Grand River Transit

[Elmira Guy]

/\ Thanks

[Pheidippides]

I just got off a 7 that was coming in to Charles, but going out of service and it announced:
"TTC-like-chime, last stop,???,out-of-service"

[taylortbb]

I also noticed that the 200 had similar service announcements at Laurier and Davis Centre today. During boarding it played a chime, followed by "Please move to the back of the bus". The chime appeared to be 3 tones descending in pitch, though more cleaner and more synthetic sounding that the TTC chime.

[Canard]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate to ask or be a bother, but if anyone could get a recording of said chimes, I would be forever indebted!!

[Coke6pk]

I also noticed that the 200 had similar service announcements at Laurier and Davis Centre today. During boarding it played a chime, followed by "Please move to the back of the bus".

This is so Pheidippides can get home faster...

Coke

[timc]

I also heard a similar sound while biking past a bus the other day.

[Canard]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/Canardiain">@Canardiain</a> Hi Iain, the chime is for when the operator uses a pre-recorded announcement, not a stop announcement.</p>&mdash; Grand River Transit (@GRT_ROW) <a href="https://twitter.com/GRT_ROW/status/829327806345654274">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>

[KevinL]

So, there's now a bank of pre-recorded announcemnts for the driver to pick from? That's pretty cool.

[MidTowner]

That actually is pretty cool, and could be a marked improvement over each driver urging people to the back of the bus in his or her own idiosyncratic way.

[Pheidippides]

The consultant selection for the design of the Northfield maintenance facility is up:
https://regionofwaterloo.bidsandtenders....4be414cee5

"The proposed GRT Northfield Facility is planned to accommodate Mobility Plus, regular buses, and articulating buses. Articulating buses are to be introduced to the fleet beginning in 2020."

"As a separate project...includes the widening of Northfield Drive in front of the this location."

"This project will be required to achieve the minimum sustainable design and construction standard of LEED silver..."

"This project will be required to evaluate the feasibility of including a Green Roof..."

There are some timelines in the document as well:
May 2017 - Design initiation
November 2018 - Award construction contract
January 2019 - Construction
September 2020 - Substantial completion
January 2021 - Occupancy

Total construction budget is $100 million (including a $16 million contingency).

[Markster]

It's pretty good, the routes that will need articulated buses are the 201 and 202, and that (combined) route happens to drive almost right past there.

[danbrotherston]

It's pretty good, the routes that will need articulated buses are the 201 and 202, and that (combined) route happens to drive almost right past there.

I feel like there were reasons they preferred not to use articulated buses?  Was it ONLY inability to fit in terminal space?  I would think that would still be an issue, Charles St. is not the only terminal.

Also, in general, is it not preferred to have more frequent service than articulated buses, even if it is more expensive?

[Markster]

I feel like there were reasons they preferred not to use articulated buses?  Was it ONLY inability to fit in terminal space?  I would think that would still be an issue, Charles St. is not the only terminal.

Also, in general, is it not preferred to have more frequent service than articulated buses, even if it is more expensive?

Strasburg garage wasn't designed to handle them, which was the main reason they don't have them yet.
Bus terminals are now being built to handle artics, for instance, The Boardwalk doesn't use Zipper platforms, opting for straight curbs. The rebuild of the Fairway terminal will be the same.

It is preferable to have frequency! However by 2020, the 201 and 202 will both be running on 10 minute frequencies, hopefully at more than just rush hour. And that's starting to get to the point where larger buses are an option. Artics will also better handle the "class gets out" traffic at 9:30pm.

[goggolor]

I noticed a couple of tweets from GRT relating to when 200 iXpress service would be returning to Uptown/Grand River Hospital. Sounds like even if the underpass is completed by Spring 2017, GRT isn't in a hurry to return to King Street.

Anyone know what these "integrated stops" are?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/jessechad">@jessechad</a> Hi Jesse, the 200 will be on detour until construction of the integrated stops on King is complete.</p>&mdash; Grand River Transit (@GRT_ROW) <a href="https://twitter.com/GRT_ROW/status/831134645697859584">February 13, 2017</a></blockquote>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/jessechad">@jessechad</a> Construction of shelters and the King Street grade separation will likely not be finished before September 2017.</p>&mdash; Grand River Transit (@GRT_ROW) <a href="https://twitter.com/GRT_ROW/status/831191337340895233">February 13, 2017</a></blockquote>

[Canard]

Wasn't the idea at one point that busses would pull up onto the tracks and sit flush with the platform, as if they were an LRV?