Path: utzoo!dciem!array!rob
From: rob@array.UUCP (Rob Marchand)
Newsgroups: tor.general
Subject: Re: European subway systems vs. TTC
Message-ID: <677@array.UUCP>
Date: 1 Dec 88 16:12:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: array.677
References: <8811252311.AA05323@wilson.csri.toronto.edu> <1988Nov27.120631.4151@sq.uucp>
Reply-To: rob@array.UUCP (Boss Hog)
Distribution: tor
Organization: Array Systems Computing, Toronto, Canada
Lines: 65

In article <1988Nov27.120631.4151@sq.uucp> ludo@sq.com (Ludo VanVooren) writes:
>
>In article <8811252311.AA05323@wilson.csri.toronto.edu>
>hofbauer@csri.toronto.edu (John Hofbauer) writes :
>
>>...You must go to Europe or Japan to see how a real transit system 
>>works.

	I spent six weeks in Seoul at the end of summer and in the fall,
	and I spent a good deal of time using the transit system.  
	As far as the subway system goes, I was impressed.  It covers
	a lot of ground, and moves a *lot* of people.  There are five
	(I think -- memory fading ;-) lines, which directly connect 
	with the National Railway lines.  As a result, I could take
	a subway from An-Yang (about 50 clicks outside of Seoul)
	to just about anywhere I had to go within the city.  

>1. Subway, Bus and Streetcar are in the same system. The direct connection
>   between the subway and the bus/streetcar is a very good idea. For example,

	I agree with this wholeheartedly.  In Seoul, finding the bus 
	you wanted to board was *very* difficult.  (Of course my
	Korean doesn't help much :-)  This is one of the things
	I've liked about the transit service here.

>2. TTC subway stations are compact and well serviced by escalators. I know
>   that they don't always work but at least you see people trying to fix them.

	No escalators in the Seoul transit system.  Lots of stairs - and
	I mean lots.  I've never seen so many stairs in a city in my 
	life.

>3. TTC is safe. You don't have to watch your back when you walk past midnight
>   in a subway station. The number of *murders* in the European subways is just

	The transit system in Seoul is also (apparently) quite safe. 
	This is probably due in part to the volume of people that are
	always traveling on the system.

>
>4. Last but not the less, TTC is very clean. I am not use to ride a subway that
>   as no giant grafiti on every single wall.
>
	Seoul transit too; not as clean as the TTC mind you, but
	pretty good nonetheless.

>5.I have never been to Japan but have you ever read about the subway employees 
>   pushing the crowd into the subway cars at rush hours ?
>
	Didn't see this in Seoul, but do know that getting a seat is
	a rare event.  The subways, and some of the bus routes are
	incredibly crowded (oh yeah, everybody sleeps on the subway
	too).

>TTC is not perfect, OK! But it is not that bad !
>
	I agree.  There are some problems, but all in all, I think
	they've 'got a good thing going'.  (Sorry 'bout that, it's
	early! ;-)

-- 
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