Tag Archives: Streetcars

A farewell to Toronto’s CLRV streetcars

Posted on December 29, 2019 by

The CLRV streetcars were the first transit vehicles I remember riding. Though the new streetcars are larger, fully accessible, and air conditioned, I will miss the CLRVs. Continue reading →

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Goin’ to Kansas City

Posted on December 9, 2019 by

Kansas City might not be at the top of many urbanists’ travel lists, it has a wonderfully restored Union Station, one of America’s few useful streetcar lines, and the world’s first shopping plaza. It’s worth a visit. Continue reading →

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A departure from TTC wayfinding improvements

Posted on September 18, 2019 by

Despite many recent improvements to TTC design and wayfinding standards, two recent changes miss the mark. Continue reading →

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How TIFF lost the plot

Posted on September 13, 2019 by

504 King Streetcar diverting onto Spadina on Thursday, September 5 For the sixth year in a row, King Street between University and Spadina Avenues was closed for four straight days. This closure was for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) … Continue reading →

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The last run of the Rogers Road Streetcar

Posted on July 19, 2019 by

Westbound Rogers Road Streetcar at Old Weston Road, 1972. Photograph from Toronto Archives – Fonds 1526, File 72, Item 61 Forty-five years ago today, on Friday, July 19, 1974, the Rogers Road Streetcar made its last run. The route ran … Continue reading →

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The streetcars of Hiroshima: a symbol of resilience

Posted on April 26, 2019 by

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-Bomb Dome), with modern Hiroshima rising beyond. Despite its fame, there’s so much more to the city than the memorials. My wife and I recently came back from an 18-day trip to Japan. It was my … Continue reading →

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The story of Toronto’s streetcar “bull’s eyes”

Posted on March 20, 2019 by

Replica of Toronto Railway Company streetcar #327 operates at the Halton County Radial Railway museum, with the unique glass bulbs visible below the metal “Belt Line” sign. Photo taken June 2012 In 1891, the Toronto Railway Company (TRC) was created, … Continue reading →

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The streetcar returns to Detroit – but who benefits?

Posted on August 17, 2017 by

After sixty-one years, streetcars have returned to Detroit’s famed Woodward Avenue. But without integration with other transit systems, its usefulness is limited. Continue reading →

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Mapping Toronto’s street railways in the TTC era (1921-2016)

Posted on January 11, 2017 by

Yonge Street at St. Clair Avenue, 1922. The TTC was busy in its first few years joining together the various street railway systems together and expanding services. Here, work is underway to extend city streetcar service to Glen Echo Loop … Continue reading →

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Mapping Toronto’s streetcar network: The age of electric – 1891 to 1921

Posted on December 15, 2016 by

TRC streetcars on Queen Street, c. 1910. Note the old TSR horsecars used as trailers behind the electric cars. City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 722, Item 18 This post continues from The Horsecar Era: 1861 to 1891  In … Continue reading →

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