Toronto is ridiculously stupid

[Main_Brain]

Time to Ninja a Pic of the Toronto Tower in

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher
Ever rode a bike near one? Ever driven a car after a fresh snowfall on a street with streetcar tracks? You get stuck in a "nut" and when you get out of it you're sliding into other lanes...

I was born and raised in Toronto, buddy boy, so yes I have walked, ridden bikes and driven all kinds of cars on streets with tracks. Never had a problem.

And no I never got stuck in a "nut," whatever that is.

And don't take this the wrong way, but if the streetcar tracks are causing you such a big problem, maybe you shouldn't walk or ride you bike on them. Look down and step over them. Steer your bike or car so that your tires aren't on the track.

I really can't see why the tracks are such a big issue for you.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai
And don't take this the wrong way, but if the streetcar tracks are causing you such a big problem, maybe you shouldn't walk or ride you bike on them. Look down and step over them. Steer your bike or car so that your tires aren't on the track.

I really can't see why the tracks are such a big issue for you.

For me, personally, they are not. But I cross Spadina several times daily by foot, and on numerous occasions, particularly in inclimate weather, I have seen old people (there are lots of old asian people around here due to the Chinatown markets) trip over them and drop their bags and/or fall. Also, many of these people have little shopping carts which get stuck in the tracks.

Why are you so insensitive to other people's concerns and disabilities? Don't tell me, you're the kind of person who sits in the "priority seating only" seats on the streetcars and busses...

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai
A regular streetcar is 55 feet compared to 40 feet or less for a regular bus (the old doubledeckers in London were 30 feet long).

Tingkai, think. These restrictions are not written in stone.

With streetcars, you can have create a train. The same can't be said of buses.

Trains cannot not be created and are not possible with Toronto's streetcars. Such a thing would be immensely stupid given the congestion and traffic lights, the small size of the bus stops, the fact that you need to give a fair when you get on (eg, 1 entrance...), etc.

As for the cost, yes, initial startup is expensive, but that's not a factor with tracks already in place.

It certainly is when those tracks are unique in the world requiring extensive modification for all cars...

Toronto should also build an LRT line to the airport, just like Vancouver is doing.

Toronto has crap urban planning, which is why that's never happened and will likely never happen.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher
Tingkai, think. These restrictions are not written in stone.

Asher: Did you read what I wrote before? The length of buses are constrained by the turning radius. Once a vehicle gets over 40 feet in length, it has problems turning street corners.

Why do you think they create articulated buses?

It's no coincidence that the standard shipping containers, (the trailer part of tractor-trailers) are 40 feet long. Any long would cause problems.

So, the restrictions are exactly that.

Originally posted by Asher
Trains cannot not be created and are not possible with Toronto's streetcars.

Asher, it was an example. Go to Vienna and you'll see triple length streetcars.

And yes, given the streets of Toronto, a double length is adequate.

But for dedicated lines like St. Clair, Spadina and Harbourfront, larger streetcars could be used.

Originally posted by Asher
It certainly is when those tracks are unique in the world requiring extensive modification for all cars...

The tracks were laid over 100 years ago when that was a common width for streetcars.

Do I really need to tell you the replacing the lines and buying a new fleet would be extremely difficult to do mainly because of the cost of installing new lines. It simply cheaper to continue buying new modified streetcars, once every 30 to 40 years.

It is not a question of urban planning, but rather basic economic.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai
Asher: Did you read what I wrote before? The length of buses are constrained by the turning radius. Once a vehicle gets over 40 feet in length, it has problems turning street corners.

Did you read what I wrote? Look at the sharp turns the streetcars need to take in Toronto. They're no different than the corners the busses have to take. If you think about it...streetcars turn the same corners as busses...

And yes, given the streets of Toronto, a double length is adequate.

But for dedicated lines like St. Clair, Spadina and Harbourfront, larger streetcars could be used.

Double streetcars cannot even be used in Spadina...you've no idea what you're talking about.

The tracks were laid over 100 years ago when that was a common width for streetcars.

This is untrue, it was never a standard used by anyone else.

It is not a question of urban planning, but rather basic economic.

Yeah, location of the airport and how people get to it has nothing to do with urban planning...

[Asher]

.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai
Asher: Did you read what I wrote before? The length of buses are constrained by the turning radius.

blahblahblahblah

This bus is 81 feet long, Tingkai...

[Asher]

Volvo makes a bi-articulated bus that holds 270 people.

Again, Tingkai, when we get down to it the only real difference between the Toronto streetcars and electric busses is the streetcars are way more expensive and cannot leave their track.

You're spewing nonsense.

[Flubber]

This thread makes me think it is a good idea to live close enough so I can walk to work . . .


eerrrppp--- holy downtown housing prices batman!!

[Asher]

Did you guys know about 6-7 people love Toronto so much they jump infront of the TTC subway each month?

The reason why they haven't adapted added plexiglass protectors at the entrance to station (the "jump point")? $6M is too much to spend to outfit all the stations with it.

So instead they spent $1.5B on new streetcars.

Everyone rolls their eyes each time they mention that a "serious medical emergency" has stopped all train traffic...the TTC has a publication ban on subway suicides..

[Kuciwalker]

This is rather pathetic.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
This is rather pathetic.

Kuci, virtually everybody on this planet but you can make such an observation.

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Flubber
This thread makes me think it is a good idea to live close enough so I can walk to work . . .


eerrrppp--- holy downtown housing prices batman!!

Like me!

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher
Did you guys know about 6-7 people love Toronto so much they jump infront of the TTC subway each month?

The reason why they haven't adapted added plexiglass protectors at the entrance to station (the "jump point")? $6M is too much to spend to outfit all the stations with it.

So instead they spent $1.5B on new streetcars.

Asher-- It is impossible to suicide prrof the outside. If someone wants to die, they will succeed


Also although I am no fan of Toronto, your suicide numbers are meaninless unless you have corresponding numbers ( adjusted for population) for cities you see as better