips from the future Renforth Terminal to Kipling. I don't know how well-received express running of the 112 down to Kipling would be. The old Michael Power 112E entered the 427 via Eringate, but it would miss areas north of Eringate if that became a more regular route. Perhaps through-routing from Renforth or Skymark down the 427 could be an option?

The 112E still exists but there are only 2 buses right after the school ends

I learn something new every day. Of course the 112E is not listed in the TTC's route description.

[JayTR]

I have a few question that I hope some can answer.

When there are subway shuttles running like this past weekend, why do the buses stop at all stops on yonge street (97 yonge bus stops), and not only the shuttle stops? I noticed most drivers stop at every stop and it can take from 20-40 mins to get from queen st to yonge/bloor. I had one driver this weekend ONLY stop at the shuttle stops, and we made it in 8 mins! I asked a few TTC supervisors during the last few closures what the procedure is, they all tell me different stories: Some say they stop at all stops, others told me theres no real protocol and drivers do what they want, and a few said they should only stop at shuttle stops. Any drivers here who can shed some light on this?

It's been optional for quite some time. They'll even take your complaint via Twitter if you feel so inclined.

Dan

If your making a direct complaint about an operator you can't use twitter. They will tell you to call in or use the online form on ttc.ca

[Turtle]

When there are subway shuttles running like this past weekend, why do the buses stop at all stops on yonge street (97 yonge bus stops), and not only the shuttle stops? I noticed most drivers stop at every stop and it can take from 20-40 mins to get from queen st to yonge/bloor. I had one driver this weekend ONLY stop at the shuttle stops, and we made it in 8 mins!

I think its idiotic that the shuttles are stopping at every stop. It's the same complaint I have about the north yonge subway shuttle buses from Eglinton to Finch after 12:30am. They are there replacing subway service. The subway doesn't stop at those stops, why are those buses? Those should all be marked as express service. It's terrible customer service to stop at every stop, when the service those buses are replacing doesn't.

[shambala]

I have a few question that I hope some can answer.

When there are subway shuttles running like this past weekend, why do the buses stop at all stops on yonge street (97 yonge bus stops), and not only the shuttle stops? I noticed most drivers stop at every stop and it can take from 20-40 mins to get from queen st to yonge/bloor. I had one driver this weekend ONLY stop at the shuttle stops, and we made it in 8 mins! I asked a few TTC supervisors during the last few closures what the procedure is, they all tell me different stories: Some say they stop at all stops, others told me theres no real protocol and drivers do what they want, and a few said they should only stop at shuttle stops. Any drivers here who can shed some light on this?

I agree with you. The fact supervisors admit a lack of protocol and driver's doing what they want is stunning given the fact that those that do are damned if they do and damned if they donet. A shuttle replacing the subway should only stop at subway stations or designated stops otherwise you're basically a 97 Yonge.

[wil9402]

While were on the topic of shuttles, Has anyone ever experienced the Shuttle Stop Announcement mode on the AA system actually work along the subway routes or any other route? I had an operator on 95E use it last week and was pleasantly surprised when it actually called out the (old) express stops in addition to an "arriving at..." announcement. I've always thought that the express announcements should have an arriving at announcement like the subway.

[BBC 9197]

While were on the topic of shuttles, Has anyone ever experienced the Shuttle Stop Announcement mode on the AA system actually work along the subway routes or any other route? I had an operator on 95E use it last week and was pleasantly surprised when it actually called out the (old) express stops in addition to an "arriving at..." announcement. I've always thought that the express announcements should have an arriving at announcement like the subway.

The "Shuttle Service" button is used as just another category, no subway shuttle is programmed into the AA. Many of the express routes don't use either the "Express 1" or "Express 2" category, like the 95 and the 196.

[leylandvictory2]

in case you are wondering 116E uses express 2 while 86E uses express 1.