King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

[TransitBart]

King St. to be closed for TIFF again this year, despite streetcar pilot

Daft.

 

[steveintoronto]

^Unanimous so far, so let's flip this over: Anyone make any *rational* sense of this?

 

[andrewpmk]

John Tory may well lose my vote because of this, and the massive number of subway closures on Line 1 from St Clair to Lawrence planned this year.

 

[Leo_Chan]

^Unanimous so far, so let's flip this over: Anyone make any *rational* sense of this?

Well, unless line ups, patios, and the red carpet move to the side streets, this will need all of King Street.

But I completely agree that is is unacceptable.

 

[W. K. Lis]

John Tory may well lose my vote because of this, and the massive number of subway closures on Line 1 from St Clair to Lawrence planned this year.

Oh! You were able to get Hogwarts Magically Transformation and Electrical to wave their wands to put the replacement tracks and Automatic Train Control (ATC) system and install the new Eglinton Station for the Crosstown instead of muggles?

 

[pstogios]

What astounds me is Cressy's genuflecting to 'royalty' on this. Grovelling might be a more apt word. Even kiss-ass or licking.

Joe Cressy out of touch with the average person? Nah, that’s never happened before. /endsarcasm

 

[drum118]

Tonight, I watch 6 cars cross Yonge St going west and 2 going east illegal.

Saw a few illegal drivers at other intersection.

At Portland, told a westbound motorcycle driver he could get a ticket and loose point if he continue west while waiting for a green and give me the finger as he drove on. A few minutes later as I near Bathurst, what do I see, the motorcycle driver standing by his bike waiting for the ticket the police officer was writing up for him. Ahhh!!!, that was nice to see. While the officer was writing that ticket, 4 more illegal westbound drivers cross Portland.

Saw very few Flexity on 504 and they where short turning at Roncy. Only saw CLRV's up at Dundas W Station around 11 am on 504.

 

[mdrejhon]

This is one of those times that I wish the Flexities were true-bidirecitonals (e.g. seated cab operation) with crossovers at both ends of TIFF.

Then you'd run 504 as two separate routes.

I'd rather have a 5-block walk through TIFF spectacles than sit in streetcar detour hell.

 

[drum118]

This is one of those times that I wish the Flexities were true-bidirecitonals (e.g. seated cab operation) with crossovers at both ends of TIFF.

Then you'd run 504 as two separate routes.

I'd rather have a 5-block walk through TIFF spectacles than sit in streetcar detour hell.

I try to get bidirecitonals, but the Chair of TTC had no use for them back in 2005.

Not only would they work for TIFF, but other issues where you can end up with a convoy of 10 plus sitting dead in the water for hours. There should be crossovers every X distance to deal with shut down of the line.

 

[Streety McCarface]

I try to get bidirecitonals, but the Chair of TTC had no use for them back in 2005.

Not only would they work for TIFF, but other issues where you can end up with a convoy of 10 plus sitting dead in the water for hours. There should be crossovers every X distance to deal with shut down of the line.

It would probably just be a lot cheaper to build a loop at each end of the TIFF locations than to sacrifice space, money, and costs for crossovers and rolling stock with the bi directional cabs.

 

[drum118]

It would probably just be a lot cheaper to build a loop at each end of the TIFF locations than to sacrifice space, money, and costs for crossovers and rolling stock with the bi directional cabs.

WHAT!!!!.....................How wide is King and what is the mim loop radius??? What wasted space are you talking about for Crossovers??? How much space is lost in building a loop??? Where would you build a loop running around Blocks???

Yes there is an extra cost for crossovers and duel end, but how much time and money is lost having drivers, cars and riders time sitting in a long backup and no cars to service the riders going the opposite way???

By having no service and having to wait X time is why Transit has a bad rap, especially streetcars today when part of the fleet is lost in action.

A lot of systems in Europe are moving from loops to duel end today. Those loops can generate a lot of money by going stub track today, compare to what it cost to buy the land in the first place.

 

[Streety McCarface]

WHAT!!!!.....................How wide is King and what is the mim loop radius??? What wasted space are you talking about for Crossovers??? How much space is lost in building a loop??? Where would you build a loop running around Blocks???

Yes there is an extra cost for crossovers and duel end, but how much time and money is lost having drivers, cars and riders time sitting in a long backup and no cars to service the riders going the opposite way???

By having no service and having to wait X time is why Transit has a bad rap, especially streetcars today when part of the fleet is lost in action.

A lot of systems in Europe are moving from loops to duel end today. Those loops can generate a lot of money by going stub track today, compare to what it cost to buy the land in the first place.

Simple, make them like the Charlotte loop or College loop, where they go around a city block. Also, I was referring to wasted space in the streetcar, not on the street. The high costs associated with building streetcar crossovers everywhere are much higher than building 1 or 2 loops in areas where they are needed for annual, permanent events like TIFF.

You could also take the McCaul loop approach and send the streetcar up streets like Shaw, or Bathurst (or really any street with enough room to build a loop) and build a loop along there if there's room. There are also plenty of small parks along King that could be integrated with streetcar loops really well.

There's also a lot of disused track on Adelaide that could be utilized.

While I'm at it, they should really turn the Spadina traffic circle into a loop.

 

[DSC]

Simple, make them like the Charlotte loop or College loop, where they go around a city block. Also, I was referring to wasted space in the streetcar, not on the street. The high costs associated with building streetcar crossovers everywhere are much higher than building 1 or 2 loops in areas where they are needed for annual, permanent events like TIFF.

You could also take the McCaul loop approach and send the streetcar up streets like Shaw, or Bathurst (or really any street with enough room to build a loop) and build a loop along there if there's room. There are also plenty of small parks along King that could be integrated with streetcar loops really well.

There's also a lot of disused track on Adelaide that could be utilized.

While I'm at it, they should really turn the Spadina traffic circle into a loop.

In general I agree with you and I bet that if the stretcar lines were beng planned today they would have planned for better diversion routes with a few more curves. (e.g. King eastbound and westbound north on York.)

 

[andrewpmk]

Joe Cressy's excuse for closing King St for TIFF when I emailed him:

Thank you for taking the time to write about TIFF and the King Street Pilot.

Councillor Cressy has been a strong advocate for the King Street Pilot, which runs through Ward 20, and has been working hard since the Pilot was approved and implemented to ensure that it is a clear and comprehensive success. He believes that planning in advance to close King Street to all traffic during the busiest first few days of TIFF is the best possible option for transit riders.

The major film premieres hosted by the Princess of Wales Theatre on the first two days of TIFF -- Thursday and Friday -- are always accompanied by widely known celebrities, who in turn attract thousands of people who want to catch a glimpse, or get an autograph or selfie with the celebrities. Without careful management, the crowding situation can become dangerous. In past years we have tried, together, to maintain regular streetcar service on King Street during TIFF. Due to the dangerous crowding situation, Toronto Police have had to make the last-minute decision to close King Street to all vehicles including streetcars during the afternoon peak period on Thursday and Friday. The decision is made at the discretion of the officers working in the area at any given time. This does not serve transit users well because it is difficult to communicate and it can take hours for regular service to recover, with additional negative effects on nearby routes due to the unplanned congestion on the street network.

Instead, by anticipating the closure of King Street to vehicles and starting planning for this scenario early in the year, we are able to ensure that it is widely and clearly communicated in advance. This helps transit riders to plan for the route diversion, and it helps to reduce the volume of private motor vehicles in the area so there is less congestion affecting all downtown transit routes. And it means we can take appropriate measures to support the temporary diversion, including parking restrictions on Queen Street and stationing police officers at intersections where streetcars must make turns. Each year we meet with the TTC, TIFF, Toronto Police, and Transportation Services to start working out the details for the temporary closure well in advance of the festival.

TIFF is an asset to Toronto and we are happy that they are part of the local community in the Entertainment District, with their year-round home on King Street at the Lightbox. Since major gala screenings during the festival in the fall are hosted by the Princess of Wales Theatre on King Street and Roy Thomson Hall nearby, it is unavoidable that King Street is the major hub of activity during festival season. We have to be proactive and make realistic plans to maintain transit service around all that activity. Ultimately, planning in advance to temporarily close King Street is better for transit riders than leaving it to the last minute when crowding becomes dangerous.

 

[steveintoronto]

He believes that planning in advance to close King Street to all traffic during the busiest first few days of TIFF is the best possible option for transit riders.

Ultimately, planning in advance to temporarily close King Street is better for transit riders than leaving it to the last minute when crowding becomes dangerous.

There's that unmistakable sound of sucking again...What a moron. You inform the venues concerned that any events should occur outside of rush hour, and/or on side streets.

Just like any other private event, open to the public or not. What next? The Gardiner and Lakeshore closed for the CNE? The crowds are welcome where the Hoi Polloi gather on King Street, on the widened sidewalk.

How about Mr Cressy asks the locals what they think, or would that be catering to the Great Unwashed?