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Not on the Kitchener line, but...
Today in Bureaucracy!
The Minister of Transportation announced a pilot project to install a Tim's at 4 GO Transit stations.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/TimHortons">@TimHortons</a> kiosks are coming to a select number of GO stations as part of a pilot project with The Kilmer Group: <a href="https://t.co/OQWfjvqwUJ">https://t.co/OQWfjvqwUJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/iGwdf088gP">pic.twitter.com/iGwdf088gP</a></p>— Metrolinx (@Metrolinx) <a href="https://twitter.com/Metrolinx/status/852512442743754752">April 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
My take:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The state of rail transit in Ontario:<br>The Minister of Transportation<br>had a press conference<br>for a pilot project<br>at 4 stations<br>to sell coffee</p>— Mark Jackson-Brown (@Markster3000) <a href="https://twitter.com/Markster3000/status/852555599082655744">April 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I've got an idea for <a href="https://twitter.com/Metrolinx">@Metrolinx</a><br>Build 1 retail unit at every <a href="https://twitter.com/GOtransit">@GOtransit</a> station, put up a "For Lease" sign, and don't be picky. It will work</p>— Mark Jackson-Brown (@Markster3000) <a href="https://twitter.com/Markster3000/status/852560997818802177">April 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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"Will commuters be interested in coffee?" Markster, what a card!
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They may well have requested proposals from multiple vendors. Regardless, I do expect they are looking for a single vendor across the whole GO system rather than contracting with a different one at each station.
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04-13-2017, 05:10 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-13-2017, 05:11 PM by SammyOES2.)
Yeah, its totally reasonable for the Government to look for one vendor that handles everything.
It's not reasonable for that vendor to be appointed (I have no idea if they were or weren't).
Edit: Although I certainly agree with the sentiment about the "trial run". I'd think lots of companies would be comfortable taking the risk.
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The reason for the trial may be to test the revenue generated (either for Kilmer or GO, or both). I suspect Metrolinx wants to know its ROI on doing station renos for coffee kiosks. I have nothing to back up that suspicion, though.
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It is kind of unfortunate switching to the shorter buses. I'm assuming they're shorter inside, and given the larger ones were just barely tall enough for me to stand.... but if it's necessary.
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(04-13-2017, 04:45 PM)tomh009 Wrote: They may well have requested proposals from multiple vendors. Regardless, I do expect they are looking for a single vendor across the whole GO system rather than contracting with a different one at each station.
Will I be able to use my Presto Card at every government sanctioned coffee shop and get points on one of my frequent spender cards? 
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(04-17-2017, 10:47 PM)MacBerry Wrote: (04-13-2017, 04:45 PM)tomh009 Wrote: They may well have requested proposals from multiple vendors. Regardless, I do expect they are looking for a single vendor across the whole GO system rather than contracting with a different one at each station.
Will I be able to use my Presto Card at every government sanctioned coffee shop and get points on one of my frequent spender cards?
Not yet, but if it goes the route of Hong Kong's Octopus card (which can be used for such purposes), then maybe...
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04-24-2017, 09:32 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-24-2017, 09:32 PM by danbrotherston.)
My goodness the ceilings are low in the super low height double decker buses. I'm slightly above average height but I am bending down quite a bit on both floors.
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(04-17-2017, 11:47 PM)KevinL Wrote: (04-17-2017, 10:47 PM)MacBerry Wrote: Will I be able to use my Presto Card at every government sanctioned coffee shop and get points on one of my frequent spender cards?
Not yet, but if it goes the route of Hong Kong's Octopus card (which can be used for such purposes), then maybe...
I loved Suica in Japan! Top up as much as you like, as often as you like - works on virtually every single transit system there, and I could even buy my breakfast every day at Lawsons or 7-Eleven with it. Vending machines even accepted Suica!
Since Credit isn't really a thing there in Japan, Suica kind of fills the need for having something "like cash" but much more easy to manage (just tap).
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(04-24-2017, 09:40 PM)Canard Wrote: I loved Suica in Japan! Top up as much as you like, as often as you like - works on virtually every single transit system there, and I could even buy my breakfast every day at Lawsons or 7-Eleven with it. Vending machines even accepted Suica!
Since Credit isn't really a thing there in Japan, Suica kind of fills the need for having something "like cash" but much more easy to manage (just tap).
Luggage lockers, too ...
But grocery stores and restaurants typically don't accept Suica/Pasmo. Fortunately credit card acceptance is steadily creeping up in Japan, too.
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On the CBC yesterday morning, Mayor Craig said ""I'm getting very discouraged by the fact that over a 15-year period, we have been advocating for GO train service to Cambridge and right now, we're on nobody's radar."
When I heard him say that, my initial reaction was that he should try to advocate in a different way than he is. Or possibly Cambridge should find a different advocate.
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(05-12-2017, 08:27 AM)MidTowner Wrote: On the CBC yesterday morning, Mayor Craig said ""I'm getting very discouraged by the fact that over a 15-year period, we have been advocating for GO train service to Cambridge and right now, we're on nobody's radar."
When I heard him say that, my initial reaction was that he should try to advocate in a different way than he is. Or possibly Cambridge should find a different advocate.
Me too! My first (nasty) thought was that he seems pretty ineffectual.
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To be fair, the lines in question that connect to and through Cambridge currently carry freight traffic and are maintained accordingly. Getting GO to Kitchener was likely helped by the fact that VIA traveled the corridor enough to have passenger grade maintenance. As well, there was only one railway option while in Cambridge (as Mayor Craig suggests) there are two. Rather than having to focus on one railway, their efforts would have to be split between two.
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