They continue to take us for a ride.

[ZR]

Given that the best predictor of future performance is past practice, Ontarians this week got a glimpse of what the province’s finances are going to be like if Premier Kathleen Wynne is re-elected next year.
This from an update on the province’s performance, through Metrolinx, its arm’s length regional transportation agency, on the cost of implementing its Presto electronic fare card system and the Union Pearson (UP) Express.
Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca delivered the news.
The Presto card rollout for the TTC was supposed to cost $255 million, according to its 2012 budget.
As the Sun’s Shawn Jeffords reported, that’s now estimated at $385 million, 50.9% higher.
But only for the TTC roll-out.
Also in 2012, former Ontario auditor general Jim McCarter reported Presto — versions of which transit systems in Hong Kong and New York have had since 1997 — was already, “among the more expensive fare-card systems in the world.”
McCarter said the initial estimate of about $250 million to create the regional transit fare card was pushing $700 million.
McCarter said Metrolinx didn’t tender out the work for Presto, choosing to stick with one vendor and expanding the contract, even after the contractor failed to meet almost a third of 22 performance standards in 2011.
Metrolinx also didn’t pursue penalties available to it under its contract, McCarter noted, and didn’t keep a record of the card’s reliability, provided for in the contract.
Which brings us to the UP Express, which has cost taxpayers $69 million in subsidies since its launch two years ago amid assurances from the province it would be self-financing.
In trying to fulfill that goal, Metrolinx appeared to ignore seven detailed reports it commissioned before the UP Express launch which warned the fare it eventually set — $27.50 one way — was too high to attract enough riders to make the system viable.
When early ridership crashed to less than half the 7,000 daily passengers needed to break even, Metrolinx slashed the fare to $12, which improved ridership, but locked in the need for continuing subsidy.
When will UP Express break even? Del Duca couldn’t say but added the government is working on it.
Gee, what could possibly go wrong?

[RedSN]

I'm reminded of the transit infrastructure daily. As I watch the construction of the highway 7 bus route it amazes me what the cost must be. Once its done it will likely be very nice. But I can't imagine how the committee designing, planning, and approving the costs for these intricate, extravagant, and expensive structures actually thought they could afford it? They have completed the section of transit in my area, and are now working on Unionville and Vaughan at the other end. And there is a terminal at 407 and Jane that looks like a boomerang that they have been building for what seems like a couple of years now and still not done. When a project takes that long it screams "over budget" to me.

[ZR]

While visually appealing, to me, design is a fail, especially for pedestrians n peeps that can't read / understand DO NOT ENTER signs.

[Quicksilver]

What I don't understand is "over budget" or "cost overides". I'm a contractor and when I put a bid on a contract, it's fixed. I don't get to up the price becuase of cost overides, or mistakes, or weather, or becuase I forgot something, or anything else. The contract price is the contract price, unless the client changes something.
Aha. Maybe that's it. The TTC maybe made changes, adding to the cost. Why/ What changes could add millions to the cost? Who authorizes this?
Someone is getting rich on this!

[83 5.0]

What I don't understand is "over budget" or "cost overides". I'm a contractor and when I put a bid on a contract, it's fixed. I don't get to up the price becuase of cost overides, or mistakes, or weather, or becuase I forgot something, or anything else. The contract price is the contract price, unless the client changes something.
Aha. Maybe that's it. The TTC maybe made changes, adding to the cost. Why/ What changes could add millions to the cost? Who authorizes this?
Someone is getting rich on this!

Sometimes the budgeted amount is low balled so that it is easier to swallow when it is pitched. The old (new) normal with government construction, add 50% to the original estimate and you might be close.
I never understood why the government instead of going to Presto didn't opt for using your credit card or debit card tap feature, just pull the funds directly form the clients account, but that would be far less bureaucratic, and you can't build a bureaucracy on simple ideas.

[Quicksilver]

I'm reminded of the transit infrastructure daily. As I watch the construction of the highway 7 bus route it amazes me what the cost must be. Once its done it will likely be very nice. But I can't imagine how the committee designing, planning, and approving the costs for these intricate, extravagant, and expensive structures actually thought they could afford it? They have completed the section of transit in my area, and are now working on Unionville and Vaughan at the other end. And there is a terminal at 407 and Jane that looks like a boomerang that they have been building for what seems like a couple of years now and still not done. When a project takes that long it screams "over budget" to me.
They've done the same thing on Davis Drive in Newmarket. It's been finished for a couple of years. I drive on Davis EVERY day, at all sorts of times during the day. I almost NEVER see anyone waiting for a bus inside these multi million dollar glass shelters. What a colossal waste of money. Ditto with Highway 7.

[RedSN]

....they are in essence giving interest free loans to the proprietor...
Multiply this by even 10% of users and its genius for the corp.

Hhhmmm, where 'o where would they get an idea like that?
Oh yeah, the CRA :mad:

I think my tax card is preloaded to the max already this year.