Originally Posted by Taunton

Andrew Richardson has been working with HSR for over a year, and access to bus space has been just one issue he's been dealing with. There may be other factors involved with the new bus purchases but actually placing the new buses on appropriate routes involved lobbying, and that is where the MSU has had influence.

The announcement two years ago stated the buses would be placed on high capacity routes and they would replace the old GM articulated buses. Sorry

The articulated buses have been on the express run since the 80s and on university since 1996. This is a return to the way it was. Not something new. The last time the MSU improved service was 2005 when University ser vice was expanded

Originally Posted by A.Marlowe

I thought the point of moving the buses of campus was the much greater efficiency. If they don't need to go through campus they will save on fuel (which is environmentally and financially sound) as well as time. If they aren't running through campus it means that students don't need to look out for buses which means we can get to class faster (since without the bus traffic it means more walking on the roads, which means less congested sidewalks).

I mean, I don't take the bus to or from school, so I might be missing something important. But it makes pretty good sense to me...

In terms of walking, I walk 20 minutes, maybe just a bit less. There is no way that people should need to take a bus for that distance. (I'm looking at you Cheri, espescially since your shoes are like a thousand times more padded than mine).

Why are you looking at my Andrew. D: I haven't taken the bus just to get to school, lulz. >_< I ain't that fat. In fact, I think I walked a total of almost 2 hours yesterday. So hah! XD

Originally Posted by Jay

Many people who end up taking the bus, and stuffing it so full of people, end up taking the bus to Westdale/Sterling. That's really not fair to people who need the bus because they live downtown or up the mountain.

...

I'm quite curious. Whereabouts is your student house? If you've waited over an hour for a bus, it might be wiser to just walk to save time. That's what I did after night classes. With a proper jacket, mitts, gloves, and a hood/hat, walking is actually much warmer than waiting at a bus stop.

I have been doing that lately, since it's warm. But I get home exhausted from the heat. Also, when sleepy on a snowy morning, I don't feel like hoofing it. I live around whitney and main(close to Hasty Market).

For the third time in 2 days, I saw two 51-University busses pull into Mac, one directly behind the other.

What a waste. Someone needs to work on the schedules or something. Normally the HSR is pretty good about this kind of thing.

Originally Posted by Kathy2

For the third time in 2 days, I saw two 51-University busses pull into Mac, one directly behind the other.

What a waste. Someone needs to work on the schedules or something. Normally the HSR is pretty good about this kind of thing.

Umm yesterday I saw both of them get filled up at quarter to 5. But yeah sometimes that could be a waste!

Originally Posted by Kathy2

For the third time in 2 days, I saw two 51-University busses pull into Mac, one directly behind the other.

What a waste. Someone needs to work on the schedules or something. Normally the HSR is pretty good about this kind of thing.

This can be pretty frustrating, especially when you're not quite close enough to catch either! (has happened to me more times that I care to remember ;-)

But some messiness is to be expected given how crazy traffic is in Hamilton. This should be improved with the new GPS systems that the HSR have installed into some busses (maybe as a trial, I'm not sure).

The systems have three lights near a driver's controls - one comes on when it's time to be at the next stop (green I think), another when the bus is late by so much time (red), and a third when the bus is really behind (blue). The system will help drivers to keep things tuned, and will also work with the new stop announcement system, which I read somewhere will be online within a few months. The Next Stop will read out on LED panels close to the front on the ceiling of the bus (you can see them there now, but they're not active yet).

The HSR are making some good improvements. I'm excited to see how it'll all work!

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

Umm yesterday I saw both of them get filled up at quarter to 5. But yeah sometimes that could be a waste!

It was earlier in the day, maybe around 2 or 3. A lot of students got on - but no where near enough to fill two of those big busses. Not even enough to fill up one.

Originally Posted by ghjkghkghkgh

This can be pretty frustrating, especially when you're not quite close enough to catch either! (has happened to me more times that I care to remember ;-)

But some messiness is to be expected given how crazy traffic is in Hamilton. This should be improved with the new GPS systems that the HSR have installed into some busses (maybe as a trial, I'm not sure).

The systems have three lights near a driver's controls - one comes on when it's time to be at the next stop (green I think), another when the bus is late by so much time (red), and a third when the bus is really behind (blue). The system will help drivers to keep things tuned, and will also work with the new stop announcement system, which I read somewhere will be online within a few months. The Next Stop will read out on LED panels close to the front on the ceiling of the bus (you can see them there now, but they're not active yet).

The HSR are making some good improvements. I'm excited to see how it'll all work!

Oh my god, that's awesome. I NEVER know when my stop is coming up, especially when it's night time. >_<

Originally Posted by ghjkghkghkgh

This can be pretty frustrating, especially when you're not quite close enough to catch either! (has happened to me more times that I care to remember ;-)

But some messiness is to be expected given how crazy traffic is in Hamilton. This should be improved with the new GPS systems that the HSR have installed into some busses (maybe as a trial, I'm not sure).

The systems have three lights near a driver's controls - one comes on when it's time to be at the next stop (green I think), another when the bus is late by so much time (red), and a third when the bus is really behind (blue). The system will help drivers to keep things tuned, and will also work with the new stop announcement system, which I read somewhere will be online within a few months. The Next Stop will read out on LED panels close to the front on the ceiling of the bus (you can see them there now, but they're not active yet).

The HSR are making some good improvements. I'm excited to see how it'll all work!

Wat.... the TTC has had this exact system for a few years now, lol.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

Oh my god, that's awesome. I NEVER know when my stop is coming up, especially when it's night time. >_<

The HSR were recently sued through the Human Rights Commission for not enforcing their own requirement that drivers call out all stops (the visually-impaired are at a distinct disadvantage). The new system will definitely help them on that front too.

Originally Posted by ghjkghkghkgh

The HSR were recently sued through the Human Rights Commission for not enforcing their own requirement that drivers call out all stops (the visually-impaired are at a distinct disadvantage). The new system will definitely help them on that front too.

Wait.

How would the new system help the visually impaired? They're still visually impaired. o_O

Originally Posted by lawleypop

Wait.

How would the new system help the visually impaired? They're still visually impaired. o_O

Huh. You know what, I didn't even think of that lol. Maybe there will be a speaker system involved too.

Here are some articles about the issue:
http://www.thespec.com/printArticle/596102
http://www.raisethehammer.or g/blog.asp?id=1277

So it does look like there's a speaker system. I guess I could be wrong about the LED thing, or maybe they'll use it in conjunction with the speaker system (which is a really good idea in my book).

Edit: Yep, there it is "...fully automated audio and visual stop announcements..."