TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[Johnny Au]

Often, streetcar drivers forget to change the destination signs; same with bus drivers not updating the Luminator.

 

[hawc]

That may get annoying.

Was just thinking the same thing. The driver may go insane listening to it.

This driver already looks pretty on edge:

 

[hawc]

Man, from this angle it looks like he's standing beside a subway. Drivers are gonna get screwed.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Oh wow. I was half paying attention and I thought that was two LFLRVs. Damn that looks massive.

BTW I'm enjoying your images hawc. Keep it up

 

[hawc]

I wonder if the drivers will get lonely being locked away in that booth all day with no interaction with people. Do subway drivers get lonely?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Some subway drivers to get lonely down there. A subway driver I know told me that the thing he misses most about driving busses is the interaction.

 

[DarnDirtyApe]

The Pulse: Streetcars a no-go, say east-end residents

Read More: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/07/21/the_pulse_streetcars_a_nogo_say_eastend_residents.html


Ditch the streetcars, be on time and offer more bus and subway service, say some Torontonians east of downtown. Every week, until the municipal election this fall, the Star is trekking around the city to find out what issues are on peoples’ minds. This week we visited Wards 26, 29 and 30 and asked people to tell us one thing they would change about transit in Toronto if they could.

“I think streetcars are the biggest waste of money,†said Leslieville interior designer Kelly Cray, who would dump the rail-restricted streetcars which he says are dangerous to exit. “I think they basically cause more congestion.†--- When construction on Queen St.prevented the streetcars from operating, they were replaced with buses, said Cray, who claimed they are faster. Cray tends to cycle, which he admitted is more dangerous. --- Cray’s anti-streetcar sentiment is echoed by photographer Anthony Tuccitto. “They block the road,†said Tuccitto. --- Nick Rivera, another cyclist who bikes from Leslieville into downtown, said streetcars block emergency vehicles. “I can outride it with my bike,†said Rivera of the streetcar.

.....

The Queen East shuttle buses are so fast and uncrowded because they only run as far west as Church before looping back east. Anyone who wants to travel directly to the subway (or downtown in general) is still riding the streetcar which has been detoured up to Coxwell, so the shuttle buses are underutilized. Obviously a transit line that is inconvenient and duplicates much of an existing route is going to be less crowded, and therefore faster.

 

[nfitz]

The Queen East shuttle buses are so fast and uncrowded because they only run as far west as Church before looping back east. Anyone who wants to travel directly to the subway (or downtown in general) is still riding the streetcar which has been detoured up to Coxwell, so the shuttle buses are underutilized. Obviously a transit line that is inconvenient and duplicates much of an existing route is going to be less crowded, and therefore faster.

I've been running on streetcars parallel to that shuttle from Parliament to Broadview for much of the last few weeks. You didn't see buses overtaking streetcars, except over the Don River where the temporary slow order is in place. you did see streetcars overtaking buses, that were stuck because of parked cars ahead of where their stop was.

I think whoever thinks that buses are significantly faster than streetcars along there are those people who always think the grass is greener elsewhere.

 

[M II A II R II K]

With these streetcars, there may have to be serious consideration of banning parking so there would be a separate lane to bypass the streetcars, except when the streetcar stops at a stop.

 

[drum118]

This how Europe MU trams and trains. The couplers are in the nose behind the cover when not in use and out of site.

This is in France

 

[TOareaFan]

With these streetcars, there may have to be serious consideration of banning parking so there would be a separate lane to bypass the streetcars, except when the streetcar stops at a stop.

For safety reasons, I would think a staged signing system might be a good idea. So as a streetcar approaches a stop, it puts out the very rear stop sign...indicating to motorists that it is not safe/legal/acceptable to enter the space beside the streetcar. Then a short pause before the doors open to allow the cars already beside the streetcars to clear the space for boarding and exiting passengers.

If not a system, something, like that then I fear we are going to see a lot of unplanned interaction between cars and transit riders and that does not seem to be what we are aiming for.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

This how Europe MU trams and trains. The couplers are in the nose behind the cover when not in use and out of site.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7960482326_25f2ec91e1_b.jpg

This is the same as our LFLRV.

 

[muller877]

For safety reasons, I would think a staged signing system might be a good idea. So as a streetcar approaches a stop, it puts out the very rear stop sign...indicating to motorists that it is not safe/legal/acceptable to enter the space beside the streetcar. Then a short pause before the doors open to allow the cars already beside the streetcars to clear the space for boarding and exiting passengers.

If not a system, something, like that then I fear we are going to see a lot of unplanned interaction between cars and transit riders and that does not seem to be what we are aiming for.

Why don't they use a school-bus swing out stop sign at the rear door? Not expensive and everyone knows what it indicates already (versus a made-in-Toronto system so tourists will have no clue)

 

[TOareaFan]

Why don't they use a school-bus swing out stop sign at the rear door? Not expensive and everyone knows what it indicates already (versus a made-in-Toronto system so tourists will have no clue)

That is sorta what I was thinking for the first sign.

 

[Filip]

I think whoever thinks that buses are significantly faster than streetcars along there are those people who always think the grass is greener elsewhere.

Whenever the Queen car is replaced by buses, everything moves faster, traffic and transit included.

The last time this happened and I rode the streetcar regularly I timed it. 20 mins savings from my place to downtown via buses!