510 Spadina and 509 Harbourfront (TTC)
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The 510 Spadina and 509 Harbourfront are streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission.
The Harbourfront LRT, or 604 Harbourfront, began service in 1990. It was the first new Toronto streetcar route in many years, and the first ever to employ a dedicated tunnel, running almost 2km from Queen's Quay north to Union TTC Station. When a new dedicated right-of-way opened in 1997, extending the track north along Spadina Avenue from Queen's Quay to Spadina station on the Bloor subway, the whole route was renamed 510 Spadina, replacing the 77 Spadina bus altogether. When the Queen's Quay streetcar tracks were extended west to Bathurst and Fleet Streets, a new route, the 509 Harbourfront, was added in 2000, operating between Union and Exhibition Place.
The name ‘LRT’ (‘light-rail transit’), which had been adopted for political reasons to project an image of modernity, was dropped when it led to residents and newspaper reporters imagining elevated guideways like those of the Scarborough RT line running through their streets. It was found that the project was much easier to sell to the public and politicians when it was pitched simply as an improvement to the speed and reliability of traditional streetcar service.
However, independent pro-transit researchers say the switch to rail has been less beneficial than promoters had promised. They point to verified transit commission documents obtained by The Globe and Mail newspaper in the spring of 2005 that show service is now actually about two minutes slower (Queen's Quay to Bloor) than on the old No. 77, while the new streetcars are carrying no more passengers than the buses did prior to commencement of construction on the $140-million project. Published TTC documents also indicate that the route, which with buses was city's best economic performer and one of only seven routes turning a profit, now operates at a considerable deficit.
Transit experts point to two major problems in the line's operation: lack of traffic signal priority, and an inefficient passenger boarding system. While the line was designed to allow streetcars to have priority at all signalized intersections (which would essentially eliminate the requirement to wait for any red lights), the City of Toronto's Traffic Services department has refused to turn the system on, fearing that it will cause too much inconvenience for motorists. With the current non-priority system, streetcars are usually forced to wait for left-turning and through traffic, only to proceed and stop at the other side of the intersection, where most of the passenger platforms are located; the experts claim that this feature alone significantly increases travel times on the line. Critics also claim that the TTC's policy of only boarding passengers at the front doors forces streetcars to wait at least twice as long at each stop, particularly during rush hour. Instead of the current pay-as-you-enter system, many independent transit experts have called for a "proof of payment" system such as exists on the 501 Queen streetcar, where passengers with transit passes or transfers can board at the rear doors without presenting their pass to an operator. During the trip, passengers are subject to random fare inspections, where proof of payment (hence the name) must be presented, with fines levied on those who do not comply. Independent transit planners point to the success of such systems in most of Europe, but see much resistance from TTC planners, who are worried about the financial implications of fare evasion. Still, the TTC has taken some steps to improve boarding, such as placing inspectors at the busiest stops to allow those with passes to board at the rear doors.
Despite its political image as a ‘modern, rapid transit’ streetcar line, the 604 Harbourfront route was originally operated using rebuilt PCC streetcars, but these were soon replaced by Toronto's CLRV streetcars, which form the majority of the city's current fleet. There are calls for the TTC to operate ALRV (articulated, or double-car) streetcars on the line, but that is seen as being highly unlikely due to a shortage of such vehicles. The TTC's 2007-2010 capital programme contains funding provisions for the purchase of all-new light rail vehicles, such as the Bombardier Flexity; the purchase of 204 such vehicles has been approved by the commission, and deliveries are set to begin in 2011. For more information about Toronto's streetcars, see the main article Toronto Streetcar System.
Because of the amount of shared track, the Toronto Transit Commission group the 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina routes together for accounting and measurement purposes.
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[edit] Route
[edit] Shared line
Most stops along the 509 and 510 routes are surface stops with islands separating the regular traffic with the streetcar tracks. Streetcars enter underground subway stations at Union and Spadina TTC stations, and a dedicated underground streetcar station at Queen's Quay-Ferry Docks.
- Union - interchange with the Yonge-University-Spadina line, and with VIA Rail and GO Transit via the above-ground Union Station
- Queen's Quay-Ferry Docks - an underground station with stairs to the surface
- York Street at Queen's Quay West
- Lower Simcoe Street at Queen's Quay West
- Rees Street at Queen's Quay West
- Lower Spadina Avenue at Queen's Quay West - a loop allows cars to wait
[edit] 509 Harbourfront
- Dan Leckie Way at Queen's Quay West
- Bathurst Street at Queen's Quay West
- Fleet Street at Bathurst Street
- Stadium Road at Fleet Street
- HMCS York at Fleet Street between Stadium Road and Fort York Boulevard
- Fort York Boulevard at Fleet Street
- Exhibition Loop near Exhibition GO Station between the Horse Palace and Ricoh Coliseum
[edit] 510 Spadina
Unlike the stops on the old Harbourfront route, most of the Spadina stops have streetcar traffic signals, partial shelters, and railings to protect patrons from the traffic.
- Bremner Blvd at Spadina Avenue
- Front Street at Spadina Avenue
- King Street at Spadina Avenue - southbound 510 Spadina cars can short-turn and loop here
- Richmond Street at Spadina Avenue
- Queen Street at Spadina Avenue
- Chinatown Centre - Sullivan Street at Spadina Avenue
- Dundas Street at Spadina Avenue
- Nassau Street at Spadina Avenue
- College Street at Spadina Avenue
- Willcocks Street at Spadina Avenue
- Harbord Street at Spadina Avenue
- Sussex Avenue at Spadina Avenue
- Spadina - an underground station and interchange with the Bloor-Danforth line
[edit] Stops
Stops along 510 consists of a raised concrete platform with a partially covered shelter and railings along the entire boarding area.
All but three stops are above ground on the entire line.
[edit] References
- Trains and Streetcars
- Route 510 - Spadina Streetcar (Transit Toronto)
