Articulated Bus Depot

[chutten]

Given the (sometimes dangerous) level of overcrowding on UW/Laurier/Conestoga College routes, I'd bet we'll see artics on those routes (7,8,9,10,12,13,16,201,202) first. For other routes, especially iXpress routes 203-5, increased frequency should come first before putting artics IMO.

In London artics are used exclusively on routes connecting student neighbourhoods with Western or Fanshawe (2C/6A, 10/10A, 18, 27, 29, 33) on weekdays, and only used on other trunk routes (2 Dundas, 10 Wonderland, 13 Wellington) on weekends. Similar situation in St. Catharines.

Don't forget the 92 and 29. To me they've appeared to be much better lately, but my schedule has shifted so maybe it's an observer problem :S

Speaking of the 29, does anyone know what determines whether an Ebound 29 turns up Hazel or stays on University to King? It seems three out of four of them make that left turn in front of WLU, but their signage appears identical to the 25% who don't.

Maybe those 29s go on to turn into some other bus like a 92...

[MidTowner]

At least for the 29, adding frequency would be the thing to do before using articulated buses. I think the bendy buses are best used where headways have already been reduced as far as they can go, and adding more buses won't really be adding capacity schedule adherence being what it is.

The 7 is a good example. Buses come every four or five minutes at times- it's possible for one to overtake another or travel so close that one bus gets crush-loaded while another runs relatively less full. Adding more buses might not solve that problem as effectively as higher-capacity buses.

[Markster]

And a lot of the problems of the 7 will be drastically reduced with rationalization of the route post-LRT. When all the #7 buses come from 1 origin point (Conestoga Mall) instead of 3 (Uni/Seagram, and Hagey/Columbia), we won't see them arriving at King/University in packs anymore.

[MidTowner]

And a lot of the problems of the 7 will be drastically reduced with rationalization of the route post-LRT. When all the #7 buses come from 1 origin point (Conestoga Mall) instead of 3 (Uni/Seagram, and Hagey/Columbia), we won't see them arriving at King/University in packs anymore.

It's true, the 7 soon won't have the bunching issues it does now. Likely the dynamics of the line will be greatly changed when Ion starts running.

[yige_t]

Speaking of the 29, does anyone know what determines whether an Ebound 29 turns up Hazel or stays on University to King? It seems three out of four of them make that left turn in front of WLU, but their signage appears identical to the 25% who don't.

Maybe those 29s go on to turn into some other bus like a 92...

Route 29 trips marked as "does not operate Summer or Christmas" stays on University past Hazel to end at King. After reaching University/King:

• The 7:45 from The Boardwalk deadheads to Conestoga Mall and becomes the 8:15 Route 9 Lakeshore to UW.
  
• The 8:07 from Keats/F-H deadheads to Erbsville/Keats and becomes the 8:42 Route 13 Laurelwood to UW.
  
• The 8:26, 8:56, 9:25 and 9:55 from Keats/F-H are all done by the same bus - once it reaches University/King it deadheads back to Keats/F-H to start another trip.
  

All other Route 29 trips turn around via Hazel/Hickory/King.

At least for the 29, adding frequency would be the thing to do before using articulated buses. I think the bendy buses are best used where headways have already been reduced as far as they can go, and adding more buses won't really be adding capacity schedule adherence being what it is.

Route 29 is never full most of the time any more (ridership has shifted to 202), so adding more buses won't make sense. However, there are a select few AM peak trips arriving at UW just before class time that are disproportionately overcrowded. Assigning artics just on those trips will give the extra capacity it needs, without the need for a second bus+driver right behind it. The artic can then be assigned on another route, 201/202 for example, for the rest of the day.

But aside from those special circumstances, yes, artics should be considered only when adding more buses becomes not feasible (financially or due to operational issues).

[KevinL]

Thought we'd had a more recent discussion of this somewhere, must have been in a more general thread. Anyway, over six years after the latest post here, the facility is nearly complete - the region put this video on their YouTube this week.

[jeffster]

Thought we'd had a more recent discussion of this somewhere, must have been in a more general thread. Anyway, over six years after the latest post here, the facility is nearly complete - the region put this video on their YouTube this week.

When do the articulated busses come? Or is this still on hold?

[KevinL]

Order is planned to arrive next year, I believe, same as the first electrics.

[jeffster]

Order is planned to arrive next year, I believe, same as the first electrics.

Speaking of electric, hoping that by April I'll be fully EV....assuming the order comes in.

[KevinL]

Another tour video.

[jamincan]

I didn't realize this will be their biggest facility in the region. How big are the garages in Kitchener and Cambridge?

[nms]

I guess if the vehicles are twice as big, one might need a bigger space to house them. I'm particularly impressed with the skylights. They remind me of the locomotive shops from another century.