TTC: Cherry Street reconstruction and streetcar trackage (City of Toronto/TTC, U/C)

[W. K. Lis]

News flash! Dufferin Street is getting a streetcar route.

Okay, it's only between King Street West and the (old) Dufferin Gates, but it's a small step.

 

[Megaton327]

News flash! Dufferin Street is getting a streetcar route.

Okay, it's only between King Street West and the (old) Dufferin Gates, but it's a small step.

I think a lot of the excitement over the brand-new Cherry service has people overlooking the HUGE benefit to Liberty Village/King West residents. The stops on King from Atlantic to Portland, going eastbound in the morning rush, are tremendously busy...it'll be great to have streetcars able to pick people up instead of having to watch 3-5 full ones go by. Liberty has been dreadfully underserved by over-capacity transit for years now, this will undoubtedly make a huge dent in that problem, we'll have to see if it might even fix the capacity issues completely.

Fantastic choice to run 514 to Dufferin loop. Serves both Liberty and Canary very well this way.

 

[drum118]

I think a lot of the excitement over the brand-new Cherry service has people overlooking the HUGE benefit to Liberty Village/King West residents. The stops on King from Atlantic to Portland, going eastbound in the morning rush, are tremendously busy...it'll be great to have streetcars able to pick people up instead of having to watch 3-5 full ones go by. Liberty has been dreadfully underserved by over-capacity transit for years now, this will undoubtedly make a huge dent in that problem, we'll have to see if it might even fix the capacity issues completely.

Fantastic choice to run 514 to Dufferin loop. Serves both Liberty and Canary very well this way.

Its only taken 8 years for it to happen once the EA started for Cherry St.

It was vision by TTC in 2008 to have 514 running like this.

If new cars are assign to the route like it should happen since we are supposed to have an extra 10 new cars by then, it will finally offer accessibility to riders who need it yesterday as well dealing with the increase of ridership.

Just think what this route could have done already if Cherry St was place in service in 2014 as original plan and not worry what the Pan Am games was going to do.

Plans are still alive to take the Dufferin line over the new Dufferin Bridge in the next decade.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Just think what this route could have done already if Cherry St was place in service in 2014 as original plan and not worry what the Pan Am games was going to do.

Why did we even host the Pan AM games in the first place, all they seemed to do was halt construction projects and close off streets around areas of the city.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Its only taken 8 years for it to happen once the EA started for Cherry St.

It was vision by TTC in 2008 to have 514 running like this.

If new cars are assign to the route like it should happen since we are supposed to have an extra 10 new cars by then, it will finally offer accessibility to riders who need it yesterday as well dealing with the increase of ridership.

Just think what this route could have done already if Cherry St was place in service in 2014 as original plan and not worry what the Pan Am games was going to do.

Plans are still alive to take the Dufferin line over the new Dufferin Bridge in the next decade.

To those who don't know what they're talking about, see link.

• Replacing the Dufferin Street bridges over the Gardiner Expressway and rail corridor along the existing alignment.
• Providing a 3.0 m wide sidewalk, a 2.0 m wide bike lane, and one 3.5 m wide vehicle lane in each direction.
• Providing a 7.4 m wide raised centre median to accommodate future exclusive transit lanes as proposed in the TTC's Waterfront West Light Rail Transit plans.
• Increasing Dufferin Street pavement elevation at the bridges by up to 2.4 m, to accommodate rail and structural clearance requirements.
• Re-grading the approaches of the bridges to match the adjacent intersections at Springhurst Ave and Saskatchewan Rd.
• Raising the existing Dufferin Gate arch structure by 2.5 m to accommodate the proposed road grade and relocating the arch up to 3.0 m horizontally from its existing location.
• Replacing the existing 300 mm water main attached to the bridges with a new 300 mm water main either attached to the new structures or located under the Gardiner/rail corridors.
• Removing the closed concrete staircases to the former platforms on either side of the rail tracks.

 

[rbt]

Why did we even host the Pan AM games in the first place, all they seemed to do was halt construction projects and close off streets around areas of the city.

Really good chance this route wouldn't have started construction yet (see Queens Quay East LRT) as there would be far fewer residential buildings in that location. PanAm games moved construction of several West Donlands buildings ahead by nearly 10 years.

 

[smuncky]

Looks like they took me up on my suggestion to switch the 72B's loop direction at Union. It was originally clockwise, but I suggested switching it for accessibility and ease of access to the Bay Street Promenade/Concourse and the Front Moat.

I also find it interesting they didn't extend the 121 to Exhibition Loop. The west side of The Gore seems like a random terminus. Through the Princes Gates and to the little loop off of Canada Bouldvard may have even worked better.

My preference would've been to take the 121 up Strachan and loop around Duoro/Shaw/King, then back south on Strachan. This would generate a lot more ridership from people in Liberty Village as it'd stop at East Liberty and Strachan.

 

[DSC]

My preference would've been to take the 121 up Strachan and loop around Duoro/Shaw/King, then back south on Strachan. This would generate a lot more ridership from people in Liberty Village as it'd stop at East Liberty and Strachan.

At the public consultation I attended the TTC folks said that they are open to extending the 121 route both east (to Bayview) and west to serve Liberty Village once they get it going and can assess ridership.

 

[JasonParis]

I also find it interesting they didn't extend the 121 to Exhibition Loop. The west side of The Gore seems like a random terminus. Through the Princes Gates and to the little loop off of Canada Bouldvard may have even worked better.

I find it interesting that the 121 won't enter Liberty Village proper, especially providing service along E Liberty / Liberty Streets.

 

[nfitz]

I find it interesting that the 121 won't enter Liberty Village proper, especially providing service along E Liberty / Liberty Streets.

It would be tough to loop it, without getting tangled on King.

Perhaps after they build that new east-west street along the tracks.

It's easy to see why it's not getting to Exhibition loop - it's closed for months still.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

It would be tough to loop it, without getting tangled on King.

Perhaps after they build that new east-west street along the tracks.

That would be a good extension. The new street will go all the way to Dufferin Gate IIRC, so it could loop there.

And with that folks, the discussion comes full circle.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

It would be tough to loop it, without getting tangled on King.

Perhaps after they build that new east-west street along the tracks.

It's easy to see why it's not getting to Exhibition loop - it's closed for months still.

Has that proposed street been approved?

 

[nfitz]

Has that proposed street been approved?

Not yet, they are still working on the EA. I'd missed the most recent update, that they now are going to run it all the way from Strachan to Dufferin. That will help traffic on Liberty.

http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=82a88d0195ce1410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

As you can see, there'd be new traffic lights at Dufferin at the 4-way intersection at Dufferin Gate loop. You can also see the new reserved streetcar ROW in the new proposed bridges for Dufferin Street over the tracks and Gardiner.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Has that proposed street been approved?

The EA does not appear to be complete, and there is no schedule for construction. Another problem: the connection to Strachan will be right-in/right-out only, so turning left onto it from northbound Strachan will not be feasible.

 

[nfitz]

Another problem: the connection to Strachan will be right-in/right-out only, so turning left onto it from northbound Strachan will not be feasible.

Ah, that's interesting Though it does allow for a loop, where the 121 heads east on the "new" street - perhaps heading south from East Liberty down Pirandello Street or Solidarity Way. Presumably the EA will address transit.