[robmausser]

If you think streetcars are noisy, what will you think of having three times as many buses going down your street. They are noisy too!

It is a different kind of noise though, having lived near both.

Bus noise is mitigated well by closing windows, its airborne noise.

Streetcars are vibrational aka impact noise, that transmits through the ground and into your structure. Thats almost impossible to stop short of putting your entire house on big rubber pads.

We should absolutely do everything we can to stop impact noise from trains, as its so difficult to stop and is unrelenting, a really bad type of noise pollution.

 

[evandyk]

I have lived on both King and Spadina, so know all about streetcar noise. It's way less obtrusive than large engine vehicles (buses are not the biggest offenders, but are pretty loud). Garbage trucks, dump trucks, cement trucks etc. are all way worse than streetcars.

But I have never lived near a streetcar turning point, and the screeching that can occur there is pretty bad.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

But I have never lived near a streetcar turning point, and the screeching that can occur there is pretty bad.

I live nearish to the one at main street station and unless it's rained or snowed in lats 24 hours or hasn't ben used for awhile you don't notice it as much because of the commotion of lubrication devices used by the TTC either on the even numbered cars or at the loop entrance.

 

[robmausser]

I have lived on both King and Spadina, so know all about streetcar noise. It's way less obtrusive than large engine vehicles (buses are not the biggest offenders, but are pretty loud). Garbage trucks, dump trucks, cement trucks etc. are all way worse than streetcars.

But I have never lived near a streetcar turning point, and the screeching that can occur there is pretty bad.

I looked at an apartment overlooking the St.Clair loop and I noped right out of taking that lease. It was dreadful even while viewing the unit. I cant imagine it all day and night.

I lived in an apartment years ago on top of a store front on Dundas West. So I was really close to the tracks, my bedroom was facing the street. The streetcar shook the entire apartment when it went by. You could hear/feel it quite loudly. Obviously every situation is going to be different based on the track condition/build quality of your apartment, but it was way worse than any garbage truck or bus noise by far. With the latter you could at least close the window, the streetcar rumble was inescapable.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

I looked at an apartment overlooking the St.Clair loop and I noped right out of taking that lease. It was dreadful even while viewing the unit. I cant imagine it all day and night.

I lived in an apartment years ago on top of a store front on Dundas West. So I was really close to the tracks, my bedroom was facing the street. The streetcar shook the entire apartment when it went by. You could hear/feel it quite loudly. Obviously every situation is going to be different based on the track condition/build quality of your apartment, but it was way worse than any garbage truck or bus noise by far. With the latter you could at least close the window, the streetcar rumble was inescapable.

It's like living by the subway you get used to it and don't even notice it after awhile. You only notice when you don't her the familiar noses like that more.

 

[evandyk]

I have also always lived quite high up (minimum 11 storeys). But now we live next to the fire station, so every noise pales in contrast to that.

 

[Towered]

I used to live right on King Street close to Roncesvalles, where the streetcar maintenance facility is. For a while the noise drove me nuts and would wake me up at night (and I'm a VERY heavy sleeper), but after a couple of months my body and brain adjusted and I barely noticed it anymore, which I found odd.

 

[Jonny5]

Yeah living downtown near streetcars the noise becomes seldom noticeable or bothersome at night.

The damn helicopters on the other hand, and not just ORNGE, but the TV and radio traffic and news copters that start up at 5:00 a.m. and hover over downtown.

But the worst are the back up beep trucks that begin at 5:00 a.m. and have beepers loud enough to make sure anyone in a 2km radius can hear them. Those are far worse than anything else out there. It's not even construction vehicles anymore, it's any commercial vehicle; truck, or van, or car, all because of lazy insurance policies to blame someone else. "Well it beeped as loud as a jet plane that would cause permanent ear damage, so it's clearly your fault you got hit by the driver around the corner suddenly reversing at 50 kph!"

 

[nfitz]

I used to live right on King Street close to Roncesvalles, where the streetcar maintenance facility is. For a while the noise drove me nuts and would wake me up at night (and I'm a VERY heavy sleeper), but after a couple of months my body and brain adjusted and I barely noticed it anymore, which I found odd.

Moving in a Muslim country, where the windows would be open all the time, at first hearing the call to prayer sung through loudspeakers at about (I think) 4:30 AM and then 6:00 AM would also wake me. But after a few days, you just didn't notice anymore.

It was quite melodic really; and interesting the way you'd first hear one further away, and then another closer, and so on. Probably much like church-bells in the day (though longer obviously).

 

[robmausser]

Yeah living downtown near streetcars the noise becomes seldom noticeable or bothersome at night.

The damn helicopters on the other hand, and not just ORNGE, but the TV and radio traffic and news copters that start up at 5:00 a.m. and hover over downtown.

But the worst are the back up beep trucks that begin at 5:00 a.m. and have beepers loud enough to make sure anyone in a 2km radius can hear them. Those are far worse than anything else out there. It's not even construction vehicles anymore, it's any commercial vehicle; truck, or van, or car, all because of lazy insurance policies to blame someone else. "Well it beeped as loud as a jet plane that would cause permanent ear damage, so it's clearly your fault you got hit by the driver around the corner suddenly reversing at 50 kph!"

Its worse than that, those personal jack lift things have to now beep every time you move the lift arm. I had to live through 3 weeks of a guy using one to clean the outside windows of a 5 story building nearby. He would literally keep his arm with a squeegee locked in place and then use the lift arm to move the squeegee along the window, beeping the whole time.

Offtopic I know but there are solutions to this, they just need to be implemented here:

 

[drum118]

TTC seeks feedback on construction-related service adjustments

June 26, 2023

The TTC is seeking customer feedback to help improve planning for construction-related service adjustments, and communication of detours and major route changes, to help develop its 2024 Annual Service Plan.

Until July 16, customers can have their say via an online survey, and at a series of in-person pop-up consultations across the city.

“Construction in our growing city often leads to necessary, albeit inconvenient, service adjustments on some TTC routes, all of which require careful planning and highly effective customer communication,” said TTC Chair Jon Burnside. “I encourage all TTC customers to engage in the 2024 Annual Service Plan process by completing the survey and attending one of the pop-up consultations.”

The survey and pop-up consultations are part of the second phase of a four-round engagement with TTC customers, stakeholders, internal staff, and the public to help inform the 2024 Annual Service Plan, the 5-Year Service Plan, and the Customer Experience Action Plan.

Phase one, conducted in April and May, focused on the big-picture of transit in Toronto, while phases three and four, from August through November, will seek feedback on draft concepts and plans, before final consideration by the TTC Board.

“Construction is top-of-mind in Toronto at this time of year, so I really want to encourage all our customers to participate in this survey, and our pop-up consultations, so we can deliver the best possible transit plans in 2024 and beyond,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “Customer feedback is so important to creating effective transit solutions. We want to hear from transit users, operators, and the general public, to ensure that our services are continuously improving and meeting the needs of our city.”

In addition to the 2024 Annual Service Plan Survey, the TTC will hold five pop-up consultations:

Thurs., June 29, 2023
3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Flemington Park
751 Don Mills Rd. at Gateway Blvd. northbound bus stop

Wed., July 5, 2023
4 – 6 p.m.
Union Station
Line 1 platform near streetcar tunnel

Fri., July 7, 2023
12 – 2 p.m.
Liberty Village
165 East Liberty St., behind the Boiler House Building

Tues., July 11
4 – 6 p.m.
Finch Station TTC bus terminal

Wed., July 12
4 – 6 p.m.
Pape Station bus terminal

For more information and to take the survey visit https://ttc5yearplans.ca/. Customers can also request a mail-in survey, by contacting 647-905-8825, or by email to khly@thirdpartypublic.ca.

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

Just heard what I think is GO Transit’s PA chime being played at Rosedale station. I wasn’t exactly paying attention and the subway doors were just closing. If it is the case then this is the first time I’ve heard this on the TTC system.

 

[DSC]

Just heard what I think is GO Transit’s PA chime being played at Rosedale station. I wasn’t exactly paying attention and the subway doors were just closing. If it is the case then this is the first time I’ve heard this on the TTC system.

Why would the GO chime be being played on the TTC?

 

[Jonny5]

Just heard what I think is GO Transit’s PA chime being played at Rosedale station. I wasn’t exactly paying attention and the subway doors were just closing. If it is the case then this is the first time I’ve heard this on the TTC system.

I was on a TTC bus this morning and I noticed the "stop requested" chime hand been changed from the normal single note "ding" to a two-note "beeeeeeep-boop."

I assumed it was simply a malfunction or something, but now reading your comment I think I recognise that sound from GO, but I haven't been on GO for several weeks and can't remember for sure.

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

Why would the GO chime be being played on the TTC?

My uneducated guess is that they want to harmonize and maintain a standard PA chime across the system. Mainly driven by the connection to the Crosstown Line and the future Ontario Line.