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<title>blogTO Recent Comments: TTC Launches Next Train Arrival Subway Signs</title>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/feed/recentcomments/?10761</link>
<description>Comments recently made in this post on blogTO</description>
<copyright>Copyright 2009</copyright>
<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:05:35 PST</lastBuildDate>
<item>
<title>Mistro</title>
<description><![CDATA[
"...However, at the present day, cell phones don't work underground in the subway. So displaying the time is..."

Your cellphone's clock wont work when there's no reception?... Maybe it's time you got a better phone?



"How about they get screens that display when the next SCHEDULED train will arrive. Yes, that's right, I said it! Put the trains on a schedule, like VIA and GO, and the urban public transit systems of other civilized cities."

When trains regularly come in every 1-3 minutes, I find it fairly pointless to have them run on a schedule. The thing about these other so called "civilized" cities is that the trains and busses run with large gaps. Do you ever see GO train running the same route pull in every 2 minutes? thought so...]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307902</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307902</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:39:37 PDT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>kettunainen</title>
<description><![CDATA[
Man, all you people who are down on the TTC really burn me. At least Toronto HAS functional mass transit, unlike most of the cities in the States. No, it may not be top of the line or like what all the other cool kids have, but it works and I'm happy to have access to it instead of having to buy a car because the mass transit is laughable.

Bunch of spoiled brats, y'all are. Be grateful for once. 

Harumph.]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307663</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307663</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:41:38 PDT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>KL</title>
<description><![CDATA[
I agree with Gloria.  I find the screens extremely useful.  It's great to know the weather for the day, or the latest news.

Besides, it's paid for by advertisers, so at least the money's not coming out of the TTC's pockets.]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307459</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307459</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:56:26 PDT</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Shan</title>
<description><![CDATA[
Being able to estimate when the train is arriving based on real-time, precise location is a great feature. Scheduled times aren't going to be useful when it isn't sticking to the schedule. This is even better for buses, and I wish they had this in Mississauga. I had thought that this would be a good thing to do, but figured it'd be a long while before they actually would implement anything like it. Sometimes you don't know whether to run to the bus stop or just walk casually, or to not even bother trying. If this real-time mapping of the buses was available online as well, that would really make it useful.]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307433</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307433</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:42:49 PDT</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>SH</title>
<description><![CDATA[
$5000/station is a big waste of money for a fairly unnecessary system.  In London they have a 'next train arrival' system in place for their metro, which is about 1000x more complex than that of Toronto.  For instance, there are subway lines that branch off or don't go to all the stops on the line, thus it is imperative to know when the next train that is going in your direction will be coming, so you don't get on the wrong one, and so you have a good idea of how long your journey will be.  Also, after a certain hour service drops down dramatically and you can be waiting upwards of 10 minutes for the next train, that is a significant wait. On the Toronto subway system this is not a problem; the longest one has to wait for a subway is 5 minutes.  If there is a problem resulting in a wait time of more than 5 minutes, a good alternative (or addition) to a garbled announcement would be showing the reason for and length of delays on these fancy LCD screens.  I'm sure implementing a system like that would have cost a heck of a lot less than $5000/station.  

INSTEAD, that money, with a little bit more money (well a lot more money) could have been used to pay for a system that alerts bus and streetcar patrons about next scheduled arrivals... NOW, rather than some time in the distant future.

I thought about this while sitting in my bedroom wearing my pyjamas... granted it's a Friday night, but it still wasn't all that much work.  Why can't the TTC be this efficient?]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307400</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307400</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:44:45 PDT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Paul</title>
<description><![CDATA[
In fairness, the myttc trip planner is pretty bad, giving pretty cockamamie routes most of the time.  If it had been official, people would be raking the ttc over the coals for it.

Jess, I don't understand why trains with a frequency of 3-6 minutes would need to be on a schedule.  That's ridiculous.  Have you ever taken VIA by the way?  The only thing a schedule does is create frustration when the train doesn't show up on time.

People are so hard on the TTC, but the system has been systematically starved of funds ever since the Harris administration.  I hope everyone complaining plans to take municipal funding and transit strategies into account when choosing whom to vote for in the coming election.]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307386</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307386</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:47:14 PDT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Jess</title>
<description><![CDATA[
I laugh when I read things like this. The TTC sucks so badly....How about they get screens that display when the next SCHEDULED train will arrive. Yes, that's right, I said it! Put the trains on a schedule, like VIA and GO, and the urban public transit systems of other civilized cities.
Good luck Toronto. Call me when you get a proper transit system.]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307373</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307373</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:03:32 PDT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>W. K. Lis</title>
<description><![CDATA[
People have dropped using watches and using the time displayed on a cell phone. However, at the present day, cell phones don't work underground in the subway. So displaying the time is...]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307363</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307363</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:42:04 PDT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>kate</title>
<description><![CDATA[
hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. maybe one day it won't take twenty plus minutes for a streetcar to show up when i'm trying to get to work in the morning.]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307346</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307346</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:07:09 PDT</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Iain</title>
<description><![CDATA[
I like the huge video displays in the montreal subway system. You can see them from a distance and they look pretty cool at the same time. The LCD screens are so bloody small you can't see anything unless you're as close as Giambrone is in those photos!]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307342</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307342</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:52:27 PDT</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Gloria</title>
<description><![CDATA[
Well, I've found the news headlines and weather info pretty darn useful. 

In fact, who *needs* to know the current time? Get a watch!]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307339</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307339</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:32:35 PDT</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Roger</title>
<description><![CDATA[
Dave, I see where you're coming from. But advertising is inevitable. And these screens in the subway stations are already here and paid for. At least the TTC is doing something useful with them now.]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307335</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307335</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:06:41 PDT</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Dave</title>
<description><![CDATA[
<i>Giambrone says it costs less than $5,000 per station and the screens are paid for by advertisers.</i>

This is where the TTC is screwing up - horribly.  I wish Giambrone would realize that we don't need advertisment for a fraking CLOCK. Riders on the TTC need to know 2 things: The current time and when the next train is coming.

Clocks don't cost much.  Is it really so hard to put several on a platform?  A couple of not so fancy LED clocks probably won't cost too much - plus they're easy to see from a distance, unlike the HORRIBLE LCD ads/info... You can't see the stupid things from 20 feet away - and there is only one or two per platform.

Seriously, the TTC fails so hard sometimes. It's like they don't even use the system.]]>
</description>
<link>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307327</link>
<guid>http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/09/ttc_launches_next_train_arrival_subway_signs/#c307327</guid>
<category>Toronto, City</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:50:23 PDT</pubDate>
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