New streetcars a go

According to this report, the province and the city is expected to announce that those low-riding streetcars by Bombardier are a go.

The streetcars would replace the TTC's decrepit 30-year-old fleet that runs on 11 of the city's busiest transit routes.
Without new cars, the TTC would have to undertake a major rebuild of its current vehicles, something that would cost at least $100 million and take years. Meantime, the cars are failing so fast the TTC anticipates having to use buses on some routes later this year.
Government and Bombardier officials were tight-lipped Wednesday over details of Friday's announcement.

Queens Quay East streetcar line

We've written about the TTC plans for a streetcar line from Union out to Cherry Street. Here's an update from a recent National Post story

The TTC has also taken another step toward extending the Queens Quay streetcar line eastward into the ripe-for-development East Bayfront.

Although some work remains to be done for trucks entering the Redpath Sugar refinery on the waterfront, the line will include a new tunnel ending at an overhauled Union Station loop.

Shuttle bus time for 510/509 route

Okay, at least it's not winter. As you probably know by now, the TTC is running shuttle service between Spadina and Union, which means extra annoyance if you're trying to commute to and from home. Of course, at least it's sunny the next few days so I guess you could walk , right?

You can see the picture below, they are tearing up part of the track, the crews seemed to be out of service as of 2 p.m. Anyone know how long this will take?

 Update, we spotted this and a reader also tipped us off. It'll take a week

Starting 6:00 am, Monday, May 25 until 5:00 am, Saturday, May 30, the TTC will conduct track repairs on Queens Quay West, from east of Spadina Loop to the Harbourfront tunnel.  During the track repairs 509 HARBOURFRONT streetcars will run between Exhibition Loop and Spadina Loop.  510 SPADINA streetcars will run between Spadina Station and Spadina Loop.
A temporary replacement bus service will be provided on Queens Quay between Bathurst Street and Bay Street. At Union Station, customers must board the replacement buses on the west side of Bay Street, south of Front Street.
Customers will require paper transfers to transfer between the temporary buses and the subway.

Streetcars galore and free-ish eastbound service (on weekends and holidays, between a few stops)

We recently saw a post on Transit Toronto about increased service to the 510 and 509 routes a seasonal adjustment when tourists and Torontonians start to flood the streetcars on their way to Queens Quay and Exhibition.

The gist: we're seeing increase of streetcar traffic for the weekend.

Also, as you know, the TTC usually doesn't take fares on parts of harbourfront so you can pay when you get to Union Station.

On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from Sunday, May 10 until Labour Day, Monday, September 7, TTC operators are not collecting fares at Harbourfront. If you’re waiting for an eastbound streetcar on Queen’s Quay West at Bathurst Street, Dan Leckie Way, Lower Spadina Avenue, Rees Street, Lower Simcoe Street or York Street — or at the northbound platform at Queen’s Quay Station — you may board streetcars by either the front or centre door. You don’t have to pay a cash or token fare and the operators won’t give you a paper transfer.

We haven't thought about this until now, but of course, for us QQ residents, this kinda means weekend free inter-waterfront travel if you're going Eastbound. Say I live at Spadina and want to get to Sobeys, I guess I could take the TTC free for two stops... Sweet, easy grocery shopping.

By the way, they didn't have this Union Station collection thingy in place last weekend

New (and approved) TTC Streetcars of the future: Low, sleek and futuristic

You may have read recently that the Toronto Transit Commission had picked Bombardier for its new concept of streetcars. Last night, the city council approved the plan, pending funding, of the 204 street cars. The costs have been reported to be between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion.

So imagine, if you will, over the next 10 years, these bad boys rolling across Queens Quay. And remember that they'll also looking at renovating Union Station and also building out a subway line on Queens Quay to Jarvis.





The designs call for minimum of 64 seats and the specs are calling for more room. More information on the Bombardier website.

The Bombardier site describes the new street cars as "modern, beautiful, safe, quick, comfortable." Hm, how does that stack up to our current fleet of about 250 cars, delivered in the 1970s and 1980s. More info on the TTC fleet.

When's that train coming?

Judging by the number of us who crowd the 510 and 509 streetcars to Union every morning (and those who go home from Union), a lot of us use the subway to get to our jobs. The TTC announced yesterday that it would now be installing the Next Train Arrival system in a number of subway stations.

The stations are on both the Yonge-University and Bloor-Danforth lines, but line most are on the Yonge-University and mysteriously none east of Yonge on the Bloor Danforth:

* Finch
* Union
* King
* Queen
* Dundas
* Eglinton West
* St. George
* Bay
* Yonge
* Keele
* Bloor
* High Park
* St. Andrew

TTC unveils plan for a streetcar line for Queens Quay East to Parliament

TTC's about to embark on a process that could see a massive expansion of its Union Station streetcar platform and a new line that services the developing Queens Quay East neighbourhood.

As part of the Queens Quay redevelopment meeting today that saw the plans unveiled for the $192-million makeover of the stretch from Bathurst to Yonge Street, the TTC also made public its plans for a new streetcar line.

The TTC's Bill Dawson outlined how the commission had gone through years of planning before announcing the potential new line that would see a streetcar start from Union, emerge east of Yonge street and loop at Parliament, which it said would be an interim solution. There would be eventual plans to hook it up with Cherry Street.

The commission had considered several alternatives: using other vehicles other than streetcars, having an above ground line that turned at Bay Street. It had considered whether the streetcar would emerge before Yonge Street but it was decided that it would disrupt pedestrian and vehicle traffic too much.

To accommodate the extra line, it said that Union Station, which Dawson said was already congested, would get a revamp "over time" so that the platforms would run north and south.

It also said the portal, where the streetcar emerges onto the street would possible be made "more attractive" and showed a few interesting renderings.

We've mocked up a Google Map with some of the materials we saw on the street. Remember this is not definitive but reflects the essence of what we saw.


View Larger Map

TTC: Know when the 510 and 509 streetcars are coming and going

If you use the streetcar at the Queens Quay neighbourhood, then you know about the next vehicle information system, which we wrote about earlier.

Some chatter on Twitter this morning about the Toronto Transit Commission's beta testing of their GPS time notifier. It's available at this link (http://www.nextbus.com/wireless/miniRoute.shtml?a=ttc) and allows you to select your stop. So now you'll be able to use it to see when the next 510 or 509 Streetcar is coming your way.

We tried this application on our BlackBerry and it worked fine, just some display problems.

TTC: Union Station's next vehicle information pilot

Don't you love it? Standing in the narrow corridor waiting for the next TTC 510 or 509 streetcar to take you back to Queens Quay at the end of your day. Go in any rush hour and you've experienced the crush of commuters who wait, and wait, for the streetcars to arrive. We clearly feel bad for the commuters who need the 509 because they live west of Spadina. They're often looking pretty sad waiting there while the 510 Spadina car pulls away. Not to mention that it's winter and in the summer, that crowd gets really busy when they're trying to head to the harbourfront or BMO Field or the Exhibition.

Well fear not, at least you will know when the next packed car will arrive. The 510 at least.

Toronto Transit System's Union Station's streetcar stop is also the pilot project in a soon to be rolled out 'next vehicle notification' system, which will be expanded to their web site, and some sort of SMS service (mobile baby!). We've got the first ones at Spadina and Union for the 510 line and it brings our service closer to what other major cities (like what Washington DC does for its Metro lines) have given commuters.

As for functionality, there was a time when the next vehicle times were a little off. They're using GPS technology so it should be accurate. Recently they seem to be good.

For the next year, they're spending about $500,000, according to the most recent budget proposal.

TTC's Brad Ross has been giving a lot of hints of what the program will look like, when you look at his Twitter account. Here are a few Tweets he sent out recently.

bradttc: @hiimerik It's great. Real-time next vehicle tracking later this year, inlcuding SMS for every bus stop

bradttc: @siraulo I don't know about apps yet, but you'll be able to send a text for a specific stop to get next vehicle arrival time

bradttc: @mikestarrunner The TTC will have a trip planner and real-time next vehicle tools later this year

He also responded to a question from us about improvements to Union Station.

@queensquaylife improvements to union stn to begin in 2010. The line is on its own ROW now along queens quay and spadina

We love to talk TTC so look out for more posts about its service in the Queens Quay neighbourhood.

TTC ideas? Air them out Thursday

The Toronto Transit Commission is holding a meeting Thursday night, calling it a public meeting. Ever wonder why the tunnel between Union and the ferry docks was out for awhile last year? Hate the congestion at Union? Want more streetcar service to Exhibition Place?

From the TTC

We're looking for ideas on where and when to add new routes, or how we could change current routes to improve your transit service.


Thursday January 29, 2009 - 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Rooms 308-309

Located on the south-east corner of King Street and John Street, with direct access from St. Andrew subway station.
You can also provide your comments by phoning us at 416 393-3030