[ShonTron]

I've thought that instead, the TTC should have considered bringing the 67 from Ellesmere and Pharmacy into Don Mills instead via Consumers, rather than using the 167. It would have at least re-connected the two Pharmacy Road routes.

 

[marcus_a_j]

The service to Consumers is a really good idea. I agree that it should just avoid the Consumers/sheppard intersection and use Yorkland/Sheppard instead.

They couldn't reroute through Farmcrest based on the current vehilce turning permissions at some intersections in the area. Vehicles are not permitted to travel east straight through the Consumers/V.P. intersection onto Meadowacres, they must turn north or south (however vehicles are allowed to travel west through the intersection from Meadowacres to Consumers). Also, southbound vehicles on Pharmacy cannot go straight through at Sheppard in am peak periods, they must turn east or west.

 

[marcus_a_j]

I've thought that instead, the TTC should have considered bringing the 67 from Ellesmere and Pharmacy into Don Mills instead via Consumers, rather than using the 167. It would have at least re-connected the two Pharmacy Road routes.

There is a 24 VP (I think 24A) that goes to Don Mills via Consumers. Given that Pharmacy and VP are relatively close distance wise (for Toronto arterial road standards) I think it wouldn't be necessary to have both routes go through Consumers to Don Mills Stn. They could change the routing of the 67 to turn west on Ellesmere, north on VP and east back to Pharmacy via Pachino or Terraview. That way there is a potential transfer from the 67 to 24A to Don Mills Stn. When the two Pharmacy routes were one prior to Sheppard subway, most people (from what I could tell) transferred to Finch or Sheppard to get to the subway instead of staying on the bus to VP station. Most people who would stay on the Pharmacy (north) bus and go south of the 401 were Wexford CI students.

 

[CDL.TO]

They couldn't reroute through Farmcrest based on the current vehilce turning permissions at some intersections in the area. Vehicles are not permitted to travel east straight through the Consumers/V.P. intersection onto Meadowacres, they must turn north or south (however vehicles are allowed to travel west through the intersection from Meadowacres to Consumers). Also, southbound vehicles on Pharmacy cannot go straight through at Sheppard in am peak periods, they must turn east or west.

"TTC Vehicles Excepted" and "Buses Excepted" on turning restriction signs are common all over Toronto. They could have installed a couple more.

 

[unimaginative2]

Dammit. They're still turning back two thirds of the Spadina cars at King.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Darn. The 66 Prince Edward north branch has still not returned.

It used to run south from Dundas Street West along Prince Edward to Bloor, then east on Bloor Street West to the Old Mill Station where it then continued its current routing south of Bloor.

 

[taal]

I noticed a few things lacking with the plan as well but let's give credit where it's due ... this is a massive increase. One wonders why it was so long in the making (for the most part I think it's due to the lack of bus depots). Sure we can complain but this will benefit many many people.

I can't stress this point enough though: All of these increases will be pointless if the buses can't stick to a schedule and maintain reasonable spacing. That's the current problem right now on many of the busiest bus routes. Spacing is atrocious... it doesn't exist. It's funny, one such route is the 196 - I often find it easy to blame the drivers or TTC management but one day with a lot of time on my hand I decided to take an extended ride on the bus and I noticed they actually attempt to adhere to their schedules ... but due to traffic, the sheer amount of buses and a few other reasons it's very difficult. But it still needs to be addressed!!

 

[nfitz]

What's the timeframe to get the GPS-based CIS system installed on all the buses? Surely at the point when they can sit and simply look at where all the buses are in real-time on a map, then it will become a lot easier to start trying to fix the spacing issues.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

What's the timeframe to get the GPS-based CIS system installed on all the buses? Surely at the point when they can sit and simply look at where all the buses are in real-time on a map, then it will become a lot easier to start trying to fix the spacing issues.

New York's MTA is having a problem with their GPS-based bus location system. From secondavenuesages.com:

Report: Bus GPS plan on its last legs

Nearly a year ago, news came out that the MTA and its technology firms were at odds over a few key technology projects. The contractors could not figure out how to implement a GPS-based bus location system in New York and was, at the time, 16 months behind schedule.

Now, according to Pete Donohue, the GPS projects appears to be dying a slow, slow death. The Daily News transit scribe writes:

NYC Transit may pull the plug on a troubled $99 million project to track buses and post “real†arrival times on bus-stop message boards, the Daily News has learned. Officials have halted some work “pending a decision on the future of the project,†according to a report by the agency’s outside engineering consultant.

NYC Transit lawyers also are reviewing legal options, according to the report, which says the contractor is two years behind schedule and still having technical problems with the GPS tracking system. “It’s a dirty, rotten shame,†Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign said. “A bus locator system could greatly improve bus service with better dispatching and more real-time information. If your car’s GPS can guide you around town, I don’t see why buses can’t do the same.â€

The report by the Carter-Burgess engineering firm refers to problems in general terms, citing software issues, a high failure rate of onboard equipment and inaccurate arrival times relayed to message boards placed on just a handful of routes in Manhattan so far.

The MTA has recently turned off a test-run of the program, but the contractors are still claiming that they are within the contractual requirements.

No matter how this ends up, one thing is certain: As the MTA moves forward with technological investments, the agency and its contractors have to be on the same page. Other transit systems in cities with tall buildings have GPS-based bus systems; other subway systems older than ours have train arrival boards. It’s time for New York to get these features, but these technology projects seem to be stalled out.

 

[nfitz]

Interesting.

So how was it so simple for York Region? I haven't heard complaints about their Viva next bus boards.

 

[CDL.TO]

I'm not surprised that the system isn't working in Manhattan. In my experience, GPS is highly unreliable, to the point of often not working at all, when you're in urban canyons.

Has anyone tried using a GPS navigation system while driving in Manhattan? I'd be curious to hear what their experience was.

 

[299 bloor call control.]

Manhattan is far too dense with too many towers for a GPS system to work properly. I don't think it will be a problem for the TTC, if the next-stop announcement works (which is based on GPS location), the next-vehicle arrival system will work fine as well.

York Region will never have a problem with GPS reception.