Item - 2017.PW22.9

Speaker Nunziata on October 2, 2017 during the review of the Order Paper, ruled Item PW22.9 redundant as the City Clerk had been advised by the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Transit Commission that streetcar service has already resumed on Queen Street.

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council request the Toronto Transit Commission, upon completion of the construction projects that have resulted in the removal of the 501 Queen Streetcar route from service for Summer 2017, to defer reintroduction of streetcar service for a period of two weeks, to permit the collection of data for the comparison study.

2.  City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services, in consultation with the Toronto Police Service and the Toronto Transit Commission, to conduct a comparison study of the efficacy of streetcar service versus bus service on Queen Street, specifically looking at:

a.  Schedule reliability of transit vehicles

b.  Delays to other users of the road

c.  Collisions at transit stops involving transit vehicles and cars, pedestrians, or cyclists

d.  Collisions at transit stops between cars, pedestrians and cyclists not including transit vehicles

e.  Ridership satisfaction

f.  Fleet maintenance costs

g. Fleet operator and operation costs

h. Incidences of driver assault

i.  Incidences of passenger disputes

j.  Traffic volumes in peak period and off-peak periods

using bus data collected during the two week delayed streetcar re-implementation period, followed by the subsequent two weeks once they have been re-implemented, in order to get a clear and direct comparison during non-construction periods, and report back to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee in the first quarter of 2018.

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee:

1.  Requested the General Manager, Transportation Services to report directly to City Council with additional information on the information requested in Councillor Ford's recommendations.

In light of the decision to remove streetcars from Queen Street during the upcoming summer months, I believe this is a unique opportunity to determine the general efficiency of this mode of transit, and plan based on the needs of those serviced by this route.

Over many years we have heard arguments of streetcars or buses being a better option on Toronto's streets, but much of this information is anecdotal.  We need to know what is truly best for our City, our residents, and our visitors.

While many people recognize the inherent challenges of streetcar travel, namely general mobility and weather related issues, there are also benefits, such as the ability to transport more passengers than buses and lower vehicle emissions.

Once the various projects that are requiring removing streetcars from Queen Street are completed, we should temporarily defer reintroduction of streetcar service for a brief period of time.  This would to allow a wholesome study of public transportation on this corridor, to determine which mode of transportation offers better service given the unique qualities of Toronto and Queen Street.