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pman
Senior Member
That’s an impressive short turn, even by TTC standards.
Mr_Praline
New Member
At first glance from up here, looks like a normal streetcar stuck in traffic... then you realize there are no tracks on a University Ave sidewalk...
Jonny5
Senior Member
A bad derailment, or was it a collision? Twitter is blocked where I work.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Collision with an SUV.
DSC
Superstar
Collision - this is a straight track so a 'regular' derailment (i.e one caused by the track or the streetcar) is VERY unlikely.
Jonny5
Senior Member
It's probably the one intersection where the pilot definitely needs tweaks. I think it was better for everyone with near-side stops, even if that means allowing through traffic westbound and maybe eastbound as well. It's a real jumble with the high volume of turning vehicles and both advance left and right turns in different directions. The number of pedestrians who seem to have no idea what is going on or pay enough attention, or try and make a break for it across University at the last second on a yellow light to catch a streetcar is very high. It's a dangerous intersection with this design.
Another great option is one of the original alternatives: ban cars from University to York entirely and have both the east and westbound 504 stops there.
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nfitz
Superstar
Given how amazingly far that streetcar seems to be from any streetcar tracks, I'd guess that the vehicle in question was travelling on University not King.
AlbertHWagstaff
Senior Member
I guess now they're short one more car for a while although I'd expect 4543 or 4549 to be out soon.
Jonny5
Senior Member
Oh it definitely was. The SUV was hit square on the passenger side front door. I cannot see how else it could be hit there except for attempting an illegal left from eastbound on King to northbound University. Either way, beyond this particular incident, there's regular 'near misses' here because of how it is a non-standard intersection in so many ways. From the width of University, to having both advance left turns and advance right turns, plus the volume of people and cars, etc... There's several ways it could be better than the current design which seems to be the least safe option in many ways.
centralblue
New Member
Possible scenario: SUV travelling north bound struck the west bound street car, street car derails with force of impact pushing nose of street car northward towards sidewalk with momentum taking it up onto sidewalk(amazingly missing all utility poles). SUV ricochet's off streetcar and continues westerly where it comes to rest in front of St. Andrew's church.
marcus_a_j
Senior Member
That's my assumption based on where the SUV sustained damages and where the SUV and streetcar ended up.
According to this BlogTO article the SUV was carrying two Lyft passengers and ran a red light.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Something I'd written in my prior post but erased was that I doubt a CLRV would have derailed as easily. Mass and where the mass is concentrated would have a large part to do with that, but one also wonders on wheel flange depth (reach). Just as the 'Shiner Skirts' were necessary (albeit mostly for pedestrian safety) on the CLRVs to help prevent 'riding up' on the object of collision (think cow-catchers and plows on locomotives to do the opposite) similar *might* need to be considered for the Flexities. On the other hand, analysis might show the crumpled skirt to have absorbed impact.
The derailment is one thing, throwing the LRT in front of a heavy truck or another LRT coming head-on could have proved disastrous, as I suspect the side impact strength of those vehicles is a fraction of what the CLRV or PCC is. I'm projecting on that, but someone will and should be asking those questions.
It could well be that nothing is possible to render the Flexities safer, but it must be considered. It seems to me, again without having numbers handy, that the Flexities have been derailing at a higher rate than what they're replacing. And it doesn't seem to take much of an impact to do it.
Oh man, the quality of journalism is slipping badly of late. TorStar has had some terribly written pieces recently, and BlogTO always have had, e.g:
Huh? I guess the driver hit the "derail right" button before impact?
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gabe
Senior Member
How could he not see the streetcar? He must have been going at high speed to knock the streetcar off the tracks that far.
I will walk/TTC/cycle/crawl, before i will get in a ride share vehicle or taxi. Too many crazy drivers.
salsa
Senior Member
This line in the beginning of the article makes no sense to me.
"A TTC streetcar derailed at King and University to avoid hitting a car that went through a red light at 6:50 a.m. this morning."