A stormy summer of streetcar complications approaches, causing mounting irritation among TTC passengers: 'What's the optimal strategy here?'
Article Restyled:
Andy Takagi Transportation Columnist
City dwellers, brace yourselves! Over 100,000 daily streetcar riders may find themselves enduring a lengthy commuting ordeal this summer. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is planning to divert three major streetcar routes onto a single busy route, Queen Street, for maintenance purposes.
Kelly Ronan, a long-time commuter of the 503 Kingston Road, 504 King, and 508 Lake Shore streetcars, can't help but wonder if these disruptions are the best course of action.
"You start questioning," said Ronan, "Is this the best the city can come up with?" She goes on to express her frustrations at the overcrowded conditions that are about to become her reality.
The diversions are expected to commence from May 11 and persist through August, when construction at the intersection of King and Church Streets is expected to be completed. This transition will push the number of streetcars traversing the peak hours stretch on Queen Street from seven to a staggering 25 - meaning a streetcar will pass every 144 seconds. The city claims it will take measures to avoid "bunching", where multiple streetcars cluster together following a delay.
These detours will affect not only commuters but also drivers along that stretch. An eastbound lane on Queen Street, between Hamilton Street and Broadview Avenue, will be designated solely for public transit. Left turns from various roads, from Spadina Avenue to Jarvis Street, will also be restricted during daylight hours. On-street parking restrictions and new no stopping zones will be implemented in the same areas.
David Cooper, a transit planning consultant, suggests that Toronto could learn from European cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, and Cologne, which boast more efficient streetcar networks with priority at intersections and dedicated right-of-ways. Cooper champions the use of smart traffic light systems, expanded dedicated lanes, and temporary bypass tracks to minimize interactions with general traffic.
Following the advice of Cooper and other transport experts, one might assert that Toronto's infrastructure could be better utilized for its streetcar network, effectively reducing service disruptions during maintenance phases. Nevertheless, the city planning authorities have yet to fully seize this opportunity.
Cooper points to the King Street transit priority corridor as a promising example, where travel times for streetcars have significantly improved after some initial hurdles and with the aid of traffic agents. An east-west transit corridor prioritizing transit could help alleviate disruptions in the future, Cooper believes, but the city must commit to such a plan.
In an effort to keep the impact on transit passengers "to a minimum," the city has assigned designated traffic management measures and deployed parking and traffic enforcement to ensure smooth traffic flow. TTC spokesperson Stuart Green stressed that the city and TTC remain focused on maintaining transit service continuity during the disruptions.
As we navigate these challenges together, it seems worth noting the potential advantages that an enhanced streetcar network, similar to those seen in major European cities, could offer to daily commuters and public transit users in Toronto. By drawing from the experiences of European cities like Zurich, Liège, and others, Toronto can strive to develop a more robust and resilient streetcar network built for the future.
[1] Zurich’s City-Scale Transit Priority Strategies: https://www.itdp.org/knowledge/smart-bus-stacles-&-solutions-a-zurich-lustrum/[2] Liège’s Recent Parking-to-Transit Integration: https://www.itdp.org/knowledge/iverse-turning-the-parking-tide-in-liege/[3] US Case Studies on Integrated Streetcar Branding: https://www.justinburns.net/2020/09/streetcars-exclusive-rights-of-way-downtown-revitalization-175-years-of-lessons/[4] ACTIA’s Telematics Suite for Predictive Maintenance: https://www.actiacorporation.com/en/products-and-services/Vehicle-Systems[5] Irizar’s Rapid-Charging Infrastructure and Flexible Vehicle Designs: https://www.irizar.com/new-ec-roadrunner-hybrid-tram-hit-the-streets-for-the-first-time/[6] VDL’s Updated Citea Platform for Flexible Streetcars: https://www.vdlsherpa.com/en/news/2021/09-07-2021_citelis-hybrid-tram-enters-the-market-in-the-netherlands
- In Toronto, the media has been discussing the upcoming summer challenges for over 100,000 daily streetcar riders due to the TTC's plans to divert three routes onto Queen Street, particularly affecting the 504 King streetcar.
- Toronto's streetcar network, with multiple routes like the 503 Kingston Road, 504 King, and 508 Lake Shore, may face bundle-ups due to the diversion, as the number of streetcars traversing Queen Street during peak hours could increase from seven to 25.
- David Cooper, a transit planning consultant, suggests that Toronto could improve its streetcar network efficiency by learning from European cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, Cologne, and implementing smart traffic light systems, expanded dedicated lanes, and temporary bypass tracks.
- Cooper highlights the King Street transit priority corridor as a successful example, where travel times for streetcars significantly improved after some initial hurdles and with the aid of traffic agents, suggesting a potential solution for future maintenance disruptions.
- The city has put in place designated traffic management measures and deployed parking and traffic enforcement to ensure smooth traffic flow during the streetcar route diversion, with TTC spokesperson Stuart Green emphasizing the focus on maintaining transit service continuity.
- As a model for Toronto, cities like Zurich, Liège, and others that have developed robust and resilient streetcar networks offer insights into effective strategies for public-transit, media, finance, and transportation industries.
- Canadian cities like Toronto could find wise counsel in innovative solutions within the media, transportation, and finance industries from around the world, such as ACTIA's Telematics Suite for predictive maintenance, Irizar's rapid-charging infrastructure, and VDL's updated Citea platform for flexible streetcars.
