[insertrealname]

This. Sometimes you need to pass the streetcar when its starting up, and there's never enough room (because of parked cars ahead) if you are starting from behind the streetcar. The sane way to handle this is to stop fully behind the streetcar, then if the rear doors remain closed you creep by them at a speed that would not cause you to hit someone coming off the streetcar.

Arrgh, what's the hurry to save just a couple of seconds of time? Why can't drivers simply follow the rule and avoid any possibility of something going wrong: when the streetcar in front of them begins to slow down and stops for passengers, under no circumstances should cars in the right-hand lane attempt to get ahead of the streetcar! Stop your car well behind the rear-most doors! The number of times I've seen really dangerous acceleration of cars attempting to get past the streetcar just when it is slowing down or has just come to a halt at the stop, not to mention the times when streetcar, descending from the rear doors, I've had to thread my way in front or behind a car practically blocking them!

Please, is it such an insult to car-driving pride to take these precautions?

With the greatest respect, I think it's just good city driving habits...

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I tend to agree, the Act should be altered to be more specific now that a spotlight has been put on the matter. What I also see are jammed packed streetcars (more frequent now days), most passengers disembark, the rear doors close but the streetcar is at a red light, cars move up yet there are still people squeezing to get to the rear doors to get off but now there is a vehicle in front of the doors. Also common, someone is reading or on their smart device and not paying attention, they suddenly notice that they are where they need to get off and run for the doors, now blocked by a vehicle. Cars should really stay behind the rear doors until the streetcar begins to move forward or the driver has to secure the rear doors once vehicles have moved up and the people have to get off at the next stop.

 

[fouronesix]

I tend to agree, the Act should be altered to be more specific now that a spotlight has been put on the matter. What I also see are jammed packed streetcars (more frequent now days), most passengers disembark, the rear doors close but the streetcar is at a red light, cars move up yet there are still people squeezing to get to the rear doors to get off but now there is a vehicle in front of the doors. Also common, someone is reading or on their smart device and not paying attention, they suddenly notice that they are where they need to get off and run for the doors, now blocked by a vehicle. Cars should really stay behind the rear doors until the streetcar begins to move forward or the driver has to secure the rear doors once vehicles have moved up and the people have to get off at the next stop.

If the idea is that cars should not pass a streetcar when it is at a stop, the city should do something like paint a box in the curbside lane the length of the streetcar - something that signals "do not move your car into this area"

 

[W. K. Lis]

If the idea is that cars should not pass a streetcar when it is at a stop, the city should do something like paint a box in the curbside lane the length of the streetcar - something that signals "do not move your car into this area"

The whole length or just between where the doors at the extremes are located?

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Is the "I hate ford " crowd's arsenal so depleted that the presence of a bottle of Tabasco sauce on his desk is to be desperately seized upon as a symbol of something or other that might be spun into a negative?

Seriously? Are you trying to say that the MAYOR"S PR STAFF should actually get a pass for NOT UNDERSTANDING A PUFF MEDIA PIECE SHOULDN'T HAVE A FOOD RELATED ITEM ON THE DESK OF A MAYOR WHO'S MAJOR MEDIA ISSUE LATELY IS HIS WEIGHT?????

This Mayor and his staff are so beyond incompetent they give a bad name to incompentancy. Please, STOP TRYING TO DEFEND HIM BY SAYING HE'S INCOMPETENT. Because, again, that's what Ford supporters are reduced to arguing now. Declaring that we shouldn't pick on the Mayor because it's whipping a dead horse.

 

[insertrealname]

If the idea is that cars should not pass a streetcar when it is at a stop, the city should do something like paint a box in the curbside lane the length of the streetcar - something that signals "do not move your car into this area"

Sorry, that should be unnecessary: surely drivers can see streetcar stops and the length of a typical Toronto streetcar (single or articulated) and draw the right conclusions?

But maybe some unmistakable signage (and some enforcement) is a good way to start changing driving behaviour.

 

[spider]

Seriously? Are you trying to say that the MAYOR"S PR STAFF should actually get a pass for NOT UNDERSTANDING A PUFF MEDIA PIECE SHOULDN'T HAVE A FOOD RELATED ITEM ON THE DESK OF A MAYOR WHO'S MAJOR MEDIA ISSUE LATELY IS HIS WEIGHT?????

This Mayor and his staff are so beyond incompetent they give a bad name to incompentancy. Please, STOP TRYING TO DEFEND HIM BY SAYING HE'S INCOMPENTENT. Because, again, that's what Ford supporters are reduced to arguing now. Declaring that we shouldn't pick on the Mayor because it's whipping a dead horse.

Maybe he is eating lunch, hidden by the TV, at his desk. If the Mayor walked on water the "I hate Ford" crowd would scream at him for not taking his shoes off. Talk about blinkers.

 

[cdr108]

Maybe he is eating lunch, hidden by the TV, at his desk. If the Mayor walked on water the "I hate Ford" crowd would scream at him for not taking his shoes off. Talk about blinkers.

likewise the "I love Frod" camp likes to play dumb, deaf and blind to his antics.
(sorry, no offense to the dumb, deaf and blind - my sincere apologies for comparing you to Frod, et al)

 

[Ice_Burn]

If the idea is that cars should not pass a streetcar when it is at a stop, the city should do something like paint a box in the curbside lane the length of the streetcar - something that signals "do not move your car into this area"

There is a stop sign on the doors of the streetcar. Lesson 1 in driving school is literally do not pass a stop sign without stopping.

 

[nfitz]

There is a stop sign on the doors of the streetcar. Lesson 1 in driving school is literally do not pass a stop sign without stopping.

That's the problem though. The STOP sign on the doors isn't visible when the doors are closed. But legally you have to stop when the doors are closed, if the streetcar has stopped to let passengers on and off. The drivers normally wait to open the doors once they are sure the cars are going to actually stop, and not keep going through, Like Mayor Rob Ford was reported to do.

 

[nfitz]

Looks like another member of Rob Ford's office has quit. His Chief of Staff Amir Remtulla:

Rob Ford's chief quits

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's chief of staff has quit for a senior job with the Pan Am Games.

In a huge blow to Ford ...

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Maybe he is eating lunch, hidden by the TV, at his desk. If the Mayor walked on water the "I hate Ford" crowd would scream at him for not taking his shoes off. Talk about blinkers.

Spider: If his PR staff wanted to show that the Mayor was so busy at City Hall that he's having a working lunch at his desk, the food should be central. It should be healthy, appetizing, preferably from a small, independent caterer or deli with the label clearly showing. It should be prominently mentioned in the article that this is a working lunch as the Mayor's a busy, busy guy. That's not what happened at all. They released a photo of him at City Hall, without context. There's a friggin' bottle of Tabasco in the middle of it without explanation. C'mon.

 

[fouronesix]

Sorry, that should be unnecessary: surely drivers can see streetcar stops and the length of a typical Toronto streetcar (single or articulated) and draw the right conclusions?

But maybe some unmistakable signage (and some enforcement) is a good way to start changing driving behaviour.

I agree that it should be unnecessary - I don't understand how drivers don't see streetcar stops and a streetcar stopped at them and draw logical conclusions.

Given that people do blow past streetcars at stops when people are getting on and off seems to indicate that some new "unmistakeable signage" (e.g. painting the road) may be necessary.

I don't know if it is the solution, just an idea I had based on the way other cities paint the portion of road in an intersection occupied by bike lanes a different colour - a visual cue that differentiates a section of the road, drawing people's attention to it. For streetcar stops, you could both colour the road and write "streetcar stop" in large letters.

I'd agree though that better enforcement is also needed.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Retractable Bollards?

How about installing retractable bollards a few metres back from the rear door? Of course they would have to be well marked but no driver would dare to even attempt to pass streetcar doors if they were installed.
Here's video of them in action:

[video=youtube;5H76gElkA94]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H76gElkA94[/video]
This video shows how strong these bollards are, but there are also much cheaper ones that act solely as a visual deterrent to people who would try and pass.*
[video=youtube;mRPEW2OMIU8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRPEW2OMIU8&feature=related[/video]


[video=youtube;KIas-5pwpZk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIas-5pwpZk&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;5eUkk8FXXD0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eUkk8FXXD0&feature=related[/video]

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Those are far too aggressive. To use those at entrance & exits to high security locations like bank loading docks, military bases, embassies etc. is one thing, but not for casual use.