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Very interested to see how long this arrangement is going to last, especially with the streetcar shortage. It's great to see the 508 return but i'm skeptical, really skeptical.
The more questionable part is how long will it take for 508s to get passed Humber Loop westbound with all those 501s waiting there. Clearly the TTC is interested in having a 508 than to place those cars onto the 503.
 
The Dundas West Station needs a streetcar track and bus bay rebuild to accommodate a LONG BRANCH 507 and/or 512 ST. CLAIR (via Dundas).

The outstanding plan does not include them. See PDF from 2011 at this link.

196765
 
The Dundas West Station needs a streetcar track and bus bay rebuild to accommodate a LONG BRANCH 507 and/or 512 ST. CLAIR (via Dundas).

The outstanding plan does not include them. See PDF from 2011 at this link.

View attachment 196765
The 507 to Dundas West is really a pipe dream. I don't remember TTC ever proposing such a line. It was people who wanted to see a better connection. Most riders would transfer to the 501/504 at Roncy/Queen if the 507(501L) is extended. The problem is the 507 cannot be the sole transit service on Roncy, 9-10' headways are too wide for Roncy. Having a duplicate service as the 504A is unnecessary.

If the King Street transit priority area is extended to Dufferin, I could see the 508 replace the 501L. Maybe during off peak and weekends. I doubt they'll change anything soon nor will they get funding to fix Dundas West up.
 
The Dundas West Station needs a streetcar track and bus bay rebuild to accommodate a LONG BRANCH 507 and/or 512 ST. CLAIR (via Dundas).

The outstanding plan does not include them. See PDF from 2011 at this link.

View attachment 196765
And where do you put them when there is no land for them?? The above plan is the best you will get for that location. It will require the current platform to be close for at least 6 months with on street bus bays. Streetcars will be replace by buses during the construction.

You will never see a 512 at this loop in your life time.
 
There is also a problem with that Dundas West station redesign. There is no way that outer platform can fit 2 Flexity's. They might has to unload on the sidewalk on Edna Ave and have them walk in the station if a car is waiting there. The current design fits (tightly) 2 Flexity's on each platform.
 
The 508 makes a lot more sense now than it did three years ago. Streetcars move faster on King than Queen, and more capacity is needed on King during rush hour. Same story with the 503 compared to the 502.

Be careful you don't create a capacity problem on King by trying to solve one. Constantly diverting more service to King from Queen means more people who can choose between the two will choose King, meaning less streetcars on Queen are needed, meaning more people choose King, which requires even more streetcars diverted from Queen to King, etc... We will have to wait for September to see where things really are on King when George Brown, Ryerson, and UofT are back in session, but in the early spring at the peak when they were in session I don't recall many times people were left behind at stops.
 
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Constantly diverting more service to King from Queen means more people who can choose between the two will choose King, meaning less streetcars on Queen are needed, meaning more people choose King, which requires even more streetcars diverted from Queen to King, etc...

Good? King and Queen are three blocks apart. If streetcars run much faster on King then people should be encouraged to make the short walk south.
 
Good? King and Queen are three blocks apart. If streetcars run much faster on King then people should be encouraged to make the short walk south.
No doubt some people do walk to King from Queen as King certainly now has better transit service (quantity/frequency and speed) but some people really can't walk that far so ....
 
Good? King and Queen are three blocks apart. If streetcars run much faster on King then people should be encouraged to make the short walk south.

It's always a "short walk," isn't it? Doesn't matter if we are talking about eliminating stops or subway stations or changing the location of a future planned line. "It's only X metres!" is a glib answer. Might as well go full real-estate agent and say "Queen is only steps from King!" We can change the name of Queen Street to Upper King Street.

It's not a simple street crossing. And good luck getting across many points of Richmond and Adelaide east of downtown. You are also asking some people to add that extra walk on top of the walk they already had to do. I'm not sure how it's ever good to tell people that "public transit will be better if you have walk farther."
 
It's not a simple street crossing. And good luck getting across many points of Richmond and Adelaide east of downtown. You are also asking some people to add that extra walk on top of the walk they already had to do. I'm not sure how it's ever good to tell people that "public transit will be better if you have walk farther."
No doubt some people do walk to King from Queen as King certainly now has better transit service (quantity/frequency and speed) but some people really can't walk that far so ....

So.... we do the exact same thing that we do everywhere else in the city. If you live on Harbord Street, you still have a bus if you can't walk up to Bloor, but the bus isn't as fast or as frequent. Same thing if you live on Yonge Street north of Eglinton, or on Sheppard between Yonge and Don Mills. Same thing on countless other streets where you walk 5 or 10 minutes to get to a faster, more frequent route - Dupont, Davenport, Pharmacy, Mortimer, O'Connor, and a hundred others that I won't bother to name.

There's nothing special about people who live on Queen Street.
 
TTC hosts 2019 Underground Freedom Train Ride
July 31, 2019

This evening, the TTC will host the seventh annual midnight Underground Freedom Train Ride, commemorating Emancipation Day on Aug. 1. The event, which has been attended by up to 1,200 people in past years, is presented by A Different Booklist bookstore and is symbolic of the role of the Underground Railroad in Canadian history. Celebrations will include drumming, singing and remarks by Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson and the African Canadian Heritage Association.

When: Wed., July 31 - Thurs., Aug. 1, 2019

Where: TTC Line 1 Yonge-University, Union to Sheppard West stations

Start time: Attendees will meet at Brookfield Place rotunda outside of Union Station at approximately 10:45 p.m. The train will arrive at Sheppard West Station at approximately 12:15 a.m.

The Underground Freedom Train Ride is open to the public.
 
It will be interesting to see how it plays out. If the goal is to simply get/keep traffic moving, I'm not sure special constable status is necessary; they can simply be designated under the HTA and possibly city bylaws. If the intent is to have enforcement powers; i.e. hail vehicles to stop, issue violation notices, etc. then S/Cst. and/or designation as provincial offences officers may well be necessary.
 

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