Parliament Streetcar

[Northern Light]

You're not? Could have fooled me, the drawing is spot-on! In fact I don't see a single drawing or pavement marking error, which is a feat some professional planners and engineers don't even achieve when submitting drawings for review!

My main thought is that the portal should be further south for a couple reasons:
- The subway alignments under the bridge are close to the edges (under the curb lane if I recall correctly). In your picture the northbound track would need to do quite an abrupt turn underground to line up.
- Moving the portal frees up space on the northbound approach of the intersection. This could be used to either shrink the size of the intersection east-west, or to provide a second northbound right turn lane (which would allow the east half of the crossing to get a walk like sooner, giving them a head start westbound while cars are still turning left on the west side).

Agreed.

Also, why did you provide a westbound left-turn bus lane? Wouldn't the bus be replaced by the streetcar? Eliminating that lane would free up space to provide a more substantial buffer on the bike lane along the bridge.

This is for the Wellesley Bus, not Parliament (which would be replaced by the streetcar)

 

[reaperexpress]

This is for the Wellesley Bus, not Parliament (which would be replaced by the streetcar)

Right, of course. oops. I've been away from Toronto too long...

 

[Northern Light]

Right, of course. oops. I've been away from Toronto too long...

..... and UT! You need to post more! Your posts are always an excellent contribution here!

 

[reaperexpress]

..... and UT! You need to post more! Your posts are always an excellent contribution here!

Haha yeah, thanks. I have a bunch of free time this summer so that may indeed happen. I had planned to take a holiday back to Toronto but that got cancelled for obvious reasons...

 

[malowitzki]

You're not? Could have fooled me, the drawing is spot-on!

Gawww shucks

After COVID-19, the TTC should be increasing the number of streetcars in its fleet.

Hundo-P agree. With public finances feeling the squeeze of post-COVID recovery, I think big expensive projects will likely be deferred and/or replaced with cheaper alternatives. The optimist in me thinks surface transit will get long-overdue attention because it will be the only thing the city and provincial governments can afford.

My main thought is that the portal should be further south for a couple reasons:
- The subway alignments under the bridge are close to the edges (under the curb lane if I recall correctly). In your picture the northbound track would need to do quite an abrupt turn underground to line up.
- Moving the portal frees up space on the northbound approach of the intersection. This could be used to either shrink the size of the intersection east-west, or to provide a second northbound right turn lane (which would allow the east half of the crossing to get a walk like sooner, giving them a head start westbound while cars are still turning left on the west side).

Definitely. Maybe a staggered portal like the one on Spadina? Would be interesting to compare this to a plan of the structure below deck, in any case.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Why haven't they restored the Parliament streetcar? It would get good ridership, it's a way to provide north-south service in downtown and also help provide relief to Yonge line a bit.

Why not?

I'm still hoping one day the streetcar is reinstated. Of course it never went to Castle Frank station, which didn't exist, but the existing bus loop looks wide enough.

The Parliament Streetcar (Deceased) - Transit Toronto - Content

transittoronto.ca

 

[Bureaucromancer]

On the Castle Frank loop note, I’ve been thinking that a surface loop via Castle Frank Rd would deal with a lot of the problems that have been identified in the past. The turning situation could be simplified with a route whereby eastbound cars run left handed in a single private lane on the north side of Bloor, returning to mixed traffic via McKenzie and Bloors curb lane.

 

[Richard White]

I'm still hoping one day the streetcar is reinstated. Of course it never went to Castle Frank station, which didn't exist, but the existing bus loop looks wide enough.

The Parliament Streetcar (Deceased) - Transit Toronto - Content

transittoronto.ca

I recall someone once saying that Castle Frank Station is wide enough however the station is not capable of handling the weight of the streetcars. Something to do with the structural limitations of the station.

Honestly, as was suggested an on-street loop would be better perhaps via Bloor and Sherbourne.

 

[TRONto]

I recall someone once saying that Castle Frank Station is wide enough however the station is not capable of handling the weight of the streetcars. Something to do with the structural limitations of the station.

Honestly, as was suggested an on-street loop would be better perhaps via Bloor and Sherbourne.

If I'm stating this correctly, the bus loop is essentially a bridge and that bridge currently cannot hold the weight of the streetcars.

I'd assume with $ that could be addressed though.

 

[Richard White]

If I'm stating this correctly, the bus loop is essentially a bridge and that bridge currently cannot hold the weight of the streetcars.

I'd assume with $ that could be addressed though.

Essentially, Castle Frank Station is part of the bridge connecting Danforth to Bloor on Line 2.

If you had enough money you could make it work but why though? For the amount of money it would cost you are far better off creating an on-street loop.

 

[nfitz]

On the low Parliament bus ridership, they have now increased the frequency, with the extension to Queens Quay. It would be interesting to see where ridership lands.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I remember before the Bloor-Danforth subway opened, the King streetcar would have a branch up Parliament from King to Bloor, where it would then run to Broadview and the Erindale Loop (today's Broadview Station).

 

[DSC]

As the TTC & the City cannot build streetcar lines they have actually approved and given a 'high priority' to (QQ E for example) the idea of resurrecting, and extending, the Parliament line is 'a bit' early! This whole discussion probably belongs in the fantasy thread!

 

[Admiral Beez]

As the TTC & the City cannot build streetcar lines they have actually approved and given a 'high priority' to (QQ E for example) the idea of resurrecting, and extending, the Parliament line is 'a bit' early! This whole discussion probably belongs in the fantasy thread!

I wonder if they’ll deepen the Cherry St. Bridge to get streetcars to the Portlands, with a loop over to Leslie.

In 2035-40.

 

[nfitz]

I wonder if they’ll deepen the Cherry St. Bridge to get streetcars to the Portlands, with a loop over to Leslie.

That's not the plan.

The plan is to make to widen the bridge instead (with an additional structure), and the new section will be deeper.