Author Topic: Public Transit (Read 3205 times)

random006 · « **on:** March 02, 2009, 01:33:49 pm »

As some of you know, Montreal has a fairly well developed public transit system. It is also fairly well integrated into the social fabric of our city. With bus, metro (subways) and commuter trains available for use, people of all ages, regions and economic backgrounds use the service.

As even fewer of you know, we are about to rip up some of our most heavily used expressways in order to deal with the problem of rotting and unsupportable infrastructure. We have kilometers of elevated roadways, all of which are in constant need of repair owing to being exposed to our 4 season weather on all sides, including the bottom. As well, there are a few downtown projects going on, each blocking major intersections and giving headaches to motorists and pedestrians alike.

It is with that backdrop that a whack of money is finally coming our way to deal with long delayed and promised projects:

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/million+infusion+good+news/1343133/story.html

How does your region fare?

Sir Osis of Liver · « **Reply #1 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:03:14 pm »

Fredericton seems to work well enough for commuter traffic. Could use more scheduled service in off-peak times, but not bad.

Snowman · « **Reply #2 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:12:27 pm »

Very poor here in Sudbury. It would have taken me 1 hour or more to take a bus in what a 20 minute drive by car would do. Besides I would need to carry a knife for protection from the low-life’s who hang out at the central bus terminal. I know one guy who tried taking the bus for a year and he is 6’-5” and 260 lbs and played college football and said it was not a safe place to be. The bus drivers her are a-holes as well and one a few weeks ago ran a light and crashed into a train at a crossing? WTF?

tpl · « **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:32:53 pm »

Guelph Transit, buses only, seems to work well enough. Serves "older Guelph" and the Uni but not so good in the far suburbs. Just like TO, the btransit works well where there is sufficient density and badly where there isn't.
Guelph has a GO bus system ( never used it) and is getting GO trains by 2012 they say, as part of a Golden Horseshoe transit improvement plan.

So I guess its just fine for the size of the town... but I have never used it. It is a 20 second walk to my car and a 5 minute walk to a bus stop so why would I? Especially as Guelph has free downtown parking.

Squishy · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:38:47 pm »

Never used it here. We only have something like four buses, but the shopping centres and other community hubs are covered. Our street has a "Special" bus that has no real bus stop. You just stand on your driveway and wave it down like a taxi.

KRS · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:40:14 pm »

nearest bus stop's about 55 miles away.

BJB · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2009, 03:00:25 pm »

I have a one minute walk to the subway, which is very convenient. Every other aspect of the TTC is deplorable.

overtakeyouintheleftlane · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2009, 03:19:42 pm »

The subway is the only decent part of the TTC, you can't get me on a bus, streetcar or RT system.

What makes it even worse is no A/C in the summer and they are gong to start chargng for parking come April 1. That's when I retire the use of a Metropass and either make my brother drive me to the subway or pay for the parking.

TTC, unlike gas prices/oil companies, they are pretty much on the same timing in terms of the service going downhill but the price going up at about the same rate.

initial_D · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2009, 03:44:03 pm »

We have two taxi companies, $8 per trip anyway in town, $2 extra for each additional stops. No bus and bus driver unions.

vdk · « **Reply #9 on:** March 02, 2009, 03:52:18 pm »

Few ground routes are good. The subway is decent.

Interested to see how the LRT will change things.

airbalancer · « **Reply #10 on:** March 02, 2009, 04:06:28 pm »

I guess Cobourg has 2 routes
http://www.cobourg.ca/docs/Engineering/Transit%20Schedule.Shelter.pdf
I never see anyone on the bus

and they are big buses

ktm525 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 02, 2009, 04:29:06 pm »

Quote from: Snowman on March 02, 2009, 02:12:27 pm

Very poor here in Sudbury. It would have taken me 1 hour or more to take a bus in what a 20 minute drive by car would do. Besides I would need to carry a knife for protection from the low-life’s who hang out at the central bus terminal. I know one guy who tried taking the bus for a year and he is 6’-5” and 260 lbs and played college football and said it was not a safe place to be. The bus drivers her are a-holes as well and one a few weeks ago ran a light and crashed into a train at a crossing? WTF?

That is the problem with Public transit. The public.

gottarondo · « **Reply #12 on:** March 02, 2009, 06:27:14 pm »

Vancouver's system is not so bad as long as you don't mind standing the entire time you're travelling - most bus stops have no benches, those that do are occupied by the homeless, and every new bunch of buses has fewer seats than the last. So I never use it.

The closest I get are the ferries, where I echo the sentiment of KTM: if the authorities won't control the behaviour of my boorish co-passengers, I reserve the right to stay at home and contribute to the tanking of the economy!

dr_spock · « **Reply #13 on:** March 02, 2009, 09:39:02 pm »

Montreal system is good. I lived near a Metro station and a bike path. I worked downtown. Winter time I took the Metro, summer time I biked it. Didn't really need a car at all except to visit the girlfriend in the West Island. West Island 204 bus sucked...

1TSX · « **Reply #14 on:** March 02, 2009, 10:04:14 pm »

I take the bus twice per week to school here. It takes about double the time to get to school, compared to driving. My tuition pays for my bus pass, so why let it go to waste?

My bus route here is pretty safe, its full of university students and seniors. Timing kind of sucks, bus in my area comes every 30 min on the weekdays...every hour on the weekends.

Iso Octane · « **Reply #15 on:** March 02, 2009, 11:08:38 pm »

Quote from: BJB on March 02, 2009, 03:00:25 pm

I have a one minute walk to the subway, which is very convenient. Every other aspect of the TTC is deplorable.

Logistically speaking, I don't know if it's even possible to make a bus system work well in a city like this.

It takes me a little more than 5 minutes to get to the nearest subway station entrance from home by car. If I were to take the bus, it would take half an hour OR MORE, depending if the planets aligned and the bus decided to show up.

My brother used to walk home from school. It took him 45 minutes. Why not take the bus instead? Because it would take about the same time (he's tried), he'd have to deal with the crowds, and walking is healthier.

FFS.

G35X · « **Reply #16 on:** March 03, 2009, 01:45:31 am »

Vancouver’s public transportation system is good especially for seniors because of the concession fare and transfer ticket which is good for 90 minutes. The only problem is that the service is not frequent enough. I guess the Translink needs more ridership. The model of public transportation system is the city of Tokyo. I go there two or three times a year and have never needed to rent a car. The network of subways, surface rails and bus routes is very complex but you can go from any point A to any point B in the city very efficiently. You can walk to the bus stop or train station in 5 to 10 minutes and your maximum wait there is just about 10 minutes. Take a look at the subway system there:

http://bosai.org/chikatetsu.html

gottarondo · « **Reply #17 on:** March 03, 2009, 12:24:28 pm »

Quote from: G35X on March 03, 2009, 01:45:31 am

Vancouver’s public transportation system is good especially for seniors

Something tells me you aren't a senior

Neither am I but my hip joints seem to be.
I think West Van buses do have more seats than the ones used in Vancouver.
That map of Tokyo is an education! I guess there you don't need seats because you're held off your feet by the crush of people...

LeftLand · « **Reply #18 on:** March 03, 2009, 11:13:29 pm »

Quote from: G35X on March 03, 2009, 01:45:31 am

Vancouver’s public transportation system is good especially for seniors

Not when the driver’s union is fighting with management. They once held a surprise mid-day wildcat strike, leaving my 76-year old mother stranded 2 miles from home. She walked a few blocks, rested on a bench for a while, walked a few blocks, and so on. It took her forever to get home, and she was totally wiped. We were lucky she didn’t have a heart attack, as we found out a few years later that she had a developing heart condition.

G35X · « **Reply #19 on:** March 04, 2009, 12:34:10 am »

Ah, union… yes, I agree with you. Be it Translink, BC Ferries or CUPE, when they strike, they do not leave us alternatives and hold us hostage. I remember the summer-long job action by the Translink union. Unfortunately the Province of Socialist British Columbia is union-controlled. I will never forget the PacifiCat fiasco, which threw away more than 500 million dollars of our tax money (more than 125 dollars per resident including babies and seniors) to enrich local shipbuilding union.

Poll

How does your City or Region fare on Public Transit?

Author Topic: Public Transit (Read 3205 times)