Splitting the 501 Queen Streetcar

[CDL.TO]

On one hand splitting the 301 service seems dumb; but on the other hand a review of the service summaries shows that by increasing the number of vehicles from 5 to 7, they will increase the decrease the service interval from Dufferin to Broadview from once every 30 minutes, to once every 15 minutes! Currently this is the 3 AM to 5 AM service.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I was of the understanding that the 301 common section will feature two streetcars travelling together to "ease transfers". So not a streetcar every 15 minutes, but instead two streetcars together every half an hour.

 

[nfitz]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I was of the understanding that the 301 common section will feature two streetcars travelling together to "ease transfers". So not a streetcar every 15 minutes, but instead two streetcars together every half an hour.

The new service summary shows a combined service of once every 15-minutes. Whether this is correct or not we won't know until the schedule comes out over the weekend. It's a rare customer who will start west of Dufferin and want to continue east of Broadview ... and if they do the every 15-minute through downtown, then there would be a couple who'd have to wait an extra 15-minutes ... but I'd think there would be far more who would have a 15-minute time savings.

If they do run in pairs at 4 AM - then yes, splitting the 301 is daft.

 

[StIdes]

And its not like every streetcar goes the whole route on its current service. I dont know about the east bound cars but the west bound cars all dont go all the way to long branch. A good bunch already turn back at Humber and Roncesvalles. So most of the street cars are already concentrated downtown.

 

[W. K. Lis]

How about removing the real cause of streetcar congestion on Queen Street, get rid of the automobiles?

In New York City, there is a citizens' initiative to get rid of the automobiles on 42nd Street. From Vision42, an auto-free light rail boulevard for 42nd Street:

vision42 is a citizens' initiative to re-imagine and upgrade surface transit in Midtown Manhattan, with a low-floor light rail line running river-to-river along 42nd Street within a landscaped pedestrian boulevard. vision42 could be a prototype for a whole network of landscaped, pedestrian/light rail streets throughout the city. It is sponsored by the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, a New York-based not-for-profit corporation.

 

[unimaginative2]

I support the 42nd Street LRT plan, though I'm not sure it's necessary to close it to cars entirely. It's a perfect kind of route for an LRT. It can serve as both a feeder to the subway lines from currently underserved areas (like the UN area on the East River) and it can serve short hops for people who don't want to bother going down into the subway.

 

[kEiThZ]

More than any subway, a streetcar transit mall would really complement the character of Queen Street (particularly Queen West).

 

[Hipster Duck]

I think a streetcar transit mall is a great idea, although I don't think it should extend any further than between Spadina and Yonge. Also, you'd have some interesting through street configurations, such as closing York, turning McCaul and Duncan into a seamless street and rerouting traffic on Beverly to John and Peter via Phoebe/Soho and Stephanie. The last one might be a challenge.

 

[nfitz]

There was an arcticle, and graphics, about the split in the front section of today's Toronto edition of the Globe and Mail.

 

[W. K. Lis]

There was an arcticle, and graphics, about the split in the front section of today's Toronto edition of the Globe and Mail.

The link to the online version is here.

 

[StIdes]

I live at Queen st. W and Roncesvalles ave. and I'm going to be pissed if I'm waiting for a streetcar at Queen and Bathurst in -15 C snow storm weather only to see one come by that doesnt go all the way to Roncesvalles. The short turn for westbound streetcars should be at Roncesvalles not Shaw St. Atleast serve all of Queen St properly.

 

[jwill]

I think the idea was for the eastern route to avoid Parkdale, which is often congested and a source of delays for the 501.

Although I dont think the very long on-street loop is ideal.

 

[nfitz]

Although I dont think the very long on-street loop is ideal.

Though I don't think it's the long-range plan ... it's just for this 5-week experiment. Presumably in the west in the long-run they can use Dufferin loop. And in the east they could probably put a loop back in somewhere between Broadview and Parliament. Perhaps they could find a way to get into the new Cherry loop.

 

[StIdes]

I think the idea was for the eastern route to avoid Parkdale, which is often congested and a source of delays for the 501.

Although I dont think the very long on-street loop is ideal.

It's congested because its a busy area! Why would they send less streetcar service????

 

[Whoaccio]

More than any subway, a streetcar transit mall would really complement the character of Queen Street (particularly Queen West).

I think a sort of pedestrian mall along parts of Queen could improve the character of the street, but would it really help the Queen Car itself? The trams would have to move slowly for fear of striking down some pedestrian, arguably congestion (from the tram's perspective) would be worse as people walking in random directions replaced cars with their fixed lanes. All the same reasons it is slow today would basically still be there.

 

[UD2]

increasing manageability by shortening the route.

it logically makes sense. But it might make even more sense if they've only done it from 6:00AM to 8:00PM.

I don't see the long route being a problem out side of those hours.