New Transit Funding Sources

[BMO]

I also think they should convert all existing streetcars to LRT--declare the lanes that the streetcars operate in to be streetcar only, cut the number of stops in half, and ideally activate some signal priority. That alone would make the streetcar system usable.

THIS. I'm an advocate for subways, but I think downtown, they should make the streetcars LRT. Just think of it. If Queen was given it's own ROW, then it would basically be a full fledged LRT line considering the western section near the Gardiner is segregated. I'd rather see a combination of Queen st LRT and King St DRL subway for rapid transit downtown. If all the other streetcar lines downtown were converted to LRT, I think we would have a very good system on our hands. (think Vienna, or Prague tram system)

I would also support BRT systems in the burbs, to support the Eglinton and Sheppard subways.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Far more difficult to create a full-fledged LRT in downtown, given the sheer number of closely spaced intersections and limited ROW. Even if you eliminate some stops you still wouldn't get an LRT. Very different setting than the burbs.

AoD

 

[BMO]

Far more difficult to create a full-fledged LRT in downtown, given the sheer number of closely spaced intersections and limited ROW. Even if you eliminate some stops you still wouldn't get an LRT. Very different setting than the burbs.

AoD

sorry I meant full fledged TTC LRT like Spadina or St Claire.

Would cut down on operating costs, and probably provide more efficient timetables.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Spadina doesn't behave like a real LRT (due to precisely the the issue of closely spaced intersections and lack of/infeasibility of signal priority), nor does St. Clair, to a lesser extent. Changes should be made to improve efficiency, but to expect it to behave like high speed LRT is expecting too much.

AoD

 

[Dan416]

Spadina doesn't behave like a real LRT (due to precisely the the issue of closely spaced intersections and lack of/infeasibility of signal priority), nor does St. Clair, to a lesser extent. Changes should be made to improve efficiency, but to expect it to behave like high speed LRT is expecting too much.

AoD

Expecting Ford to fix the downtown streetcars is a stretch indeed. But I see no reason why at least one of our many E-W streetcar routes couldn't be converted to LRT.

What drivers are going to miss a lane of traffic on Queen anyway? There's lots of alternatives.

The overabundance of side streets might make it difficult to convert it to LRT, but not impossible. I definitely think you can eliminate at least half the stops.

Even if you wouldn't be able to give the Queen LRT 100% traffic priority, you could duck underneath the most major intersections to minimize the non-station stopping.

Alternatively they could do this on College which I don't think is as busy as Queen.

 

[spider]

TTC streetcar routes will never remotely resemble the LRT model because;

1/. Too many stops, and as long as local politicians have any influence in this area none will be removed.
2/. TTC operators/management don't want signal priority to be established as that would remove an excuse for poor route management, remember "congestion".
3/. Crossing gates or duck unders every second stop? Please.
4/. I have been advised that only bi-directional cars capable of being coupled into multiple car trains are allowed to be used on a LTR route by definition. If this is true then a 2 car train capable of carrying 3 times as many riders as a streetcar will arrive at your stop every 15 minutes instead of the current 5 minutes, I doubt if the public will put up with such headways and if they won't what then is the point?

 

[GraphicMatt]

Headways will be wider by design when the new streetcars arrive. Headways of 15 minutes wouldn't be acceptable on any of the existing streetcar routes, though.

Line management at the TTC is a major issue. It's insane that anyone with a smartphone running an app that uses NextBus to display vehicle location has more information about route conditions than both the supervisor standing on the street (with a goddamned clipboard) and vehicle operators.

 

[JWBF]

sorry I meant full fledged TTC LRT like Spadina or St Claire.

Would cut down on operating costs, and probably provide more efficient timetables.

Spadina and St. Clair are Right Of Way streetcar routes because:

1.) Shorter than 1000 metres between stops
2.) Single cars

 

[CDL.TO]

Spadina and St. Clair are Right Of Way streetcar routes because:

1.) Shorter than 1000 metres between stops
2.) Single cars

So the Finch and Sheppard Transit City lines, which were planned to have 700m stop spacing and use single cars, are streetcars. Neat.

 

[11th]

So the Finch and Sheppard Transit City lines, which were planned to have 700m stop spacing and use single cars, are streetcars. Neat.

Aside from having different track gauge and not doing loops, it does seem those lines will be similar to Spadina and St. Clair (since TTC will be upgrading the legacy network to pantograph eventually).
Does Spadina have signal priority, or has the city shut it off?

 

[JWBF]

So the Finch and Sheppard Transit City lines, which were planned to have 700m stop spacing and use single cars, are streetcars. Neat.

Depending on the stations decided upon, and distance between them; Finch & Sheppard will most likely have 3 LRVs coupled together.

Aside from having different track gauge and not doing loops, it does seem those lines will be similar to Spadina and St. Clair (since TTC will be upgrading the legacy network to pantograph eventually).
Does Spadina have signal priority, or has the city shut it off?

Spadina does not have signal priority, never has as far as I remember.

 

[CDL.TO]

Depending on the stations decided upon, and distance between them; Finch & Sheppard will most likely have 3 LRVs coupled together.

All the materials I have ever seen have shown 1 or 2 LRVs for Sheppard and Finch. The TTC has rejected coupling 3 cars together on any routes that have surface/street median operation due to the time it would take for them to clear the intersection.

In the pre-Ford plan, Eglinton was to have 2 cars, the SRT 3 cars, and the rest of the Transit City lines 1 or 2 cars.

 

[JWBF]

All the materials I have ever seen have shown 1 or 2 LRVs for Sheppard and Finch. The TTC has rejected coupling 3 cars together on any routes that have surface/street median operation due to the time it would take for them to clear the intersection.

In the pre-Ford plan, Eglinton was to have 2 cars, the SRT 3 cars, and the rest of the Transit City lines 1 or 2 cars.

Right you are, I should have said 1-3 LRVs coupled together to cover all the possibilities; The Eglinton Crosstown projections based on 3 cars as of Feb. 7th. The stations will have platform extensions for future use.

 

[EnviroTO]

Spadina and St. Clair are Right Of Way streetcar routes because:

1.) Shorter than 1000 metres between stops
2.) Single cars

What hat did you pull 1000 metres out of? About half of the subway stops are spaced less than 1000m.

 

[drum118]

Spadina does have signal priority, but the city traffic department refused to turn it on.

If St Clair 512 was allow to run at 50Km or higher, service would be a lot faster than it is today.