This Sunday, two of the TTC's new streetcars will roll out on the 510 Spadina route at 10:10 a.m. The cars, with an increased capacity of up to 250 people, feature a plethora of new features including an automated payment system, ramps that will make the cars fully accessible to passengers with mobility devices. And the proverbial "icing on the cake" is and a modern and streamlined new look, with a nod to the to-be-phased-out predecessors. Yesterday, the TTC hosted a press event at their Hillcrest facilities at Bathurst and Davenport to tour the new streetcar and speak with high-level TTC staff involved in various aspects of the acquisition and implementation of the city's newest transit asset. 

New streetcar, photo by D.M.

The new cars include a variety of features that TTC users will find more efficient, accessible and safety-oriented. Beyond not having stairs to climb, the most distinguishable difference between the old and new cars is the proof-of-payment (POP) system. The TTC is doing away with its current system of having the streetcar operator play the dual role of driver and fare enforcer. In these new cars the machine's operator will be separated from passengers in the car's isolated front cabin, accessible only through a grille, and will not be checking for fare payment. Instead there will be fare enforcement officers patrolling the cars similar to how fare enforcement is run on the VIVA system in York Region. The 510 Spadina route will eventually have 18 of these enforcement officers checking for proof of payment.  

Proof of Payment system, photo by D.M.

The proof of payment system consists of two units located side-by-side. There will be two sets in each of the new streetcars. The smaller machine, a "Ticket Validator" gives TTC-users travelling by means of ticket the ability to date stamp their tickets to provide proof of payment. The larger machines, a "Single Ride Vending Machine" (SRVM) allows passengers to pay for their ride on the streetcar. Users who wish to pay this way have the option to choose their fare category—child, high-school student, post-secondary student, senior, adult—and pay with cash or token. After paying, a receipt is printed which serves both as proof-of-payment for payment enforcement officers and as a transfer to board other vehicles or enter the subway. Eight sets of these machines will be installed at the busiest stops on the 510 Spadina route including Richmond St. Northbound, College St. Northbound and Southbound and Queen St. Northbound. The TTC hopes that these payment systems, meant to serve the 40% of TTC users who do not travel by means of pass (either day pass, weekly pass or  monthly Metropass), will cut down on lines and provide faster service. 

These initial machines will only be temporary, however. In November the current machines will be replaced with Metrolinx-provided single vending machines with Presto integration. These machines will have debit and credit payment options available in early 2015. The streetcars will also be equipped with Light Rail Vehicle Fare Transaction Processors (LFTPs), better known as Presto card reader machines that will allow Presto cardholders to tap their cards to pay. These machines are part of the TTC's plan to eventually revamp its entire payment system, replacing passes, tickets and tokens with Presto cards.

Presto payment stations will be available at all TTC subway stations and in all vehicles this transition will take place in two waves. Part of the first wave is having these LFTPs/card readers installed on 50 new streetcars starting with the Spadina line and then moving on to the streetcars making rounds on the Bathurst, Dundas and Harbourfront routes. Fare validators and SRVMs will be installed at 75 of the busiest streetcar stops. There will be two of these SRVMs and six Presto card readers on each new streetcar, making fare payment easier for customers.  

Image of new POP devices that will be installed on the new streetcars, image courtesy of TTC

Layout of new streetcars showing where proof of payment stations are located, image courtesy of TTC

Another new feature of the streetcar is an accessible ramp which will finally make Toronto's streetcars wheelchair accessible. This ramp can be activated from both within and outside the streetcar by pressing a blue button with a flashing light and with an accessibility logo. The platforms were made specifically to handle deployment at streetcar islands or in mixed-traffic zones. The ramp is located in the streetcar's second car which houses the accessible seating.  

Other accessibility features include an audio system that announces through an external speaker the route that the car is taking so that passengers boarding it will know they have the right vehicle. This information can also be found on three electronic signs, at the front, back, and side of the car. The car is also bike friendly as the low-to-the-ground design allows cyclists to easily lift their bikes into the car and place them in the car's easy-to-operate bike rack.

Streetcar demonstrating its flashing light feature that warns incoming traffic that doors are activated, image courtesy of TTC

On the safety front, there are now flashing lights on the sides of the car that flash a red light, most visible directly behind the car to oncoming traffic, to signal that its doors are opening. CCTV security cameras are also installed on several spots in the car. Both of these features will be sure to put passengers at ease so that they can fully enjoy their trip. Other safety updates include replacement of the operator's rearview mirrors with electronic screens that provide clearer images and which will withstand more wear and tear. Also, the operator's cockpit—very different from that of the older models—sports screens of four different exterior cameras so that the driver has a better picture of what is happening outside his streetcar. This should come in especially useful at night and during packed, rush hour rounds.

Surveillance screens replacing rearview mirrors in new streetcars, photo by D.M.

Inside cockpit of new TTC streetcar, photo by D.M.

Also new is the streetcar's method of connecting to transportation cables. The older streetcars sported carbon-covered pegs that would connected at the back of the streetcar to the overhead catenary wires. While the cars would ride along the cables, the electrical current running through them would burn down the carbon. Since there was only one point of contact between the wire and the peg the carbon conductor would wear down very quickly and the pegs would have to be replaced every two days. The method of connecting the new streetcars is called a pantograph. Pantographs work by replacing the carbon-covered peg with a flat carbon-covered surface. Since the catenary wires now have a a wider surface area to find a connection with the streetcar the carbon burns down slower. TTC Chief Engineer, Greg Ernst, said that these pantographs will be replaced on a less frequent, likely monthly, basis. 

Image of new streetcar pantograph apparatus, photo by D.M.

The new cars are set to roll out on the Spadina line first and then gradually to all of the city's other lines, replacing the existing fleet, by 2019. In 2015 the 511 Bathurst and 509 Harbourfront will have their cars replaced, then the 505 Dundas in 2015-2016. From 2016-2019 routes will be updated in this order: 501 Queen, 508 Lakeshore, 504 King, 512 St. Clair, 502 Downtown, 503 Kingston Road and last, the 506 Carlton. The TTC's 204 new streetcars are coming from Bombardier's manufacturing plant in Thunder Bay. The plant's workers, however, have been on strike for the past 6 weeks and recently turned down—by a vote of 81%—the company's latest offer. Bombardier has, in a recent statement, made it clear that despite the strike it is still their priority to fulfill customer contracts. 

When the first two cars role out this Sunday there is sure to be a good deal of excitement amongst riders, especially after months of seeing these new cars testing out the city's streetcar routes. For the first few weeks the TTC will provide Spadina line users with the ambassadors to help them become familiar with the car's new features. With only two new cars in service this Sunday, it may take some time to catch a seat in one of these vehicles, but it will certainly be worth the wait.