Buck Tracks

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Friday, December 19, 2008

Next Stop, Spadina Station - Transit On Time?


In 1991, I was fortunate enough to travel to California and use the BART rapid transit system in the greater San Francisco and Oakland area. I remember seeing computer screens on some platforms showing the location of the trains on that line, and also indicating when the next train in each direction was expected. The BART system opened in the 1970s. Well, the TTC is not to be outdone. Now, in 2008, we have basically the same thing, using GPS technology. But the bugs have yet to be ironed out. While waiting on the streetcar platform at Union Station, the "Next Vehicle" sign indicated that the next car was due in 6 minutes, even though I could hear the next train approaching in the streetcar tunnel. When the streetcar actually opened its doors to allow boarding, the sign indicated: "next vehicle in 4 minutes". This particular photo was taken at Spadina Station, December, 2008.

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