Alex Russel of
Toronto writes, "I ride the 510 Spadina streetcar every day, and I
have noticed that one of the cars used on the line has a different
setup for the seats in the back section. The back of this one
matches the front, with a single row of seats on the left." He adds
that when sitting in the back of many crowded streetcars, trying to
disembark "means getting up a stop or two in advance, in order to
wiggle past anyone standing in the too-narrow aisle. Are there plans
to introduce more of these superior streetcars?"
The design of most
TTC streetcars doesn't seem to work well during rush hour. Standing
passengers tend to avoid the back of the vehicle, even when the
front is packed like sardines. The existing fleet of streetcars is
almost ready for remodelling -- including the seats, but there is a
lot more at stake than that.
First, the
Toronto's street rail network is bound to grow and the TTC is
considering buying the latest style of light rail vehicles -- like
those used on brand new systems in Houston and Minneapolis. The
current generation of urban trams around the world have low floors
and most run on their own right of way. The TTC's oldest vehicles
have been around for a quarter century, finally replacing the city's
beloved old PCC cars during the 1990s. A smaller number of extended
or "articulated" streetcars are newer -- but they too will need to
be either replaced or rebuilt to last through the next decade.
This leaves the
transit commission with a choice: Is it better to strip down and
upgrade the existing fleet, as was done with hundreds of buses, or
find the cash for a new fleet? One major question evolves around
making Toronto's current trams accessible. Even if it is technically
possible to install some kind of lift for wheelchairs, it is still
unclear how much this will cost. The price to rebuild one streetcar
is already more than a million dollars, compared to over $5 million
for a new light rail vehicle.
Despite expected
provincial and federal fuel tax revenue, the TTC has not secured
enough funds to maintain its entire system. Even if we can preserve
the current streetcar fleet, it will not allow expansion to new
parts of Toronto. The plan is to build exclusive streetcar and bus
lanes along major arteries, unless all available cash is sunk into
subways. Another looming question is what to do with the aging
Scarborough RT line. It may be more economical to replace obsolete
RT cars with standard light rail vehicles, as part of a expanded
street rail system that some Scarborough councillors are hoping for.
I expect we are
stuck with the trams we now have, but even if some seats are removed
during rebuilding, there is just not going to be enough capacity. It
seems likely that some kind of new rail car will find its way to
Toronto streets in the next few years.