[MetroMan]

^ What are those political barriers? All I see is win-win-win here. There'll be an upfront cost to install a streetcar line but operating it will be cheaper and a lot more efficient. People will ride more comfortably: quieter, smoother, no fuel smells, less crowded. I don't see where there could be any barriers to this, other than the nimby grumblings during construction.

 

[leopetr]

^ What are those political barriers?

"Wah, wah, wah, the Bloor Street BIA revitalization took forever and destroyed businesses. Putting in a streetcar will destroy businesses on Dufferin. Street reconstructions are bad. Also, all our customers come via cars and they will be inconvenienced even though we only have one parking space in front of the store anyways. Wah wah wah."

For Dufferin to get a streetcar, a mayor or at least the local councillors would have to champion the project. These folk care a great deal about NIMBYs, because NIMBYs tend to vote in municipal elections. The project has to be popular locally.

I think there are two prerequisites for a Dufferin streetcar:
1. The new streetcars arrive and they are awesome as they should be
2. A Transit City line is built and it is as awesome as it should be

People have short memories. Queens Quay and Spadina streetcars were very successful and a great improvement to their neighbourhoods, so it became possible to redo St. Clair. Unfortunately, St. Clair was mismanaged. It won't be possible to do Dufferin until there's a good success story that people know.

TTC staff aren't keen on conventional mixed traffic streetcar lines and Dufferin isn't wide enough for a median, so there's no advocacy from within the TTC. If TTC isn't pushing the project, then City Hall would have to push it for it to happen.

 

[nfitz]

TTC staff aren't keen on conventional mixed traffic streetcar lines and Dufferin isn't wide enough for a median, so there's no advocacy from within the TTC. If TTC isn't pushing the project, then City Hall would have to push it for it to happen.

I can't see it happening anytime soon. You'd need them to realise something is broke ... perhaps if Dufferin service got the point, where it just couldn't function any more. And then, at some point in the distant future, if they ever build it, then the bridge is already ready for it. I'd think that overpass will still be there in 50 years, along with streetcar tracks on some streets.

 

[College Park]

The difference between the render and reality is more than just conduit (external conduit?), but the stairs are missing, and if they intended to build out those curvaceous park walls, wouldn't they have done it during construction? I will never believe in a render again...oh, look, a render!

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The presentation from which the rendering is taken from (somewhere in this thread) clearly states that the render is a vision of what the linear bike trail would be like.

AoD

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

with the elimination of the jog, I wonder how much time riders would save on the Dufferin bus passing through the Dufferin/Queen area?

 

[The Mad Navigator]

with the elimination of the jog, I wonder how much time riders would save on the Dufferin bus passing through the Dufferin/Queen area?

I would assume a few minutes at worst, but at best maybe 5? Who knows.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I would assume a few minutes at worst, but at best maybe 5? Who knows.

One less traffic light cycle at minimum. That would be 2 minutes right there cut. Getting caught waiting for the left turns, another 2 minutes. 5 minutes sounds just about right.

 

[Dan416]

It's not a huge difference to be sure, but it's the fact that all the cars that need to do this to stay on Dufferin every day for years and years. It's good it's finally being fixed.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The July 14th TTC meeting will include a discussion on additional routes/switches to increase the TTC's ability to deal with diversions and route management of streetcars in the downtown area. Here's the link to the PDF called Optimal Turnarounds.

They have 10 proposals. Number 10 is for Installation of track on Dufferin in both directions between Queen to Dundas. There is no schedule for the proposal, which has a current cost of +$8.8M. Proposals 6 to 10, in the report, likely will "not be pursued at this time due to the significant costs when compared to the limited benefits".

 

[DSC]

The July 14th TTC meeting will include a discussion on additional routes/switches to increase the TTC's ability to deal with diversions and route management of streetcars in the downtown area. Here's the link to the PDF called Optimal Turnarounds.

They have 10 proposals. Number 10 is for Installation of track on Dufferin in both directions between Queen to Dundas. There is no schedule for the proposal, which has a current cost of +$8.8M. Proposals 6 to 10, in the report, likely will "not be pursued at this time due to the significant costs when compared to the limited benefits".

As WKL says, though it is an interesting document, this report is about additional 'switches' or permutations to allow for faster or better short-turns or 'diversions". It is not a report on whether extending a streeetcar line up Dufferin is feasible or desirable.

 

[W. K. Lis]

As WKL says, though it is an interesting document, this report is about additional 'switches' or permutations to allow for faster or better short-turns or 'diversions". It is not a report on whether extending a streeetcar line up Dufferin is feasible or desirable.

However, if the TTC did install tracks on Dufferin in both directions between Queen and Dundas, in addition for short turns and diversions, the tracks could be used for a revived 522 Exhibition streetcar between Dundas West Station and the Dufferin Gates of the Canadian National Exhibition via Dundas and Dufferin. Unfortunately, they do not have the +$8.8M in their budget to do so... yet.

Could have been done when they fix the Dufferin Street roadway, which is a real mess at the moment, but it doesn't look like they will.

 

[Parkdalian]

One less traffic light cycle at minimum. That would be 2 minutes right there cut. Getting caught waiting for the left turns, another 2 minutes. 5 minutes sounds just about right.

It's also a huge psychological barrier. I think the elimination of the jog will make more people think of Dufferin as what it is: the city's main North-South thoroughfare in the West End. It will probably divert some traffic from Landsdowne. It's too bad there's no way to dump the traffic onto the Gardiner before they hit the Ex.

 

[Fresh Start]

Short of a tunnel, I think a Bathurst-style streetcar from Exhibition to Dufferin Station would be the best solution. Though you'd likely have to build some kind of Spadina station connection at Dufferin ... and lord knows where you'd loop the current Dufferin bus.

Wouldn't the ridership levels aboard the Dufferin route significantly drop if/when the DRL is completed? A station at Queen/Dufferin and another in the vicinity of the CNE would seriously alleviate the southern half of this route.

 

[Dan416]

Wouldn't the ridership levels aboard the Dufferin route significantly drop if/when the DRL is completed? A station at Queen/Dufferin and another in the vicinity of the CNE would seriously alleviate the southern half of this route.

I'm sorry, it's really late so it's not immediately obvious to me why the DRL would have any effect on the Dufferin bus, so please explain.