Roman Fomin caught a 503 Kingston Road car, turning onto Queen Street East on March 15, 2012. Its 502 Downtowner cousin (CLRV 4109) can be seen behind, entering Kingston Road.
Starting this Sunday, May 7, the TTC is replacing streetcars with buses along the entire 301 Queen overnight and 501 Queen route, due to several upcoming construction projects.
TTC passengers traveling to and from Kingston Road west of Victoria Park Avenue directly benefit from this change. Thanks to the sudden surplus of cars, the TTC can resume streetcar service along the 503 Kingston Rd route Mondays to Fridays during rush hours, starting Monday, May 8.
Since a City of Toronto and TTC project to rebuild parts of Wellington Streets East and West also blocks streetcars from accessing that street, the TTC is detouring the cars to operate to and from Charlotte Loop near King Street West and Spadina Avenue.
The TTC is not restoring streetcar service along the 502 Downtowner route, which also serve Kingston Road. Some of the same construction projects that prevent the TTC from operating cars along Queen Street also block the cars from serving route 502.
From the Transit Toronto archives, read:
503 Kingston Rd
Mondays to Fridays during rush hours, starting Monday, May 8, eastbound cars start their trips in Charlotte Loop — on Charlotte Street at Oxley Street, then proceed:
southward along Charlotte; and then
eastward along King Street West to York Street,
resuming their regular route eastward along King West.Eastbound cars skip their regular stops
- on Wellington Street West at York Street and
- on York Street at King Street East.
Instead, eastbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on Charlotte Street at Oxley Street and King Street West and
- on King Street West at Blue Jays Way, John Street and University Avenue.
Westbound cars operate along their regular route to King Street East and Church Street, then detour:
westward along King Streets East and West;
northward along Spadina Avenue;
eastward along Adelaide Street West; and then
southward along Charlotte Street to Oxley Street,
ending their trips.Westbound cars skip their regular stops
- on Church Street at Wellington Street East,
- on Wellington Street East at Yonge Street and
- on Wellington Street West at Bay and York Streets.
Instead, westbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on King Street East at Yonge Street,
- on King Street West at Bay Street, University Avenue, John and Peter Streets and Spadina Avenue,
- on Spadina Avenue north of King Street West and
- on Charlotte Street at Oxley Street.
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