TTC: RapidTO Bathurst Street

[6ixGod]

Well something is better than nothing. I know building RoW for the entire streetcar network can’t happen overnight, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. The red paint is perfect….a polite way to say F off the tracks please.

Honestly, I feel like that YouTube video a few months ago that absolutely dressed down the TTC streetcar system as being the slowest in the world and being nonsensical did something.

It got abnormally large amount of views….maybe it finally embarrassed the boomers at City Hall and MTO. Almost seems like we don’t do things until the world laughs at us.

 

[GameOnBrad]

After reading the comments about keeping cars off the priority lanes here, this popped into my head.

Stole this image from Steve Munro blog

RapidTO Dufferin and Bathurst Streets: Public Consultation May 2025

In anticipation of transit demands for the FIFA games in June 2026 as well as general route reliability, Toronto proposes to install transit-only lanes on Bathurst (Eglinton to Lake Shore) and Duff…

stevemunro.ca

Original Image:

Why not add treaded speed bumps on flat areas along the route, every 20 - 30 meters? These could be done quickly using asphalt and a mold and, since the street car wheels are recessed, it won't affect foot traffic but will certainly discourage cars.

Idea:

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

If they'd kept the horses, than motorists would been staying away from the horse droppings!

They originally used cobblestones between the horse-car tracks because the horse's hooves dug a trench down between them.

 

[nightstreak]

If they had kept the cobblestones between the streetcar tracks, the motorists would feel like they should not be on the streetcar tracks.
View attachment 694429

The cobblestones were removed so that motorists would have more smoother road-space to use.

After reading the comments about keeping cars off the priority lanes here, this popped into my head.

Stole this image from Steve Munro blog

RapidTO Dufferin and Bathurst Streets: Public Consultation May 2025

In anticipation of transit demands for the FIFA games in June 2026 as well as general route reliability, Toronto proposes to install transit-only lanes on Bathurst (Eglinton to Lake Shore) and Duff…

stevemunro.ca

Original Image:

View attachment 694563
Why not add treaded speed bumps on flat areas along the route, every 20 - 30 meters? These could be done quickly using asphalt and a mold and, since the street car wheels are recessed, it won't affect foot traffic but will certainly discourage cars.

Idea:

View attachment 694564

This won’t be done for the same reason that Waterfront Toronto dropped the grassed streetcar right of way from Queens Quay: the police/fire/EMS lobby is far more powerful than Waterfront and even transit at city hall. They argued that they needed the streetcar ROW as an emergency route. I can tell you I’ve never seen any of those vehicles use the waterfront ROW but I could see it being used on Bathurst given that there’s only one car lane in some parts.

Also, streetcars sometime need to be replaced with buses.

 

[txlseries4]

Why not add treaded speed bumps on flat areas along the root, every 20 - 30 meters? These could be done quickly using asphalt and a mold and, since the street car wheels are recessed, it won't affect foot traffic but will certainly discourage cars.

Toronto Fire and Paramedic Services have entered the chat

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Toronto Fire and Paramedic Services have entered the chat

In Europe, fire vehicles are smaller, but Toronto Fire demand that we use US-based larger vehicles, which require more road space. The big trucks are great for the suburbs, not so great for the inner city.
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[6ixGod]

In Europe, fire vehicles are smaller, but Toronto Fire demand that we use use US-based larger vehicles, which require more road space. The big trucks are great for the suburbs, not so great for the inner city.
.

Why is the Toronto Fire Services insisting on American made fire trucks? Makes no sense….especially considering what’s happening nowadays between the US and Canada, maybe this would be a great time to venture into the European market and pick up some fire trucks that actually make sense for Toronto.

New electric fire trucks are out for delivery | Volvo Penta

Three new fire trucks featuring Volvo Penta electric drivelines are being delivered to fire departments in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dubai.

www.volvopenta.com

 

[smallspy]

Why is the Toronto Fire Services insisting on American made fire trucks? Makes no sense….especially considering what’s happening nowadays between the US and Canada, maybe this would be a great time to venture into the European market and pick up some fire trucks that actually make sense for Toronto.

New electric fire trucks are out for delivery | Volvo Penta

Three new fire trucks featuring Volvo Penta electric drivelines are being delivered to fire departments in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dubai.

www.volvopenta.com

As it turns out, fire trucks need to operate on roads. And the regulations that allow vehicles to be regulated for and operate on those roads are very similar to those that the US uses.

There are some trucks that can be regulated for both here and Europe, but they are very few and far inbetween.

Dan

 

[jmi22]

W

Honestly, I feel like that YouTube video a few months ago that absolutely dressed down the TTC streetcar system as being the slowest in the world and being nonsensical did something.

It got abnormally large amount of views….maybe it finally embarrassed the boomers at City Hall and MTO. Almost seems like we don’t do things until the world laughs at us.

Which video was that?

 

[jmi22]

Dedicated Streetcar Lane Painting Advancing RapidTO on Bathurst | UrbanToronto

With the FIFA World Cup set to arrive in Toronto in less than a year, work to install dedicated transit lanes along Bathurst Street to ensure reliable service during one of the world's largest sporting events has begun. After half a decade of debate and delays over RapidTO, the city-wide plan to...

urbantoronto.ca

New frontpage story on the lane installation