Though having streetcars (or buses) in their own ROW is likely to allow faster or more reliable service the TTC seems to refuse to accept the evidence put forward by many observes (Steve Munro does many analyses) that show the major problems with TTC reliability are caused by poor or non-existent route management not conflicts with other traffic.
Route management is not the cause of the reliability problem, it is merely a solution to the reliability problem (and a half-assed solution at that).
In my experience, poor reliability is caused by large crowds plus lack of all-door boarding.
If a streetcar or bus falls behind schedule, for any reason, the crowds waiting at the forthcoming stops continue to grow, and so the time it takes for the streetcar or bus to let passengers on also grows, causing even more delays, which cause even larger crowds and so on in a neverending cycle. Having all-door boarding solves this problem, because the larger crowds at stop no longer delay the streetcar or bus. Of course, ROWs also help to prevent delays.
Lack of reliability isn't a problem that is unique to the streetcars. Bunching of buses is pretty common in Mississauga too. Any high ridership route, especially those served by longer articulated vehicles, will have that problem, unless they have an all-door boarding scheme.
I once saw 4 articulated buses in a row bunched together going northward along Hurontario near Fairview Rd several years back. How does that happen? Traffic congestion, large crowds, long vehicles, front-door boardng policy. Those are the cause. Route management was not the cause, merely a possible solution.
