JasonParis
Moderator
It's a Derek Flack article written six years ago when BlogTO had some credibility. They repost these every so often. Today... #BlogTOisClickBait
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TTC: Streetcar Network
- Thread starter wolfewood
- Start date
micheal_can
Senior Member
Best way to flesh that out is look at the existing bus network and see what their numbers are like. Then look at the existing Streetcar routes and compare them to the quietest routes.
I do think the old routes that ran on Bloor and Yonge really should have been kept, and if put back in, might relieve some of the pressure off Yonge Subway.
JSF-1
Active Member
I'm a big proponent of resurrecting the Parliament Streetcar or at the very least get the tracks to Castle Frank station. This would bring some operational symmetry to the network with 3 Streetcar terminals on each side of Yonge Street. I remember when I was attending George Brown a few years back, the TTC was replacing the tracks on Broadview so you had to take a shuttle bus from Broadview Station to Queen Street to get the 504. Had we still had tracks on Parliament up to Castle Frank, the TTC could have just moved the 504 and 505 there; like they do with the 510 and 511 when either Bathurst or Spadina is out of service.
JasonParis
Moderator
I think the existing station loop could accommodate it too. I'm just not sure how much Toronto Transportation will like having streetcar tracks on Bloor, albeit a tiny section.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
If the TTC will be ordering more new streetcars after COVID-19 (now is a good time to start building them), they should consider ordering double-ended streetcars, with doors on both sides.
Then they can use wye to reverse, using less real estate in the process.
Then they can use wye to reverse, using less real estate in the process.
Amare
Senior Member
That ship has long sailed, the TTC had their chance.
drum118
Superstar
Why use a wye that only adds extra time when stub ends is the way to go.
Fully agree on duel end and have call for them since day one.
If there is no money to buy more cars, how are you going to order them as well pay for them??? Mr Ford will not fund streetcars for Toronto since he prefer they don't exist and will remain in power after 2022. The city pickup 66% of the cost for the new fleet and will not do that again.
According to info from Boston, CRRC cars are about 18 months late been delivering for the Red and Orange line with some of that delay being caused by COVID-19. Other manufactures are seeing late deliveries as well due to COVID-19.
EastYorkTTCFan
Senior Member
I don't really see the TTC ever buying double-ended cars for the existing network or building wye tracks as part of the existing streetcar network
micheal_can
Senior Member
What about building crossovers? Then the car can go both ways without a wye.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
In 1983 (three years after it opened), they abandoned the SRT loop at Kennedy Station, replaced by a crossover wye. The old loop became a tailtrack for storage.
From link.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
Crossovers on the streetcar network could be placed along a route to handle short-turns, collisions, or construction.
EastYorkTTCFan
Senior Member
Yes they could add them but in all likelihood they probably won't. Don't forget they were supposed to switch to using pantographs in the 1980's when they bought the CLRVs and ALRVs and it's now 40 years later and not all of the network can be used with one..
W. K. Lis
Superstar
They are in the process of converting the trolley wires over to pantograph catenary. It's the penny-pinching accountants who are stretching out the conversion timeline.
EastYorkTTCFan
Senior Member
Yes I know that but as I said they had originally planned to do it 40 years ago but didn't. So since they haven't ever said anything about double ended streetcars or crossovers for the legacy network I don't really think it's going to happen in the next 40 years.
Amare
Senior Member
The double ended streetcar train has left the station, they had the change to switch to it with the Flexities and didnt do it. We wont ever see it in Toronto for various reasons including the TTC's current "operate streetcars in fear" tactics.
The thing the TTC should be focusing on is improving current streetcar operations, which is quite frankly a laughing joke as they currently stand.
Yesterday I was riding on a couple routes in the city, and I was just rolling my eyes at how damn slow streetcar operations are. Among some of the most ridiculous things I witnessed:
-Streetcars slow down at every signalized intersection before proceeding through,
-Literally take a full signal cycle just to clear any streetcar intersection,
-Crawl through empty streets at low speeds while buses running on the same route pass them,
-Stop and proceed at every single switch point, etc..
I can write a list of dozens of things that the TTC does to cripple streetcar operations, and most of which have started within the last 20 years while others have been in place for as long as I can remember. If we want to unlock hidden potential and further improve commute times in this city, the streetcar network is the easiest place to start. Funny thing is, the TTC and city seem to think we need projects like the King Street corridor to do this. However in all actuality, if the TTC stopped playing games in their operations, we could achieve the same effect on all streetcar routes in the city without spending a significant amount in doing so.
The thing the TTC should be focusing on is improving current streetcar operations, which is quite frankly a laughing joke as they currently stand.
Yesterday I was riding on a couple routes in the city, and I was just rolling my eyes at how damn slow streetcar operations are. Among some of the most ridiculous things I witnessed:
-Streetcars slow down at every signalized intersection before proceeding through,
-Literally take a full signal cycle just to clear any streetcar intersection,
-Crawl through empty streets at low speeds while buses running on the same route pass them,
-Stop and proceed at every single switch point, etc..
I can write a list of dozens of things that the TTC does to cripple streetcar operations, and most of which have started within the last 20 years while others have been in place for as long as I can remember. If we want to unlock hidden potential and further improve commute times in this city, the streetcar network is the easiest place to start. Funny thing is, the TTC and city seem to think we need projects like the King Street corridor to do this. However in all actuality, if the TTC stopped playing games in their operations, we could achieve the same effect on all streetcar routes in the city without spending a significant amount in doing so.