08-18-2024, 08:03 AM
Every transit system reduces service at times when ridership is lower, I don't get why this is controversial. Overnight, rush hour, summer, midday, Christmas holidays, etc, are all just different times with different ridership patterns. Just as transit agencies cut back trips in the summer, they add trips in nominally off-peak periods (e.g. Sundays) when necessary (e.g. long weekends). All major cities do this.
The question is how it is done. When Toronto reduces subway frequency in the summer is there any outrage? No, because it goes from every 2 minutes to every 2.5 minutes. No one looks at the schedule so no one even notices the service reduction.
I think there's a fair point that our summer service levels should be higher, especially on core routes. But to pretend that travel patterns don't change is silly. If GRT proposed improving summer evening service, beyond fall evening service levels, because longer days means people are out later, that would be entirely reasonable. Especially now that we're not in a world of paper schedules, but instead everyone getting real-time schedule updates via their smartphone.
The fact that people's commute patterns depend on an exact bus at an exact time... that's the signal our service levels are too low. There should be multiple ways to get somewhere, just like there are in the road network, and service frequent enough that the exact bus isn't a relevant concept. But that higher service level should still adjust throughout the year as travel patterns change.
As for budgets, no one is arguing we can't raise taxes to spend more on transit. The point is that when we raise those additional dollars, we should allocate them in the way that has the most benefit. I'm not convinced that's better summer service. At least we have summer service, what about overnight service for shift workers who currently can't use transit at all? Or what about alleviating overcrowding? Even if we decide that we should fund them all, it takes time to ramp up service (buy buses, train operators, etc), so we still always have that question of what we should do first.
The question is how it is done. When Toronto reduces subway frequency in the summer is there any outrage? No, because it goes from every 2 minutes to every 2.5 minutes. No one looks at the schedule so no one even notices the service reduction.
I think there's a fair point that our summer service levels should be higher, especially on core routes. But to pretend that travel patterns don't change is silly. If GRT proposed improving summer evening service, beyond fall evening service levels, because longer days means people are out later, that would be entirely reasonable. Especially now that we're not in a world of paper schedules, but instead everyone getting real-time schedule updates via their smartphone.
The fact that people's commute patterns depend on an exact bus at an exact time... that's the signal our service levels are too low. There should be multiple ways to get somewhere, just like there are in the road network, and service frequent enough that the exact bus isn't a relevant concept. But that higher service level should still adjust throughout the year as travel patterns change.
As for budgets, no one is arguing we can't raise taxes to spend more on transit. The point is that when we raise those additional dollars, we should allocate them in the way that has the most benefit. I'm not convinced that's better summer service. At least we have summer service, what about overnight service for shift workers who currently can't use transit at all? Or what about alleviating overcrowding? Even if we decide that we should fund them all, it takes time to ramp up service (buy buses, train operators, etc), so we still always have that question of what we should do first.