quote:

Originally posted by exstasie +1 Just give them some time to figure it out, but eventually we'll be there. Yes, we are definitely behind the times in the 'change'less system, but we will get there eventually. Currently Presto can also be used on the GO Train as well on the Milton line. They are still in the testing phases but hopefully they'll get there act together and completely implement it.

i hope it goes a little faster than their subway line extension .. the Environmental Assessment on the Spadina Extension started in 1994.. that was 14 years ago and a shovel hasn't even been put into the ground yet. Even if they do meet their optimistic end date of 2012, that would have been 26 years to build another what, 4 stations?

I think the Presto card was announced back in 2003 with a 2010 end date. That's 7 years for 5 stations lol ..

things in toronto tend to take a long to do to.

ie: Toronto Life Square (aka Metropolis) took over 10 years to build.

and it doesn't look like things will change. even today, we get people like Adam Giambrone saying that the TTC will only be considering a Downtown Relief Line in 2018.

so yeh, things to get dragged out and when something does happen quickly, we think it's a miracle.

quote:

Originally posted by smuncky things in toronto tend to take a long to do to. ie: Toronto Life Square (aka Metropolis) took over 10 years to build. and it doesn't look like things will change. even today, we get people like Adam Giambrone saying that the TTC will only be considering a Downtown Relief Line in 2018. so yeh, things to get dragged out and when something does happen quickly, we think it's a miracle.

For sure. That is ridiculous. Damned beauracracy.

well, what do you expect with a union hellbent on bringing its employer to its knees every few years? coupled with a lack of government funding how do you expect the ttc to expand? privatize the damn thing and lets get shit done already!!

lol a bit unfair to compare London & Hong Kong with Toronto?

I remember a stat that the city of London makes 1 million (sterling) a day in profit from the tube alone.

I read somewhere that the only 2 Subways in the world to turn a profit are Tokyo's and NYC's...and that's because they're 2 of the most used systems in the world.

edit: changed to 2 of the most...cause I think Moscow, Mexico City, and Seoul round off the top 5.

our system also relies on the fare box while most systems of the world get subsidized by the gov't. that's one of the reasons that a single fare keeps going up.

Top 11 Underground Transit Systems in the World

Done by Virgin Vacations so may not be overly accurate but still pretty interesting.

Ive never been to Montreal but its sad that it made the list when Toronto didnt... Toronto really needs to improve, not only to please its consumers but for the environment as well.

Madrid looks amazing... I need to go on vacation.

quote:

Originally posted by Intangible Top 11 Underground Transit Systems in the World

Ya, that list was posted here a while back. It's basically the 'best' systems in the world according to them. Really awesome pics too.

interesting comparison.

subway systems of the world, presented on the same scale

Do we really need to save a few seconds a day?

Do we really need to centralize our information in one place?

I cringe when the time comes (and it will) when it will be mandatory for everyone to have RFID chips into our bodies.

at least we don't have it that bad.

^^^
now that's service with a smile!

its odd you're posting about this, the smart card system has started today in Montreal.

The idea behind the smart card, is that you'll have to pay for the distance you take the metro for... but not right now ( to avoid the riots )

quote:

Originally posted by Stilez I read somewhere that the only 2 Subways in the world to turn a profit are Tokyo's and NYC's...and that's because they're 2 of the most used systems in the world. edit: changed to 2 of the most...cause I think Moscow, Mexico City, and Seoul round off the top 5.

the tube in london is also really expensive for travellers. fares are based on what zones you travel between so a longer journey can be even more expensive. to confound matters more, if you don't use an oyster card it's more expensive still. also the system isn't integrated with the buses the same way so typically a separate charge applies for any connections you make by bus during your journey.

given that trains are less frequent, more overcrowded and more expensive than the TTC there's not a lot of bang for your buck and it's hardly surprising they turn a profit. add to all that the flat fee for travel to anywhere within the system with overground connections and we have a pretty sweet deal here.

on a side note, the system in london is archaic and the actual trains are disgusting, i read an article where they went CSI on a few carraiges selected at random and the results were horrifying. they found a plethora of substances, including human semen, dog semen and other semen samples from more than one unidentified species, as well as different blood contributions, countless traces of saliva, vomit, and so forth. i'm sure flashing the blacklight on a TTC train is no picnic either, but i don't believe it would be anywhere close to that mess.

quote:

Originally posted by smuncky at least we don't have it that bad.

that is MENTAL!

relative deprivation = the devil

quote:

Originally posted by chico on a side note, the system in london is archaic and the actual trains are disgusting, i read an article where they went CSI on a few carraiges selected at random and the results were horrifying. they found a plethora of substances, including human semen, dog semen and other semen samples from more than one unidentified species, as well as different blood contributions, countless traces of saliva, vomit, and so forth. i'm sure flashing the blacklight on a TTC train is no picnic either, but i don't believe it would be anywhere close to that mess.

funny that you mention this because there was an article in today's metro about how they clean vehicles on the ttc.

quote:

TTC carriers cleaner than you think In Transit by Ed Drass April 16, 2008 08:30 Kent Bennett of Toronto writes, �It would be interesting to see what the TTC does to clean the inside of their trains and buses. Do they regularly wipe down the surfaces with disinfectant? Sometimes the subway poles feel clean and sometimes ... not!� Jim Fraser, the TTC�s general superintendent for Rail Cars and Shops reports, �All rail vehicles go through a �Sweep and Dust� cleaning every night. �This cleaning is comprised of removing all garbage from the cars, sweeping the floors, spot mopping the floors where liquids have been spilled, dusting seat ledges, window friezes, stanchions (poles) � and cleaning any stains/sticky surfaces. �Every 22 days a Major or Minor Clean is performed. �Both cleans include wiping all of the interior surfaces of the cars with a cleaner.� Some riders may want to know what substances are used. Fraser replies, �the predominant cleaning solutions are Mirachem 500 and Wipeaway.� It seems the interior of streetcars and the RT are dealt with similarly. I don�t yet have the full details for buses � but they are extensively cleaned four times a year, including shampooing the seats. Fraser adds TTC personnel have started going on board subway trains at end terminals after the morning rush, where they �clean out the newspapers, cans, bottles, etc.� He says crews have also begun tidying trains that return to subway yards between the morning and afternoon peak periods. From what I see, there is less litter on train floors than a year ago � but riders can help by taking more responsibility for newspapers and garbage. Fraser continues, �There was a comparison done by one of the television channels approximately two to three years ago where the cleanliness in terms of germs was conducted on a TTC subway car, a (taxi) and a personal automobile. �The cleanliness of a subway car was the best, automobile second and the cab was third.� I haven�t confirmed the above account, but a December 2006 CityNews report (search under �filthy� at citynews.ca) indicated subway poles, escalator handrails and even tokens carry less bacteria than we think. Dr. Allison McGeer, director of infection control at Mt. Sinai Hospital, tells In Transit, �Surfaces on the TTC are not the things that pose risk.� She says people often �equate dirt with the threat of infectious diseases and bacteria. They�re not particularly correlated.� She says, �Even if they never cleaned the subway,� the physical environment �would not be a risk to you � particularly if you wash your hands five times a day. The risk might not be zero, but it pales in comparison to coming in contact with people.� She says hand-sanitizing lotions also remove bacteria provided they contain 60 to 90 per cent alcohol, although she warns to keep these away from small children. http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/local/article/40907

In ten years, we'll have the transit system we should have had ten years ago.

The TTC is always going to be playing catch-up.




And WTF is wrong with the transit unions? Do they really think a strike is going to help them win public opinion? I would be more impressed if they came out and said, "We're in a legal strike position and we cannot reach an agreement with the TTC on this issue. Nevertheless, we will continue to serve the people of Toronto while we continue to work with the commission to develop a fair and progressive solution. I encourage all TTC riders to contact the commission and tell them just how important the transit network is to you and to the continued economic growth of our city."

Customers first. All a strike is going to do is make me want to spit on the first union bitch I see. And god help the first transit employee I see on the links - if you want to strike, you get your ass on a picket and stay there.

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