Queen Street Streetcar Service Petition (501-Neville Park)

PETITION TO the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC):

WHEREAS the TTC posts a schedule on the 501 Queen Streetcar line, listing service delivery at the frequency of every 6 minutes. The TTC routinely does not perform service as scheduled to Beach Residents, thereby making the service on the Queen Street 501 Streetcar an inefficient method of transportation for Beach Residents, including the elderly and handicapped, staff of local businesses and for those wishing to use the services of these businesses, or to or visit the Beach, to travel westbound out of the Beach, or eastbound into the Beach, and forcing people to take cabs or drive, when they’ve already paid a fare and/or invested in a monthly Metropass.

Transit service delivery is only as good as its weakest link, people will take the transit only when it is reliable & efficient. In particular, east of Kingston Road is underserviced by the 501.

At minimum 50% of Neville Park streetcars are short-turned before getting to the Beach, without any traffic irregularities occurring on the route, leaving service delivery, at less than every 12 minutes (at the very best), while the line according to TTC Customer Service is supposed to be achieving “frequent service of under 10 minutes”. On a regular basis there are no streetcars for 12-45 minutes at a stretch, and then two to four streetcars coming out of the loop back to back due to “schedule management” forcing breaks to be taken by drivers at the loop, and then making up the time elsewhere on the route.

Route Management must also consider that Beach Residents require the 501 streetcar for travel within the Beach for appointments, and shopping. Making up time on the downtown route, and denying service to the Beach via excessive short-turning is completely unfair to residents of the Beach, especially those who have limited mobility.

TTC’s services are based on equal access for all citizens, to get around the city, in and out of the core, and around their neighborhoods safely and efficiently, according to a posted schedule: the Beach area seems to be under-serviced, and neglected, against the backdrop of keeping the service on schedule in the downtown core; despite paying the same fares, and fees for services as the downtown core.

This level of service is entirely unacceptable to the residents, business people and visitors to the Beach. Limited parking in the Beach, makes the service delivery in the Beach for residents and visitors to the area, that much more important. Regardless of whether or not one takes transit, poor quality service along this portion of the route, leads to more cars on the road, greater congestion, more smog, and inefficiency along the rest of the route and connecting surface routes.

All TTC passengers, especially Metropass holders require and deserve equitable access to the most effective transportation to and from work, appointments, and social engagements, and all citizens should be able to benefit from the Transit System since it is primarily financed by fares.

TTC is built with our tax dollars, and in part operated with tax dollars, on terms that are equitable and fair, with no barriers to access, and with a goal of reducing traffic in the downtown core and improving our environment in keeping with Toronto's Clean Air Policy.