Filip
Senior Member
The streetcar is fine in Etobicoke as the street is very wide. The problem is Queen. I've walked faster than the streetcar on Queen.
|
|
|
JasonParis
Moderator
And I've walked faster than buses on Dufferin.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
I've walked faster than the subway downtown sometimes. Going down to the platform, paying, waiting, riding, getting off, going up to the street. Sometimes, walking is faster.
junctionist
Senior Member
Cycling is typically faster than the TTC in the old city of Toronto--unless the trip is simply from one subway station to another. To get to a distination downtown from the Junction, I have to budget about 40-50 minutes by transit. That means taking the bus, subway and walking. Cycling takes 20-30 minutes door to door.
M II A II R II K
Senior Member
But only for 9 months a year.
nfitz
Superstar
Okay ... Queen West. I have to say most of my peak experience is King, and one you hit Bathurst heading west in PM peak, it flies. So I confess I don't understand Jameson/Queen. What is it about that location that the bus moves faster than the streetcar?
kotsy
Senior Member
I used to drive the subway and can say it's INCREDIBLY boring and I actually love subways and think the tunnels were fascinating - but after 2 years they were boring and disgusting lol. At least the streetcar drivers will be outside all day and see people out and about. As a subway driver you fly by them on the platform and don't see much other than those dark tunnels.
This is even more true in London as a lot of there stations are quite deep and takes much longer to go down/upstairs
drum118
Superstar
Let see, 501 in Long Branch today was 25 minute wait for Stop 1 with 5 going west. Stop 2 was 15 minutes wait with 2 showing up at the same time. 5 minute wait at Park Lawn. 10 minute wait at Bay and got on 502 with no 501 in sight. All going east.
40 minute wait at Mills St for 172 and only saw 3 going south 10-15 minutes earlier. Gave up and walked up to King to get a 65 that I should have done so earlier. I told a number of groups of visitors to our city from oversea to walk up to King and get the 504 to the subway like they wanted to do with the 172.
Was on a 504 going east at high speed under King underpass and was almost at the end when the pole came off the line. Never see or been on this fast in my life, but it was fun. Anyway, we are off topic.
40 minute wait at Mills St for 172 and only saw 3 going south 10-15 minutes earlier. Gave up and walked up to King to get a 65 that I should have done so earlier. I told a number of groups of visitors to our city from oversea to walk up to King and get the 504 to the subway like they wanted to do with the 172.
Was on a 504 going east at high speed under King underpass and was almost at the end when the pole came off the line. Never see or been on this fast in my life, but it was fun. Anyway, we are off topic.
ehlow
Senior Member
Yeah I could imagine that being underground 90% of the time would be depressing. At least for bus or streetcar drivers there are things to see, activity & life on the streets.
I'm not even a fan of riding the subway underground for a very long period of time. I like the part between Bloor & Eglinton because it goes outside for much of it. When I rode Sheppard to Eglinton it was more boring.
hawc
Senior Member
Cool! Okay, I have a question for you that I've always wondered since I was a kid. Howcome the signals always change to green just in time as you approach them? Are you timing things just right or is the train somehow triggering them to change?
Also, can you give me a quick run down of what the signals mean. I know red on top of red means full stop.
One more thing, what's inside the big box under the lip of the platform at the end of most stations?
hawc
Senior Member
Photographed this today from inside my car on my way to work. Gerrard & Broadview headed east. They're long, but they don't tower over you the way the current ones do. Feel less intimidating.
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
[video=youtube;i342pCPvSh0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i342pCPvSh0[/video]
Too much information in one video for me to handle lol
Last edited:
kotsy
Senior Member
Thanks to TigerMaster for posting the video regarding how the signals work
The box under the platform is a fatality box. It contain tools (I'm not sure exactly which ones as I've never seen in one) that police etc need when there is a suicide/death at track level.
hawc
Senior Member
Thanks TigerMaster. I couldn't follow it all, but lots of info in there for sure.
I had heard something along those lines. Someone told me once that that's where they store the actual body if someone dies because it's too distressing to bring it up through the station and they just put it in there till after closing and then bring it out. I'm sure that's not true.
Not to be too morbid, but would you hazard a guess at the number of fatalities on the system per month?
I had heard something along those lines. Someone told me once that that's where they store the actual body if someone dies because it's too distressing to bring it up through the station and they just put it in there till after closing and then bring it out. I'm sure that's not true.
Not to be too morbid, but would you hazard a guess at the number of fatalities on the system per month?
AlbertHWagstaff
Senior Member
A friend of mine drives the subway and used to drive streetcars, and actually likes streetcars. But he doesn't miss "things to see, activity & life on the streets" which for a streetcar driver, generally consist of traffic congestion, cars driving aggressively, cutting off the streetcar and then stopping in front of you to make a left turn, bad weather problems such as parked cars blocking tracks in the winter, snow and slush-covered switches that you can't see if they've changed properly, aggressive and/or foul-mouthed passengers, getting out to do manual switches when they short-turn you, and then dealing with more aggressive/foul-mouthed passengers when you're in a huge gap after you get short-turned, plus in the summer, hot and uncomfortable streetcars. At least with the Flexity cars, they won't have to interact directly with passengers, and there will be air-conditioning, but the rest of it will be the same.
In any case, he loves driving the subway. There are plenty of delays and the risk of a jumper, but overall, he is way more satisfied with working in the subway and he has no plans to go back to streetcars any time soon, even to train on the Flexity cars.
With respect the box under the platform, I believe kotsy is correct. Bodies are removed immediately and nothing moves until all of the person is accounted for. Morbid for sure, but it wouldn't be any other way.
Last edited: