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Bus bunching

"I've been forced to wait several minutes at each stop as people slowly put down their shopping bags", etc.

And since they've been waiting there for 15+ minutes due to bunching, you'd think they'd have their fare ready in hand. But, no.

I find the Spadina streetcar pretty reliable and often kind of quick going south but it's invariably a nightmare going north.
 
The worst thing about 510 Spadina is the ridiculous way the stops are located. Why on God's Earth are the N/B stops on the north side of an intersection and vice-versa? It's nearly impossible for streetcars to clear the lights in time, you'd think they'd put stops where they're most useful so you can off/on quicker.
 
Just watch at the terminals where vehicles often depart in bunches, not simply getting bunched up along the way.
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But, wouldn't you say that they would have to leave in bunches, as if they have bunched up, that means that there will be a lot of people waiting/cramming into the first car, so they need to leave in bunches? Kinda like a double negative. There are some little things the TTC can do, if they are going to bunch anyways, then why not make curb improvements at stops to all for them to connect two cars together? Also, put a fare box at the back exit so people can get on to improve times (albeit an honor system).
 
The worst thing about 510 Spadina is the ridiculous way the stops are located. Why on God's Earth are the N/B stops on the north side of an intersection and vice-versa? It's nearly impossible for streetcars to clear the lights in time, you'd think they'd put stops where they're most useful so you can off/on quicker.
Click to expand...

They're located on the far side of the intersection in the expectation that signal priority for the streetcars would be activated. But even without signal priority it makes no difference what side of the street the stop is on. Either you wait at the red light before you load or you wait at the red light after you load; it makes no difference. How on earth does the side of the intersection affect the speed at which the car loads and unloads?

But, wouldn't you say that they would have to leave in bunches, as if they have bunched up, that means that there will be a lot of people waiting/cramming into the first car, so they need to leave in bunches? Kinda like a double negative. There are some little things the TTC can do, if they are going to bunch anyways, then why not make curb improvements at stops to all for them to connect two cars together?
Click to expand...

Huh? Anyway, not in all cases is the front car crammed full, and departing in bunches just displays an inability to adapt to changing conditions in order to maintain a proper schedule, and everyone tends to board the front car anyway. So a streetcar line that runs every 8 minutes leaves you waiting for 16 min and two show up at once, and you would propose making this intentional? Don't dare touch my streetcar line!
 
How on earth does the side of the intersection affect the speed at which the car loads and unloads?
Click to expand...
The thinking is that having stops before the intersection allows the vehicle to do two things at once: wait for the light and allow passenger to embark/disembark. Of course, the vehicle may have to stop at a green light anyway, but it's still better than stopping for a red light before an intersection for 2 minutes, than travelling 10 metres and stopping at the other side of the intersection to let the people on/off for another minute or so. And yes, this wouldn't be an issue if the TTC were given the signal priority.
 
Another example of how most anti-streetcar types aren't actual users, but automobile drivers.
 
from the Star link above

If the mayor really wants to solve the city's traffic problem, he should go underground and build more subways or build something above ground level. If the mayor cannot build more subways because it's too expensive, then at least he should stop laying more streetcar tracks and run more hybrid buses.
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Funny, really. If this guy wanted to help with the traffic problem, he would get out of his car because it seems he is driving downtown if he is running into streetcar traffic problems. He does have a point though because for a large portion of commutters, it is hard to get to work and home within a reasonable amount of time taking transit.

One last thing, I'm glad he's aware of the polution problem in suggesting 'hybrid' buses. I wonder if he drives an echo or hybrid himself.
 
The hybrid buses are all sent out to NW Toronto, all out of Arrow Road, I believe. None of the routes served out of Arrow come anywhere near downtown Toronto, the closest being the south end of the Keele, Jane and Scarlett Road routes.
 
the problem is not the streetcars as such but that all streetcar intersections aren't fitted with transit signal priority. Thus if there's a red light about to go green and the streetcar is still loading the light stays red and crossing traffic gets to go for longer. At present the light goes green but neither way gets to go because the cross traffic is red and the traffic behind the streetcar can't pass it.

On King at Bay there are two lanes each way but cabs park in one, especially outside First Canadian, so really there's just one and vehicles are stuck behind the streetcar. Ideally those cabs should pick up on Adelaide or Wellington and hideous fines levied against people who block traffic by parking in peak time (7-10, 4-7)

Sadly Toronto Roads Department are less than helpful when it comes to facilitating transit in some ways.
 
Add the police to the roads department for lack of enforcement that would help things as well (ie the "clearway" on Bay, the King lanes, prohibited turns, etc)
 
spmarshall

apparently TPS don't see it as a priority unless TTC give them money as if TTC was a private concern! (Like how the City had to pay TPS to monitor traffic during the Queens Quay lane closure tests in the summer)
 
In addition to Darkstar's point, there's another major problem with having, for example, the northbound stops on the north side of an intersection. When one streetcar stops to load and unload at the stop, the streetcar which is inevitably following right behind it is forced to wait on the other side of the intersection, even through a green light. Streetcars can be forced to wait for two full red lights and a full green light, something I have experienced countless times.
 
Bunching seems to happen naturally whenever buses/streetcars have to share their route with cars (although it even seems to happen on the Spadina streetcar line). I remember it was a huge problem in Vancouver when you would wait forever for buses on Granville Street then 6 would arrive at once. Of course the problem there was that the buses were run on electric trolleys (in fact some people still said they took the "trolley") so they couldn't pass each other.
 
lots of insightful points here, with the likely answer being all of the above, sometimes additively depending on the context and individual. I also think that within TTC there is an institutionalized culture that does not pay close attention to time. For example, the clocks in the buses, street cars, and on the red transfer boxes seldom match, and there is substantial variability across stations. Check it out sometime. It is an indication of a general lack of awareness, perhaps magnified by a shitty funding environment and organization of work, but I think it is primarily cultural, cascading from management down to the workforce.
 
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