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NYT: Downtowns Across the U.S. See Streetcars in Their Future

It should also be noted that, as opposed to most U.S. cities, Toronto has a thriving and growing core. We must be doing something right. I know streecars can be expensive but happiness and progress are not always measured in dollars and cents.

No, our core is not thriving and growing because of streetcars.
 
The District of Columbia is installing streetcar tracks along Benning Road, Northeast, a nice advance for the city’s transit options. But it’s doing so in a way that will limit the speed and accessibility of trains.

In building a streetcar for Washington, D.C., they are generally including left turn lanes for the automobiles. Click on this link to an article where the discuss the problems they will face. Something that the TTC already faces.

Entering-Streetcar-Lane.jpg


Blocked-Turn-Lane.jpg


Too-Many-Turners.jpg


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Stuck-at-the-Station1.jpg
 
From a purely humanist view, this is wonderful news. Streetcars are definitely the most civilized form of public transit. Subways are kind of depressing and most passengers have a very vacant look on their faces. Buses are a bit better but are very noisy and jerky. Streetcars travel at a very leisurely pace and allow passengers the maximum interaction with the city outside of walking. ( i didn't include cycling because you're too busy trying to stay alive)androiduk

Seriously? The best part of living downtown is that you can get everywhere you want by either walking or taking the subway. That's why I love New York so much - you either walk or zoom around the city on the subway. I love Toronto's streetcars, but only because they aren't part of my daily commute. In rush hour, it's easier and faster to get downtown from Dufferin and Sheppard than from Dufferin and Queen thanks to the subway.
 
Seriously? The best part of living downtown is that you can get everywhere you want by either walking or taking the subway. That's why I love New York so much - you either walk or zoom around the city on the subway. I love Toronto's streetcars, but only because they aren't part of my daily commute. In rush hour, it's easier and faster to get downtown from Dufferin and Sheppard than from Dufferin and Queen thanks to the subway.

There are ideas, suggestions, and plans to put streetcars on 42nd Street in Manhattan and in Brooklyn.

brooklyn-proposed2.jpg
 
Huh?

But 42nd Street (which I don't see on your map of Brooklyn) has two indepenantly operated subway lines underneath - the 7 and the S (Times Square-Grand Central).

And Paris, Brooklyn (if this is really more than a fantasy map above) are using trams to make local and medium-distance connections between existing subway lines. Not a bad idea, really, but hardly relevant to Toronto's experience.
 
Huh?

But 42nd Street (which I don't see on your map of Brooklyn) has two indepenantly operated subway lines underneath - the 7 and the S (Times Square-Grand Central).

And Paris, Brooklyn (if this is really more than a fantasy map above) are using trams to make local and medium-distance connections between existing subway lines. Not a bad idea, really, but hardly relevant to Toronto's experience.

You didn't click on the link. If you did, you'll seen other links, leading elsewhere that have maps, such as:

v-1map-circles.jpg

and
v-2map-circles.jpg


Apparently, their vision is for both a #7 subway extension and a 42nd Street streetcar serving different purposes.
 
A campaign video to get streetcars in Cincinnati:

[video=vimeo;6727365]http://vimeo.com/6727365[/video]

Especially since Cincinnati sold its last PCC streetcars back in the early 1950's to Toronto, where they ran for almost 30 years. Looks like they made a mistake back then, since they want them back.
 
I don't know if it's a great idea to build new streetcar lines in mixed traffic without ROWs.

If you're going to go through all that, why not do it on a reserved ROW? To me rails seem to work best in exclusive ROW, tunnels or elevated.

In Toronto's case, I would like exclusive ROWs for more of our streetcar lines. In addition, we already have the tracks & wires in place, we need the size advantage of streetcars due to extremely high ridership.
 

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