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King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

Just walked from Parliament to Yonge. Zero buses. Just one out of service.

Tons of cars driving through tho.

Excellent transit service. What an embarrassment.

If we had double-ended streetcars, we could have put in temporary crossover tracks west of Simcoe Street and east of York Street, and not use buses at all.

You'd have to add traffic lights on the opposite side of each intersection and also figure out how to get the middle lane to travel the opposite direction of all other traffic?
 
If we had double-ended streetcars, we could have put in temporary crossover tracks west of Simcoe Street and east of York Street, and not use buses at all.

Just because something is a good idea, there really is no need to bring it up at every opportunity! Yes, double ended streetcars have advantages regarding loops but they do provide fewer seats. I am really not sure how I would vote on it but agree it needs to be examined properly (though I doubt that even if it is 'approved' it will happen here for decades and probably only on new routes with new cars.) Really best to get the TTC to manage things with the equipment they already have - now THERE'S a full time job for someone!
 
Just because something is a good idea, there really is no need to bring it up at every opportunity! Yes, double ended streetcars have advantages regarding loops but they do provide fewer seats. I am really not sure how I would vote on it but agree it needs to be examined properly (though I doubt that even if it is 'approved' it will happen here for decades and probably only on new routes with new cars.) Really best to get the TTC to manage things with the equipment they already have - now THERE'S a full time job for someone!
The length of the Toronto streetcars are limited to how many streetcars the LOOP could hold. Usually, one Flexity Outlook at 30.20 m (99 ft 1 in), or two PCC streetcars, or a Peter Witt streetcar and its trailer.

With a double-ended streetcar, we could use longer streetcars, using on-street or off-street crossovers,

"The longest single unit tram/streetcar vehicles currently in operation (and also the longest ones ever built so far, as far as I know) are Budapest’s 56 metre (184 ft) CAF Urbos articulated low-floor trams:"
main-qimg-e11766d313501e1fd68d7cc243a47866-lq
From link.

 
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It is not merely a question of how long the cars are that a loop can hold. The platform lengths figure in every bit as much. Spadina and Union stations are already pushing the envelope. Crossover loops are not a panacea either, on street turnbacks would be hugely complicated by traffic in all directions fouling them, while off street turnbacks... well, you need land to put them somewhere, too. If you want a turnback with straight tracks, as shown in the Yarra example, you would have to buy up more land. And if you have the tracks curving, well, then you essentially have a big loop and any advantages over a classic single direction car magically evaporate. Also, double ended cars would be limited by the infrastructure, too, same as the subway currently is.

Also, I fear the further frequency cuts that would arise if we had even longer rolling stock.
 
I go from Sherbourne to Bay/York every day, and it was a pain, not a treat. But not a really big pain. Looking forward to being able to just get on a streetcar and ride next week.
 
UT's @H4F33Z has put forth his ideas for improving the King Street Transit Corridor below. I like what I see here, I'd work on the streetscapes too, but he was focusing on function
.
1677185548701.png


Some close-ups:

1677185689144.png


1677185713402.png


Taken from: https://twitter.com/trainguy89
 
UT's @H4F33Z has put forth his ideas for improving the King Street Transit Corridor below. I like what I see here, I'd work on the streetscapes too, but he was focusing on function
.
View attachment 458294

Some close-ups:

View attachment 458295

View attachment 458296

Taken from: https://twitter.com/trainguy89

I would have added red, yellow, and green right turn arrow lights, and transit priority signal lights. Over the lanes AND catenary lines.

Traffic-Bus-signal-added-to-intersection-of-Arcola-and-Ring-Road-in-Regina-YouTube-screengrab-e1512996035650.jpg
(The rest of world also uses diagonal bars \ / for tram turns.) From link.

giphy.gif
From link.
The steady red arrow means stop and remain stopped until presented with a green arrow or a flashing red arrow.
The flashing red arrow means stop and remain stopped for pedestrians and cross-traffic, then proceed with caution.


The flashing yellow arrow means a vehicle is allowed to cautiously enter an intersection only to make the turn indicated by the arrow, but the driver must first yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, then proceed with caution.
The solid yellow arrow means it is about to turn red and drivers should prepare to stop.


The steady green arrow means they have the right of way.

Could be implemented with the proper use of sensors to switch from flashing or steady red arrows.

Maybe "permanent" red left and straight arrow traffic signals.
 
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I would have added red, yellow, and green right turn arrow lights, and transit priority signal lights. Over the lanes AND catenary lines.

Traffic-Bus-signal-added-to-intersection-of-Arcola-and-Ring-Road-in-Regina-YouTube-screengrab-e1512996035650.jpg
(The rest of world also uses diagonal bars \ / for tram turns.) From link.

giphy.gif
From link.
The steady red arrow means stop and remain stopped until presented with a green arrow or a flashing red arrow.
The flashing red arrow means stop and remain stopped for pedestrians and cross-traffic, then proceed with caution.


The flashing yellow arrow means a vehicle is allowed to cautiously enter an intersection only to make the turn indicated by the arrow, but the driver must first yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, then proceed with caution.
The solid yellow arrow means it is about to turn red and drivers should prepare to stop.


The steady green arrow means they have the right of way.

Could be implemented with the proper use of sensors to switch from flashing or steady red arrows.

Maybe "permanent" red left and straight arrow traffic signals.
By banning straight through traffic how do you do deliveries to those business'?
 

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