Bulldog Drops Wonky LRT Performance Reports

It’s really quite simple, Ken.

The Trillium Line was running at 100% of the capacity it would be operating under on a regular day of service if that many drivers were not available to work. So they were replicating “normal” conditions.

It seems to me that you want the tests to reflect what would happen if all promised service actually happened and any customer using the service could rely on it to get them where they need to go in an efficient, reliable and timely manner. The problem with that is that it doesn’t reflect the reality of service across all of OC Transpo’s offerings for trains, buses or Para.

If they were to test the Trillium Line on optimal service, the next thing you know, users of other services would start asking for their service to deliver following the same standards. Since all other services operated by OC Transpo operate in a sub-optimal manner, this would create unrealistic and non-deliverable expectations across the city.

Do you want bus riders to get the idea that it should be possible to go out for the 2:05 bus and actually have a bus turn up between 2:03 and 2:07? Should train passengers no longer think derailments or concrete chunks falling from station ceilings are part of business-as-usual? Are Para-Transpo users to assume that they will be able to easily book a ride and that the time the bus company said their ride would be there is actually when it will show up? Should rural residents have service even if it’s only every two hours? Good heavens, next you’ll be suggesting that fare increases should be less than the level of inflation!

It’s vital that no segment of the OC Transpo family of services pull ahead of the others in terms of efficiency, reliability, reasonable cost, or other measures of a good transit service. Their motto is “Equal Mediocrity for All” and no upstart Trillium Line is going to challenge that by working properly!

Just in case anyone missed it.