Passengers have complained for many years about the unreliablity of service on the TTC’s 501 Queen streetcar route — particularly in the extreme eastern and western ends of the route. Next week, the TTC is responding to its passengers by experimenting with splitting the route into two to determine if shortening the route improves the reliability of the service.
For just six weeks, starting next Monday, October 19, streetcars operate between Neville Park Loop and Shaw Street in the east end and between either Long Branch or Humber Loops and Parliament Street in west end Mondays to Fridays only. The split continues Monday-to-Friday nights (or, actually, very early Tuesday-to-Saturday mornings) along the 301 Queen overnight route.
Both routes will serve all stops along Queen Streets East and West between Parliament and Shaw Streets. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, the cars continue to operate along the entire route between Long Branch or Humber and Neville Park Loops.
Westbound east-end cars start their trips at Neville Loop, as usual, then proceed:
westward along Queen Streets East and West;
southward along Shaw Street;
westward along King Street West; and then
northward along Dufferin Street to Queen Street West,
ending their trips.
Eastbound east-end cars then proceed along Queen Streets West and East to Neville, ending their trips.
Mondays to Fridays during morning rush hours, the TTC is operating 15 ALRV cars (articulated light rail vehicles or “bending” streetcars) in the east end, serving stops every 7 minutes 15 seconds. From about 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, it’s still operating 15 ALRVs, serving stops every 7½ minutes. Sixteen ALRVs serve east-end stops every 7 minutes 15 seconds during afternoon rush hours. Fourteen ALRVs serve the east end every 8 minutes early evenings before 10 p.m. and 10 serve stops every 9½ minutes from about 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. From 2 until 5 a.m. 3 ALRVs serve east-end stops every 30 minutes.
In the west end, the cars operate to and from either Long Branch or Humber Loops.
Eastbound west-end cars proceed:
eastward along Lake Shore Boulevard West, the Queensway and Queen Streets West and East;
northward along Parliament Street;
eastward along Dundas Street East; and then
southward along Broadview Avenue to Queen East,
ending their trips.(Cars starting their trips at Humber Loop do not serve stops along Lake Shore West.)
Westbound west-end cars start their trips at Broadview Avenue and Queen Street East, then proceed:
westward along Queen Streets East and West, the Queensway and Lake Shore Boulevard West to either Humber or Long Branch Loops. (Cars ending their trips at the Humber do not serve stops along Lake Shore West.)
Between Long Branch and Parliament, the TTC is operating 14 ALRVs to serve stops every 11 minutes during morning rush hours. Thirteen ALRVs serve stops every 12½ minutes from about 9:30 until 3 p.m. and continue to serve stops every 13 minutes during afternoon rush hours. Eleven ALRVs serve stops every 15 minutes from about 7 until 10 p.m. and 7 ALRVs serve stops every 19 minutes from about 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. From 2 until 5 a.m. three overnight streetcars serve stops between Long Branch and Parliament every 30 minutes.
Between Humber and Parliament, the TTC is operating 9 ALRVs to serve stops every 11 minutes during morning rush hours, every 12½ minutes from about 9:30 until 3 p.m. and every 13 minutes during afternoon rush hours. Seven ALRVs serve stops every 15 minutes from about 7 until 10 p.m. and five serve stops every 19 minutes from about 10 p.m. until 2 a.m.
East of the Humber, where west-end cars on both branches operate, the TTC offers more frequent service, with cars serving stops every 5½ minutes during morning rush hours, every 6 minutes 30 seconds from about 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. and every 6½ minutes during afternoon rush hours. In the evenings from about 7 until 10 p.m. west-end streetcars serve stops every 7½ minutes and every 9½ minutes after 10 p.m.
The TTC is decreasing the frequency of service between Neville Park Loop and Parliament Street and between Long Branch Loop and Shaw Street. However, it is increasing service downtown, between Parliament and Shaw Streets.
In the east end, it’s decreasing the frequency of service between Neville Park Loop and Broadview Avenue / Parliament Street during morning rush hours from every 5 minutes 10 seconds to every 5½ minutes, from every 5 minutes 50 seconds to every 6 minutes between about 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., from every 5 minutes 40 seconds to every 6½ minutes during afternoon rush hours and from every 6 minutes 45 seconds to every 7½ minutes from about 7 until 10 p.m.
In the west end, it’s decreasing the frequency of service between Long Branch and Humber Loops from every 10 minutes 20 seconds to every 11 minutes during morning rush hours, from every 11 minutes 40 seconds to every 12½ minutes between about 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., from every 11 minutes 20 seconds to every 13 minutes during afternoon rush hours and from every 13½ minutes to every 15 minutes between about 7 and 10 p.m.
After 10 p.m. in the west end between Long Branch and Humber Loops, it’s increasing the service between Long Branch and Humber Loops from every 20 minutes to every 19 minutes.
Between Humber Loop and Dufferin Street / Shaw Street, it’s decreasing the frequency of service during morning rush hours from every 5 minutes 10 seconds to every 5½ minutes, from every 5 minutes 50 seconds to every 6 minutes between about 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., from every 5 minutes 40 seconds to every 6½ minutes during afternoon rush hours and from every 6 minutes 45 seconds to every 7½ minutes from about 7 until 10 p.m.
After 10 p.m. in the west end between Humber Loop and Dufferin Street / Shaw Street, it’s increasing the frequency of service from every 10 minutes to every 9½ minutes.
Between Shaw and Parliament Streets, the TTC is increasing service at all times of the day. Streetcars pass stops in the central part of Toronto about every 3 to 4 minutes.
At night, streetcars continue to operate every 30 minutes along both halves of the route.
The TTC resumes its regular service along the route, starting Monday, November 22. During the next six weeks, it will analyze how the split affects service and then report back to the Toronto Transit Commission to recommend whether to maintain the split service, adjust it or abandon it.