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Legacy Streetcar Network Poll

What do you think we should do with our legacy streetcar network?


  • Total voters
    88

Dan416

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What do you think we should do with our legacy streetcar network? I chose option 4. A faster streetcar network would far outweigh the inconvenience to drivers who insist on driving downtown where we have the greatest amount of transit available as an alternative.
 
regarding my "other" selection, this includes complementing the existing streetcar network with new streetcar ROWs where it's sensible and new streetcar lines in mixed traffic, also where it is sensible to do so. also, regarding the vehicles themselves, replacing the existing ones with accessible ones which is already the plan.
 
regarding my "other" selection, this includes complementing the existing streetcar network with new streetcar ROWs where it's sensible and new streetcar lines in mixed traffic, also where it is sensible to do so. also, regarding the vehicles themselves, replacing the existing ones with accessible ones which is already the plan.

The poll is regarding the existing legacy streetcar network. I left out any new lines on purpose.
 
Signal priority and a proof of payment system on all streetcars. I've noticed that the streetcars are slow because it takes forever for people to board.
 
Make it illegal for vehicles to block streetcars. Period. $100 fine for each human on board the streetcar or light rail vehicle being blocked. More than one streetcar, keep adding up the fines. Have an collision with a streetcar, you get fined for blocking.

Cameras on the front of the streetcars to record the infraction and mail in the fine if they flee.
 
Putting all routes in a ROW would be nice but it's not doable. Signal priority and proof of payment (which is coming with the new vehicles), coupled with increased enforcement of vehicles that block streetcar routes, would improve things greatly. As would removing a few stops (no reason why streetcars stop at both Yonge Street and Victoria) and banning left turns in places.
 
I have to agree with GraphicMatt. As much as I'd like to see all streetcars in their own right of way, I don't think it's a reasonable goal. The option I would pick would be somewhere between 3 and 4:

3.5: Put a couple routes in their own right of way, and implement signal priority everywhere.
 
1. Eliminate most of left-turns from streetcar routes to minor streets. That will improve the traffic flow, should not cost much, and should not be a problem for local businesses.

2. Do a better job on enforcing the existing peak-hour parking restrictions, and perhaps extend the restricted hours. Cars parked in the curb lanes force all traffic onto the streetcar lanes.

3. Eliminate some very closely located stops.

4. However trivial it is, some routes need more frequent off-peak service. The 19' scheduled off-peak headways on Lakeshore Blvd are unappealing even if the service was reliable. The goal should be 10' or better headways on all streetcar routes at all hours (except 1 am to 6 am).

5. Some routes should be optimized: does Kingston Rd need both 502 and 503 that are infrequent, or will be better off with only one route that runs frequently?
 
Make it illegal for vehicles to block streetcars. Period. $100 fine for each human on board the streetcar or light rail vehicle being blocked. More than one streetcar, keep adding up the fines. Have an collision with a streetcar, you get fined for blocking.

Cameras on the front of the streetcars to record the infraction and mail in the fine if they flee.


I had been thinking something similar. There should be no cars driving on the streetcar tracks period or at least between hous 730am - 7pm. This would save money since there would be no need for ROW. People need to be fined.
 
Bathurst Street, south of Queen to Fleet Street, should be the next street with a streetcar right-of-way.

However, if they don't put in a right-of-way on Bathurst Street, I would suggest that they try laying streetcars tracks in the middle lane of Bathurst Street. Leave the left lane for cars and left turns, and the right lane for parking and/or right turns.

5115948559_9155fef9c8_b.jpg

H Street in Washington, D.C., under construction for streetcar track installation.
 
Suggestion (general/system-wide)

1) As per other posters, no later than when new vehicles arrived, move to all-door loading (POP)

2) Expand Signal Priority

3) Where left-hand turns are already prohibited, use red-light camera enforcement (at major lights) or at minor streets, BLOCK the turn with a barrier.

Suggestions - Route Specific

1) Make Queen from Bay to Victoria a Transit Mall, with passing tracks. The purpose includes, transit signals that will hold streetcars that are racing too close to the one's ahead (bunching) and will allow empty street cars to move into new passing tracks and go around the full streetcar.

2) Consider arrangements similar to the above, on other routes, not necessarily at Yonge, but where a 1-block long ROW could be put in place allowing for either the 'hold' signals and/or passing tracks.

3) Get rid of the former 7/11 at Queen/Broadview, and hopefully without damaging any historic buildings, build a dedicated left-turn streetcar track from eastbound Queen to N/B Broadview for the King Car. This would eliminate the King car holding back a Queen Car while waiting for a left.

4) To reduce the risk of an accident/incident killing service over large chunks of the network, build/rebuild the following connections.

a) Tracks on Greenwood (connecting Carlton and Queen)
b) Tracks on Woodbine (connecting Kingston Rd and Queen only)
c) Tracks on Ossington (fully operational, all directions, at all intersections, Queen to College)
d) Tracks on York, and Church and Parliament (full operation, all-way, all intersections)
e) At least one-way full track on Richmond, Adelaide (Spadina to Parliament) and Wellington (York to Church)
 
I'm not certain how much the Bathurst cars are slowed by left turns in the area that you are suggesting, as I don't ride the 511 that often. But, overall, I like your idea to relocate streetcar tracks out of turning lanes where possible. Just as long as cars backing into, or out of, parking spots doesn't become the new headache, of course!



I think that the 502 and 503 could be merged under the "Kingston Rd" moniker. Off peak, weekend, and holiday service could utilize the current 502's entire routing with a focus on the Eaton Centre- City Hall-Queen West neighbourhood / retail area. While Monday to Friday peak services could turn south onto Church from Queen and utilize the current 503's on-street loop of Wellington, York, and King in order to serve the bulk of the office workers in the area.

10 minute headway service on all streetcar branches. Currently, 502 Downtowner runs 20 minutes between the rush hours. The 502 and 503 have a combined 6 minute headway during the morning rush and 7½ minutes during the evening rush. Should be 10 minutes or better during the non-rush hours.
 
Make it illegal for vehicles to block streetcars. Period. $100 fine for each human on board the streetcar or light rail vehicle being blocked. More than one streetcar, keep adding up the fines. Have an collision with a streetcar, you get fined for blocking.

Cameras on the front of the streetcars to record the infraction and mail in the fine if they flee.

Make it illegal for streetcars to block vehicles too. How about bicycles waving in and out traffic? Pedestrians jaywalking? Man, I will be rich. :)
 
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POP and signal priority are probably the main solutions. With POP there should be fixed stops (i.e. all stops are mandatory, like with the subway), and stops should be taken away. With signal priority, the stops should also be moved to the far side of the intersection. Even the Spadina streetcar has stops on the wrong side of the intersection...
 

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