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Mitch Stambler does not strike me as being an idiot or insane, which this proposal is.

The Queen streetcar isn't the same as the Stoufville GO line, where you can run a honking big train every hour or so and take care of everyone because they make appointments to be at the station at that time. Queen has a huge amount of local demand, the kind that shows up at the stop and expects to see a streetcar reasonably soon..If it's the TTC's new mandate to drive away riders, a streetcar that shows up every fifteen or twenty minute on Queen street will do it (since many would-be riders will either walk or take a cab).

Not to mention that it doesn't even come close to the info that Steve Munro has received from the planning department, which has the TTC budgeting for an almost one-to-one replacement of ALRVs with the new legacy fleet cars.

Dan

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Not to mention that it doesn't even come close to the info that Steve Munro has received from the planning department, which has the TTC budgeting for an almost one-to-one replacement of ALRVs with the new legacy fleet cars.

Dan

see Steve's article here... http://stevemunro.ca/?p=7401

There WILL be less vehicles on Queen according to Stambler,(Beach Metro News) - exactly how many less vehicles will depend on future studies...

This does not sound like one-to-one replacement to me

Most days, regardless of what nextbus says etc, there is a back-up bus or three filling in on the beaches portion. This raises the headway from every 10-15min to every 8 minutes or so if we are lucky

They store some buses at Russell

Unknown whether or not the SAC crewing will remain for weekday PM (noon to 700pm service)

Right now the EB driver hops off at Russell. then a SAC operator takes the car to Neville and back to Russell.

The original driver does not wait for his original car, he takes an earlier vehicle back WB to Humber or LB

great work for senior operators as they never get farther west than Russell and every time they get back to Russell they have a 10-20min break - sometimes longer

I think? 8 or 9 operators are in the crew.

Also Stambler said they hope to solve the on-going problem at Neville by running LESS of the new longer streetcars. Right now 2 ALRV cars do not fit in the Neville loop so one is always sticking out over the sidewalk and onto Queen St.

Because of a lack of supervision the SAC crews also get a nice 5 -8 break at Neville also. Either that or they run back to back to Russell - no happy medium.

I still believe guys that regardless, the same thing will happen as with the PCC to ALRV situation

Less cars - longer headways(big or small, still a longer wait

less cars mean less drivers means TTC saving money....we'll see!

also Ed, don't know about your area of town, but here in the east, we would be thrilled with consistent 10-minute service, 12-minute service.

Even if they gave us a solid 20minute service you can count on would be a dream. You could actually plan a trip and more easterners would take transit for sure.

(right now also taxis make a good killing taking pissed off passengers from Neville to the Main Bus at Wineva)

At the moment and for the last number of years (20!) we get consistent headways of 2min, 2min, 16min, 25min, 1min, 3min 21min,22min,23min,5min,8min and so on.....

If you add up the average it is a decent amount of service passing a point within an hour but ridiculous for travel plans.

how is 501 out you end?

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also Ed, don't know about your area of town, but here in the east, we would be thrilled with consistent 10-minute service, 12-minute service.

Even if they gave us a solid 20minute service you can count on would be a dream. You could actually plan a trip and more easterners would take transit for sure.

(right now also taxis make a good killing taking pissed off passengers from Neville to the Main Bus at Wineva)

At the moment and for the last number of years (20!) we get consistent headways of 2min, 2min, 16min, 25min, 1min, 3min 21min,22min,23min,5min,8min and so on.....

If you add up the average it is a decent amount of service passing a point within an hour but ridiculous for travel plans.

how is 501 out you end?

I live in Long Branch and regularly ride Long Branch-Yonge and back.

Early weekday mornings are pretty reliable, and it's clear from TransSee if there are going to be gaps. However the blending at Humber loop is random. Sometimes we'll be just behind a Humber car (works okay for us), or right ahead of a Humber car (or there's no Humber car in evidence)--total overcrowding.

In the evenings, I watch TransSee for a Long-Branch bound car. In my experience these are not often short-turned, but I have been pitched off at Kipling a couple of times in the past few weeks. There are gaps and the service is irregular, but I don't notice that much unless I want to stop off and shop in Mimico.

I took the streetcar downtown and back this Saturday evening, and the service seemed pretty ragged.

The real problem with running wide headways will be between about Yonge and Dufferin. All along here it's quick-on-quick-off ridership who are not going to plan ahead. This is similar to ridership on King west, where there's usually a streetcar in sight and they're all well-patronized.

An ALRV on Queen west (anywhere between Yonge and Strachan roughly, in either direction) that's carrying a gap gets so crush-loaded, there are riders trying to levitate above the steps and the operator yelling "get off the steps, the streetcar can't go if you're on the steps". A ten or fifteen-minute gap can cause this, so I don't see how this can be run as a regular headway; the Flexitys will be just as overcrowded.

Also, remember that every other car (in theory) turns at Humber loop. Trying to service Lake Shore every half hour (if you're lucky) with a really big streetcar is just a ridiculous approach. Like I said, it's a streetcar and should run frequently. Doesn't matter if the number of people a big streetcar can carry per hour is theoretically the same as more frequent, smaller ones--there won't be riders for that kind of service. It's not a GO train, and hourly capacity can't be the determinant of how few cars you can get away with on a route. (Hourly capacity may indicate the minimum number of streetcars, though.)

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I live in Long Branch and regularly ride Long Branch-Yonge and back.

Early weekday mornings are pretty reliable, and it's clear from TransSee if there are going to be gaps. However the blending at Humber loop is random. Sometimes we'll be just behind a Humber car (works okay for us), or right ahead of a Humber car (or there's no Humber car in evidence)--total overcrowding.

In the evenings, I watch TransSee for a Long-Branch bound car. In my experience these are not often short-turned, but I have been pitched off at Kipling a couple of times in the past few weeks. There are gaps and the service is irregular, but I don't notice that much unless I want to stop off and shop in Mimico.

I took the streetcar downtown and back this Saturday evening, and the service seemed pretty ragged.

The real problem with running wide headways will be between about Yonge and Dufferin. All along here it's quick-on-quick-off ridership who are not going to plan ahead. This is similar to ridership on King west, where there's usually a streetcar in sight and they're all well-patronized.

An ALRV on Queen west (anywhere between Yonge and Strachan roughly, in either direction) that's carrying a gap gets so crush-loaded, there are riders trying to levitate above the steps and the operator yelling "get off the steps, the streetcar can't go if you're on the steps". A ten or fifteen-minute gap can cause this, so I don't see how this can be run as a regular headway; the Flexitys will be just as overcrowded.

Also, remember that every other car (in theory) turns at Humber loop. Trying to service Lake Shore every half hour (if you're lucky) with a really big streetcar is just a ridiculous approach. Like I said, it's a streetcar and should run frequently. Doesn't matter if the number of people a big streetcar can carry per hour is theoretically the same as more frequent, smaller ones--there won't be riders for that kind of service. It's not a GO train, and hourly capacity can't be the determinant of how few cars you can get away with on a route. (Hourly capacity may indicate the minimum number of streetcars, though.)

wow Ed, we are definitely living in different universes and yes I think half hour service would be ridiculous. I have to remember that I live at a 'route-end" and all documents relating to transit planning all say route ends exhibit certain characteristics and it is not necessary to service as often and so on, and on the 501 they are right. All the main 501 action is really between Broadview and where you live. My quirky headways at Neville may well straighten out a bit by the time the Woodbine short turns and carhouse short turns are added in, I don't know, I don't usually travel that far.

You seem to live more 'in-the-action' and get more reliable service. My end east of Woodbine is usually a ghost town compared to Lakeshore West.

I'm am sure that there will be no 1-to-1 replacement. I don't trust the TTC at all. Remember I am an 'old-guy' and I have lived through the "don't worry, your service will get better, not worse" times back in the late 80's when the TTC took away my QUEEN 3-min PCC service and replaced it with 6min(on good day) ALRV service.(which in turn only got worse).

I recall Steve had a comment somewhere that he used to go to the Fox theatre some nights to see movies but gave that up because he could not be sure if a streetcar would ever show up at Queen & Beech.

As you know in the beaches you have only 3 choices, 501 across or the 64 or 92 up OR you get to walk up the mega-hill to Kingston Rd.

You seem to have more options N-S as alternative routes in the west end.

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Wrong post Pete.

This is the one that's worth reading, as it's the one that features the budget numbers: http://stevemunro.ca/?p=4948

Dan

That is from the 2011 budget (though well worth reading). The latest from the 2013 budget is here http://stevemunro.ca/?p=6923 - including some mentions of increasing the order from 204 cars to 219 cars for Cherry, Waterfront East, and Bremner if they are built.
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That is from the 2011 budget (though well worth reading). The latest from the 2013 budget is here http://stevemunro.ca/?p=6923 - including some mentions of increasing the order from 204 cars to 219 cars for Cherry, Waterfront East, and Bremner if they are built.

yo guys, I don't really care what they do, or what budget papers say they will do...who knows what the answer is.

All I am saying is that I was actually at the meeting, not just east end TTC meet but to do with parking, cops transit, everything organzied by MMM at the Balmy club .... this year(2013)

Mitch was there.

As you know there has been a long standing problem with the loop at Neville, the big cars do not fit into the loop and when there is more than one, it forces people to walk out onto Queen into traffic to get round the trailing streetcar. Happens all the time.

A lady asked the question what they would do about it and Mitch actually said that with the longer streetcars mixed with the decreased frequency of the new cars, he hoped this issue would be eased.

Mitch also actually said that, or rather admitted, that less cars would run on Queen Street because of the increased capacity and that operational cost and ridership studies (all to come) will determine exactly how often the new streetcars will run. Straight from his mouth!

Maybe something has changed?

Maybe Mitch is wrong?

Maybe the budget papers are wrong?

Maybe everyone is wrong?

All I am saying is that this was straight from the horse's mouth so to speak

BTW most of the meeting was not about streetcars at all but about parking beefs. Judging by local comments there is no way the City can extend the rush hour No Parking like the TTC wants.

Business are whining and crying that if the parking rules are changed in favor of streetcars and buses, a lot of the businesses will go broke... blah, blah....same old whine!

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So lets put aside the he said he said stuff for a moment and lets use the higher capacity cars at lower frequency model.

TTC is always growing. Every year there are higher usage numbers. So at some point the frequency would have to increase again anyway.

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wow Ed, we are definitely living in different universes and yes I think half hour service would be ridiculous. I have to remember that I live at a 'route-end" and all documents relating to transit planning all say route ends exhibit certain characteristics and it is not necessary to service as often and so on, and on the 501 they are right. All the main 501 action is really between Broadview and where you live. My quirky headways at Neville may well straighten out a bit by the time the Woodbine short turns and carhouse short turns are added in, I don't know, I don't usually travel that far.

You seem to live more 'in-the-action' and get more reliable service. My end east of Woodbine is usually a ghost town compared to Lakeshore West.

I simplified my ride.

The "action" ends at Roncesvalles (or maybe Sunnyside). The Queensway section, and the east end of Lake Shore up to Mimico is commuter territory mainly, with people boarding eastbound cars in the morning and getting off westbound in the PM. The stretch from Mimico, through New Toronto, and into Long Branch does again have local riders getting off and on in both diredtions at all times.

However, keep in mind that the theoretical service on Lake Shore is half of what the rest of Queen (including Neville Park loop) sees. It's true that Long Branch cars are rarely short turned before they get on Lake Shore, so that stretch gets more or less the theoretical number of streetcars. What affects this, though, is that the service can be irregular. I live west of Kipling, so any cars short-turned there are of no use to me.

To illustrate how irregular and unmanaged the service can be, last night I was considering getting off in New Toronto to pick something up, and catching the next streetcar. However, the car I was on was a little over five minutes late, while the following car was running almost four minutes early. It followed us, at a distance of a block or so, from Humber all the way to Long Branch loop. Well, there was a big gap after it, so I stayed on. I don't mind hopping off if I can catch another streetcar reasonably soon, but I can't do any shopping in under a minute, and a twenty-minute gap is too long to wait.

As you know in the beaches you have only 3 choices, 501 across or the 64 or 92 up OR you get to walk up the mega-hill to Kingston Rd.

You seem to have more options N-S as alternative routes in the west end.

The distance from Humber loop to Long Branch loop is about the same distance as from Yonge to Neville Park. The connections to the subway via the 66 (Humber/Park Lawn), 76 (Royal York), 110 (Islington), 44 (Kipling), and 110A/123 (Brown's Line) are spread over a long distance. The most frequent during weekdays is 44, but it's infrequent on weekends. The stretch from Kipling to Brown's Line is almost the same as Woodbine to Neville Park, and the only N-S bus service between the two is the rush-hour only 110B.

It's also a lot further to the subway from Lake Shore in the west end than it is in the east end. You're looking at a 20-30 minute ride. And there is no better E-W route than the Queen car, until you get to the subway. The Evans and Queensway buses are very infrequent, and lilghtly-used.

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Do you guys have any reasons as to why TTC hasn't split the route in two or more. Too long of a route with different kinds of ridership patterns at various section of the line will mess this route up. Have route 508 run 18 hours a day and short turn all Queen cars at Humber Loop? Something?

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Do you guys have any reasons as to why TTC hasn't split the route in two or more. Too long of a route with different kinds of ridership patterns at various section of the line will mess this route up. Have route 508 run 18 hours a day and short turn all Queen cars at Humber Loop? Something?

Two reasons why they haven't split the route. The first is that it would cost more money, as you would need at least a couple of additional cars because of any overlap between routes.

The second is that in a way it isn't necessary. With the exception of the section of the line west of High Park, the passenger loading is so even that the same frequencies/line capacity is needed all the way across.

Dan

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Business are whining and crying that if the parking rules are changed in favor of streetcars and buses, a lot of the businesses will go broke... blah, blah....same old whine!

One has to wonder if this is one of those problems that would be easily solved by getting the TTC to finally adopt time transfers. That way, you can incorporate unlimited travel on the TTC for a limited time whenever you pay for parking at a lot.

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One has to wonder if this is one of those problems that would be easily solved by getting the TTC to finally adopt time transfers. That way, you can incorporate unlimited travel on the TTC for a limited time whenever you pay for parking at a lot.

Only if the service is reasonably regular and frequent. Even though I have a Metropass and can think of several places I could stop off on my way home, the erratic service doesn't help. Either the gap is so short that I have to scramble and hope there's not a lineup at the checkout, or the gap is so long that I skip it because I don't need to shop for bread for twenty minutes.

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Only if the service is reasonably regular and frequent. Even though I have a Metropass and can think of several places I could stop off on my way home, the erratic service doesn't help. Either the gap is so short that I have to scramble and hope there's not a lineup at the checkout, or the gap is so long that I skip it because I don't need to shop for bread for twenty minutes.

On the bright side, at least you KNOW what's coming behind, so you can make a decision without wondering how long you'll be waiting after.

I'm so thankful that NextBus went online before I started using the streetcar every day. I was mostly on the Don Mills bus and subway before that, and the bus was regular enough, that you didn't have to worry about it (though if I knew how far the one behind me was, I'd have been more likely to stop at the new Don Mills Centre on the way home).

I really can't imagine trying to deal with the massive streetcar irregularity every day, with frequent 20-minute gaps, and even 30-minute gaps being common, without NextBus.

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Only if the service is reasonably regular and frequent.

Which results in us crashing into a catch-22. We need to get parked cars off of roads to improve the reliability and frequency of surface transit but people won't go for the optimum solution to eliminate parked cars on roads until we improve the reliability and frequency of surface transit.

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Most days, regardless of what nextbus says etc, there is a back-up bus or three filling in on the beaches portion. This raises the headway from every 10-15min to every 8 minutes or so if we are lucky

They store some buses at Russell

Unknown whether or not the SAC crewing will remain for weekday PM (noon to 700pm service)

Right now the EB driver hops off at Russell. then a SAC operator takes the car to Neville and back to Russell.

The original driver does not wait for his original car, he takes an earlier vehicle back WB to Humber or LB

great work for senior operators as they never get farther west than Russell and every time they get back to Russell they have a 10-20min break - sometimes longer

I think? 8 or 9 operators are in the crew.

Because of a lack of supervision the SAC crews also get a nice 5 -8 break at Neville also. Either that or they run back to back to Russell - no happy medium.

If you aren't even sure how SAC works in the first place, how can you claim cars waiting at Neville for 5-8 minutes is "lack of supervision"? Why are the armchair critics so focused on operators getting "breaks"? It is neccessary to have SAC operators waiting in order for SAC to function properly! Oh lord, that operator is waiting! Quick, get him to change some light bulbs!

There is usually one gap bus from Birchmount which sits at Russell until called out by the Queen East supervisor.

The whole point of SAC is to step the runs forward so that late EB runs will come out a few minutes early WB on a relatively even headway, in order, while maintaining most of the service right to Neville Park. The supervisor instructs each SAC operator to leave Neville at a certain time as a certain run. He also must factor in the time it takes to get from Connaught to Neville, the time it takes to check for lost articles, top up the sand, and change the run. In order to produce an even WB headway some cars will sit at Neville longer than others, especially if they come from the west in a pack. Occasionally the supervisor will have to turn a car at Woodbine Loop if there is too large of a gap coming west. This is where the gap bus, if available, will be used.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't call this "lack of supervision".

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If you aren't even sure how SAC works in the first place, how can you claim cars waiting at Neville for 5-8 minutes is "lack of supervision"? Why are the armchair critics so focused on operators getting "breaks"? It is neccessary to have SAC operators waiting in order for SAC to function properly! Oh lord, that operator is waiting! Quick, get him to change some light bulbs!

There is usually one gap bus from Birchmount which sits at Russell until called out by the Queen East supervisor.

The whole point of SAC is to step the runs forward so that late EB runs will come out a few minutes early WB on a relatively even headway, in order, while maintaining most of the service right to Neville Park. The supervisor instructs each SAC operator to leave Neville at a certain time as a certain run. He also must factor in the time it takes to get from Connaught to Neville, the time it takes to check for lost articles, top up the sand, and change the run. In order to produce an even WB headway some cars will sit at Neville longer than others, especially if they come from the west in a pack. Occasionally the supervisor will have to turn a car at Woodbine Loop if there is too large of a gap coming west. This is where the gap bus, if available, will be used.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't call this "lack of supervision".

I guess you did not pull this work? too bad, it's mainly senior people, 25 years, that get this work.

It is considered cream-of-the-crop piece of work.

I don't care who gets a break or when but these people admit they get all sorts of time each run at Russell and quite often they do leave Neville on tight pairs, so I would call that somewhat lacking in supervision. For a week or so the inspector was placed at Neville but that ended.

They are lucky because it's not hard work (never running west of Russell) quite often tons of breaks at both ends and fairly decent passengers.

They do deserve this because of the years and years of garbage runs they have done, so being senior people..it's their turn for some really good work.

the operators themselves say this is a GREAT piece of work so who am I to differ.

(and yes, Jackie. Marg, Mike etc etc etc have explained exactly how the SAC works)

Marg I believe is not on SAC crew at the moment rather on the 502 because of an early 2-something finish

I think the main drawback is that late starts (SAC starts around noon or 1pm) means a fairly late ending, so this work is not for everyone.

Gord is the guy who often gets the Queen bus and was quite happy waiting in the yard, maybe doing one run on Greenwood, maybe a run or two on Queen and then is let go early all the time.

He also stocked the pop machine, maybe did a wash-run and so on.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy... he worked long and hard for it, he is very very very senior guy and he deserves this piece.

Hangs around Kennedy doing the same kind of thing there a lot also. Real gentleman!

According to him, it is not the armchair public critics that bother him, but rather his very own (younger) driver colleagues who are always moaning and bitching how come guys like him pull all the decent work

and why can't they get some of this.

Like I said...fair lack of supervision although because Neville is considered a route-end, any planning document you read for any system will say that (paraphrasing) route-ends are not all that important to service

rather it is important to get regular service occurring in the middles of routes where the majority of passengers are.

I am not a planner but I fail to see how having two streetcars leaving Neville at exactly the same time helps even out service down the line at Broadview, Yonge or wherever??????

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I guess you did not pull this work? too bad, it's mainly senior people, 25 years, that get this work.

It is considered cream-of-the-crop piece of work.

I am not a planner but I fail to see how having two streetcars leaving Neville at exactly the same time helps even out service down the line at Broadview, Yonge or wherever??????

What does it matter if I can get this work or not? If you thought I was complaining about the work, you are mistaken. I am not begrudging of the operators who sign SAC or the gap buses.

There are a million reasons why 2 cars would leave Neville together when SAC is running. Delays encoutered in the Beach, too many of our fellow neighbours driving (I live here too), people learning how to park, delivery trucks, defective cars running in, regular cars running in, maintenance test cars, training cars, etc. There is more that meets the eye than just what you think "lack of supervision" is.

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Are streetcar routes adjusted periodically for number of cars assigned or are we at a "max" until the 4400s arrive? The reason I ask is that my company recently relocated to Dundas East and Jarvis. I take the 505 car daily between St. Patrick Station and Jarvis. The morning eastbound run is not too bad with many leaving the car at St. Patrick leaving room to board. The pm westbound is a different story as many cars arrive at Jarvis already near full and get almost impossible loads westbound from Dundas Station. At times, passengers at Bay cannot board.

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Are streetcar routes adjusted periodically for number of cars assigned or are we at a "max" until the 4400s arrive? The reason I ask is that my company recently relocated to Dundas East and Jarvis. I take the 505 car daily between St. Patrick Station and Jarvis. The morning eastbound run is not too bad with many leaving the car at St. Patrick leaving room to board. The pm westbound is a different story as many cars arrive at Jarvis already near full and get almost impossible loads westbound from Dundas Station. At times, passengers at Bay cannot board.

The fleet is at maximum usage at rush hours - or at least it was until the Harbourfront and parts of Spadina were bustituted for construction. And there isn't really much that can be done to improve the other routes, as they will get reinstated later this year. Unfortunately, it isn't going to be able to get any better until the new cars start entering service next year.

Dan

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Are streetcar routes adjusted periodically for number of cars assigned or are we at a "max" until the 4400s arrive?

Yes, they adjust regularly.

If you look at the TTC service summary for the current period (until March 6th) at http://www.ttc.ca/PD..._2013_01_06.pdf and compare it to the one for the next period at http://www.ttc.ca/PD..._2013-03-31.pdf you'll notice there are service increases on various streetcar routes planned in a few weeks.

The improvements include:

Adding 5 trippers to 501 in morning peak from Connaught to Humber.

Adding 7 cars to 501 early evening to reduce the frequency from 7 minutes to 5.5 minutes

Adding 2 cars to 501 late evening to reduce the frequency from 10 minutes to 9 minutes

Adding 1 car to 502 mid-day to reduce the frequency from 20 minutes to 16 minutes.

Adding 2 cars to 504 early evening to reduce the frequency from 4.25 minutes to 4 minutes.

Adding 4 cars to 504 Saturday morning to reduce the frequency from 8.33 minutes to 6.25 minutes (and 1 more car on Sunday afternoons)

Adding 2 westbound trips to 505 in late AM peak

Adding 2 trips to 508 in afternoon peak.

There's more info on these and other service increases on Steve Munro's site at http://stevemunro.ca/?p=7326

The reason I ask is that my company recently relocated to Dundas East and Jarvis. I take the 505 car daily between St. Patrick Station and Jarvis. The morning eastbound run is not too bad with many leaving the car at St. Patrick leaving room to board. The pm westbound is a different story as many cars arrive at Jarvis already near full and get almost impossible loads westbound from Dundas Station. At times, passengers at Bay cannot board.
No changes to this one I'm afraid. I'm scratching my head why there'd be so many people already on the westbound 505 before Jarvis in PM peak. Some pointed complaints to TTC Customer Service might be in order. Not sure 505 east of Jarvis is on their radar as a problem.

If you jump back to January 2012 - http://www.ttc.ca/PD..._2012_01_08.pdf - you'll see they have added 1 PM peak streetcar to 505 since then, reducing the frequency from 5.67 minutes to 5.33 minutes.

The fleet is at maximum usage at rush hours - or at least it was until the Harbourfront and parts of Spadina were bustituted for construction.

There's about 200 streetcars available. They were all in use for AM peak before the Harbourfront construction, with about 10 unused for PM peak. Since then, they have increased PM by about 5 cars (on paper at least) and 2 more with these changes, but there's about 10 cars available from the Harbourfront construction.

I'm scratching my head on where these 5 extra AM cars on 501 are coming from. With the Harbourfront reopening now delayed until mid-June, I guess they are probably okay until the fall, by the time you account for the summer reductions. But there's still a gap between then and when the new streetcars start arriving in 2014 which makes me wonder where those five 501s are coming from ... unless they plan to start using buses to replace some streetcars once the Harbourfront construction is finished.

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But there's still a gap between then and when the new streetcars start arriving in 2014 which makes me wonder where those five 501s are coming from ... unless they plan to start using buses to replace some streetcars once the Harbourfront construction is finished.

Track reconstruction on Kingston Road will begin later this year, so that should provide 13 spare cars for the peak periods, assuming full bus replacement for 502 and 503.
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The fleet is at maximum usage at rush hours - or at least it was until the Harbourfront and parts of Spadina were bustituted for construction. And there isn't really much that can be done to improve the other routes, as they will get reinstated later this year. Unfortunately, it isn't going to be able to get any better until the new cars start entering service next year.

Dan

TTC also have buses run on the streetcar routes (known as the downtown gap bus) during PM rush hour. They can appear anywhere. It really depends on how bad the line is running.

Track reconstruction on Kingston Road will begin later this year, so that should provide 13 spare cars for the peak periods, assuming full bus replacement for 502 and 503.

Didn't TTC just repaired 502? I remember there was a 502 streetcar bus shuttle last year.

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TTC also have buses run on the streetcar routes (known as the downtown gap bus) during PM rush hour. They can appear anywhere. It really depends on how bad the line is running.

Yes, but they're not part of the scheduled service except during track replacement projects - and I think the TTC has no plans to schedule trips on streetcar routes using buses.

Didn't TTC just repaired 502? I remember there was a 502 streetcar bus shuttle last year.

IIRC the work along Kingston Road was a long-term watermain replacement project, and construction work prevented streetcars from running along Kingston Road. The tracks were not replaced at this time, although the length of the closure (and amount of upheaval to the other lanes of Kingston Road) certainly should have been able to accommodate the replacement of the tracks.

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