Grand River Transit

[Viewfromthe42]

They've already kowtowed to the all-property-tax-increases-must-be-below-inflation but GRT-increases-must-all-be-multiples-of-inflation, so...

[chutten]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/chuttenc">@chuttenc</a> Hi Chris, this bus was within the schedule parameters. Best practice is to arrive at the stop 5 mins before the departure time.</p>&mdash; Grand River Transit (@GRT_ROW) <a href="https://twitter.com/GRT_ROW/status/789138756150431744">October 20, 2016</a></blockquote>

So I'm having a conversation with GRT on Twitter that started with my now-bog-standard complaint report of a bus zooming past a stop ahead (-2min) of schedule. Half kvetch (to make me feel better) and half data transfer (so GRT knows it happened and that it mattered to some random rider).

The GRT Twitter folk get back to me to get correct details (I flubbed the stop # in the original report. Good on 'em for catching that) and then say that the "Best practice is to arrive at the stop 5 mins before the departure time" to avoid this happening again.

Usually I commute by bicycle, so I'm familiar with victim-blaming. Blaming a passenger for a bus leaving a stop early is a bit new.

They're asking to follow-up in a method that isn't quite as hostile to nuance as Twitter is. We'll see how this goes.

(( and this is the service level from which they want to _cut_? What's even be left? ))

[MidTowner]

I thought they said three minutes, not five. Isn't a bus that reaches a stop two minutes early considered "on time" for GRT's purpose?

This is an annoyance, obviously, having to arrive for a bus two (or particularly five) minutes early, especially as the bus itself may well arrive after its scheduled time. But 100% schedule adherence is impossible.

Another problem that frequency goes a long way toward solving...

[isUsername]

So I'm having a conversation with GRT on Twitter that started with my now-bog-standard complaint report of a bus zooming past a stop ahead (-2min) of schedule. Half kvetch (to make me feel better) and half data transfer (so GRT knows it happened and that it mattered to some random rider).

The GRT Twitter folk get back to me to get correct details (I flubbed the stop # in the original report. Good on 'em for catching that) and then say that the "Best practice is to arrive at the stop 5 mins before the departure time" to avoid this happening again.

Usually I commute by bicycle, so I'm familiar with victim-blaming. Blaming a passenger for a bus leaving a stop early is a bit new.

They're asking to follow-up in a method that isn't quite as hostile to nuance as Twitter is. We'll see how this goes.

(( and this is the service level from which they want to _cut_? What's even be left? ))

I had a similar conversation a few years ago. I asserted that with the introduction of real-time tracking and the driver having the schedule adherence in front of them in real-time, 5 minutes was unreasonable, especially if they're trying to attract choice riders. I was regularly taking the 8 at the time, and it was often 5-10 minutes late. Expecting people to wait 15 minutes for a bus was a surefire way to keep people in their cars.

With GRT moving to a grid system, that'll increase the number of transfers. Soon people will spend half their time waiting for the bus than what they actually spend on the bus.

[MidTowner]

I thought they said three minutes, not five. Isn't a bus that reaches a stop two minutes early considered "on time" for GRT's purpose?

This is an annoyance, obviously, having to arrive for a bus two (or particularly five) minutes early, especially as the bus itself may well arrive after its scheduled time. But 100% schedule adherence is impossible.

Another problem that frequency goes a long way toward solving...

Now I have to kvetch a little: a few minutes after I wrote this, I went to catch the 200, and it passed by before I made it to the stop, about three minutes early.

But, because it's ten minute frequency, I only had to wait in the rain thirteen minutes, not eighteen...or thirty-three.

[zanate]

[quote pid='28181' dateline='1476987624']
So I'm having a conversation with GRT on Twitter that started with my now-bog-standard complaint report of a bus zooming past a stop ahead (-2min) of schedule. Half kvetch (to make me feel better) and half data transfer (so GRT knows it happened and that it mattered to some random rider).
[/quote]

This seems relevant. From the Service Standards working paper from the GRT business plan to 2014 (which is still in effect.)

Their advice about arriving early is pragmatic and useful. But, I'd be curious why they think the bus was "within schedule parameters". Perhaps they have details and a slightly different clock?

   

[danbrotherston]

At least on regular routes not every stop is a time point.

[ijmorlan]

At least on regular routes not every stop is a time point.

Which, with modern technology, is the wrong way to run things. Every stop should be a time point. Since the bus will never be significantly early, waiting a few seconds for schedule isn’t a significant impediment to traffic. Alternately the driver can just drive a bit more slowly if they’re in danger of running hot.

[curious_look]

At least on regular routes not every stop is a time point.

Which, with modern technology, is the wrong way to run things. Every stop should be a time point. Since the bus will never be significantly early, waiting a few seconds for schedule isn’t a significant impediment to traffic. Alternately the driver can just drive a bit more slowly if they’re in danger of running hot.

Yeah this is something I don't get. Regularly in the morning lately when I cross the Margaret Ave bridge there is an 8 idling waiting for their time to catch up while blocking the bike lane right past the temp stop on the bridge. I get this could happen if the driver is new to that route/shift or if the route changes yet again and they aren't sure of the timing yet, but this seems to occur too frequently for that. 

It seems like it should be more encouraged for the drivers to drive slower rather then rush and wait. But what do I know, I can't drive a bus!

[DHLawrence]

In the Cambridge Transit days if the bus was early in my neighbourhood it would wait at a stop until it was back on schedule.

[danbrotherston]

I have seen many drivers try to drive slower to not be early, but there's only so much a driver can do.  If there are an unusually few number of stops, or if many lights are green, it's just random chance, but they may end up waiting.  If a driver is frequently waiting, then most likely the schedule is simply too slack (likely for the reasons of achieving better on time performance, ironically).

[kps]

They've already kowtowed to the all-property-tax-increases-must-be-below-inflation but GRT-increases-must-all-be-multiples-of-inflation, so...

When did that happen? Regional tax increases have been 3% for last couple years, while inflation was 1–2%.

[Markster]

They've already kowtowed to the all-property-tax-increases-must-be-below-inflation but GRT-increases-must-all-be-multiples-of-inflation, so...

When did that happen? Regional tax increases have been 3% for last couple years, while inflation was 1–2%.

Oops I slipped on my keyboard

   
(note: the alignment for the "year" of these may be off by 1, I haven't thought hard about whether they should round up or down a year)

So yes, property tax increases have been above inflation, but still much lower than the GRT monthly pass' increases.

Data:

Code:

Year Property Tax Increase Inflation GRT Pass Tickets
2010 2.60% 0.26% 0.0% 0.0%
2011 1.89% 1.84% 5.0% 8.3%
2012 2.53% 2.92% 7.9% 7.7%
2013 2.74% 1.50% 5.9% 9.5%
2014 1.86% 0.90% 5.6% 7.4%
2015 2.58% 1.95% 3.9% 4.0%
2016 2.96% 1.12% 3.8% 3.5%
2017 2.30% 1.11%

[MidTowner]

Fare increases have outpaced property tax increases, but it is not fair to say that the Region kowtows to ratepayers who might believe that taxes should never increase above the rate of inflation. I personally think the the fare increases have been unacceptable and don't think they serve the transit goals the Region has, but we should put credit where credit is due and acknowledge that Regional leadership has chosen to increase tax rates to make strategic investments. Not all of our municipal neighbours do that- influential Londoners routinely call for "tax freezes," and politicians routinely acquiesce. Their previous mayor won on a platform of four years of tax freezes, short-sighted at best.

Anyway, I expect that the Region will be able to successfully blame the GRT's revenue shortfall on construction, and most people will be satisfied with that and service cuts won't be necessary.

[KevinL]

Routes 3 and 22 are no longer detouring around Ottawa/Mill! Obviously they don't cross the tracks, but there's no need to on the directions they travel.

Definitely lets you get a good view of the progress of Ion construction through there.