The future of Hamilton's public transit

[LikeHamilton]

DRESCHEL: Rebranding HSR ‘like putting lipstick on a pig’

Hamilton Spectator By Andrew Dreschel 16 March 2016

Reader reaction to my Monday column about a consultant's proposal to rebrand HSR as HSR+ (Plus) was swift and mostly negative.

The recommendation was widely panned as a gigantic waste of money and waspishly compared to putting lipstick or perfume on a pig.

One Burlington reader said renaming Hamilton's transit system HSR+ was about as imaginative as calling a dog Spot.

Others were disgusted that the city is paying $410,000 on what they believe is an empty exercise rather than spending it on improving bus services.

Some readers were also upset that the consulting company, Entro Communications Inc., is from Toronto rather than Hamilton.

Asked is if this kind of blowback is common when rebranding community institutions, Rita Hopkins, Entro's project manager for the initiative, directed all inquiries to city staff. Hopkins did note, however, that the work the company is doing is not just about naming.

She's right, of course. That same point was made in Monday's column, but it was largely lost in the hubbub over the HSR+ recommendation, which only came to light thanks to a leaked January-dated document.

So let's take a closer look at the full scope of the work. First off, the procurement process for the contract closed in August, 2014. Two other companies besides Entro bid on it — factor (e) design initiative Inc. of Hamilton and OKD Marketing Group of Burlington.

According to city spokesperson Dennis Guy, the two local companies were disqualified because they didn't meet the technical requirements of the tender.

The original contract awarded to Entro was for $439,218, but that was reduced to $410,000 by diverting some of the work to city staff.

Transit director David Dixon signed off on the contract when he arrived in late 2014, but the initiative was launched under the watch of his predecessor, Don Hull. It sprang from Rapid Ready, the umbrella report on the city's transportation vision.

According to the tender, Entro is supposed to develop an integrated mobility brand strategy and identity a marketing strategy, and an implementation plan for the city's "entire transportation system."

That includes "potentially re-envisioning the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR), accessible transit and rapid transit brands; investigating bus route naming options; developing new stop and station designs; integrating the Hamilton bikeshare brand; investigating cycling route naming and signage; developing an integrated online website and mobile website with multimodal trip planner."

There's more, but you get the idea. Entro appears to be equipped for it. They're the folks who turned Mississauga Transit into MiWay, did branding work for York region's VIVA bus rapid transit system, and produced signage for Brampton's new Zum BRT service.

Other clients include Casino Rama, Hydro One, Interac, and Labatt Breweries. Closer to home, they had a hand in designing signage for the renovated Art Gallery Of Hamilton and Hamilton Farmers' Market.

Through surveys, workshops and focus groups, Entro clearly grasped the heritage value of the existing HSR brand. What remains to be seen is what impact further market research and community blowback will have on the HSR+ recommendation.

As Dixon said in Monday's column, HSR+ is one of the names in the hopper. Will it survive a final cut or will Entro, perhaps, recommend a refreshed HSR logo for regular buses and something else for other transportation programs and services?

More importantly, will Entro's strategy do something other than collect dust? After all, Dixon's 10-year transit plan estimated it would cost $16.5 million for launching an aggressive marketing and branding plan, including applying new brands to all rolling and fixed transit assets.

Where's that money going to come from?

On top of that, because the province didn't come through on council's LRT add-on — a $302-million request for new buses and a storage facility — what the hell is there to market anyway?


Andrew Dreschel’s commentary appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. adreschel@thespec.com 905-526-3495 @AndrewDreschel

http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story...ick-on-a-pig-/

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

"HSR Plus" (or HSR Express or HSR Rapid or whatever) for express services that were actually frequent and fast would make a lot of sense.

That's what makes this hypothetical rebrand so doubleplusungood.

The systems often mentioned as exemplars of a transit rebrand — Mississauga's MiWay, Brampton's Züm, York Region's Viva — all accompanied a epochal change in transit investment and transportation philosophy. Mississauga added 42 new express buses and built a half-billion-dollar transitway. Brampton expanded its fleet, initiated jump lanes invested in signal priority and real-time arrival displays. York introduced a proof of payment system to speed up boarding and alighting, implemented signal priority systems and real time bus arrival information at every bus stop, with dedicated transit lanes ("rapidways") to follow under VivaNext.

Dixon helms the HSR in part because of the service's unmasking as a "toxic workplace" for female employees and a risk-fraught one for all drivers. He answers to a council that voted to kill a stunted bus lane rather than improve it. His predecessor oversaw a transit service that was in suspended animation for a generation. Overcoming that atrophy will take time, and even as recently as last month, the HSR admitted it was still waiting on 14 new buses funded through farebox increases.

I take no issue with talking about "Bus Plus" as colloquial shorthand for a new, improved and forward-thinking transit service, but if the HSR can barely convince regular users of the system’s merits, what hope does it have of nudging the remaining 90% of the population into giving it a chance?

[drpgq]

I wish the HSR would actually go beyond the A and B line for express buses. The A line basically only exists because of the province.

Why isn't there a rush hour express line across the Mountain that goes on to connect to Mac? Why not a rush hour express service on Barton? The Barton basically stops at every stop with numerous strollers and scooters so getting from anywhere in the East end to downtown takes forever.

[swimmer_spe]

Currently is there buses running directly along the BLAST routes?

[matt602]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Currently is there buses running directly along the BLAST routes?

In some ways, yes. The B and A lines already see express bus service that would be about the same as their rapid transit versions more or less.

The L line to Waterdown would have run from downtown to Waterdown along Highway 6. Currently there is only one rush hour only bus service in Waterdown that services the Aldershot GO station in a clockwise/counter circular route around downtown Waterdown.

The S line would basically be a rapid version of the already existing 44 Rymal bus service, from the Ancaster Business Park to Eastgate Square in Stoney Creek. I think this one would be really popular and highly used, though it would require extensive improvements to Rymal Road itself as long sections of it don't even have sidewalks and some parts are only 2 lanes wide.

The T line would mainly be an express version of the 41 Mohawk route from Centre Mall to the Ancaster Meadowlands. Probably another popular route but it require cutting the existing route back to Centre Mall from Industrial Drive and building a terminal. The 41 bus is already an incredibly busy and well used route that could probably benefit from some short term upgrades, maybe a BRT-lite upgrade like the current A-Line route.

[HillStreetBlues]

Originally Posted by matt602

In some ways, yes...

But in most real ways, 'no.' You're right that S and T would be express versions of the 44 and 41, respectively. And you are right that they are well-used and are obvious choices for upgraded service and an express route overlaid. The 41 gets busy.

So does Barton, as drpgq mentioned. The routes on Barton have been found to be some of the best-performing in the city, second only to some of the B-Line routes. So why are there only milk runs that are over-loaded and slow? Why is there no express bus that would offer fast service and alleviate the pressures on the local?

Of course, the 10 B-Line is pretty sad. No weekend or evening service. Fifteen-minute frequency during weekdays. It's at best BRT Lite lite.

[matt602]

I think a good solution for Barton which has been practiced off and on in the past is a short turn route, much like what is done in Toronto. Maybe a 2A Barton which runs between downtown and Ottawa or even a return to the old Barton-Talbot routing (short turn in the area of Melvin and Woodward, back to downtown). The Ottawa short turn would be easily achievable once a terminal is built at Centre Mall for the T Line. If we really had our ducks in a row, funding wise, there would already be at least a BRT-Lite version of all the BLAST lines in existence and a terminal would have been built at Centre Mall when it was redeveloped...

I also agree that the B-Line service should have seen a weekday operating hours extension and Saturday service years ago. Articulated buses are already assigned to the King route on weekends as it is and they seem to be used pretty well from what I've seen.

[thistleclub]

18 Waterdown is one of the youngest HSR routes going. It started in 2008 — hence the distinction of having the system’s worst R/C ratio at the time of the 2010 Operational Review — and requires users to transfer to Burlington Transit or GO in order to connect with the remainder of the HSR network. I would imagine that direct bus service to Hamilton would be part of making the case for a Waterdown-dedicated BRT route. Even so, "L" seems like a very distant-horizon prospect, and mainly exists to forestall the STAB acronym.

[thistleclub]

Council, forever looking for reasons to postpone or reduce transit investment, may have a friend in the new federal budget.


The Star reports:

Residents of Toronto and other Canadian cities will benefit as the Liberals open the taps on infrastructure cash, starting with an initial infusion of $11.9 billion over five years to upgrade transit, water and wastewater facilities and affordable housing.

To help get the projects underway, Ottawa is offering to pay up to half of the costs, up from their usual one-third share.

In Toronto, that funding could help deliver new subway cars, low-floor buses and streetcars.

The repairs, billed as “unsexy” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will come first with new infrastructure projects to come later.

Morneau acknowledged the money is, in many instances, just “a first step” but a critical one to upgrade the country’s transit networks.


CBC reports:

The 2016 budget begins fulfilling the Liberal pledge to spend $120 billion on new and existing infrastructure over 10 years.

Phase one will focus immediately on public transit, water and wastewater systems, and affordable housing, something Trudeau himself admitted last week was "unsexy."

Later investments will be "broader and more ambitious," the budget promises, focusing on the government's goal of shifting to a low-carbon economy and positioning Canadian cities to be more competitive internationally.

[thistleclub]

Ah, details. If they're allocating funds based on transit ridership…

From Federal Budget 2016:

BUILDING STRONG CITIES THROUGH INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC TRANSIT

Canadian cities have been growing at a rapid rate, but investment in public transit has not kept pace. This has led to more traffic congestion, and long commutes that make it harder for people to get to work and for families to spend time together.

The gridlock that results has a serious financial impact—costing Canada’s economy billions of dollars in lost productivity each year—and is damaging to the environment.

To improve and expand public transit systems across Canada, Budget 2016 proposes to invest up to $3.4 billion in public transit over three years, starting in 2016–17. Funding will be provided through a new Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.

These investments will help to shorten commute times, cut air pollution, strengthen communities and grow Canada’s economy.

Making Immediate Investments in Public Transit

Canadians need immediate investments in their communities’ public transit systems, so that they can get to work on time, and back home at the end of a long day. The Public Transit Infrastructure Fund will make these long overdue investments. Funding will be provided to support projects that will deliver increased capacity, enhanced service or improved environmental outcomes. Projects could include:

• Upgrades to subway tracks, bridges, signals and switches for the Montreal Metro;
• Fleet replacement, including the purchase of new subway cars, low-floor buses, and street cars by the Toronto Transit Commission; and
• Accelerated design, implementation and construction work for new large-scale projects, such as new light rail transit lines in Greater Vancouver and Ottawa.

To get projects moving quickly, the Government will fund up to 50 per cent of eligible costs for projects. Funding under the program will be allocated to municipalities based on ridership, as per the table below....

Jurisdiction: Ontario
Share of National Public Transit Ridership: 44.01%
Funding Under the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund: $1,486,680,000

[SteelTown]

$1.5 Billion to Ontario and from that it'll be split based on ridership.

Doing some really rough math in 2015 Hamilton got $10.7 million from Ontario's gas tax. The total pot of money was $332.9 million. So that's 3.2% of the pie.

3.2% of $1.5 Billion = $48 million.

A good chunk that could be dedicated towards the $302-million request for new buses and a storage facility.

[thistleclub]

That's the amount allocated to the PTIF over three years, of course, and the government "proposes" "up to" $3.4 billion, leaving the door open for smaller investment.

Still, should help.

CBC Hamilton, Feb 2016:

Dixon pitched the $83.3-million ask to city councillors that broke down like this:

$14.1 million for 21 new buses.
$40 million toward a transit garage.
$6.2 million for two new terminals.
$4.4 million for 39 enhanced shelters.
$13.2 million for new branding of HSR.
$5.2 million to increase capacity along various transit corridors.

Sneaking suspicion that any PTIF windfall will get spent almost exclusively on the bus barn. Hope that hunch is wrong.

[thistleclub]

@JoeyColeman tweets:

.@cityofhamilton expecting $36-mil from new federal transit funds over three years. (Hamilton's low HSR ridership hurts our take) #YHMgov

[swimmer_spe]

The HSR were smart - and we know they are not, they would look at projects that would bring in the most ridership. If they did those projects, next time around, they would get a bigger piece of the pie.

[SteelTown]

^ The biggest untapped market for new ridership would obviously be Hamilton Mountain.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

The HSR were smart - and we know they are not, they would look at projects that would bring in the most ridership. If they did those projects, next time around, they would get a bigger piece of the pie.

Originally Posted by SteelTown

^ The biggest untapped market for new ridership would obviously be Hamilton Mountain.

How would you tap into that?

[matt602]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

How would you tap into that?

Increase service levels on the 27 with improved bus stop amenities (already planned), implementation of at least BRT-Lite versions of the S and T lines since both the 41 and 44 route are heavily used and expecting even more population growth in the coming years. Renovation of the Limeridge and Meadowlands terminals would be a good idea as well, the latter isn't even really a proper terminal but rather a bus loop inside a power centre.

Aside from HSR, an expansion of the SoBi network between the mountain brow and Stone Church mainly clustered along Upper James and Upper Wellington would also help with these goals, I think.

Plenty of room for expansion opportunities on the mountain, just not enough funding to go around when we can barely fit the buses we have now into the one garage.

[SteelTown]

Increasing the frequency would help, there's lots that still have 30 minutes frequency. Beefing up the A-Line would help, currently it's only for rush-hour and it's barely BRT-lite. Introducing new express routes would help, use the Linc to the City's advantage. Focus more on East-West routes, WAY too much focus has been on the South-Downtown routes. Express service from Mountain to McMaster would be a good start. Meadowlands as matt said could use proper transit terminals, right now it's just a bus stop.

[HillStreetBlues]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Increasing the frequency would help, there's lots that still have 30 minutes frequency. Beefing up the A-Line would help, currently it's only for rush-hour and it's barely BRT-lite. Introducing new express routes would help, use the Linc to the City's advantage. Focus more on East-West routes, WAY too much focus has been on the South-Downtown routes. Express service from Mountain to McMaster would be a good start. Meadowlands as matt said could use proper transit terminals, right now it's just a bus stop.

I agree with a lot of this. I think the overcrowding in the parts of the city with the density to support frequent transit should be the priority, but developing a grid (rather than just assuming everyone is going downtown) on the Mountain makes sense. An express bus from the Mountain to McMaster is a no-brainer, too.

This isn't going to happen, though, when facilities are lacking to accommodate new buses. New money won't be forthcoming for new buses, anyway.

I figure Hamilton only has eight years to wait for a big improvement in transit. If the buses that are serving the main line are redeployed (that's still an 'if'- we might simply be rid of them and save big instead), that's a lot of capacity that can be redeployed to the mountain and the suburbs, and better connections between the upper and lower cities. I would personally be surprised if any significant improvement comes before then.

[matt602]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

I would personally be surprised if any significant improvement comes before then.

Agree on that last part. Even if Hamilton gets the money for a new bus garage from the feds or whomever this year or next, it'll take another 4-5 years until it's actually ready for service when you account for design/tender/construction. Before that happens there just isn't any way to increase service levels since that would require more buses which have nowhere to be stored. In an emergency, now that GO has vacated the Wentworth garage for their new one, it could be pressed back into service for lower city routes but I think it could only service diesel buses. I don't think it has a CNG fueling facility. I also don't think that it has capacity for much more than 30 or 40 buses. Complicated further by the fact that the HSR is purchasing CNG fueled buses again and will be retiring the oldest diesel buses in a few years.