TTC removing all Queen streetcars for the summer starting this Sunday

May 4 2017, 9:42 pm

As we said earlier this year, the TTC plans to remove the 501 Queen streetcar for the summer.

And it looks like the day has come.

From May 7 to September 3, streetcars on the 501 Queen route will be replaced by buses to allow for construction and road works projects along Queen Street all summer.

According to the TTC, City work at Coxwell Ave., work between Bathurst St. and Spadina Ave., and the installation of a new pedestrian bridge at the Eaton Centre west of Yonge St., would have required streetcars to divert at all of those locations. As well, major road and track work also continues west of Roncesvalles Ave. through the end of the year.

Because of that, the TTC will use buses along the entirety of Queen St. to avoid inconvenient diversions for transit users.

To keep up with passenger capacity, there will be 65 buses being used during the busiest times of day.

Several other routes will see vehicle changes during the same period:
– Streetcars will return to 511 Bathurst
– Streetcars, rather than buses, will service the supplemental 504 King peak service
– Streetcars will also run on the 503 Kingston Rd. route from May 7 to July 30, when buses will return to avoid a diversion around TTC track replacement at Queen and Coxwell.

After streetcars return to the 501 Queen route on Sept. 3, some short-term diversions will still be needed to accommodate the following TTC projects:

– Track reconstruction at Queen St. and Coxwell Ave. – Sept. 3 to Oct. 14:
Buses will run between the Neville Loop and Carlaw Ave., streetcars will run between Connaught Ave. and Roncesvalles Ave. Buses will continue to run between Roncesvalles and Long Branch Loop.

– Track reconstruction at Queen St and McCaul St. – Oct 15 to Nov. 25:
The 501 Queen streetcar will divert around this work via Church St./King St./Spadina Ave. with a shuttle bus running on Queen St. between Church St. and Spadina Ave.

The TTC says it’s unable to accommodate this work at the same time as City work through the summer for a number of reasons, including labour resources and the fact that some works, like water main replacement, can’t be done at the same time as other projects in the same location.

One thing is for sure, it will be a busy summer downtown Toronto. But hey, you never know what you’ll see on TTC buses.

See also
DH Toronto StaffDH Toronto Staff

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