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Not on the surface stops there isn't - it will be POP, like the streetcars and Waterloo ion LRT.
Waterloo is quite different from the TTC streetcars. You can pay on a TTC streetcar, but on the Waterloo streetcars you have to pay on a machine at the stop before you board. And not particularly fast machines either, if you don't have a transit card.

Hopefully they do it like TTC and not like Waterloo. On one occasion there, I had to give up trying to pay my fare when I boarded, and hop on the streetcar anyway, or else I'd have had to waited 15 minutes (in rush-hour!) for the the next streetcar - and instead paid when I got off!
 
Waterloo is quite different from the TTC streetcars. You can pay on a TTC streetcar, but on the Waterloo streetcars you have to pay on a machine at the stop before you board. And not particularly fast machines either, if you don't have a transit card.

Hopefully they do it like TTC and not like Waterloo. On one occasion there, I had to give up trying to pay my fare when I boarded, and hop on the streetcar anyway, or else I'd have had to waited 15 minutes (in rush-hour!) for the the next streetcar - and instead paid when I got off!
1. Waterloo has light rail
2. Never been on Queen's Quay. They have PRESTO fare payment machines at the streetcar stops.
 
1. Waterloo has light rail
And the difference is? ;)
Waterloo is quite different from the TTC streetcars. You can pay on a TTC streetcar, but on the Waterloo streetcars you have to pay on a machine at the stop before you board. And not particularly fast machines either, if you don't have a transit card.

Hopefully they do it like TTC and not like Waterloo. On one occasion there, I had to give up trying to pay my fare when I boarded, and hop on the streetcar anyway, or else I'd have had to waited 15 minutes (in rush-hour!) for the the next streetcar - and instead paid when I got off!
What it requires is a more convenient process. The reason why systems like Viva and iON have off board payment even though the rest of their respective networks have on board payment is that off board payment allows for minimized dwell times, where people can just get on the vehicle after prepaying their ticket rather than paying the driver at the front. Now the TTC streetcars are quite different in this regard since you can pay at any time while in the vehicle, but when you're trying to run a metro like service, having people line up in the vehicles to pay can cause space and circulation issues, especially when you're stuck with low floor vehicles where you need every inch of space you need. Really, you should think of off board payment like fare gates on a subway station, the train isn't going to wait for you while you purchase a ticket, so if you miss your train, you miss your train. What the issue with waterloo sounds like is less of a way of payment problem, and more of a frequency problem.
 
2. Never been on Queen's Quay. They have PRESTO fare payment machines at the streetcar stops.
A handful of streetcar stops in Toronto do have machines at the stop, particularly on 509 and 510. But despite promises of lots of stops like this, they stopped installing them years ago, and there no machines on routes 501, 503, 504, 505, 506, or 512.

Either way, unlike Waterloo, each and every streetcar on 509 and 510 also has vending machines in the streetcar - so paying before entering is optional (other than at Spadina and Union stations, where there are fare lines.

What the issue with waterloo sounds like is less of a way of payment problem, and more of a frequency problem.
The other is, that with a credit card, you should be able to simply tap for payment, without having to spend 5 minutes using a flakey machine to type in your PIN code ... etc. With 5 minutes per transaction and only one machine at the stop - it's a good job ridership was low (person behind me didn't even try and pay). Yes, that machine was unusually slow compared to the other stops - but what was the point of Grand River opting out of Presto because they wanted more flexibility, and then not even enabling open payment!

The issues were:

- infrequent service at peak
- lack on ability to pay on streetcars
- not enough machines on platforms
- flakey machines on platforms

And then there was the rather bizarre behaviour of am operator, trying and close the doors with someone running, and only a few feet away - despite the very infrequent service! So, standing by the door, I did what one often does, and pressed the door open button. Only to get reamed out by the operator. This despite the vehicle ended up waiting at more than one station because it was ahead of schedule! All seemed a bit precious to me ...

I'm not sure how many of these issues have since been fixed - haven't ridden since late 2019, given Covid. Hopefully Eglinton avoids these problems.
 
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Forest Hill station on March 24, 2021:

Pics from the back side of the west entrance:

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Northeast corner:

IMG_0098.jpeg
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Southwest corner:

IMG_0099.jpeg
 
Forest Hill station on March 24, 2021:

Pics from the back side of the west entrance:

View attachment 307906View attachment 307907View attachment 307908

Northeast corner:

View attachment 307909View attachment 307911

Southwest corner:

View attachment 307910

I cannot get over how incredibly tall these stations are. Forest Hill Station is the second tallest building within eyeshot (only surpassed by the brand new midrise development across the street). The picture really doesn't do its height justice. Why are we building metro stations so tall now? This station is a midrise development in its own right.
 
I cannot get over how incredibly tall these stations are. Forest Hill Station is the second tallest building within eyeshot (only surpassed by the brand new midrise development across the street). The picture really doesn't do its height justice. Why are we building metro stations so tall now? This station is a midrise development in its own right.
Many of the existing buildings around Bathurst and Eglinton will be replaced by high-rises. Some will even have a direct connection into the Forest Hill Station.

The-Forest-Hill-Condos-view.jpg

Forest-Hill-condos.jpg

See link.

I can expect many of the single-story buildings along Eglinton Avenue or parking lots will be targeted for redevelopment.
 
I cannot get over how incredibly tall these stations are. Forest Hill Station is the second tallest building within eyeshot (only surpassed by the brand new midrise development across the street). The picture really doesn't do its height justice. Why are we building metro stations so tall now? This station is a midrise development in its own right.
Yep, it's really excessive.
 

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