[nfitz]

Wasn't part of the reasoning behind the 121 originally to help serve transit starved Liberty Village? The potential routing abandons the west. I've always thought it should go to Dufferin loop personally.

As the ridership on that part of the route, was even worse than the east, what are they do do? Though why would anyone walk down Strachan to get that bus, when they could walk up to King instead? Even easier now with two pedestrian bridges over the Kitchener/Milton/Barrie GO Tracks.

I used to use 72 before the destroyed the route. Both to get to the Sherbourne/Front area from Gerrard and from downtown. The former became impossible (though I did still once in a while on a nice day, when the streetcars were messed up, walking up from Queens Quay). And the latter was just unusable from Front. I actually tried doing it last week, as just happened to be walking out of Union Station when it came past, so I figured ... why not.

After about 5 minutes sat on the bus parked at Front and Bay ... I knew the answer of why not. The driver had completely vanished - not even in sght. And a look at the schedule online, suggested it wasn't going to leave for a long time. So I walked to my destination further down Esplanade. And I never saw the bus.

Looking at the online tracking, it actually sat there for 15 minutes. What's the point of having a bus running along Front Street, that parks mid-route for over a quarter-hour? It's no wonder so few are using it now, compared to when it provided a much better service from King and Yonge. If it's going to basically as two separate route, make it two separate route.

Running it up River Street is genius. It gives it a destination at the eastern end, and provides interchanges with the 501, 502 (if it still exists), 503, 504A, 504B (twice!), 505 (twice) and the 506.

I wonder what the feasibility is of a summer-time extension up River/Bayview to the Brickworks - finally providing a decent connection to it.

 

[TossYourJacket]

While the Ontario Line will draw some of the ridership from the east, in the west, two improvements can be made to draw more of the ridership from the west.

1. The eastern entrance to Dundas West Station (or whatever name they rename it, hint the original name proposed was Vincent Station) between the subway and the GO/UPX train station.

2. A return to a TTC and GO/UPX discount fare, or something better.

Ideally if we get an integrated system (integrated fares + the long delayed tunnel under the Crossways) they should just call the whole complex Bloor-Dundas Station or something like that. Whatever the name is, it should be one thing for the whole complex.

 

[JasonParis]

Western Crossing, Junction Triangle. I've heard a few ideas for that over the years.

 

[Coolstar]

Did anyone go to the focus group for the new subway fleet? If so what were the suggestions proposed or talked about?

https://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects/New_Vehicles/New_Subway_Train/index.jsp#:~:text=The%20TTC%20is%20entering%20the,with%20full%20rollout%20through%202030

.

 

[drum118]

Did anyone go to the focus group for the new subway fleet? If so what were the suggestions proposed or talked about?

https://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects/New_Vehicles/New_Subway_Train/index.jsp#:~:text=The%20TTC%20is%20entering%20the,with%20full%20rollout%20through%202030

.

7 cars of equal length for 500' +; using Europe next station screens with service routes on them; travel time to X station and end of line from where you get on; would love to see how long a wait is for next vehicle at my next stop as we come to it, but TTC not setup or able to do it at this time.

 

[Northern Light]

7 cars of equal length for 500' +; using Europe next station screens with service routes on them; travel time to X station and end of line from where you get on; would love to see how long a wait is for next vehicle at my next stop as we come to it, but TTC not setup or able to do it at this time.

Thanks for the info Drum!

***

Any suggestion of changes to layout or appearance?

Any notion of a dedicated spot for bikes?

Also any suggestion of changing to high-back seats?

 

[drum118]

Thanks for the info Drum!

***

Any suggestion of changes to layout or appearance?

Any notion of a dedicated spot for bikes?

Also any suggestion of changing to high-back seats?

Having seen various systems setup for bikes, hanging bikes not the way to go and no right way to deal with them at peak time, let alone off peak. Placing them in areas for strollers and accessibility is the only place for them assuming not been used as required.

Have yet to see any systems other than RR with high back seats.

Would like to see better seats to sit on. The TR are a lot better than the ones I have seen in Europe, but they've too many issues today that should have been fixed the first few year's as they were been built. How many years since the order was completed?

 

[drum118]

Cross post

TTC celebrates accessibility at Wellesley and Chester stations

Oct. 1, 2020

Two more TTC subway stations, Wellesley and Chester, are now fully accessible. The 47th and 48th stations to become accessible will be celebrated at events over the next several days.

This Sat., Oct. 3, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher and Mazin Aribi, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT), will join TTC CEO Rick Leary at Chester Station.

Date: Sat., Oct. 3, 2020
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Chester Station on Line 2, westbound elevator near the collector's booth.

As part of the upgrade, ceramic and glass mosaics will be installed next to the elevators and above the main entrance door before the end of the year. The art is Katharine Harvey's Florae, a piece inspired by the native plants and flowers that define the east-end neighbourhoods surrounding the station like milkweed, verbena, trout lily, and blue flag iris. It will be translated into double-exposed ceramic and glass mosaics by Mosaika of Montreal Studio.

On Wed., Oct. 7, Toronto Centre Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and ACAT's Mazin Aribi will join CEO Rick Leary to commemorate accessibility at Wellesley Station.

Date: Wed., Oct. 7, 2020
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Wellesley Station on Line 1, northwest elevator on bus platform level.

This station will also be receiving an artistic injection featuring a large, curved ceramic tile mosaic based on the colours of subway tiles from Line 1 stations designed by Montreal artist Gisele Amantea. Installation will also take place later this year.

Accessibility improvements such as these support the TTC's Family of Services model, which gives Wheel-Trans customers the option to use accessible conventional transit services, such as buses, the subway and the growing fleet of low-floor streetcars. Family of Services is a part of the Wheel-Trans 10-Year Strategy that aims to reimagine and transform the accessible public transit services that are delivered to customers with disabilities.

The TTC remains committed to full system accessibility by 2025 under its Easier Access Program.

 

[smallspy]

Did anyone go to the focus group for the new subway fleet? If so what were the suggestions proposed or talked about?

https://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects/New_Vehicles/New_Subway_Train/index.jsp#:~:text=The%20TTC%20is%20entering%20the,with%20full%20rollout%20through%202030

.

A friend of mine is on the design committee. Much of the "big" design details have already been settled - the new trains will start out looking an awful lot like the TRs with a couple of very minor differences externally. I put a listing of a lot of the details in this post: https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/ttc-other-items-catch-all.20264/page-765#post-1586564

What they are looking for now are things like colour scheme, layout of screens, the type and layout of information on them, where individual switches go (3 inches this way? 1 inch that way?) - minor details that while don't seem important will have a big bearing on the people who will use them every day for the 30+ years of their lifespan.

Dan

 

[JasonParis]

TTC celebrates accessibility at Wellesley and Chester stations

Would love to see some renderings of that art.

 

[H4F33Z]

 

[Ozman]

Some questions about the transit signals on the St. Clair and Spadina streetcar rights-of-way:

1- Every intersection I've seen have two (seemingly identical) columns of signals right beside each other. I assume this is to provide redundancy (like the automobile traffic lights) in case of the failure of one signal. Is this indeed correct?

2- The vast majority of signals have 3 aspects. Red on top, amber in middle and green up-facing arrow on bottom. I believe that these mean the same as the automobile traffic signals mean for autos (please correct me if I'm wrong). This is opposite to the subway (at least Line 2) signals and many other railways that have green on top, red on bottom. Is this done on the streetcar rights-of-way so as to not be confusing with the automobile traffic signals?

3- Quite a few signals have 4 aspects (with an extra one at the top). What colour is this extra aspect and what is it used for? It seems to be at intersections where the streetcar tracks diverge so I'm wondering if this is an arrow or other indicator to tell the driver which way the switch points are facing and which way the streetcar will go (straight or turn left or turn right).

4- Finally, at least one location I've seen (westbound St. Clair at Vaughan Rd.) has the usual double set of signals but both have 5 aspects (with an extra one at the bottom). What does the extra aspect (at the bottom) indicate and what colour are the extra aspect(s)? Is the top aspect the same as it is in the 4 aspect signal columns?

Any and all information and comment is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Steve X]

Some questions about the transit signals on the St. Clair and Spadina streetcar rights-of-way:

1- Every intersection I've seen have two (seemingly identical) columns of signals right beside each other. I assume this is to provide redundancy (like the automobile traffic lights) in case of the failure of one signal. Is this indeed correct?

2- The vast majority of signals have 3 aspects. Red on top, amber in middle and green up-facing arrow on bottom. I believe that these mean the same as the automobile traffic signals mean for autos (please correct me if I'm wrong). This is opposite to the subway (at least Line 2) signals and many other railways that have green on top, red on bottom. Is this done on the streetcar rights-of-way so as to not be confusing with the automobile traffic signals?

3- Quite a few signals have 4 aspects (with an extra one at the top). What colour is this extra aspect and what is it used for? It seems to be at intersections where the streetcar tracks diverge so I'm wondering if this is an arrow or other indicator to tell the driver which way the switch points are facing and which way the streetcar will go (straight or turn left or turn right).

4- Finally, at least one location I've seen (westbound St. Clair at Vaughan Rd.) has the usual double set of signals but both have 5 aspects (with an extra one at the bottom). What does the extra aspect (at the bottom) indicate and what colour are the extra aspect(s)? Is the top aspect the same as it is in the 4 aspect signal columns?

Any and all information and comment is appreciated.

Thanks.

1. Ontario traffic law mandates that each signal needs a copy in case of failure. You may notice other jurisdiction may only have one signal for less used ones like left turn.

2. TTC/City of Toronto chose the same automobile signal for ROW implementation. This can be seen in the new Crosstown LRT too but the ION in KW doesn't use this kind of signal. It has nothing to do with confusion with
traffic.

3. The top signal is a white vertical bar indicating transit phase (transit priority). When this signal is on, all other traffic signals at the intersection is red. In the current implementation, this phase is design for the streetcar to diverge from the main track. It can be left or right, just depends on what the operator selected in cab prior to the signal activating. The operator of course woulda have to physically check the track switch to ensure it will go the direction he/she has selected.

4. This bottom signal is a green arrow pointing to the right. This is in fact not a streetcar signal but for buses, namely the 90 Vaughan Rd to make a right turn from the ROW onto Vaughan Rd or 126 Christle to continue onto St Clair general traffic lanes without colliding with general traffic.

 

[DSC]

This rather mysterious item is coming to CreateTO next week. TTC property in Ward 11. Presumably to do with Bloor-Yonge expansion.

Agenda Item History - 2020.RA17.4

The purpose of this report is to provide an update to the Board of CreateTO on discussions between staff of CreateTO, Corporate Real Estate Management ("CREM"), the Toronto Transit Commission (the "TTC") and the Proponent regarding a proposed long-term lease renegotiation and redevelopment of a City-owned property located within Ward 11 - University-Rosedale (the "Subject Property"). The Proponent, which has an existing long-term ground lease in place with the City of Toronto, has proposed a redevelopment of the Subject Property that would occur in conjunction with a critical transit expansion project. A renegotiated ground lease is a critical requisite for both the TTC project requirements along with the proposed mixed-use redevelopment. The Subject Property and terms of leasehold interest are identified and detailed within Confidential Attachment 1.

 

[Ozman]

1. Ontario traffic law mandates that each signal needs a copy in case of failure. You may notice other jurisdiction may only have one signal for less used ones like left turn.

2. TTC/City of Toronto chose the same automobile signal for ROW implementation. This can be seen in the new Crosstown LRT too but the ION in KW doesn't use this kind of signal. It has nothing to do with confusion with
traffic.

3. The top signal is a white vertical bar indicating transit phase (transit priority). When this signal is on, all other traffic signals at the intersection is red. In the current implementation, this phase is design for the streetcar to diverge from the main track. It can be left or right, just depends on what the operator selected in cab prior to the signal activating. The operator of course woulda have to physically check the track switch to ensure it will go the direction he/she has selected.

4. This bottom signal is a green arrow pointing to the right. This is in fact not a streetcar signal but for buses, namely the 90 Vaughan Rd to make a right turn from the ROW onto Vaughan Rd or 126 Christle to continue onto St Clair general traffic lanes without colliding with general traffic.

Much appreciated and very informative. Thanks for the quick reply!

You mentioned the Crosstown LRT. So the transit signals there will be like they are on St. Clair and Spadina? Is this just for the in-median guideway portion at intersections east of Brentcliffe portal? I've noticed that there are a few (what I would call) railway style signals installed already on the at-surface guideway. At the two single crossovers east of Pharmacy there are two 2-aspect signals and two 3-aspect signals. At the double crossover on the East Don Mills portal ramp (3 aspect tower facing east for WB trains and in middle of two tracks) and at the single leading crossover west of the West Don Mills portal. There are two 2-aspect signals and 2 3-aspect signals here.

Will these signals be red on top, green on bottom for the 2-aspect signals (and amber in middle for the 3-aspect signals)? This would jive with the pic Crosstown tweeted out of a signal at the EMSF with red on top.

I'm guessing in the case of railway style signals at crossovers that the middle amber aspect would signal to use the diverging track. Please confirm or correct.

Thanks in advance for any additional info.