Toronto Spadina Subway Extension Emergency Exits | ?m | 1s | TTC | IBI Group

The route doesn't have enough ridership to justify streetcar service, according to the TTC.

I really think that's a chicken and egg scenario there though. Relatively few people use the Parliament bus because a) it's too infrequent, and b) it doesn't really go anywhere. Have the streetcar route go down Parliament to King and then across King into downtown. You could even potentially have it go back up Spadina, forming a second, wider U around downtown.

Last night I was thinking about the Spadina streetcar. How not that many years ago, the Spadina streetcar was a simple bus. Then the streetcar service was introduced, and now not long after that it became the second busiest surface route in the city, with 55,000 daily users (busier than the 32 Eglinton West and as busy as Line 4!). In almost no time it went from a minor bus route, to a critical component of the TTC surface network... all it took was some track and a ROW.

With TTC streetcar ridership expected to double over the coming decades, it doesn’t seem far fetched to me that the 510 could merit being replaced with a Spadina Line Subway from Bloor down to Front. If that subway existed today, it would certainly be the third busiest subway line in the system, ahead of Sheppard and SRT. It’s even conceivable that it would best the
 
Last night I was thinking about the Spadina streetcar. How not that many years ago, the Spadina streetcar was a simple bus. Then the streetcar service was introduced, and now not long after that it became the second busiest surface route in the city, with 55,000 daily users (busier than the 32 Eglinton West and as busy as Line 4!). In almost no time it went from a minor bus route, to a critical component of the TTC surface network... all it took was some track and a ROW.

That "minor bus route" had a headway of something like every 90 seconds at rush hour. Ridership increased upon the opening of the streetcar line, but it was certainly wasn't like it was at risk of being cut because of a lack of ridership.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
That "minor bus route" had a headway of something like every 90 seconds at rush hour. Ridership increased upon the opening of the streetcar line, but it was certainly wasn't like it was at risk of being cut because of a lack of ridership.

Less than 90 seconds, actually. During rush hour, the spacing between buses was 250 meters (roughly the distance from Queen to Adelaide). The Spadina streetcar was also built for a much greater purpose than increasing ridership or reducing costs - it was meant to revitalize the waterfront that had been abandoned by industrial plants. Ridership was also bad because of how painfully slow the bus service was.

Funny enough, the local community actually opposed the streetcar in part because it was marketed as "LRT" and they thought they'd be getting something like the Scarborough RT.

In almost no time it went from a minor bus route, to a critical component of the TTC surface network... all it took was some track and a ROW.

Spadina was pretty unique with the ROW though, because it actually had room to build one (and even then, it required narrowing the sidewalks). Parliament doesn't have that room, and without a dedicated ROW a streetcar isn't any faster than a bus.
 
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre transit hub to open this Sunday » be moved!
main_image.jpg

Today we celebrated the transformation of Vaughan with the official opening of the newest bus rapid transit (BRT) rapidway segment and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC] Station on Highway 7 West.

This Sunday, December 17 — less than a week — is the opening of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC] transit hub, which includes the opening for service of the TTC Line 1 Subway Extension.

The vivaNext rapid transit project will benefit the entire community. The VMC transit hub opening goes a long way to help support the considerable growth in York Region and the City of Vaughan for generations to come.

more connections for customers:

See how the rapidway, subway and bus terminal are all connected for your convenience in this animated short video.

even faster trips:

The Highway 7 rapidway with dedicated bus lanes will now be fully operational and will run from Edgeley Boulevard/Interchange Way to Bowes Road/Baldwin Avenue.

information about YRT/Viva route changes:

For information on how YRT/Viva bus routes are changing after the subway opens, go to www.yrt.ca/subway.

For more information, go to vivanext.com/VMCopening. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Michelle Goland
Community Liaison Specialist
cell: 416.797.5653
email: michelle.goland@york.ca
 
Well, it's official, the SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal at VMC will not be opening at all this month and will open next year. I guess it was smart (ironically) to focus construction on the most visible project first rather than the bus terminal as it's relatively out of the way .

Previous Terminal Diagram from November:
SmartCentres Terminal Diagram.png

Current Terminal:
VMC Bus Service.png
 

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Vaughan Metropolitan Centre transit hub to open this Sunday » be moved!
main_image.jpg

Today we celebrated the transformation of Vaughan with the official opening of the newest bus rapid transit (BRT) rapidway segment and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC] Station on Highway 7 West.

I do not understand why the TTC didn't build something like this on Steeles. It would've cost hardly anything and made the 60 bus a lot faster.
 
I do not understand why the TTC didn't build something like this on Steeles. It would've cost hardly anything and made the 60 bus a lot faster.

Until they can build the YN subway, they should route the Steeles East Bus into Pioneer Village, or at least half of the buses. Finch is a clusterduck.

I really think that's a chicken and egg scenario there though. Relatively few people use the Parliament bus because a) it's too infrequent, and b) it doesn't really go anywhere. Have the streetcar route go down Parliament to King and then across King into downtown. You could even potentially have it go back up Spadina, forming a second, wider U around downtown.

Or build it as part of the Waterfront East LRT; have it go down to Queens Quay and go into the Union Station Loop.
 
The YN subway plan has mid road bus ramps down into an underground bus terminal, if it counts for anything.

The travel time savings from the subway being where it was not before will more than make up for the off street terminal. many passengers that were previously taking the Steeles bus to Finch will now transfer at Pioneer Village.
 
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre transit hub to open this Sunday » be moved!
main_image.jpg

Today we celebrated the transformation of Vaughan with the official opening of the newest bus rapid transit (BRT) rapidway segment and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC] Station on Highway 7 West.

This Sunday, December 17 — less than a week — is the opening of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC] transit hub, which includes the opening for service of the TTC Line 1 Subway Extension.

The vivaNext rapid transit project will benefit the entire community. The VMC transit hub opening goes a long way to help support the considerable growth in York Region and the City of Vaughan for generations to come.

more connections for customers:

See how the rapidway, subway and bus terminal are all connected for your convenience in this animated short video.

even faster trips:

The Highway 7 rapidway with dedicated bus lanes will now be fully operational and will run from Edgeley Boulevard/Interchange Way to Bowes Road/Baldwin Avenue.

information about YRT/Viva route changes:

For information on how YRT/Viva bus routes are changing after the subway opens, go to www.yrt.ca/subway.

For more information, go to vivanext.com/VMCopening. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Michelle Goland
Community Liaison Specialist
cell: 416.797.5653
email: michelle.goland@york.ca
 
Lots of missing ceiling tiles in that photo. The outside roof cladding is also still missing quite a few tiles. My guess is they had quite a few tiles that needed refitting or remanufacture.
They are still working day and night on the Vivastation. It's, by no means, "complete".
 
They are still working day and night on the Vivastation. It's, by no means, "complete".

Is the underground connection to subway complete? I could see them opening the Vivastation without it, meaning people will have to cross the street like a regular Vivastation to get to the subway.
 
The route doesn't have enough ridership to justify streetcar service, according to the TTC.
When was that? TTC hasn't done a passenger count on 65 since 2012, but in the same time the 75 Sherbourne has grown from 5,200 passengers to 10,005 passengers - driven by George Brown growth. Meanwhile on the Parliament corridor we've got the Regent Park rebuild (which is surely driving up som of the 505 ridership), and potentially if they extend 65 to Queens Quay, a lot of development there.

Combined Sherbourne/Parliament ridership along that corrridor could well be approaching 20,000 soon, if it's not there already. The Bathurst streetcar is about the same length, and it's only 21,000.
 

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