Grand River Transit

[MidTowner]

Does anyone know what GRT's service standards are for clearing bus stops? I can't seem to find anything on their web site.

[goggolor]

Does anyone know what GRT's service standards are for clearing bus stops? I can't seem to find anything on their web site.

In previous years they've said 72 hours: http://www.570news.com/2015/11/09/region...bus-stops/

[Markster]

I believe they tightened that to 48 hours recently.

[darts]

It would be interesting to hear the Region's explanation for the decline in transit ridership use over the past five years.  If it is truly, as Regional staff have claimed recently, due to changes in the school board bus policy, then there is the potential that the ridership simply got knocked back temporarily but will grow in the future. If, on the other hand, this decline is due to something else, then that will need to be looked.  Toronto has had stagnant ridership recently with several explanations.  One that I thought most likely, is that if everything is centralized to a small, walkable/bikeable area, then there would subsequently be less demand for transit between home-work-play areas.

On the subject of boomers aging, I can foresee that self-driving or otherwise semi-autonomous cars will become more attractive.  Many seniors prefer to stay in their own homes for a variety of reasons rather than to relocate to a smaller, more centralized facility (and even then, some seniors living facilities are not very central at all). Having access to a self-driving car would mean that seniors could still maintain a certain degree of independence as well as the rest of their lifestyle without the need to relocate.

Was the school board change phased in or did it all happen in one year? Seems like they have been referencing that point for a couple of years.

[Pheidippides]

Is it just me or do the busses have a different voice calling out the stops this week? The voice seems either lower in pitch, slower in speed, lower in volume, or a combination of the three. On the newer bus working the 204 I was on it seemed like a clear improvement, but on the older bus working the 7c it seemed worse than before.

Also, has ridership data ever been published for the 204? With the start of the other iXpress routes there were targets and regular updates, but I do not recall seeing anything other than broad and general statements about if GRT was happy with it's performance to date.

[Canard]

Ooooo, would love to hear an audio sample to compare! I love automated announcements on transit.

[Markster]

On my bus, it was particularly jarring, as the first part "Next Stop" was in the old voice, but then the actual stop name was in a lower pitched, still female, almost.... sultry(??!) voice.

[Pheidippides]

Yes, that is what I heard on my 7c this morning (the 204 I was on had both parts in the new voice), although I would describe it as "smokey" Diana krall like compared to the regular robot.

[Canard]

Squeal!!! Can someone please make a video clip tomorrow?

[mpd618]

Also, has ridership data ever been published for the 204?

GRT is unfortunately not in the habit of publishing detailed ridership figures. Please ask your Regional councillors about it.

[KevinL]

On my bus, it was particularly jarring, as the first part "Next Stop" was in the old voice, but then the actual stop name was in a lower pitched, still female, almost.... sultry(??!) voice.

I'd certainly call it... throaty? But also clipped, more clearly artificial.

[MacBerry]

This just went up on GRT's YouTube channel. Still a bit early given what we know of the rollout schedule, but cool to see it in action.

What I could not find, in a video, (so my comments could well be moot) was how these fare boxes will meet the federal or Provincial accessibility standards for use by persons with a visual disability.  I did not see any braille directions for machine or buttons.

The access issues may have already been covered but I'm not sure this video shows what has been done to make these fare boxes accessible for everyone to use on their own. Do they include tactile access/feedback by haptic interactions?? voice? It doesn't tell person how much they still owe you have to read it on the screen. I didn't see an earphone jack for feedback?

They could have used some of the previous design work in the CSA B-651.1 standard as guidelines orr even insights. 

Not sure what features Presto has for users either. The more systems there are out there, with different standards, the greater the criticism that will follow.

[danbrotherston]

What I could not find, in a video, (so my comments could well be moot) was how these fare boxes will meet the federal or Provincial accessibility standards for use by persons with a visual disability.  I did not see any braille directions for machine or buttons.

The access issues may have already been covered but I'm not sure this video shows what has been done to make these fare boxes accessible for everyone to use on their own. Do they include tactile access/feedback by haptic interactions?? voice? It doesn't tell person how much they still owe you have to read it on the screen. I didn't see an earphone jack for feedback?

They could have used some of the previous design work in the CSA B-651.1 standard as guidelines orr even insights. 

Not sure what features Presto has for users either. The more systems there are out there, with different standards, the greater the criticism that will follow.

Accessibility is a big issue for sure, but fareboxes on buses I wouldn't think would be a big issue, every bus has a driver who manages boarding anyway, who can assist any passenger who needs assistance. I'm not sure of the specific federal laws, but I as far as I can imagine, this would seem to be a reasonable accommodation.

Presto, and really by extension, our LRT stations would be a bigger question as those terminals are not manned, but I also believe they're getting different equipment.

[KevinL]

The machines on LRT platforms to dispense tickets will be larger and presumably have more accessibility options, being unmanned. Regular users of the system will naturally have a farecard; the tap locations aboard LRVs should be standardized at all doors making them easy to find.

[Canard]

No tap location on the LRV - it'd be on the platform (probably a puck on the TVM).