Kitsune said:
they configure it in such a way that the cross traffic gets the same set of lights. Its not just fire trucks that come out of the station, a lot of the firemen also park there car there. I still don't really get why we need lights though.
Click to expand...

With all road traffic now consolidated on the north side of the streetcar ROW, all the minor entrances on the south side of Queens Quay that used to be right-in-right-out only with no crossing of the streetcar ROW had to be changed so that they now do cross the ROW.

They've added lights to many (all?) of them, which should at least reduce the prospect of cars nosing out and forcing the streetcars to wait, but if we have traditional Toronto-quality transit signal priority running on them that could still leave us with slower journeys than we had pre-construction. I guess we wait and see.

The other big change is that the two stops in each direction that used to be at York and Simcoe have been consolidated into one stop mid-block between the intersections, which is showing up on NextBus as being named "Harbourfront Centre". I think it's aligned with a new mid-block signal at the lane between QQ Terminal and the Canada Square parking palace, but my memory's a bit fuzzy from my last trip down there a couple weeks ago.

The stop spacing was always a little too close down there so this is probably an improvement. With the new turn lanes at York and Simcoe, there also may not have been physical room to rebuild the platforms at the same location. That said, the old Simcoe stop used to be closer to the big draws at the middle of the Harbourfront Centre property and was very heavily used in summer, and now everyone basically gets another 50m to walk there and back.
 
Last edited:
The streetcars are still acting like there are two stops - one called Lower Simcoe, and the other York. It caused a lot of confusion on the streetcar I was on, and a few people skipped the stop thinking there would be another stop before Bay.
 
Kitsune said:
The streetcars are still acting like there are two stops - one called Lower Simcoe, and the other York. It caused a lot of confusion on the streetcar I was on, and a few people skipped the stop thinking there would be another stop before Bay.
Click to expand...
I guess nobody really felt bothered to reprogram the next stop announceotron any time over the last two years. I wonder if they can make a change centrally somewhere, or does someone have to board every single vehicle in the fleet and patch it over.

The same situation is happening on Bathurst where they consolidated the Front Street and Wellington stops at the new mid-street island at Niagara Street. The vehicle I was on last week still called the two ghost stops and ignored the new one, and it's been at least six months since they made that change.

Oh, and, as I was saying...

Platform 27 said:
They've added lights to many (all?) of them, which should at least reduce the prospect of cars nosing out and forcing the streetcars to wait, but if we have traditional Toronto-quality transit signal priority running on them that could still leave us with slower journeys than we had pre-construction. I guess we wait and see.
Click to expand...

...the early reviews are in and they aren't good:

Steve Munro said:
@SwanBoatSteve - No surprise: traffic signals on QQ do marvellous job of delaying streetcars. Transit priority? Not in Toronto!
@SwanBoatSteve - Traffic signals have transit only phase once in a blue moon. Priority goes to autos. Not what new QQ was supposed to be about!
@SwanBoatSteve - Ludicrous design: even on green for autos streetcars can't move. Worse than Spadina. Shows how little TO and TTC care to get it right.
Click to expand...

Here's hoping there are plans to further tweak the traffic light timing.
 
Last edited:
Another question: I'm given to understand that there's still another layer of asphalt to go on the road, which by the looks of the pictures, will get it to about flush with the streetcar tracks. Will there be any curb separating the ROW, or will everything be level?
 
Sir Novelty Fashion said:
Another question: I'm given to understand that there's still another layer of asphalt to go on the road, which by the looks of the pictures, will get it to about flush with the streetcar tracks. Will there be any curb separating the ROW, or will everything be level?
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, there is one last coat of asphalt to go down which will perhaps raise the road by another centimetre or two, but that would still leave it a fair bit lower than the top of the concrete on the streetcar tracks.
 
that last coat of asphalt will go down from bay to the bridge on the week of October 20th. There still is no word about the section between the bridge and spadina, although it does look the concrete base is still intact in that area.
 
Maybe they're waiting for street sweepers that can actually sweep the debris off the current surface before they can apply the last coat of asphalt.
 
There is a sign on Bathurst St that has new opening date for eastbound traffic on QQ and it is not the plan Dec date, but summer of 2015. Best option so there is no interference in getting the rest QQ building as well the new change over west of Spadina.

The platform ramps are still a mess to the point it is next to impossible to get to the uncompleted Spadina platform that is in Service.

Someone forgot to try a short tun testing for the 509 using the Spadina loop. If they test it, TTC would found there was a huge problem doing it and not finding out about it on Sunday. The supervisors had to go over and move the fencing so the 509 could do the short turn. The fence was replace and noted not to do a short turn until next week when they finish off the platform and provide access to it.

Cycles and pedestrian where a big issue for TTC as they were using the ROW with the cars running along it. Then pedestrians were not obeying the lights to the point that drivers were laying on the horn most of the day. Streetcars were going slow east and faster going west.

Cars were making u-turns in front of the 510 on Spadina since the couldn't go east as plan, that they came close to being hit. Then there were a few trying to drive east with supervisors stop them from driving onto the ROW to get to the hotel. Cars were making illegal u-turns onto the ROW in front of moving streetcars east of Simcoe St to get back to York Street or a lay-by on QQ.

Close to a dozen streetcars lost their pole going east of the loop with a few turning onto QQ as well.

Caught 4400 at Spadina Station after getting off the first subway train from Kipling. Saw a car far in the distance when hit College St to a point it was 4403 when we ended up being a light behind it when we hit King. Haven't seen this since the first run on Aug 31 and why were they setup this way in the first place? I was planning to do a video of it running on QQ for the first time as well the return of cars to QQ, but the car got short turn to open a bigger gap. That gap change all day with 4400 swapping position to having both cars following each other. My last run on Spadina finally saw the new cars with the nominal gap that has being taking place on my way home.

4400 was having issues to the point an Bombardier Technical personal was looking at it and not sure what was going on since I wasn't on the car. One of the 2 cars didn't have the fare machine in service as it was wrap.

No reason why the ROW doesn't see green all the time at the fire station and only turn red when something leaves there. One reason police were on site today.

The priority light were a joke to the point of only getting 5 second green when you had 3 cars line up. One hope this is temporary until everything is completed this week, since most went live Sat.

Something needs to be done to the fencing at crossing area so everyone can see each other for safety reason, otherwise someone going to get hit.

ALL the cars including the 4400's have squealing wheels at both ends of the tunnel, with some being worse than others. The new cars sound almost the same as the CLRV's as they travel the tunnel.

All the switches were hand thrown for both direction.

The overhead is back being setup for poles at this time.

There is a gray area as to what the 509 are to do east of Spadina for POP since it not POP at this time while 510 is. Some drivers are opening the rear doors while other don't. Never saw a fare enforcer or anyone checking riders as they got off at Union.

Hope something get look after on Monday, otherwise Tuesday going to be a ZOO.

One of the driver for 4400 needs more training as they were having all kind of issues while 4403 had none. They were worse than CLRV driver.

There is talk that 4405 is supposed to be at Hillcrest now and have yet to hear it has been ship. The other thing that was said is after 4405 & 6 get here, TTC is supposed to get a car a week. One hope someone has rented a few more flat cars, otherwise get 3 a month is going to be hard to do and more so 1 a week I will believe once it being happen for 6 months.

At the rate of delivery is going, 2020 looks like the year when TTC gets it last car.

Otherwise nice to see the streetcars back on QQ and things went worse than I thought they would go for the first day.
 
Last edited:
I was actually told yesterday that another new streetcar is coming in service at the beginning of November yesterday. And they also had me under the impression the 509 was pop too. They have the fare machines setup at some stops.
 
The reason the centre pole supports west of Spadina were rebuilt, they where 5 inches too high. It was also stated that before the concrete was pour for the tracks west of Spadina, measurements for the east bound track were 3 inches higher than they were supposed to be. The track was removed to allow the shaving of 3 inches off the base concrete and replace back for the concrete.

Oct 12 Videos

At Union
http://youtu.be/KPSsCiHTXDk

On the ROW
http://youtu.be/JMrUrO5eH9c
http://youtu.be/iMNr0guS4t0
http://youtu.be/Y0WFZyTVCj8
http://youtu.be/w1UodNl_prg
http://youtu.be/vc893LsfKrw

First Run on the ROW
http://youtu.be/N3_fIx0LzZs

From 4400
http://youtu.be/Ix-t4a-mRd4
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top