[JSF-1]

Here's a random fact that dawned on me. When the EC opens it will be the first time the TTC has operated Light-Rail Multiple Units in revenue service since 1977. The TTC used to operate MU's on the streetcar network back in the day on various tripper routes as well as the YONGE, BLOOR, and QUEEN streetcars as these had the highest ridership. While they carried more passengers the argument could be made that it wasn't efficient from a personnel stand point as each MU needed two employees on board; one up front to operate the MU while another was in the rear car to collect the fares. This practice is still alive and well in Boston, although with the advent of payment systems like Presto you now only need 1 employee on board as we'll see on the EC and FW lines. MU service on the streetcar network ended on February 1, 1977 due to both declining ridership and increased vehicular traffic on the QUEEN Streetcar. That said they would be the catalyst for the creation of the ALRV as it offered a compromise of carrying more passengers then a CLRV without taking up as much space on the road as two CLRV's operating as an MU. We'll probably never see MU's on the streetcar network anymore due to automotive traffic as well as most of our turnback loops aren't large enough to handle a Flexity Streetcar MU (in fact Neville Park Loop had to be redesigned in the 70's to handle the PCC MU's), but the Crosstown and Finch Lines we'll bring them back to the city after a 48 year absence (assuming the EC opens this year).

 

[trafficexplorerON]

I do not mean over the lane.I mean if you look at the lights and cannot figure out which ones to follow,you should not be driving. I have driven in most provinces and a good number of states, and even biked in other countries. Not hard to know which lights I need to follow. For example, if I am not a transit operator, I should not be following the 'transit' signals..I have always thought once your license comes up for renewal, all drivers must do a written and road test. It may weed out the really bad ones so that stupid accidents stop happening.

For starters, how many of those other provinces and states have transit signals that have a red, yellow and green light just like the vehicle signals? Because they all seem to set up their lights quite differently from Ontario. For all I know, the lights for the Edmonton LRT don't use circular red or yellow lights either.

Wanting retesting to come with license renewal isn't a good reason to keep using standard red-yellow-green signal lenses for every signal head. Worded signs take longer for people to process than symbols and add extra clutter to roads. Maybe back when transit and right turn signals were rare and virtually every signal setup that had dedicated signals for a different movement looked like this, this worked fine. But now, transit signals and dedicated right turn signals are popping up all over the place. And are people getting them mixed up?
It seems like in London, that was actually a problem when the BRT opened. And you know that the King St setup is a whole other monster. My point is that regardless of anything else, if you need to a bunch of signs to distinguish each signal, that is flawed design. This isn't an argument against retesting BTW, it's an argument to allow better transit signals and red arrows in Ontario.

 

[drum118]

Here's a random fact that dawned on me. When the EC opens it will be the first time the TTC has operated Light-Rail Multiple Units in revenue service since 1977. The TTC used to operate MU's on the streetcar network back in the day on various tripper routes as well as the YONGE, BLOOR, and QUEEN streetcars as these had the highest ridership. While they carried more passengers the argument could be made that it wasn't efficient from a personnel stand point as each MU needed two employees on board; one up front to operate the MU while another was in the rear car to collect the fares. This practice is still alive and well in Boston, although with the advent of payment systems like Presto you now only need 1 employee on board as we'll see on the EC and FW lines. MU service on the streetcar network ended on February 1, 1977 due to both declining ridership and increased vehicular traffic on the QUEEN Streetcar. That said they would be the catalyst for the creation of the ALRV as it offered a compromise of carrying more passengers then a CLRV without taking up as much space on the road as two CLRV's operating as an MU. We'll probably never see MU's on the streetcar network anymore due to automotive traffic as well as most of our turnback loops aren't large enough to handle a Flexity Streetcar MU (in fact Neville Park Loop had to be redesigned in the 70's to handle the PCC MU's), but the Crosstown and Finch Lines we'll bring them back to the city after a 48 year absence (assuming the EC opens this year).

If you move from the current Flexity fleet to a 35-42m LRV, you have an old MU car from the past. The current fleet is not that far off from the days of 2 PPC that were mu together with one driver doing all the work will the other collected fares and issue transfers. Don't know if the drivers change position on each run back then.

Traffic has always been an issue for streetcars in mixed traffic since 1910 and still is.

 

[micheal_can]

For starters, how many of those other provinces and states have transit signals that have a red, yellow and green light just like the vehicle signals? Because they all seem to set up their lights quite differently from Ontario. For all I know, the lights for the Edmonton LRT don't use circular red or yellow lights either.

Wanting retesting to come with license renewal isn't a good reason to keep using standard red-yellow-green signal lenses for every signal head. Worded signs take longer for people to process than symbols and add extra clutter to roads. Maybe back when transit and right turn signals were rare and virtually every signal setup that had dedicated signals for a different movement looked like this, this worked fine. But now, transit signals and dedicated right turn signals are popping up all over the place. And are people getting them mixed up?
It seems like in London, that was actually a problem when the BRT opened. And you know that the King St setup is a whole other monster. My point is that regardless of anything else, if you need to a bunch of signs to distinguish each signal, that is flawed design. This isn't an argument against retesting BTW, it's an argument to allow better transit signals and red arrows in Ontario.

Would a good driver follow a light labeled "Transit Signal"? The colours or shapes or anything else is irrelevant, especially with that sign there. Regardless, an immediate solution is police patrols,warnings and tickets.

 

[trafficexplorerON]

Would a good driver follow a light labeled "Transit Signal"? The colours or shapes or anything else is irrelevant, especially with that sign there. Regardless, an immediate solution is police patrols,warnings and tickets.

And how many drivers ignore other signs? Such as "no turning" signs.
You're missing the point, anyway. The point is to get rid of the "transit signal" signs by getting rid of the need for them.

 

[micheal_can]

And how many drivers ignore other signs? Such as "no turning" signs.
You're missing the point, anyway. The point is to get rid of the "transit signal" signs by getting rid of the need for them.

That would be idea;, but that is not how this line is currently set up. So, how do we mitigate accidents with the current set up?

 

[kai]

little montage of all the training I saw yesterday, Friday Aug 15
all between 2 - 4:30 pm. I was in Best Buy for 1 hour of that time, so these are shot roughly over 1hr 30 minutes
last clip was just to show the amount of time the tram waited at a light

 

[kev1n1m]

What filter or editing tool did you use to make this look so cinematic? Haha this plays like a Crosstown documentary. (Which should definitely be made with anonymized interviews by workers and gov't employees).

 

[kai]

What filter or editing tool did you use to make this look so cinematic? Haha this plays like a Crosstown documentary. (Which should definitely be made with anonymized interviews by workers and gov't employees).

Thanks! 1/8 mist filter, a variable nd filter and shooting at 24p.
Shot in Log and then adjusted the exposure after. Colours are straight out of my canon r!

 

[Civdis]

little montage of all the training I saw yesterday, Friday Aug 15
all between 2 - 4:30 pm, and I was in Best Buy for about 1 hour of that time, so these are shot roughly over 1hr 30 minutes
last clip was just to show the amount of time the tram waited at a light

Great montage, thanks for this!

 

[Bizari]

little montage of all the training I saw yesterday, Friday Aug 15
all between 2 - 4:30 pm, and I was in Best Buy for about 1 hour of that time, so these are shot roughly over 1hr 30 minutes
last clip was just to show the amount of time the tram waited at a light

It is absolutely insane that Toronto spent $ 13 billion and almost 15 years to build a glorified streetcar project, and the "LRT" needs to wait so long to cross every single intersection because there is no basic signal priority.

It is mind-blowing to see that they need to let the left-turning cars go first, exactly how they operate the diabolical streetcar routes in downtown Toronto.

How signal priority for a project like this is not a default component, and nobody in Toronto seems to care is actually crazy.

 

[Steve X]

It is absolutely insane that Toronto spent $ 13 billion and almost 15 years to build a glorified streetcar project, and the "LRT" needs to wait so long to cross every single intersection because there is no basic signal priority.

It is mind-blowing to see that they need to let the left-turning cars go first, exactly how they operate the diabolical streetcar routes in downtown Toronto.

How signal priority for a project like this is not a default component, and nobody in Toronto seems to care is actually crazy.

It’s not too late to update the signs to 534 Eglinton

 

[Amare]

Feel free to make your thoughts known the the General Manager of the (archaic) Toronto Transportation Services, whom seem not to understand the concept of how proper signal priority would speed up commute times for thousands of people every day:

Barbara Gray
Barbara.Gray@toronto.ca

 

[Allandale25]

Feel free to make your thoughts known the the General Manager of the (archaic) Toronto Transportation Services, whom seem not to understand the concept of how proper signal priority would speed up commute times for thousands of people every day:

Barbara Gray
Barbara.Gray@toronto.ca

And copy your Councillor and MPP.

 

[Cyrobyte]

It is absolutely insane that Toronto spent $ 13 billion and almost 15 years to build a glorified streetcar project, and the "LRT" needs to wait so long to cross every single intersection because there is no basic signal priority.

It is mind-blowing to see that they need to let the left-turning cars go first, exactly how they operate the diabolical streetcar routes in downtown Toronto.

How signal priority for a project like this is not a default component, and nobody in Toronto seems to care is actually crazy.

The worst part is that they decided to build light rail instead of heavy rail because they thought it would be cheaper, but it ended up costing 13 billion dollars.