Non-unionize employees are safer?

I would like to know what screening methods unions use other than police checks. 

His comment about losing control of who enters the property was kind of funny.  strangers ride the subway every day.  there are no security scans.  anyone could bring whatever in.  a simple piece of paper on the tracks could cause chaos. 

The ttc even advertises the paper cup issue in the ttc cars.

I am sure if there are special procedures for scanning then it could be listed in their contract and if not done ttc could sue them and get out of the contract. 

I look forward to comments.

Kill the escarpment highway? If so, what are the alternatives

There is a campaign to kill the escarpment highway.  The conduit to get people from outlying areas to work.
Part of the highway project is to get people from the Niagara Region into places like Kitchener/Waterloo and Guelph which currently you must rely heavily on Highway 6.  For those who have taken that commute, its really slow.  Lots of wasted fuel which is also bad for the environment.

Yes cancelling the highway helps the environment but what is the alternative?  One alternative is building an efficient transit system between Waterloo, Guelph and the Niagara Region.  It took 10 years to get the trains running on weekends only during the summer between Toronto and Niagara Falls.  How many decades to get the trains to Waterloo or Guelph.

Check out the video and blog post on Rick Goldring's Blog for details.
http://www.burlingtonmayor.com/?p=658

Please comment on his blog and let him know about your concerns on the alternatives to a mega-highway.

Excessive heat, Go Transit should harness it for renewable energy to power trains

"Excessive heat to make for a slower ride home‏" Go Transit says.

With all this excessive heat they should apply some of this alloy and power the trains. With the cost savings maybe they could buy newer trains and switches for winter :)

New alloy can convert heat directly to electricity

Look forward to comments.

Milton Go Train Beats The Go Bus

Why even have the 3:25 PM Milton Bus anymore given that there is a 4:00 PM train.

The 4:00 PM Train beats the bus because the traffic is bad. With traffic headaches slowing the bus down it makes no sense to run it.

As an optimization this bus could be used on another route in need.

I look forward to comments.

Clarity is everything. What lines have the speed restrictions? Where are the delays?

Here is what Go Transit says:

Temperatures are expected to climb above the 30 degrees celsius mark today and on Tuesday July 17 as well. With high temperatures come speed restrictions that will be in place at certain areas along your rail corridor, which may result in a longer commute than usual. We appreciate your patience and will make every effort to ensure you have a comfortable ride home.

Here is my interpretation:

We know the temperatures are going up so here is an excuse just in case we have to delay you so we don't have to pay.

Reasoning:

1) On the Lakeshore line, each time we had this I have experienced no delays due to speed restriction. Only delays for signal that have lasted at most 5 minutes.

2) Some lines have had speed restrictions and generally its the older track that is in need of maintenance such as the Milton Line. Since these lines are known to have speed restrictions why not spell it out. Why use a blanket statement. Simply do the research and let people know which lines are affected or have potential to be affected.

3) If it is true that it could be an issue on any lines then having trains go at normal speed through all these lines is a safety issue. If trains are going at 100 km/h all the time and its only at inspection that you enforce the speed restriction then you are risking those lives during the time you have not inspected the track. How often do you inspect the miles and miles of rail? If you are inspecting the track then you would know the locations that may be affected. Presenting a clearer message.

I look forward to hearing back from Go Transit possibly through a comment on this blog.

Move over 10 ride ... here comes Presto

For those still using those ancient 2 ride and 10 ride tickets you will soon have to move over to PRESTO.

Starting June 1, we will no longer sell 2-ride and 10-ride tickets, but we will continue to accept them as valid fare on GO trains and GO buses until July 31. Transfer your balance to a flexible re-loadable PRESTO fare card at GO stations. Learn more at gotransit.com/presto. 

This is a welcome move.  I have been using presto for a couple years now and the service is great.  The machines work well on the GO lines, there are lots of them at Union Station.  Even customer service is very responsive.

With all the chaos at Union with the construction, I would also like to note that adding the extra Presto devices in the middle area has made a huge difference.

I only have two complaints so far with Presto:

1) We need more stations to support the devices.

Did you know that PRESTO lets you travel the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area with one fare card?  

PRESTO is transferable to most local transit companies in the GTHA, including select TTC stations. When you use your card to transfer from GO to a participating local transit you'll also get a discount on your fare. 

2) We need some of the self service booths like we have at Union Station at some of the other stations like Yonge/Bloor.  Cards are supported here but if you forgot to fill up you are stuck paying a cash fare.

If you have an comments about Presto I look forward to hearing it.

Safety Issue at Port Credit: Fences need to be added/repaired at Port Credit

It always takes an accident to show issues that really should be caught ahead of time.  Case in point, students cross the tracks near Port Credit Station all the time, so why is there not a high fence to stop them.  There is an underpass they could be using instead.

In fact, over the course of the Lakeshore line there needs to be an inspection done of places where fences are in need of repair or where fences need to be added.  On the train ride in, just looking out my window I could spot large openings in the fences near the tracks.  This is a big safety issue for kids walking home from school.

I look forward to hearing more on what CN, Go Transit and VIA are planning to do to resolve this safety issue through this busy corridor.

On a related note, I would like to say thank you to Mississauga Transit for their assistance during this incident.  They quickly converted Clarkson Station buses to shuttles and got everyone home.

Get Lucky with Go Transit

Go Transit has a new contest for St Patty's day.  All you need to do is tell them how you were lucky
on the Go Train.  Be sure to enter as you deserve 10 free rides.

Good Luck

New TTC Trains less Accessible

Last night I witnessed it first hand at the Dundas Station.  Someone wheeled on their motorized chair at an earlier station but when we reached Dundas Station the gap between the train and the platform was over 2 inches wide.  Normally the gap is under an inch so its possible to back the chair out on the older trains.  I thought maybe it was just the Dundas station but as I watched the train head to Union I noticed the gap was wide most of the way down.  If the TTC is going to order more of these trains then they need to think of a mechanism to close the gap when the train stop.  One possibility is accessible cars like they have on the Go Train and then drop something out of the door over the gap so they can get off.

In our case we had 4 passengers assist on getting the chair off while two others held the person.  The conductor was confused he didn't know what to do.

I look forward to hearing someone from TTC comment on what will be done on these new trains to assist in this matter.  The old trains seem to be find, you can back out the motorized chair and its fine.

Safety at the King Road Yard.

Condolences to the 3 engineers that were killed in the crash.  Train derailments do happen due to weather, extreme heat or cold can be a factor, but when an accident occurs in nice weather on almost the anniversary of another derailment 4 years before, it has to be more than coincidence.  Is there a faulty switch?  Does the track need repair?  Are the trains moving through the yard too fast?  I thought there was a speed limit through freight yards.  I know at Mimico there are signs about speed limits.

(Update: The train was speeding when the incident occurred, but was the freight train speeding 4 years ago when it derailed at the same spot? http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/derailed-via-train-was-travelling-four-times-authorized-speed-limit/article2355102/)

These are all questions I would like to see answers on.  I take the Go Train and TTC and would like to know that the sections of track are safe.  If they are not then we need to be resolving those safety issues before expanding service elsewhere.  You may say CN owns the tracks but Go Trains and Via trains use them and should push for them to be a safe place to travel.

Where does the parking ticket money go?

Today in the paper it stated the amount raised on Parking Fines.  Correct me if I am wrong but this money goes to the cities I assume and probably not for Transit Funding.   Are not Go Transit lots private property owned by Go Transit, a government funded private company.

If the parking fines are going to Go Transit, then it would make sense why the priority is on more go lines and not additional parking.  Almost $60,000 is a good amount of money extra to just throw away.  On the other hand, parking lots do take time to build so they could be planning them.  But wait, there are Malls close by with lots of parking.  Why not have people park there and shuttle bus over.  Wow what a concept.  Even better why not run Go Transit buses between stops where there is ample parking to other where there is not.  People can drive to that other stop or a carpool place in between and get shuttled over.

There are alternatives that make economic sense to the consumer.  If you get a $25 ticket for parking illegally that would make it cheaper to drive.  We are supposed to be promoting transit use not deterring it.   Some of the stations mentioned like Richmond Hill are station where you want people not to drive.  Imagine the amount of traffic into downtown that is currently diverted by the Richmond Hill line.  What if everyone said not sure if I will find parking and drive.  Its crazy.

Metrolynx you have done good things with Presto, making the trains run better now its time to step up to the plate and help passengers get to the trains.

Heated clash breaks out on TTC streetcar between passengers and driver

Instead of dealing with the issue with the TTC driver, we are punishing the customer.
TTC drivers get away with a lot of things and when people complain they get booted off the street car or
drivers get rude and nasty escalating the situations.  If they were simply polite like Go Transit Staff then
a lot of these heated situations can be resolved before they escalate.

Really, Go Transit should consult TTC on customer service and customer relations or more of this will happen.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1021534--heated-clash-breaks-out-on-ttc-streetcar-between-passengers-and-driver?bn=1

I look forward to comments on this situation or other incidents you had with ttc.

Want to break the law and get away with it? Work for the TTC.

Safety First, this is how Go Transit thinks now, it was not always that way
but they worked on it.  One thing you didn't hear from Go Transit was that
a bus or train driver broke a law and that they would deal with it internally.

That is exactly what is happening on the TTC.  The latest is a texting bus
driver.  Kinear said if any laws were broken there are internal processes to
deal with the issues and that they will stand behind their employees.

I remember similar comments with the sleeping attendant at the station. Now
its a safety concern especially in light of the recent increase in pedestrian
fatalities related to bus accidents.

I find it shocking that the average driver in Ontario faces a $500 fine
for texting because its dangerous but bus drivers responsible for the safety of
hundreds of people during the course of a day gets let off with an internal
investigation that we never hear about

A citizen of Ontario regardless of whether they are Union or not should be the
same under the law.  You would think the TTC were a military base by the
seperate tribunal but a quick look and you realize the military is actually
organized, and concerned about your safety.

Safety first, and all equal under the law.  Two things we need Mayor Ford to
look at.

Support Presto On The TTC.

It seems Go Transit and many other transit systems are smart and doing presto to make riding easier across
systems.  The TTC however is not going to be adding Presto to any more stations beyond the pilot and will
likely stick you with a credit card payment system in its place.  Show the TTC you prefer Presto over Credit Card at the turnstyle and Support Presto On The TTC

Please pass this on to all your friends as the more of us join the more TTC will take notice and change their decision.  It could mean less fare increases since they would not be wasting millions researching what Presto has already done.

Letter to Mayor Ford on Presto and TTC

I sent the following on to Mayor Ford. I look forward to his response. If you use Presto and feel TTC should get their act together

and continue the roll out please comment here or go to the TTC website and let them know.

If you look at Union Station you will see that loads of riders are using the new Presto cards to the point of stressing the system.

This wide popularity should tell the ttc that this pilot is working and they should expand it.

Instead the head of the Union run TTC wants to invest millions on their own system that will not connect to anyone else.

I think the TTC should get no more money until they stop wasting money. They should roll out Presto, allow people to fill

their presto cards at stations and extend the number of stations.

Go Transit and other local transit like Burlington Transit has already started rolling this out. I would like the transportation

mayor to tell TTC to get out of the dinosaur age and join the modern age where transportation works together.

Car when needed bus or train when needed but all working together. This is the goal behind presto.

I look forward to your response.

Chris Williams

http://go-transit.blogspot.com/

95% less than 20 minutes late makes sense now

From looking at the mornings delays and actually looking back at past delays in my email, I noticed a trend. Delays tend to happen a lot but most delays are 10 to 15 minutes with some delays logged as 17 or 19 minutes which are under 20. Thus the selection of 20 minutes is a simple case of changing the math.

I would like to see the actual numbers on 15 minutes rather than 20 minutes or since you are so proud of the 20 minutes, what about changing the free ride from 30 minutes to 20 minutes. Since its less than 20 minutes late 95 to 98% of the time then this would make sense from a customer service point of view and customer satisfaction. Let's see Go Transit put their money where their mouth is.

Passenger Charter and Customer Service Ambassadors

I read through the printed copy of the Passenger Charter on the way home last evening and found it interesting how little information there were on Customer Service Ambassadors. It is interesting because in my opinion they are the ones who made the biggest difference.

The survey mentioned people feel safe and informed well at stations this has not changed much. Signs are not better or clearer, announcements at stations are still unclear due to old equipment, but the customer service ambassadors on the trains keep us informed of every delay or stop, they respond to emergency assist alarms. They help with directions, guide us on faster trains to take. Talk to us and make us feel comfortable.

When you see a Customer Service Ambassador today, be sure to thank them for the great job they have been doing. We really appreciate what they do every day.

Go Transit Passenger Charter

I just received an email about the new Passenger Charter.  This is exciting as now we have a concrete document that states Go Transits commitment to us.  We have felt the change in attitude at Go Transit over the past few years both from the friendliness and helpfulness of staff members and the free rides for delays over 45 minutes.

Their charter outlines 5 promises to the commuter:

- to be on time

- to keep you informed

- to provide you with a safe travel experience

- to ensure your travel with us is always comfortable and to always be available to help. 

Here is the link to the actual charter.  Check it out and let's keep them to it together.

http://www.gotransit.com/passengercharter/en/passenger_charter.aspx

One thing that looked inaccurate or unclear.

- We will run more than 90% of rush hour trains within five minutes of the scheduled time.  

The stat shows 95% but from experience on the lakeshore line over the past 10 months, most trains closer to 9:00 arrival have been 10 to 15 minutes late.  I am interested on how they came up with this number and how this is audited. 

The Second thing I noticed was that safety is not measured on how safe the trains, stations are but on how safe customers feel.

Every three months, we conduct a customer satisfaction survey to better understand what we are doing right and what we need to improve on. This is the cumulative results for this year for customer satisfaction when it comes to safety.

What would matter more to me would be seeing the results of safety inspections, how often brakes fail, trains break down on tracks, in winter I would like to see random inspections of station platforms for ice buildup, how many people have slipped on stairways, hurt themselves on the platform.  This would be more meaningful then a survey where some people responded to questions and others never reached the survey. 
Just curious, out of the ridership totals how many actually answered the surveys.
I look forward to comments from Go Transit.

Yellow Line Safety Issues

Now that it seems to be legal for someone to push someone else past the yellow lines and there are no longer ttc safety officers to assist, I would like to know what the TTC will be doing to protect the commuters that use the system every day.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/10/25/toronto-deoliveira-dufferin-subway.html

There has been talk of security barriers being to costly but what about two young lives. If you feel the same let the new mayor of Toronto know your concerns. He is all about Transit changes. This would be a huge one.

Time To Vote For Better Transit

Its election day today and all the candidates have a plan for the future of public transit in Toronto. Its an important day for us commuters as the decisions made will affect how long it will take all of us to get home.

For all you in the GTA that can vote, take a look at each candidates plans. They vary greatly both in cost and quality of service. Don't let everyone else choose a better quality of life for you, go out and vote for Better Transit.

One key question to ask each candidate is how they are working with Metrolinx to build their transit plans. What we need is a system that works together not separate systems like before.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/city-votes/transit-authority-asks-mayoral-candidates-to-put-the-brakes-on-new-plans/article1710493/

Transit has started to get better under the Metrolinx realm. Yes the TTC sucks but expansion is not necessarily the answer. The answer is making it easier for passengers to get where they are going. Don't spend millions on Credit card systems when Presto will work fine. It works well on the Go Train. TTC has only two Presto terminals at Union and only a few stations with it active. Save the millions you would have wasted on the new Credit Card systems and focus on safety and reliability of trains.

That is my opinion. Regardless of your opinion, everyone has complained hard about TTC, tonight is your chance to vote for a better system don't waste it.