RapidTO: Citywide Streetcar Priority (City of Toronto, TTC)

[TheTigerMaster]

There's a lot of discussion in the King Transit Priority thread about citywide improvements to streetcar operations. I've created this thread to consolidate those discussions.

As it turns out, the City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) are currently studying RapidTO, which is an initiative to enhance bus and streetcar transit across Toronto through implementation of priority measures. The following routes were proposed for prioritization in Phase 2 of the RapidTO plan (below).

Phase 3 will include a series of roadway-specific studies over the next decade (2022 to 2032). This presents a rare opportunity for us to rethink our streetcar operations.

A similar thread should probably be made for the RapidTO bus network.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

This is the worst part of all. And waiting at a red light to slowly cross an intersection, only to stop again.
Is there a way we can actually get this addressed?

This is a two-part question/answer.

What is technically/practically do-able, and then the politics.

On the former, yes, this is very solvable; and there are myriad ways to do it, even with an obstinate transportation department.

Choices:

1) Operate the system in its 'ideal' manner, meaning far-side stops, as is now the case on most of Spadina, but doing so with hard transit priority. Meaning the light can not only be triggered or held for a transit vehicle, but that it will and can change aggressively in speed wherever that does not endanger people.

On top of this, I would outright ban left turns along St. Clair and Spadina. Those streetcar routes might actually have decent performance, if not for all the left turning cars blocking them.

But, as you mentioned, this would require depending of our car-centric mentality.

 

[ShonTron]

On top of this, I would outright ban left turns along St. Clair and Spadina. Those streetcar routes might actually have decent performance, if not for all the left turning cars blocking them.

But, as you mentioned, this would require depending of our car-centric mentality.

There are a few places where maybe you want left turns and U-turns, but on Spadina, they should not be at every signalized intersection (apart from Sussex, Willcocks, and Sullivan, of course). Harbord, Nassau, Adelaide, and Front. That'd be it.

For St. Clair, left turns are not as much as a problem - part of the problem with St. Clair is that there are a few too many stops, especially between Dufferin and Yonge.

But at Bathurst, I'd remove left turns. Let eastbound drivers turn around at the Loblaws where there's no streetcar tracks, and westbound drivers go around the block if they want to go south. At Wychwood, I'd remove the stops and the left turns/U-turns.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I mean, cheap is relative. Streetcar network upgrades would probably have much better bang-for-buck than most of our other transit investments.

A fraction of the financial investment we've been making in GO RER and network operations would do wonders for the Toronto streetcar network. And ensuring that the core of Canada's largest city has an effective internal transport is as urgent a priority as anything.

The cost is only an obstacle if we decide to make it an obstacle.


It's a huge political problem today. I'm optimistic that won't always be the case.

Attitudes towards transport and urban design have shifted dramatically over the past 10 years or so. There now is a virtual universal consensus that we must invest more in transit citywide, and that these investments must include all modes of transport. There's also a growing consensus that we must move away from car-centric urban planning (although admittedly, there are a lot of people still reluctant to accept that truth).

Further, Toronto's transport network will be unrecognizable in 15 years, and will rival New York in its overall quality. In this environment, it's a lot easier to talk about congestion charges, as there will be credible alternatives.

I don't understand why there's such a concern over costs with projects like this, when in the suburbs people are relatively okay with unlimited budgets.

You're right - all things considered these would be very valuable upgrades.

It’s because we’re all used to austerity. So even something pretty basic (like money for a decent downtown transport network) seems like a massive ask.

This is also a side effect of the City of Toronto not having the revenue tools to deliver services to an urban area or 6.5 Million people.

This “it’s too expensive” attitude is self-defeating. We must not be afraid to demand funding for the big-ticket times that will make our city better. If this government won’t deliver, then we have to make sure the next government does. The status quo is no way to fund the development of a rapidly growing global metropolis.

 

[felix123]

On top of this, I would outright ban left turns along St. Clair and Spadina. Those streetcar routes might actually have decent performance, if not for all the left turning cars blocking them.

But, as you mentioned, this would require depending of our car-centric mentality.

As an average pedestrian who often walks faster than the 510, I fully agree. I live near it but don't bother taking it anymore. It's also a short stretch by car standards (Bloor to QQ) so completely reasonable to ban all left turns along its length.
I am always amazed how easy it is to drive in Toronto. It seems like you can do whatever you want behind the wheel, whenever you want with no chance of repercussion. Even something clearly-marked like King St at Spadina has cars going straight through it on almost every light, but they're never stopped.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

As an average pedestrian who often walks faster than the 510, I fully agree. I live near it but don't bother taking it anymore. It's also a short stretch by car standards (Bloor to QQ) so completely reasonable to ban all left turns along its length.
I am always amazed how easy it is to drive in Toronto. It seems like you can do whatever you want behind the wheel, whenever you want with no chance of repercussion. Even something clearly-marked like King St at Spadina has cars going straight through it on almost every light, but they're never stopped.

Honestly, excluding any exceptional circumstances, I’d ban left turns on all streetcar routes 24/7.

 

[ssiguy2]

They don't have to ban all left-hand turns but rather do things like LA with it's LRT.

They created many left-hand U-turn routes along their entire corridors. These are light controlled so when there are no trains coming from either direction the special left-lanes allow cars to cross over the street to the other direction as they merge into a new left-hand merging lane. They have found that this not only speeds up the LRT due to much shorter light cycles but also improved traffic flow, provided better pedestrian crossings, and reduced accidents to boot. All of those things not only has allowed the LRT to run faster but also more frequently and has made stop light coordination easier to implement.

Of course this is a city that has spent $10 billion and taken a decade to build a single line and didn't even consider implementing such a rational system so when it comes to it's streetcars, don't hold your breath.

 

[SashaLemon]

1) Every streetcar route must have a ROW.
2) Implement aggressive Transit Priority Signaling. (TPS)
3) Start ordering streetcars that are dual ended with doors on both sides.
4) Build enhanced stops, identical to the ones found on the Finch West LRT.
5) Overall traffic calming strategy downtown. (Like Downtown Yonge, but even wider deployment)
6) Upgrade switches to double-blade switches. (Also install Point Indicators and power switch machines)
7) Consolidate stops where it makes sense.
8) Install an automatic route selection system with inductive loops and train detection.
9) Build at least a couple of new underground streetcar stations. (Queen–Spadina and King–Bathurst, because they are both grand unions that you could find a better way of handling underground, and they will be OL stations.)
10) Extend the lines.

Toronto has definitely gotten away on the laurels of having "the largest streetcar system in North America", but that is no excuse for the system being woefully inadequate compared to the tram networks of Europe. This is especially important given how important the system is to the functioning of downtown.

Do these things and we will have to rename the Toronto Subway the "Toronto Metro" and give the streetcar lines a place on the map with their own colours and with their stops proudly displayed. (Should we call them lines 8, 9, 10...? A, B, C...?)

 

[IRT_BMT_IND]

I've been on LRT systems in the US where the signal controllers will swap the order of the straight and left turn phases when there is an LRV waiting at the intersection, that way the LRV doesn't have to wait for cars turning left. I don't see why this wouldn't work on Spadina, though I've never seen a lagging left turn phase anywhere in Ontario so maybe the MTO doesn't allow them.

And I get the impression that having to stop at both sets of facing point switches and then crawl over special work kills the speed of the Spadina streetcar almost as much if not more than waiting for left turns, and the TTC could fix this if they would buy switch control systems that actually worked.

 

[W. K. Lis]

There's a lot of discussion in the King Transit Priority thread about citywide improvements to streetcar operations. I've created this thread to consolidate those discussions.

As it turns out, the City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) are currently studying RapidTO, which is an initiative to enhance bus and streetcar transit across Toronto through implementation of priority measures. The following routes were proposed for prioritization in Phase 2 of the RapidTO plan (below).

Phase 3 will include a series of roadway-specific studies over the next decade (2022 to 2032). This presents a rare opportunity for us to rethink our streetcar operations.

A similar thread should probably be made for the RapidTO bus network.

View attachment 430995

Missing is The Queensway, from Roncesvalles to the Humber Loop. The right-of-way is alleged to be extended along Lake Shore Blvd. to the Park Lawn GO Station and/or Park Lawn Road.

 

[junctionist]

At St. Clair and Gunns Road, you can see streetcar priority that was actually implemented. The streetcar gets a green first, then the left turning vehicles, and then through traffic.

The streetcar passes through the intersection in about 5 seconds. The effect on vehicular traffic is negligible and totally benign, yet it keeps transit operating efficiently and on schedule. I can't believe that Transportation Services has railed so hard against it. It makes them seem like an outdated and outmoded car lobby group.

Unfortunately, though, not every streetcar gets priority. I'm not sure if the streetcar driver has to press a button or if it only works at certain times of the day, but it's inconsistent unfortunately. A feature like that should be automated with sensors tracking the streetcars and adjusting the traffic signals at every intersection to maximize transit efficiency.

 

[robmausser]

On top of this, I would outright ban left turns along St. Clair and Spadina. Those streetcar routes might actually have decent performance, if not for all the left turning cars blocking them.

But, as you mentioned, this would require depending of our car-centric mentality.

Im confused? No cars are blocking streetcars on St.Clair or Spadina. They have a right of way, and the cars sit in a pocket lane next to the streetcars.

All thats needed is streetcar priority that never lets a car turn left until the streetcar has cleared the intersection, as all the stops are on the far side of the intersection anyways.

I'd say that Spadina and St.Clair are the ONLY streetcar routes that you wouldn't have to ban left turns....

 

[imerk]

^ Agreed. Apart from developing full U-turn facilities which still require encroaching onto the streetcar right-of-way, every banned left turn results in three right turns at other intersections, usually through minor residential streets. Not sure how that's a preferable solution.

 

[robmausser]

^ Agreed. Apart from developing full U-turn facilities which still require encroaching onto the streetcar right-of-way, every banned left turn results in three right turns at other intersections, usually through minor residential streets. Not sure how that's a preferable solution.

What if we just let cars turn left from the right lane?

Make the section of streetcar track before the intersection a ROW, like concrete curb and everything so cars are banned, and then have the street go down to 1 lane. Have streetcar priority through the intersection with their own signal, and then cars can turn left/right through the intersection from the single lane.

 

[reaperexpress]

At St. Clair and Gunns Road, you can see streetcar priority that was actually implemented. The streetcar gets a green first, then the left turning vehicles, and then through traffic.

The streetcar passes through the intersection in about 5 seconds. The effect on vehicular traffic is negligible and totally benign, yet it keeps transit operating efficiently and on schedule. I can't believe that Transportation Services has railed so hard against it. It makes them seem like an outdated and outmoded car lobby group.

Unfortunately, though, not every streetcar gets priority. I'm not sure if the streetcar driver has to press a button or if it only works at certain times of the day, but it's inconsistent unfortunately. A feature like that should be automated with sensors tracking the streetcars and adjusting the traffic signals at every intersection to maximize transit efficiency.

Glad to hear that that intersection is still working well. I've stood there and it's really satisfying to see the white light turn on exactly when the streetcar arrives, stay on for a few seconds, then the signal goes back to its normal program. I can't share the details of the signal programming, but I can point you toward some things which are publicly visible, which may help answer some of your questions.

Streetcars are tracked using in-road detectors, and the signal timing is adjusted in an attempt to line the transit phase up with the streetcar's arrival. You can recognize streetcar detectors from the black rubber rectangle over them (though the blackness fades over time). Here are the streetcars detectors you can see at St Clair & Gunns via Streetview:

Westbound departing Keele St stop (200 m before stop line)

Westbound approaching Gunns (100 m before stop line) - this one's pretty hard to see

Westbound approaching Gunns (80 m before stop line)

Westbound at Gunns (just past stop line)

Eastbound approaching Gunns, just after crossing WB lanes at a stop sign (40 m before stop line)

Eastbound at Gunns just past the stop line

Some factors you should consider when figuring out why a streetcar got stopped at a red light:
- How early can the signal get an accurate estimate of the streetcar's arrival time? The further away the streetcar requests priority, the more time the signal has to do things like end conflicting phases or extend the light if it's already green. However, the further away the request is, the less accurate the estimated arrival time will be for the streetcar. Inaccurate estimated arrival times can have a huge negative impact on the effectiveness of priority, to the point that the priority intervention could actually delay the streetcar even more than if there hadn't been any priority request. Depending on the priority setup and the road layout leading up to the intersection, it may be possible to use additional detectors to update the arrival time estimate as the streetcar approaches. This is not very common, but as you saw above, WB at Gunns is one such example. The best case scenario is a long uninterrupted run from the previous stop/signal (like WB at Gunns or WB at King & John). The worst case scenario is a near-side stop: then you have no accurate estimate of when the streetcar will wish to proceed until it's too late.
- What was the signal doing when the streetcar requested priority (e.g. when it left the previous signal/stop)? Was there a long pedestrian crossing active which couldn't count down in time? At St Clair and Gunns, the north-south crosswalk is 25 m long, so based on a walking speed of 1.2 m/s, the Flashing Don't Walk should be 21 seconds. Then figure another 7 seconds for yellow and red, and it takes 28 seconds to end the north-south phase. For comparison, the 200m westbound zone at Gunns would translate to a travel time of around 20 seconds at 10 m/s (36 km/h).
- Which direction is the streetcar going (EB or WB)? Is there also a streetcar going the opposite way? The priority parameters are often different in one direction than another, especially at intersections such as Gunns Loop where one direction is going straight while the other is turning.
- How long was it since the previous streetcar? Some intersections have conditional priority which provide higher levels of priority to streetcars which have an above-average headway in order to even out the service.

1) Every streetcar route must have a ROW.
2) Implement aggressive Transit Priority Signaling. (TPS)
3) Start ordering streetcars that are dual ended with doors on both sides.
4) Build enhanced stops, identical to the ones found on the Finch West LRT.
5) Overall traffic calming strategy downtown. (Like Downtown Yonge, but even wider deployment)
6) Upgrade switches to double-blade switches. (Also install Point Indicators and power switch machines)
7) Consolidate stops where it makes sense.
8) Install an automatic route selection system with inductive loops and train detection.
9) Build at least a couple of new underground streetcar stations. (Queen–Spadina and King–Bathurst, because they are both grand unions that you could find a better way of handling underground, and they will be OL stations.)
10) Extend the lines.

Toronto has definitely gotten away on the laurels of having "the largest streetcar system in North America", but that is no excuse for the system being woefully inadequate compared to the tram networks of Europe. This is especially important given how important the system is to the functioning of downtown.

Do these things and we will have to rename the Toronto Subway the "Toronto Metro" and give the streetcar lines a place on the map with their own colours and with their stops proudly displayed. (Should we call them lines 8, 9, 10...? A, B, C...?)

Completely agree ... except transit priority is known as "TSP" (Transit Signal Priority) in North America. Not sure why they chose that term, but that's what you need to search if you want to learn more about it. TPS stands for Toronto Police Service.

Also, it's neither practical nor necessary for every route to have a ROW. You can achieve the same result in other ways such as by setting up modal filters which make it impossible to use the streetcar route as a through route. Similar to the King pilot.

All thats needed is streetcar priority that never lets a car turn left until the streetcar has cleared the intersection, as all the stops are on the far side of the intersection anyways.

Exactly. This is known as "phase insertion". If a left turn phase is about to turn green but there's a streetcar approaching/waiting, a short transit phase is inserted into the cycle, then once the streetcar has cleared the signal picks up where it left off in the cycle (left turn phase). On streets with signal coordination (most streets in Toronto), some other phases will need to be shortened to make up for the time used by the inserted streetcar phase. It's fairly common in Toronto for turning streetcars but fairly uncommon for streetcars going straight.

In this old video of mine (from Feb 2019) I provide the basic background for how the Toronto's priority system works: