TTC: Streetcar Network

[daptive]

White bar in Toronto means "turn left or right but do not go straight". For example, at King & Sumach, the eastbound and northbound white bar signals come on simultaneously, allowing eastbound right and northbound left/right turning streetcars to proceed simultaneously.
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The HTA also technically allows streetcars to proceed straight during a vertical white bar but the TTC chose not to adopt that definition so they could use more efficient signal operations like the one above. If they used the HTA definition, the northbound and eastbound streetcars couldn't get white bars at the same time.

Your photo is basically just a left turn phase for a streetcar. The red/yellow/green signals represent the straight movement (i.e. permissive left/right turn), and the white bar represents the protected left turn.This exact same signal layout is used in lots of other locations as well, such as King & Sumach as mentioned above. It's no more of a Frankenstein signal than the signals for cars that also have red/yellow/green for going straight, but then also a separate left turn arrow that's controlled by a different signal phase.
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Oh nice I had no idea that the white bar had other meanings! I had only associated it with transit/train signals like what ION uses, and my previous understanding was it just meant transit vehicles can proceed. I also believed KW had to get special permission to use them in KW, but I might've misunderstood how they got to use them for their LRTs while we still can't for our streetcars/LRTs.

 

[reaperexpress]

Oh nice I had no idea that the white bar had other meanings! I had only associated it with transit/train signals like what ION uses, and my previous understanding was it just meant transit vehicles can proceed. I also believed KW had to get special permission to use them in KW, but I might've misunderstood how they got to use them for their LRTs while we still can't for our streetcars/LRTs.

The white bar is in the HTA, the issue is that everything else about the Waterloo signals is forbidden. I explain at 2:50 in this video:

 

[CapitalSeven]

There are a number of white bar signals in Ottawa, used for transit priority/queue jump situations. There's one at Albert and Lyon to allow buses on a one-way street to pull away from the curb beside the LRT station and make it into the left-turn lane to another one-way street. Using the bar helps avoid cars from advancing too early and blocking the bus or colliding with it.

The MTO driver's handbook has an explanation.

 

[Frankietls]

Apologies if this has been answered before. When bunching happens why is the behind-schedule streetcar not allowed to skip stops and let the one right behind pick up passengers in order to rebalance the pacing between them. Instead on many occasions when I was taking the streetcar the latter would be short-turned ?

 

[DSCToronto]

Apologies if this has been answered before. When bunching happens why is the behind-schedule streetcar not allowed to skip stops and let the one right behind pick up passengers in order to rebalance the pacing between them. Instead on many occasions when I was taking the streetcar the latter would be short-turned ?

Hard to skip stops as streetcars are much larger than buses and have FAR more passengers and some passengers may want to get off and once the doors are open......

 

[nfitz]

Hard to skip stops as streetcars are much larger than buses and have FAR more passengers and some passengers may want to get off and once the doors are open......

Especially when the first one is packed full! There's little to gain, and massive complaints. Though you do see it done when vehicles were crush-loaded - though less so now that the new LRVs are quicker in such circumstances, as you don't get stuck there, with the person who doesn't fit on, standing on the steps, with the door not closing.

It works better on buses, because the empty one behind can overtake the full one, jump ahead a couple of stops, and then load quickly.

 

[Mind_the_gap]

^ Thought it would be worthwhile noting that trains in Chicago occasionally do run express when there are significant delays.

Passengers on the delayed train will be told to disembark and wait for the following train to access intermediate stops.

Not ideal, but it does happen.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

If Line 5 and Line ever gets proper aggressive transit signal priority for the light rail lines that really works properly, then a couple of existing streetcar lines that run on their own right-of-ways, could become candidates for future "rapid transit lines". The 510 Spadina and 512 St. Clair can be similar to Line 6.

The legacy streetcar network AND bus network needs to implement the same aggressive transit signal priority.

Then over time we need to get modern double-point track switches. At the same time, the controls for ALL the switches along ALL the streetcar routes need to be modernized and upgraded. Not the cheapest versions nor the manual track switches they use now.

The spacing of streetcar stops has to be broaden, especially along the 510 and 512 routes. Some of the streetcar stops are too close together, currently. Then surprise, we have inexpensive "rapid transit".

Maybe if some street parking along streetcar routes are banned, replaced by garages or parking lots if needed, other streetcar routes could become available as well. Some European tram routes run on tram mall only streets (truck deliveries only in morning).

 

[nightstreak]

Dundas is the clear next up for a King Street Pilot treatment if not a fully separated ROW. It'll take some political capital but on-street parking on Dundas has got to go.. Move it to the side streets and Green P garages priced the same as on-street parking and then boil the frog by ratcheting the cost up over a decade to discourage downtown driving and encourage the by then reliable streetcar. To soothe the transition, along the No Parking signs (no time exceptions) add a "Green P Available on McCaul St" sign under it.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

There should be signage indicating the nearest parking garage or parking lot, both private or public, along the streetcar routes. Many new office and condo building could and should be able to rent out parking spaces inside them, to replace lost on-street parking. Maybe even make more parking space available that would be lost.

Should be cheaper to take the TTC than parking.

 

[drum118]

There should be signage indicating the nearest parking garage or parking lot, both private or public, along the streetcar routes. Many new office and condo building could and should be able to rent out parking spaces inside them, to replace lost on-street parking. Maybe even make more parking space available that would be lost.

Should be cheaper to take the TTC than parking.

The car folks are not prepared to walk a bock or even 5 blocks to/from where they live to their poor little car that may get damage or stolen than having it parked a few feet away from their place. The you go the business crying the blues that those long walks will driver away customer considering owners want that spot in front of their business..

Makes no different what streetcar line you want to make it like King, the backlash could force some of the councillors out of that nice paying job next election that they will do their best to kill another King St.

Those who park on the street a night don't work in Toronto.

 

[Richard White]

There should be signage indicating the nearest parking garage or parking lot, both private or public, along the streetcar routes. Many new office and condo building could and should be able to rent out parking spaces inside them, to replace lost on-street parking. Maybe even make more parking space available that would be lost.

Should be cheaper to take the TTC than parking.

Interesting you should mention this.

One of my Condo Properties is near a subway station and does not have enough parking. The thinking upon design and construction was that the proximity to the subway meant that less parking would be needed.

The City of Toronto recently told a resident that the City of Toronto would no longer be granting street parking to condo residents as a result of some developers deliberately under sizing the parking garages.

Now having said that, as a Condo Manager most Condos have governing documents stating that visitor parking is for residents only and that residents cannot rent or sell parking spots to those outside the building. This is for security and admin reasons.

Before you ask, those documents cannot be changed as any changes to Condo Declarations take 90% of all owners to approve it at a meeting duly called for that purpose. That is per the Condominium Act which municipal by-laws cannot override.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

The car folks are not prepared to walk a bock or even 5 blocks to/from where they live to their poor little car that may get damage or stolen than having it parked a few feet away from their place. The you go the business crying the blues that those long walks will driver away customer considering owners want that spot in front of their business..

Makes no different what streetcar line you want to make it like King, the backlash could force some of the councillors out of that nice paying job next election that they will do their best to kill another King St.

Those who park on the street a night don't work in Toronto.

The automobile addicted believe the movies and television scenes, where they travel by automobile to a destination and are able to find an empty spot directly in front of that destination. If they actually reflect real life, they would have to include 15 minutes going around city blocks looking for an available spot... and not get a parking ticket. (That part would be edited out and end up on the cutting room floor.)

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

...

The City of Toronto recently told a resident that the City of Toronto would no longer be granting street parking to condo residents as a result of some developers deliberately under sizing the parking garages.

...

There are condos in downtown Toronto that do not have residential parking (zero, nothing). They may have visitor parking, delivery parking. and contractor parking, but only bicycle parking available for the residents.

 

[Richard White]

There are condos in downtown Toronto that do not have residential parking (zero, nothing). They may have visitor parking, delivery parking. and contractor parking, but only bicycle parking available for the residents.

Yes but that was a choice made by the developer and people knew that when buying there.