Good morning to the Ontario we already know

While Tim Hudak sits down to review possible career opportunities today, Kathleen Wynne woke up to throw a dart at Andrea Horwath's face in a photo she has hanging on her bathroom door and the Green Party folks rolled over and hit snooze for 10 more minutes.

So basically, nothings changed.

Who's Not Been Serving Us Lately? Part 4

Read Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3
by Chris P. Bacon

In this installment, I look at GO Transit’s real-time bus information technology.

Have you ever been at your stop and had the bus arrive displaying the following signage?

Have you ever missed a bus driver’s announcement of a stop?  (The double-decker bus for the 2014/05/19 (12) Burlington GO 17:52 - Niagara Falls Term. 19:17 trip had absolutely no interior PA capabilities.)  The two problems are related and have a common root cause, namely, this device:

What is it?  It’s the Computer Aided Dispatch / Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) interface, which can make a driver’s shift a living hell.  On double-decker buses, it’s installed into the overhead dashboard.  On MCI buses, it’s installed on the same support as the PRESTO POS terminal and the coin till.  The coin till was moved back onto a plate and now resonates noisily with the vibration of the bus.  What engineer came up with these design mods?

GO Transit extolls the virtues of the technology in the section titled Real-time passenger information for GO Bus on their website.  The Let GO Know Winter 2014 Newsletter (issued on April 22) speaks of the system in the following glowing terms:

One of the new developments that we are excited to let you know about is our new real time trip information program:  During the past two months GO Transit has been piloting automated bus stop location signs and announcements on our buses. We're testing the system on Routes 12 and 16 and once this work is completed we will roll out the system to all of our buses.

Stop the bus!  I ride on Route 12, and there is absolutely no testing of this system happening.  You might see something like this – for the whole trip:

When I asked which maintenance facility is responsible for implementing the CAD/AVL functionality, I was told the Streetsville garage in Mississauga.  In March, Twitter user @_keerthanak took us behind the scenes at that location.  Here’s a nice panoramic view inside the complex:

With that many buses in sick bay, I would have expected to see more technicians.  All I see is one person standing by the garage door and a group off to the left.  Let’s continue the tour and view an MCI bus on a hoist:

The two people on the other side of the bus appear to be doing something, but what’s with the person off to the right with their hands in their pockets?  Here is another photo that captured someone standing idly in the background:

The modus operandi at this facility is apparent, and it speaks volumes why there is no impetus to complete the CAD/AVL project.  It also fuels suspicions why there are repeat equipment failures that cause stress for passengers and drivers alike.

Do we need CAD/AVL on GO Transit buses?  I don’t know.  How many AVL systems does a bus need?  Double-deckers already have one for geo-fencing.  What we do need is a facility to tell us when the next bus to our destination will be arriving at our stop (whilst we’re standing in the rain or driving snow).  The current e-mail alert process that advises of delays is too haphazard.  On September 8, 2013, CSR M.D. apprised a colleague of the following:l

Specific to your concern about the consistency of On the GO alerts, I appreciate you bringing this to our attention.  Our investigation revealed that the delay on August 23rd wasn’t reported internally, which is why an alert was not sent.  We recognize that consistent communication is essential to keeping passengers informed and we will be introducing a system that automatically notifies us of all bus delays in real time.  The system is expected to be in place by January 2014 and we trust that you will see an improvement in the consistency of alerts being sent out.  In the meantime, we will continue to work with our Operations team to ensure all delays are reported.

We are nearing the middle of June and there is no new system that “notifies us of all bus delays in real time”; the shortcomings of Operations (GO Transit Control Centre) in this area remain.  Meanwhile, St. Catharines Transit, with pockets far less deep than GO Transit, has CAD/AVL fully functioning on their buses; their real time bus information system was reported on previously.

Who is responsible for this lack of progress at Metrolinx?

Just curious ... any candidates at your station this morning?

At Oshawa GO, PC incumbent Jerry Ouellette was out. I like Jerry. Chad and I lived in Oshawa for six years and he was always open to my phone calls about the Oshawa waterfront, transit, traffic and environmental concerns. He's represented Oshawa for a long time. I have faith he will be re-elected.

The only Clarington (Durham) candidate who ventured out was Granville Anderson on Monday morning, who I blew past because I had the opportunity to catch the 7:28 am train and I took it with less than a minute to spare. I regret not being able to stop and chat. His office never returned my call.

So what was ALL OF THE POLITICS at your station this morning?

It's true! Metrolinx *did* issue a locomotive just for me

Isn't she beautiful? And when I say this hussy has my number, I mean, she *really* has my number.

Photo embedded from http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=15370
© Michael Da Costa

Preach!

I have to do one for GO Transit. And you know I can photoshop stuff in so tell me. Please note, the mini bar *may be* challenging.

UPDATE -- Refresh!!! Almost there Re: technical difficulties

As some of you may or may not know, I schedule a lot of the blog posts, sometimes days in advance. I do this so there is always something online every day.

Last Thursday, something went awry. It's not perfect but I've been working with some fantastic folks to get it fixed. Because everything is scheduled and is now appearing in no particular order, you'll notice posts appearing below or way below posts you've already read - this is normal. When all the content is online, I will re-order.

I know this sucked very large Hoover balls and I greatly appreciate your patience while I worked to resolve this (in between my life, my job, my family, my commute, my exercise, my stress, my angst and my sleep I might add).

I have no idea if I lost any readership over this. I don't think so but I hope you didn't give up on me.

Oh my god - I hate when people do this! I thought it was just me

The entitled ride ebikes, too!

It's an ELECTION and this is what *we* get PROMISED? Shit I can do with a Quick-pick and a trip to Canadian Tire?!

from:		MS
to:		CJ Smith
date:		Thu, Jun 5, 2014 at 11:37 AM
subject:		Transit plantforms - election news

As if we're not bombarded enough with election promises... here's where the parties stand on transit:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/06/05/provincial_election_which_transit_choices_will_you_vote_for.html

I've excerpted some for you and highlighted for emphasis...

Progressive Conservative: Upload TTC rail to integrate service with GO Transit; downtown relief line; Scarborough subway; Yonge subway extension to Richmond Hill; complete the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, including the east-end portion running on a separate right-of-way on the road; cancel LRTs on Sheppard, Finch, Mississauga, Brampton and Hamilton; more all-day, two-way GO trains, including more rush-hour and express GO service providing Wi-Fi, power plug-ins and cup holders; longer term, would extend the subway to Mississauga and the Sheppard subway from Don Mills to the Scarborough City Centre.

Oh praise God! Cup holders! Never mind the 100,000 people put out of work... we'll have cup holders on the GO Train!! (*end sarcasm*)

########################

I've been asked about which party I plan on supporting. In my riding of Durham, we have three new candidates for each party of which none have served any time in office. One I had to school on what PRESTO was. One didn't return my calls and the other was upfront about being rather ignorant about transit policy in Durham but is willing to learn what's needed and help prioritize.

My mom always told me there are three things you don't discuss in a public forum: sex, politics and religion.

As of right now, I am undecided, but I wouldn't be surprised if I wind up just supporting who was already in power.

Let it fly, folks ... I'll publish every comment. Wait, before the trolls lose their marbles, only those who make an argument will get published.

Sorry losers, this means you'll have to actually put a thought together if you want to make it to centre stage. Pfllttttt.

Seriously, do any of you do this at the office? At your desk? No? So why the train?

Overheard on the GO

I've been taking the 7:53 out of Oshawa mostly due to my daughter's inability to co-operate any more at 5:30 in the morning. She's now 9 and going to bed at 8:00 pm sucks balls for her, especially considering the two hour marathons of homework we'd been having, on top of after-school activities, so I've been unable to take the 7:15 train because I spend 20 minutes waking her up and miss my 6:42 am bus. It's been very trying. If I put her down at 8:00 pm and I get home at 6:30 pm, I feel like I don't "see" her. There's no quality time. Homework is not quality time. Homework is spent with me losing my shit and her shutting down. We're not creating memories here, so I decided I'd roll my hours forward.

Anyhow, where the hell was I going with this??? Oh, the suitcase story ... yeah, so I'm on the 7:53 now and it means taking a later bus and a Double Decker (yuck, more on that in a later post) and there's this woman who has fifty thousand suitcases who is on her way for a one month stay at a her granddaughter's in Halifax and her granddaughter has a really tiny house but it's her's and she works all day but the woman just lost her husband and she needs to spend time away from her house in Newcastle and go somewhere for a while so she figured she'd go to east coast because she's never been, well, she and Ernie (her deceased husband) went to Newfoundland once in 1967, but that's not Nova Scotia, and she found there was too much drinking and card playing and it wasn't really her thing so they decided to come back early... yes, I sat beside her. Can you tell?

At Oshawa, I helped my new super duper best friend with all her luggage and I tell her that she'd be best to take VIA to Toronto but no, her grandson who lives in Markham in a really lovely home that backs onto a farmer's field that she's pretty sure will be all houses one day told her it would be cheaper to take the GO train and it would be faster so she has already budgeted the money to get to the airport using public transit and she's not paying a penny more because it means paying the government and the government already gets enough of her money (I didn't have the heart to tell her who GO is) and she was taking the GO train. Also, her grandson told her that no one takes the GO train from Oshawa because they all drive and everyone works for General Motors so she should have no trouble with all her suitcases ...

By the time we got to Union and the thousand plus LSE people rolled off the train and I helped nana - who never stopped talking - un-stack her suitcases from the WASHROOM (for real) ... Oh, if you were one of the people who saw all this -- THANKS FOR HELPING -- because you know, the serious shade some of you were throwing my way as I played suitcase guarder while nana sat and sipped her Newstand coffee was very much noted. Jerks.

After I helped nana with her suitcases so she could get on the subway ... Dudes, don't even ... she slipped a $50 bill in my purse when I wasn't looking. At least I hope the $50 came from her and not some guy who was on the train and felt I deserved the $50 because of the non-stop story telling.

Your thoughts? I thought she was on a budget.

Went on the TTC at lunch... god damn...

Who's Not Been Serving Us Lately? Part 3

Read Part 1 and Part 2
by Chris P. Bacon

In this installment of Who’s Not Been Serving Us Lately?, I look at Niagara Region’s demands for GO Transit rail service.

We’ve heard the clamoring in the media.  Finally, we have a special report about GO Transit in the region of Niagara.  I was tired of referencing the old reports, you know, those from May 2010 and Apr. 2011 (and it’s appendices).  This report comes with a video of interviews with key people in Niagara.  I’m puzzled why the videographer added so much footage whilst standing on the railway tracks given that Rail Safety Week was a month ago.

This report goes a little farther to quantify what the region is seeking.  Yes, the call is for rail service, and the report states four trains are requested, two in the morning, two in the evening.  Is that two inbound to Union in the morning and two in the reverse direction at the end of the day, or is it one in either direction at both ends of the day?

The report misses a key component of the GO Transit solution for the region.  Why weren’t passengers asked for their views?  Fortunately, we have a surrogate for that, namely, the Get Niagara GOing petition, which is attempting to solicit 10,000 signatures.  Since the website’s inception two months ago, the site has garnered less than 4,000 signatories (as at May 26).  If we use the regional municipality’s published population of 430,000, then that’s less than 1% support.  If this matter is such a burning issue – as those individuals quoted in the report make it out to be – should the petition not be over the top by now?

The aforementioned May 2010 report has projected AM/PM weekday ridership demand.  I’m leery of the numbers for Grimsby, since the park and ride lot is virtually empty.  Similarly, do the numbers for Hamilton represent a blend of Route 16, Aldershot, and Stoney Creek (Route 12)?  What are the projections for the rest of the day?  This special report doesn’t clarify the numbers; perhaps future installments will.

It’s not that Niagara is without GO Transit service. Route 12 buses have been in operation since September 2009.  Why is it that the twelve mayors in the region and the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce have banded together to state that rail service is the solution more than four years later?  What’s their backup plan until that happens?  Why haven’t they been pressuring Metrolinx to operate hourly bus service during the week?  Hourly service exists on weekends.  Even if trains were implemented to run in the morning and evening hours, buses would still be required for the rest of the day.

I visited the Niagara Region website looking for details of their transit requirements.  The most recent page, dated April 15, solicits input on public transit.  They started the public input process last month.  Is that how we’re supposed to interpret this?  

There is also this page, Niagara United for GO Transit from January 28 this year, which calls “for the provincial government to expand daily commuter GO train service to the Niagara Peninsula”.  How is this different than their motion in June 2011 that was passed unanimously?  The following statement raised my eyebrows:

A further study conducted by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and GO Transit found that proactive scheduling and strong communications can limit any conflicts between trains and ships at the Welland Canal to "almost zero," negating the need to build an expensive bridge or tunnel crossing.

Let’s face it, clear and consistent communications has never been a forte of GO Transit, even though it’s promised in their Passenger Charter.  Inconsistent e-mail alerts from the GO Transit Control Centre are a barometer of this weakness.  Informed scheduling on Route 12 through Niagara Region last year produced disastrous passenger experiences.

Also on this page is a link to the Regional Chair, one of the people interviewed for the special report.  What figures prominently on his agenda?  The following:

Niagara Region and Chamber of Commerce, can you clarify your requirements, please?  Why is Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati vocal on this, and St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan mum on the matter?  It’s time to regroup and focus on what is achievable realistically with the provincial government and Metrolinx – short-term and long term.  I truly hope you’ll be included on the map for Metrolinx’s Big Move.

Why it's never good to hire a colour blind upholsterer to work for the TTC

It's very Quebec, non?

Blogger is being a pig

Hey y'all...

Dunno what's up but I'm getting errors and I don't even know if this will post. If it does, just letting you know that content is in the queue and will show up eventually I hope!

Damn you free blogging software! Y U NO WORK?!

The train is not your living room

This feel good #story brought to you by:

How I felt after tapping my PRESTO card this morning after waiting more than 24 hours for the funds

Context - I think it helps considering the picture I posted yesterday

Today's working Double Decker GO bus monitor

Yesterday's non-working GO bus monitor

One of these things is not like the other.

You know I'm right