[nfitz]

It's likely that investing further money into this wasn't going to see a great enough benefit.

A great enough benefit to Rogers profits. I agree with you. Which is likely why they have somehow managed to fenagle this out of TTC.

When bathroom usage drops from it's current levels by 65% let me know.

See March 2020.

It was always effing terrible.

In the past I've run personal tests, turned off my mobile data and tried just using the TCONNECT along the Line 2 from Yonge station to Kipling. It's not worth it. I can't verify but it always seemed like access points were only ever installed centrally on the platform ...

It was only on the platforms. That wasn't a secret. So yes, it wouldn't work in the tunnels, as designed. That was also true of the mobile service - which has been available from Day 1 with some providers (but Rogers, Bell, Telus, etc. refused to negotiate access).

That said, towards the end, they had at least got mobile service in at least the Yonge tunnel from Union to Bloor. I don't ride that line as much (and invariably only 2-3 stops), so I'm not aware how the wifi was working - I'd have thought the wi-fi would have required units on each train, and some high-tech system to get Internet to the trains themselves - which I believe is what GO Transit does. But as far as I know, it wasn't ever in the scope.

 

[picard102]

See March 2020.

Ah yes, the ever valuable data point of 2020. Certainly we should make decisions based on that once in a lifetime event, rather than a sustained decline in usage over time.

 

[CapitalSeven]

I struggle to see what digital anxiety has to do with White Privilege. Analog Fragility, maybe.

 

[Richard White]

Just came across this on Reddit.

If I was a betting man, the bus bays at Warden will soon be removed from the fare paid area.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TTC/s/PZ7nOEwxuJ

 

[bearcat]

Just came across this on Reddit.

If I was a betting man, the bus bays at Warden will soon be removed from the fare paid area.


View attachment 596540


https://www.reddit.com/r/TTC/s/PZ7nOEwxuJ

I am guessing the current connection from the subway to the bus bays may need to be closed down for the construction discussed here https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/toronto-warden-station-redevelopment-13-11m-2s-ttc-sai.34633/ . This will be the temporary way to get from the subway to the bus bays.

 

[nfitz]

Certainly we should make decisions based on that once in a lifetime event, rather than a sustained decline in usage over time.

We need better data over time though. The plan had always been that the wifi was secondary to the mobile. And the mobile has worked better than wifi at the TTC stations for years. But because most providers were refusing to negotiate for carriage with BAI (which surely is an illegal monopolistic behaviour), wifi usage would have been artificially much higher than originally anticipated.

Shouldn't the comparison be to what the anticipated usage was back in 2012 - not the higher level that occurred until the other mobile carriers finally came on board?

Either way - if there's zero cost to the city or TTC for maintaining wifi, why let Rogers off the hook? Especially when wifi is STILL contractually guaranteed to still be in place on Line 5, when it opens?

If I was a betting man, the bus bays at Warden will soon be removed from the fare paid area.

Aren't they soon going to be knocking all those 2-level bus bays down, and replacing them with something simpler - like they did at Victoria Park?

Whatever they are doing here (which might well be taking them out of the fare paid area) is surely temporary. And when construction is finished, they will be in the fare paid area again (like at Victoria Park).

 

[turbanplanner]

Emailed the ttc the old notice was out of date for the cherry beach diversion and someone or them fixed it by ripping it off

 

[Richard White]

I am guessing the current connection from the subway to the bus bays may need to be closed down for the construction discussed here https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/toronto-warden-station-redevelopment-13-11m-2s-ttc-sai.34633/ . This will be the temporary way to get from the subway to the bus bays.

There is precedent for this.

In 1967 when the station was constructed, there was direct access to the Warden Avenue exit from the bus bays.

See below from the City of Toronto Archives via Nathan Ngs Station Fixation site.

 

[bearcat]

There is precedent for this.

In 1967 when the station was constructed, there was direct access to the Warden Avenue exit from the bus bays.

See below from the City of Toronto Archives via Nathan Ngs Station Fixation site.

View attachment 596554View attachment 596555

Thanks for the interesting historical information!

Perhaps this passage has been there since originally constructed in 1967, and it was just walled off.

As per this photo I found online (which I think is of the same area, but I am not sure) there was a wall with a door there, perhaps it was used as a storage room or something similar?

EDIT: nevermind, the door above appears to be where the new passage is, but not where the original 1967 passage was.

 

[nfitz]

There is precedent for this.

In 1967 when the station was constructed, there was direct access to the Warden Avenue exit from the bus bays.

Now I'm confused.

I haven't paid enough attention when I'm there, and I used to take the Warden bus from Warden station often, and I don't think I've ever walked out. I don't think I've been there since before Covid though.

If the station entrance on Warden at the end of the bus bays, doesn't go up to the bus bays, where DOES it go to? Surely there isn't a tunnel?

Perhaps I'm missing something here.

 

[Richard White]

Now I'm confused.

I haven't paid enough attention when I'm there, and I used to take the Warden bus from Warden station often, and I don't think I've ever walked out. I don't think I've been there since before Covid though.

If the station entrance on Warden at the end of the bus bays, doesn't go up to the bus bays, where DOES it go to? Surely there isn't a tunnel?

Perhaps I'm missing something here.

View attachment 596561

There is a corridor from the collector booth to Warden Avenue.

It runs in behind the dry cleaner and washrooms.

 

[bearcat]

Now I'm confused.

I haven't paid enough attention when I'm there, and I used to take the Warden bus from Warden station often, and I don't think I've ever walked out. I don't think I've been there since before Covid though.

If the station entrance on Warden at the end of the bus bays, doesn't go up to the bus bays, where DOES it go to? Surely there isn't a tunnel?

Perhaps I'm missing something here.

View attachment 596561

I think it's something like this. There is a tunnel/corridor (green), that runs from the entrance at Warden Avenue to the mezzanine. You go up stairs to get to it, and down a few steps to leave if going to the subway. In red in the waiting area for the buses. From photos I believe the new corridor that was posted on Reddit is roughly where the black lines are, and the historical corridor is roughly where the orange lines are, but I can be completely wrong about that.

 

[picard102]

Either way - if there's zero cost to the city or TTC for maintaining wifi, why let Rogers off the hook?

There is not zero cost.

Especially when wifi is STILL contractually guaranteed to still be in place on Line 5, when it opens?

Which you can show the contract for?

 

[nfitz]

I think it's something like this. There is a tunnel/corridor (green), that runs from the entrance at Warden Avenue to the mezzanine. You go up stairs to get to it, and down a few steps to leave if going to the subway. In red in the waiting area for the buses. From photos I believe the new corridor that was posted on Reddit is roughly where the black lines are, and the historical corridor is roughly where the orange lines are, but I can be completely wrong about that.

Fascinating! Its amazing that one can go past this stuff all the time, and there's still stuff one doesn't know! I feel tempted to find an excuse to go use the Warden bus to have a look around! (if I was a real transit geek, I'd not need the shopping excuse).

Thanks as well Richard!

Shame there wasn't any retail at Warden and St. Clair; hopefully it becomes TOD one day.

There is not zero cost.

The question was (and I phrased it this way specifically so no one could just respond that there was going to be a cost).

IF there's zero cost to the city or TTC for maintaining wifi, why let Rogers off the hook?

For clarity the key word in that question is "IF".

 

[Richard White]

To update from yesterday...

The new access is between Bays 5 and 6 (16 McCowan and 17 Birchmount).

They have a section of the platform at the top of the escalator adjacent to the tower cordoned off.

All things considered, I think they are about to expand construction causing a shutdown of the existing bus to subway connection.

See below.