Grand River Transit

[danbrotherston]

Ah, yes, the annual shearing of the schedules. Not looking forward to the decreased frequencies and routes, but it's not as though it doesn't make sense to not run empty buses.

Actually it can make sense to run empty buses.  Just because the buses are empty doesn't mean the opportunity of those buses doesn't have value.  Running more frequent buses makes the service more usable to more people...even if some of those buses are empty, there are more people who might be on other buses.

Obviously there's a tipping point, but I think it's important to remember that cutting buses probably has perverse effects.

[chutten]

It certainly discourages me from depending on the service, encouraging me to bike instead. The exercise is good for me so I don't mind to much so long as the weather holds.

My original point ( poorly stated ) was that an awful lot of ridership on Waterloo routes appears to be students, and they have a much-reduced population over the Summer months. So it follows that those student-centric routes might be prudently run at lower frequency until they return, no matter that it troubles me.

I do appreciate your point of view. There is a cost to cost-savings measures like this all the same, and it does me good to be reminded of it.

[danbrotherston]

It certainly discourages me from depending on the service, encouraging me to bike instead. The exercise is good for me so I don't mind to much so long as the weather holds.

My original point ( poorly stated ) was that an awful lot of ridership on Waterloo routes appears to be students, and they have a much-reduced population over the Summer months. So it follows that those student-centric routes might be prudently run at lower frequency until they return, no matter that it troubles me.

I do appreciate your point of view. There is a cost to cost-savings measures like this all the same, and it does me good to be reminded of it.

Heh, I also end up biking a great deal more which is, at least for me, a good thing.

Yeah, the student population is reduced substantially, although I'm pretty sure the GRT reduction follows highschool students, which is strange, given they're not leaving the city, and are probably more likely to rely on transit for summer jobs than for school.

Who knows.

[trainspotter139]

Yeah, the student population is reduced substantially, although I'm pretty sure the GRT reduction follows highschool students, which is strange, given they're not leaving the city, and are probably more likely to rely on transit for summer jobs than for school.

Isn't that what the June Service Changes are for?

[danbrotherston]

Yeah, the student population is reduced substantially, although I'm pretty sure the GRT reduction follows highschool students, which is strange, given they're not leaving the city, and are probably more likely to rely on transit for summer jobs than for school.

Isn't that what the June Service Changes are for?

Yes, that is my point, the service changes are aligned with the highschool students schedule, not the university student's schedule, even though I doubt highschool students ride the bus substantially less after June because they are still in town, and perhaps even working summer jobs (and they don't ride the bus to school).

As opposed to post secondary students, which sees a big decline in population.

[Bob_McBob]

Demolition of the old Waterloo North Hydro depot appears to be complete at the site of the new bus storage facility at Northfield and University. All the excavators are gone and the entire site is flat dirt other than two large piles of rubble.

[Pheidippides]

I wonder if we have reached a point where it is hard to tell which comes first.

Do people not ride the bus in the summer because the service is not available, or do the buses not run because the people don't ride the bus?

[tomh009]

Do people not ride the bus in the summer because the service is not available, or do the buses not run because the people don't ride the bus?

Yes.

[KevinL]

EasyGo news: paper monthly passes will be phased out this summer, tickets in the fall. See page 3 here.

[bgb_ca]

EasyGo news: paper monthly passes will be phased out this summer, tickets in the fall. See page 3 here.

This was interesting...

Installation of the self-serve Fare Vending Machines at ION stations. These machines will
allow customers to buy, load, and query their EasyGO fare card and purchase single and multi-
ride non-reloadable/disposable fare cards.

So I am guessing they will have cards like they had in Montreal where you can load just a few rides or a day pass, which is still tap-able, (Made out of paper instead of plastic).

[Canard]

Excellent!

Question: I’m a very occasional bus rider, and will likely do so tomorrow (cannot get out of driveway). On the weekend, I used a paper ticket and needed a transfer. I put the paper ticket in the box, pushed the transfer button and like 20 seconds later a paper card spit out.

When I transferred I showed the printed transfer to the driver and was waved on.

On the return ride, I went to do the same thing and the driver shook his head, tore a paper transfer to give to me... and when I sat down I noticed the transfer card it had printed was sticking out of the farebox.

When I transferred, I had to show the QR code on the printed transfer onto the machine.

I had four inconsistent experiences and I am not sure what I am supposed to be doing.

What is the correct procedure to board a bus and obtain a transfer? I do not want to do anything “wrong” or inconvienence anyone.

Thank you.

[taylortbb]

You were right the first time, you're supposed to push the button and have it print a transfer. The machines are still somewhat unreliable though, and drivers don't like waiting for them to print.

Long term you're definitely supposed to scan the transfer, but I'm not sure if that's working yet.

[timc]

Scanning transfers was working for me the last time I rode the bus. I think that was in February.

[KevinL]

At this point it's a question of following the driver's lead as you did. If you are given a paper tear-off transfer, show it; if you have a printed one, you should be able to scan its grid code if the machine looks like it's operating properly, otherwise just show the driver.

[Canard]

So I should probably try and scan the transfer, and then also show it to the driver?

I noticed the screen went from monochrome to colour (or vise-versa) at some point... as if the buttons were disabled then enabled, or the other way around. What would that have been about? Does the operator need to manually enable the screen/buttons if someone (like me) deposits an old paper ticket in the box?