Grand River Transit

[danbrotherston]

I'm more worried about prevalence of top-up stations. Every mom-and-pop can sell GRT tickets. Hell, my supermarket does.

But I'll bet it won't have a machine that'll take coins and turn it into trips on a card. If I don't have Internet where I live, or a bank account/credit card/etc. ... then how can I use the bus?

Suddenly everything gets harder for the disadvantaged.

I cannot find the citation, but I seem to recall that it was suggested that top up machines would be found fairly universally, not just at GRT facilities, I think supermarkets were explicitly mentioned.

[taylortbb]

I think for the top-up machines it's actually a mix of upside and downside for low-income users.

The downside is of course that those which must use cash can only top-up at a top-up machine, which is probably in fewer locations than the number that currently sell bus tickets.

However, I remember reading that one of the highest users of cash fares are low income riders who cannot afford the up-front expense of an entire strip of tickets to access the reduced per-ride rate. As automated top-up machines generally have no minimum top-up for cash, a rider who's received a multi-use card from a social assistance agency now has access to ticket-like reduced fares, while not having to commit the full price of a strip of tickets. This of course depends on there being adequate reload machines, but with them being located at every ION station and major transfer point it will apply to a lot of riders.

[timc]

The EasyGO FAQ says that "A minimum amount of $10 must be loaded on the card; therefore you cannot load a single fare ride onto your EasyGO Fare Card. If you wish to ride only once, you may continue to pay cash." Do you think that also applies to top-up machines?

http://www.grt.ca/en/fares/EasyGO-FAQ.asp

[taylortbb]

I interpreted that as a minimum initial load to get a card, not a restriction on topping up an existing card. I could also see it applying to electronic transactions due to the overhead cost of processing a payment, but don't see why it would apply to cash top-ups.

[MidTowner]

I cannot find the citation, but I seem to recall that it was suggested that top up machines would be found fairly universally, not just at GRT facilities, I think supermarkets were explicitly mentioned.

I’ve given tickets to people asking for bus fare on the street, and I’ve seen others do the same. Some people I know do that who would not be comfortable giving cash for their own reasons.

Some households buy strips of tickets to be used by multiple members. I have a neighbour who asks another neighbour for a bus ticket when he takes one of his very seldom bus trips.

These kinds of things are not possible with a fare card.

No matter what, tickets will be more flexible than a pre-loaded card, even if you can preload at very many locations and with no minimum top-up, using any form of money. I still don’t think that’s a strong argument against moving away from tickets, but people of less means will be disadvantaged in some ways that should be mitigated where possible.

Question for anyone who might know: if an EasyGO card is loaded using cash at a machine, is there any requirement to associate a name or any other personal information with that card? For people who buy passes, can the pass be purchased at a kiosk and a receipt provided, again without a name or other information being associated with the card?

[Viewfromthe42]

I *think* only discounted fares need any association. So, like the TTC pass, whoever has the card can use it, unless you're loading it with discounted fares.

[Markster]

For comparison, with Presto, you only need to register a card with a person when you set up discounted passes, or online balance reloading.

[danbrotherston]

I cannot find the citation, but I seem to recall that it was suggested that top up machines would be found fairly universally, not just at GRT facilities, I think supermarkets were explicitly mentioned.

I’ve given tickets to people asking for bus fare on the street, and I’ve seen others do the same. Some people I know do that who would not be comfortable giving cash for their own reasons.

Some households buy strips of tickets to be used by multiple members. I have a neighbour who asks another neighbour for a bus ticket when he takes one of his very seldom bus trips.

These kinds of things are not possible with a fare card.

No matter what, tickets will be more flexible than a pre-loaded card, even if you can preload at very many locations and with no minimum top-up, using any form of money. I still don’t think that’s a strong argument against moving away from tickets, but people of less means will be disadvantaged in some ways that should be mitigated where possible.

Question for anyone who might know: if an EasyGO card is loaded using cash at a machine, is there any requirement to associate a name or any other personal information with that card? For people who buy passes, can the pass be purchased at a kiosk and a receipt provided, again without a name or other information being associated with the card?

In some ways they are less flexible, although not to the degree you describe.  I believe a household would be able to share a farecard, although not for traveling together.

I don't know for sure, but I would be very surprised if one needed to provide any ID or personal information to get a card.  That would be pretty unusual for a transit system.

And in other ways, the fare cards are more flexible.  Right now, if you can't afford a strip of 10 tickets, or don't need 10 tickets, you must pay the higher cash fare.  With the fare card, you can pay the lower fare in smaller intervals.

I do agree, I have given people bus tickets before, and that would be much harder to do with a fare card.  There are certainly trade offs, but I believe the advantages still outweigh the costs, I would suspect, even for the less fortunate.

[KevinL]

As for top-up machines, I beleive Presto has automated units and I am hopeful EasyGo will do the same. We may even see them on Ion platforms, major bus hubs like the Boardwalk, etc.

[taylortbb]

As for top-up machines, I beleive Presto has automated units and I am hopeful EasyGo will do the same. We may even see them on Ion platforms, major bus hubs like the Boardwalk, etc.

Automated top-up machines are definitely in the contract for every ION station platform. Given that I'll be pretty surprised if they aren't also at major bus hubs.

[D40LF]

Cambridge Centre terminal update!

Driver's Lounge


Expanded walkway to the mall

[dunkalunk]

Did anyone else notice that they changed the font on GRT bus destination signs? I asked a driver and he confirmed they changed in on Sunday. They appear to show a larger, non-shifting route number. There also appears to be more emphasis on the name of the route and less on the destination. I'll post a picture once I get one tomorrow unless someone beats me to it.

[Waterlooer]

Did anyone else notice that they changed the font on GRT bus destination signs? I asked a driver and he confirmed they changed in on Sunday. They appear to show a larger, non-shifting route number. There also appears to be more emphasis on the name of the route and less on the destination. I'll post a picture once I get one tomorrow unless someone beats me to it.

Yes I have noticed this too! So far I'm really liking this change and find it easier to understand.

[yige_t]

Did anyone else notice that they changed the font on GRT bus destination signs? I asked a driver and he confirmed they changed in on Sunday. They appear to show a larger, non-shifting route number. There also appears to be more emphasis on the name of the route and less on the destination. I'll post a picture once I get one tomorrow unless someone beats me to it.

They started popping up last week. New signs now have two exposures, rotating between "# ROUTE NAME" in all cap and "# DESTINATION" in small cap format. Looks good and more standardized across the network. I Wouldn't say that the emphasis is more on the destination, though.

Example:

20 VICTORIA-FREDERICK / 20 TO THE BOARDWALK



34 BINGEMANS / 34 TO CHARLES TERMINAL

[Canard]

Ehhhhhh, I really hate that. I actually just cringed. Why can't it be mixed-case Helvetica?