My Secret Passion...
More and more I realize I may have a problem. I've got an addiction that can't be curbbed. I love the TTC and everything about it. I think it comes from my fear of Peterborough trasit, that when I came to this city, I was overwhelmed at how amazing urban transit can be.
Some Amazing TTC tidbits:
-Younge subway was Canada's first subway
-Toronto is the only North American city that has not abandonned its streetcars for publiic use.
-The TTC uses the same guage track for streetcars as it does for the subway. This is so they can use streetcars in the subway and can store subway cars on the streetcar track (though this only ever happened once)
-There has only ever been 1 major accident resulting in death on the TTC (aside from suicides)
-There have been countless suicides.
-The Bloor St. Viaduct, built in 1925 was orginally designed without the rail tracks beneath the street. But it's designer insisted that they be included, becuase he saw this bridge as the main connection over the Don Valley (which it is). Years later, when they would build the Bloor/Danforth subway, the rails finally got use, and prooved to be a worthwhile investment (the subway may not have been possible, as rebuilding the viaduct would be out of the question)
-Only one bus route does not connect to a subway station. All the rest do.
-For a period of six months when the Bloor/Danforth subway opened, the trains ran interconnected on the green and yellow line. On the Bloor line, every second train ran downtown via University and back up Younge again. That's where the seemingly useless "next train" signs come from. The connection of course still exists today, and if you travel north from Museum, you can see the tracks that break off and go into Lower Bay station, a now unused subway station.
-The Bloor subway was originally supposed to be on Queen St., but city planners saw development extending north, and decided that Bloor St. would be a better choice.
-Eglinton station is the only station where you can still see the original tiles used on the first subway line.
-There is actually a pattern to the Bloor Subway line colour scheme. Try and guess it! (Hint: Bay is the centre... go outwards from there)
-Toronto is one of the only cities in the world who is still looking into subway building. Many cities now opt for a cheaper Light Rail transit. But as the TTC has stated: "The subway is the spine of a transit network, with Light Rail acting as the ribs."
-Some subway lines we may see in the future:
-Spadina extension to York U and Steeles (this one is deffinite, as they have already drawn up the plans and done the assesment)
-Eglinton West (this one actually started consturction till the Harris Government pulled out. A 'cave' of a station exists beneath Eglinton West station)
-Sheppard extension to the the Scarborough RT and west to Downsview (this one should have been done a while ago)
-Downtown relief line (a much larger U loop going from the Danforth down wround to Union and up again near the other end of the Bloor Line)
Check out Transit Toronto for more tidbits like this.
Some Amazing TTC tidbits:
-Younge subway was Canada's first subway
-Toronto is the only North American city that has not abandonned its streetcars for publiic use.
-The TTC uses the same guage track for streetcars as it does for the subway. This is so they can use streetcars in the subway and can store subway cars on the streetcar track (though this only ever happened once)
-There has only ever been 1 major accident resulting in death on the TTC (aside from suicides)
-There have been countless suicides.
-The Bloor St. Viaduct, built in 1925 was orginally designed without the rail tracks beneath the street. But it's designer insisted that they be included, becuase he saw this bridge as the main connection over the Don Valley (which it is). Years later, when they would build the Bloor/Danforth subway, the rails finally got use, and prooved to be a worthwhile investment (the subway may not have been possible, as rebuilding the viaduct would be out of the question)
-Only one bus route does not connect to a subway station. All the rest do.
-For a period of six months when the Bloor/Danforth subway opened, the trains ran interconnected on the green and yellow line. On the Bloor line, every second train ran downtown via University and back up Younge again. That's where the seemingly useless "next train" signs come from. The connection of course still exists today, and if you travel north from Museum, you can see the tracks that break off and go into Lower Bay station, a now unused subway station.
-The Bloor subway was originally supposed to be on Queen St., but city planners saw development extending north, and decided that Bloor St. would be a better choice.
-Eglinton station is the only station where you can still see the original tiles used on the first subway line.
-There is actually a pattern to the Bloor Subway line colour scheme. Try and guess it! (Hint: Bay is the centre... go outwards from there)
-Toronto is one of the only cities in the world who is still looking into subway building. Many cities now opt for a cheaper Light Rail transit. But as the TTC has stated: "The subway is the spine of a transit network, with Light Rail acting as the ribs."
-Some subway lines we may see in the future:
-Spadina extension to York U and Steeles (this one is deffinite, as they have already drawn up the plans and done the assesment)
-Eglinton West (this one actually started consturction till the Harris Government pulled out. A 'cave' of a station exists beneath Eglinton West station)
-Sheppard extension to the the Scarborough RT and west to Downsview (this one should have been done a while ago)
-Downtown relief line (a much larger U loop going from the Danforth down wround to Union and up again near the other end of the Bloor Line)
Check out Transit Toronto for more tidbits like this.
posted by Barron C @ 12:20 a.m.
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