Welcome to December, streetcar riders. While road repairs are common
during warmer weather, it is unusual to experience streetcar diversions
this late in the year. There have been ongoing emergency repairs to tracks
all over the system, but one route in particular has been the focus of TTC
construction crews. Riders on King Street have experienced more than their
share of detours in 2003, and thankfully the disruptions will be over
soon. But first, the downtown intersection of King and York Streets will
shut entirely for almost a week -- starting Thursday morning.
When that is completed, and once roadwork is ready on a
separate section near Dufferin Street, we may not have to worry about
major reconstruction on King until 2023. That’s because the TTC has
changed the way streetcar tracks are rebuilt -- and if the new rails hold
up as they are expected to, riders may see less of the summertime ritual
of detours and shuttle buses.
Streetcar tracks have been deteriorating badly, thanks to a
combination of short pieces of rail, wooden ties, and the TTC’s fleet of
heavier, more modern vehicles. This year, the TTC had to respond to over
200 pavement cracks and broken rails in urgent need of repair. Normally,
“red flags” are posted at an average of 40 locations at any given time,
restricting streetcars to 10 kilometers an hour. Since the summer,
emergency maintenance has reduced the unprecedented 200 go-slow zones to
25.
When it comes to the planned replacement of tracks, stronger
materials are now used and instead of ripping up streets in selected
locations all over the city, work crews now rebuild entire lines at the
same time. Orest Kobylansky, general superintendent of streetcar
maintenance, says that despite this year’s focussed repairs along King
Street, feedback from riders has been “very positive” -- especially about
the smoother ride.
Service on the 504 route that uses Broadview and King Street
east of Yonge resumed over a week ago, and the detours at Atlantic Avenue
east of Dufferin should end in two or three weeks. Construction workers
will finally move out and allow streetcars to once again travel along the
entire route. After that, he says “the plan is not to come back to King
for 20 to 25 years.”
The remaining short term pain at King and York streets will
be disruptive, as streetcars will divert onto parallel routes. “As of
Thursday morning, they’re going to close that intersection down and start
excavating, and... resume service as of Wednesday morning (Dec. 10).”
Some may wonder why the makeover of King and York was not
done during the summer, to coincide with the closures of nearby
intersections at University, Yonge and Church. Wherever tracks cross,
switches and special curved rails and needed and the construction is
tricky. These special pieces of track are shipped from Australia, and
there were some delivery delays, says Kobylansky. But the main reason was
scheduling, he adds. The transportation department of the City of Toronto
has also been working on nearby Bay Street this year, and to avoid tying
up two adjacent downtown roads the TTC was asked to postpone York Street.
Elsewhere on King, the TTC has largely finished its work in
the rapidly developing neighbourhood near Dufferin Street. The City of
Toronto has taken over construction underneath a major bridge where more
than a few trucks have gotten themselves stuck in the past. Once the City
finishes lowering the roadway, TTC service should return to normal. Riders
of the King 504, Kingston Road 503, and Lake Shore 508 routes should look
for details on posters at streetcar stops, or check the construction
information page at www.ttc.ca. The diagrams showing all the detours are
complicated, so you can also call 416-393-INFO for help.
In 2004, the TTC will focus on the 506 Carlton route,
starting as soon as February. Streetcar diversions between Lansdowne and
Coxwell may affect riders by early spring, says the TTC’s Kobylansky, with
work continuing until the fall. He says that attacking such a long section
of a single streetcar route will be “the biggest undertaking we’ve
initiated to date.”
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