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05-01-2019, 09:04 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-01-2019, 09:08 AM by robdrimmie.
Edit Reason: trying to improve clarity around card vs old passes, not sure I'm succeeding
)
As of about 20 minutes ago, the line stretched from the ticket booths all the way to the furthest platform (I can never remember the letters). Folks were a mix of ages, not obviously just students.
I do have some sympathy for folks, but I've also ponied up cash fairs on a regular basis when I forget to get my monthly passes - even before I was in the beta for the card and was getting the old paper passes. It's just a cost of transit and my bad habits that I've come to accept. It's certainly less expensive in real ways than waiting two hours at the terminal. GRT does their best at giving people lots of lead time for passes and loading value, but it's a very difficult problem. I'm moderately attentive and still get caught off-guard by regular service changes, so it's easy for me to understand how someone may have put off getting their card until the last minute. I've been that person too many times to not have sympathy.
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It's not just people leaving things to the last minute - the EasyGo card website has been having its usual issues handling credit card payments, which seems to happen around the end of the month like clockwork. Lots of people messaging the GRT on Twitter saying they haven't been able to purchase their monthly pass online, meaning they either have to go stand in a 2 hour line to get this done in-person, or pay cash fares until the website is able to handle their payment (at which point they will pay full price for a pass they're not getting full value from).
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So I should probably wait a week before heading down to get my Connect to GO flag set?
Also, it makes no sense that that flag has to be specifically set on a card, or that they didn't just make the system so that you can tap both cards together at transfer points. I do development work with card readers that support Mifare and related card systems and they'll easily power up and individually address two cards in the field at the same time. Even without knowing the Presto keys, they should at least be able to detect that a card has Presto on it by reading each card's Mifare Application Directly. It's just software...
...K
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(05-01-2019, 10:20 AM)KevinT Wrote: So I should probably wait a week before heading down to get my Connect to GO flag set?
Historically the monthly pass lines are pretty long in the mornings and in the evenings (like, 5pm on the 1st of the month it's not uncommon to see the line stretch to the middle platform where the 7s all hang out), but if you can get to the terminal between 10ish and 3ish there's no wait. I don't know how much the switch to cards is impacting things, and there's probably a lunchtime rush that I don't typically see, but if you can avoid the most typical times for people to be at the terminal you're probably fine.
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It's also kind of crazy that we have to go to Charles or Ainslie to get easyGO cards in general.
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(05-01-2019, 10:29 AM)plam Wrote: It's also kind of crazy that we have to go to Charles or Ainslie to get easyGO cards in general.
I agree, I figured that this should have already been dealt with before now.
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They turned off the Ion-platform machines, which could have helped (they can dispense cards). Or, ANY other retail outlets could have been setup by now; they knew this day was coming.
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Someone on Twitter just said that they were able to load their EasyGo fare card using the machine on the ION Platform at Conestoga Mall.
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(05-01-2019, 04:20 PM)goggolor Wrote: Someone on Twitter just said that they were able to load their EasyGo fare card using the machine on the ION Platform at Conestoga Mall.
Ah, that's something, at least. The last time I saw a machine up close (couple days ago) it was disabled.
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(04-30-2019, 02:50 PM)chutten Wrote: Service volumes go down because passenger volumes go down because service volumes are down...
I know I stop taking the bus as frequently in Spring because they discontinue the route that goes near my house and drop the most convenient trip from another that is second-best. Also, even at full service the bus still takes twice as long as cycling, so when the weather allows I have every incentive to get active.
I'm not sure if that means I'm a cause or an effect of the service volume decrease each Spring.
The reduced summer service has an impact on ridership all year round. I've known people to say that they drive instead of take transit because the bus route that best serves them is a lousy twice-hourly service. And then it transpires that it's twice-hourly "only" in the summer. But that's a third of the year. Of course it's that service level they should be basing their decisions on.
My experience is the same as yours. I take the bus less often because it's less convenient as a result of the service cuts. I would probably take it less often, anyway, since the weather is nicer. But the reduced service just tips the scales further against transit.
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05-03-2019, 11:39 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-03-2019, 11:42 AM by Bob_McBob.)
Conestoga College's u-pass agreement has been cancelled because it wasn't formalized before the new rules about mandatory student fees came into effect.
https://www.therecord.com/news-story/933...cancelled/
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(05-03-2019, 11:39 AM)Bob_McBob Wrote: Conestoga College's u-pass agreement has been cancelled because it wasn't formalized before the new rules about mandatory student fees came into effect.
https://www.therecord.com/news-story/933...cancelled/
Jesus Christ, the bleeding just won't stop.
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Does this mean the new Doon terminal may not get built?
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(05-03-2019, 12:46 PM)KevinL Wrote: Does this mean the new Doon terminal may not get built?
According to the Record, that's proceeding as planned.
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