Grand River Transit

[taylortbb]

Actually, car free rush hour would be an immense improvement in rush hour--I can personally attest. But leaving that aside, I was illustrating the double standard to which applies to people driving vs. not driving.

I mean, I don't drive to work, I'm all for a car-free rush hour for those that can do that. But I can still think that car free Sundays are a much better event than car free rush hours, in recognition of the fact that lots of people do drive to work.

Why is it not just acceptable but "just makes sense" for transit riders to see a significant delay or even complete loss of mobility on Sundays, when a person driving a car would find it intolerable to experience the same.

You're strawman-ing so hard here. I would never suggest that it's acceptable for transit users to have a complete loss of mobility or significant delay on Sundays. Read what I actually wrote. I said that adjusting subway service from every 2 minutes to every 2.5 minutes is an acceptable summer service reduction. If waiting an average of 15 seconds longer for a subway is a "complete loss of mobility" your standards are laughably ridiculous. My point was that service levels should be higher at all times, summer included, but that it is reasonable that summer have lower service levels. Note lower, not low. I'm comparing relative to the high service levels we should have. I think ION should run every 5 mins all day, but I'd accept every 7.5 mins on Sundays. That's not a significant delay, it provides good mobility, but it also recognizes that some periods have lower ridership.

[danbrotherston]

Actually, car free rush hour would be an immense improvement in rush hour--I can personally attest. But leaving that aside, I was illustrating the double standard to which applies to people driving vs. not driving.

I mean, I don't drive to work, I'm all for a car-free rush hour for those that can do that. But I can still think that car free Sundays are a much better event than car free rush hours, in recognition of the fact that lots of people do drive to work.

I mean, car free Sundays are certainly a pleasant way to spend a Sunday, and can lead to structural changes in the future, a car free rush hour means meaningful structural changes throughout society. Both are good changes, but one is certainly a much bigger change to society.

That being said, I experienced at some points of my life in KW a (mostly) car free rush hour, when I commuted on the IHT to school, and it was delightful.

Why is it not just acceptable but "just makes sense" for transit riders to see a significant delay or even complete loss of mobility on Sundays, when a person driving a car would find it intolerable to experience the same.

You're strawman-ing so hard here. I would never suggest that it's acceptable for transit users to have a complete loss of mobility or significant delay on Sundays. Read what I actually wrote. I said that adjusting subway service from every 2 minutes to every 2.5 minutes is an acceptable summer service reduction. If waiting an average of 15 seconds longer for a subway is a "complete loss of mobility" your standards are laughably ridiculous. My point was that service levels should be higher at all times, summer included, but that it is reasonable that summer have lower service levels. Note lower, not low. I'm comparing relative to the high service levels we should have. I think ION should run every 5 mins all day, but I'd accept every 7.5 mins on Sundays. That's not a significant delay, it provides good mobility, but it also recognizes that some periods have lower ridership.

I'm strawman-ing?!? We don't live in Toronto, we're talking about Region of Waterloo. Many buses go from every 15 or 20 minutes to every 30 or 40 minutes, some go to an hour, others stop running either entirely or for much of the day. Ditto for summer. And even more so for overnight. For some people this could mean waiting an extra 30 minutes, or not being able to make the trip at all. Which is precisely what I said. And given that even people who are on the LRT route (which for example only sees a 2.5 minute increase--which I agree doesn't affect mobility) will still depend on connecting buses to reach most of the city, that means their mobility is affected by the other schedule changes. So I think it's much more representative. Yes, some of the city remains accessible, but other parts are cut off. It's equivalent to closing some roads entirely on Sunday.

This is what we experience now, and sure, you couched your response in some context contradicting the status quo but the comment I replied to didn't. It just said, "yeah, totally makes sense to cut back service when ridership is lower".

But even if you look at 5 minutes vs. 7.5 minutes generally, you still see a double standard. If you threatened to add 2.5 minute to an average driver's trip, they would throw a tantrum of epic proportions, and they'd be listened (read: pandered) to. Drivers are pandered to over much less.

[Bytor]

Totally agree! Adjusting service levels based on ridership makes sense.

Ridership depends in large part of service level, though. If you reduce ridership on Sundays or in the evening, or whenever just because ridership falls "too much", then ridership will fall even further, not only during that cut time, but also other times during the day, week or year because what's the point of using it at those times if you still need to have a car for the cut times?

Do you then go and cut it again so it falls even further, and then cut it yet again?

Where does that death spiral stop?

Instead of reducing transit's reliability and usefulness by cutting service when ridership drops because you've never had good service then to begin with, why not leave the service at the higher level and watch ridership increase, but during that now un-cut time and every other time because it's now more practical as a full-time alternative to the car?

Do you want a death spiral, or a growth spiral?

[KevinL]

Fare machines have finally been installed at non-Ion locations! Cards can be loaded and tickets purchased at the Boardwalk, Sportsworld, and Sunrise Centre. Plus there's an extra one on the bus terminal side of Fairway. https://www.grt.ca/en/fares-passes/where-to-buy.aspx

[ac3r]

A few years too late, but good to see nonetheless. I'd like to see that expanded though, so it's more convenient for larger demographics of people. Transit isn't much use if the first obstacle is actually getting a ticket to use it.

One idea might be selling them at stores, similar to the way Presto can be purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada Post, gas stations and so on. Think of an area in the region like Stanely Park. Plenty of transit users around there particularly due to the number of elderly people and students at various schools, yet the only place to buy an EasyGO card is to go all the way to Fairway Station or somewhere else.

[danbrotherston]

Fare machines have finally been installed at non-Ion locations! Cards can be loaded and tickets purchased at the Boardwalk, Sportsworld, and Sunrise Centre. Plus there's an extra one on the bus terminal side of Fairway. https://www.grt.ca/en/fares-passes/where-to-buy.aspx

Lol...that's great news...

But my god that's like 4 years late at least.

[timio]

I could have used that last week after I discovered stored value expires from EasyGo cards after 2 years of inactivity (which is a stupid policy IMO). In the old days, I used to walk to the nearest grocery store and pick up a strip of tickets... getting closer to 2005 capabilities.

[dtkvictim]

I could have used that last week after I discovered stored value expires from EasyGo cards after 2 years of inactivity (which is a stupid policy IMO). In the old days, I used to walk to the nearest grocery store and pick up a strip of tickets... getting closer to 2005 capabilities.

Oh, they get to just steal our money?

[ijmorlan]

I could have used that last week after I discovered stored value expires from EasyGo cards after 2 years of inactivity (which is a stupid policy IMO). In the old days, I used to walk to the nearest grocery store and pick up a strip of tickets... getting closer to 2005 capabilities.

Oh, they get to just steal our money?

Shouldn’t even be allowed. I don’t think that’s allowed for gift certificates any more.

I’m not sure how this should be handled in the long term; at some point cards are probably lost and definitely not going to be redeemed. But 2 years is not long enough.

[tomh009]

I could have used that last week after I discovered stored value expires from EasyGo cards after 2 years of inactivity (which is a stupid policy IMO). In the old days, I used to walk to the nearest grocery store and pick up a strip of tickets... getting closer to 2005 capabilities.

Oh, they get to just steal our money?

Alas, this is the case for a lot of stored-value/gift cards. Partly it's free revenue for the companies, partly it's that the finance people don't like this "overhang" of what are effectively ever-growing customer deposits. (And, yes, ever-growing, because a percentage of cards always ends up being lost.)

[dtkvictim]

Shouldn’t even be allowed. I don’t think that’s allowed for gift certificates any more.

I’m not sure how this should be handled in the long term; at some point cards are probably lost and definitely not going to be redeemed. But 2 years is not long enough.

A quick search says my PASMO card from Japan expires after 10 years. Much more reasonable time frame if you ask me. I might reasonably hit 2 years on my EasyGo card (I'm definitely over a year right now), but I still keep it on me and expect it to work when I need it, like if I get a flat tire on my bike.

Alas, this is the case for a lot of stored-value/gift cards. Partly it's free revenue for the companies, partly it's that the finance people don't like this "overhang" of what are effectively ever-growing customer deposits. (And, yes, ever-growing, because a percentage of cards always ends up being lost.)

I expect private corporations to claim every cent that the law allows them to. I expect better from a public service.

Also, depending on the type of stored value and business in question, I was under the impression they like to invest the deposits they hold just like a bank would.

[danbrotherston]

Shouldn’t even be allowed. I don’t think that’s allowed for gift certificates any more.

I’m not sure how this should be handled in the long term; at some point cards are probably lost and definitely not going to be redeemed. But 2 years is not long enough.

A quick search says my PASMO card from Japan expires after 10 years. Much more reasonable time frame if you ask me. I might reasonably hit 2 years on my EasyGo card (I'm definitely over a year right now), but I still keep it on me and expect it to work when I need it, like if I get a flat tire on my bike.

Alas, this is the case for a lot of stored-value/gift cards. Partly it's free revenue for the companies, partly it's that the finance people don't like this "overhang" of what are effectively ever-growing customer deposits. (And, yes, ever-growing, because a percentage of cards always ends up being lost.)

I expect private corporations to claim every cent that the law allows them to. I expect better from a public service.

Also, depending on the type of stored value and business in question, I was under the impression they like to invest the deposits they hold just like a bank would.

This is entirely on point.

FWIW...I didn't know about this, but I have a couple EasyGo cards that I use when I come back, but I only come back once a year. I better make sure not to miss a year or I'll be fucked.

Of course, if I could just use my visa/debit card like I can everywhere else this wouldn't be an issue.

Frankly, I'm tired of this bullshit. Last time I came, I was unable to actually board the train because the fare payment terminal wouldn't accept my visa, and the bank tellers couldn't figure it out either. My card worked at every other payment terminal I used in the country, but not on GRT. At this point, between the bullshit I dealt with last time, the sorry state of transit in general, and the new Via Rail baggage rules, I'm very close to just renting a car at the airport. If it was in the summer, I wouldn't even hesitate, but in the winter, I'd rather not be driving in a snow storm, so I'm still on the fence, but if someone who is motivated like me can't make it work---well, it's just shocking how many anti-transit-rider policies we're dealing with from our own transit companies.

[KevinL]

TriTAG, the Tricities Transport Action Group who were very active during the Ion approval and contract process, are active again.

They have an event planned in Waterloo Square on the 19th to advocate for improved GRT service.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQ...Q/viewform

[ijmorlan]

Hearing mention of TriTAG makes me wonder: has anybody heard from T4ST (Taxpayers for Shitty Transit, or something like that) lately?

[neonjoe]

E-buses not viable for GRT fleet, Waterloo Region council told
https://archive.ph/BznjA

It appears that GRT is having some challenges with the short ranges of the current electric buses. It also sounds like they may have to start purchasing from New Flyer again as Nova is transitioning to fully electric.
Interesting tidbits that they are still looking for 60ft buses, but hey still haven't prepared any pads to allow for accessible boarding on all three doors.