Stranded: Why your TTC bus short-turned

WATCH ABOVE: Mark McAllister explains why, when and where TTC buses short-turn.

TORONTO – Vincent Puhakka is used to being stranded mid-commute.

He rides the 29 Dufferin bus to school and work nearly every day. It short turns more than any other bus in the city.

“Frustrating. Very frustrating,” he said in an interview. “To be short-turned to have those delays affects you. It could be the difference between getting a job and not getting a job. It could be the difference between you seeing your family and not seeing your family.”

The 29 Dufferin bus has short-turned more than 38,000 times since Jan. 2, 2012, according to data Global News obtained through an access-to-information request. Most of those short turns are thanks to traffic.

The Toronto Transit Commission argues its short turns – of which there have been more than 333,000 since January, 2012 – inconvenience some riders to benefit others, and are ultimately worthwhile.

But it’s tough to see that side when you’re the one left in the cold.

“Last week I was short-turned twice, actually, in one day,” Puhakka said. “It’s quite last-minute. You’re often told at the intersections. ‘Sorry, we’re turning at the next stop … so you need to get off and wait for the next bus.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Last week I was short-turned twice, actually, in one day," Puhakka said. "It's quite last-minute. You're often told at the intersections. 'Sorry, we're turning at the next stop … so you need to get off and wait for the next bus."

The Dufferin bus is followed closely by buses travelling similarly busy routes; the 7 Bathurst bus, 32 Eglinton West, and 54 Lawrence boast the second, third and fourth-most short turns, respectively.

There are many reasons buses may short turn, but the goal is always the same: filling a gap. When buses are running behind due to traffic, construction, weather or a number of other reasons, the delay can create gaps in service going the opposite way on the same route.

To fix that gap, the TTC will empty a bus, turn it around and drive it the other way.

WATCH: How short turns work on TTC buses.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, traffic is the main reason buses short-turn. TTC buses short turned 57,497 times due to traffic between Sept. 2013 and Sept. 2014.

Passenger volume was next, with 25,044 short turns. In areas such as downtown Toronto, buses are forced to spend more time stopped to let people get on and off – causing them to fall behind their schedule and eventually, short turn.

Construction was the third leading cause for short turns, with 13,554 since January 2012.

(Note: Prior to September 17, 2013, the TTC didn’t track reasons for short turns, leaving a gap in the data presented as “unspecified.”)

When buses are delayed for any reason – traffic, construction or passenger volume – they can start bunching together, which causes gaps going the other way.

“All of a sudden you’ve got three buses in a row, you see that on the board and they know that going southbound, if you’re not ready to go northbound, then you’ll later affect the northbound service,” Rick Leary, head of service delivery the TTC said in an interview.

Leary admits he’d prefer not to short turn any buses, but says it’s a “necessary tool.”

“When you tell somebody you’re going to be there to pick them up, you’re going to be there to pick them up,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When you tell somebody you're going to be there to pick them up, you're going to be there to pick them up," he said.

Some highlights from the data – from September, 2012 through September, 2013:

The worst routes for short turns

• Southbound 29 Dufferin – 25,271 short turns in one year.
• Northbound 7 Bathurst – 14,386 short turns.
• Northbound 29 Dufferin – 13,540 short turns.

Worst day of the week

Friday – 67,402 short turns

Thursday – 66,213

Worst month of the year

September – 30,553 short turns

Richard Leary, the TTC’s head of service delivery, said there are more short turns in September because people are back from vacation, kids are back at school and roads are busier than usual.

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Explaining each short-turn reason, according to the TTC:

Traffic – Gridlock traffic can cause bunching, creating gaps further down the line.

Passenger Volume – In areas with higher passenger volume, such as the downtown core, vehicles will hold for longer periods of time for boarding. All-door boarding speeds up this process, thus reducing the need for short-turns.

Construction – Construction can cause a bottleneck for traffic, trapping TTC vehicles in a slow moving work zone and ultimately, creating gaps further down the line.

Scheduling Deficiency – The overall run time for a route (the average time it takes to do a round-trip) can vary based on traffic lights, time of day, events, etc. As a result, scheduling may change, and short-turns may be required.

Weather – Vehicles must drive according to weather conditions, thus reducing speed.

Maintenance – If a vehicle experiences a mechanical breakdown, it is taken out of service and a gap may be created.

Operator Irregularity – A bus may hold for longer than the scheduled time if an operator takes a washroom break.

Accident – If a vehicle is involved in or has witnessed an accident, it may be held for a police investigation/video download, thus creating a gap in service.

Disablement – If a vehicle becomes disabled, it is taken out of service and a gap may be created.

Intoxicated/Disorderly – If there is an intoxicated or disorderly passenger, the bus will hold until Toronto Police or TTC Transit Enforcement Officers arrive on scene.

TFS/TPS/EMS – If there is an ill customer, mechanical issue, or security incident, a bus may be required to hold for emergency services.

Fare Dispute – Previously, if there was a fare dispute on a bus or streetcar, the vehicle would hold until Toronto Police or TTC Transit Enforcement Officers arrived on scene. Now, operators will advise Transit Control, but continue their journey. The vehicle will be met by Toronto Police or TTC Transit Enforcement Officers en route. The new measures will help to reduce delays and short-turns.

Special Event – If there is a special event such as fireworks or a concert, vehicles will hold for longer periods of time as crowds disperse, potentially creating a gap somewhere else on the route.

Assault – If there is a passenger or operator assault on a bus, train or streetcar, the vehicle will not move until Toronto Police or TTC Transit Enforcement Officers arrive on scene.

– With files from Mark McAllister