Several streetcar stops in the Beach area, including ones along Gerrard Street East, Kingston Road, and Queen Street East, have been relocated as part of the TTC’s regular review process.
In an email, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green confirmed the changes took place over the weekend of Saturday, May 12.
He said that the transit commission reviews the location of stops “all the time” in an effort to maintain reliable and predictable street service.
“Our standard is that stops be in the range of 300–400 metres apart. That allows for good flow while being convenient for customers,” he explained in the email.
Most of the changes occurred on Queen Street East. The TTC created a new westbound stop at Beach Avenue, switched the eastbound stop at MacLean to the Glen Manor Drive signals, relocated the westbound Spruce Hill Road stop to the Beech Avenue signals, and nixed the eastbound Scarborough Beach Boulevard stop in favour of one at Glen Manor Drive.
Also on Queen Street East, the TTC said via a notice on its website that “the eastbound and westbound stops at both Lee Avenue and Waverley Road will be removed and consolidated to a new eastbound and westbound stop at Bellefair Avenue, given the close proximity of adjacent stops and availability of crossing protection.”
The Queen Street East eastbound stop at Kippendavie got replaced with one at the Elmer Avenue signal, while the eastbound Laing Street stop has been pushed to west of the pedestrian crosswalk at Alton Avenue.
Rounding out the Queen Street changes, eastbound stops at Connaught and Woodward Avenues and westbound stops at Kent Road and Connaught have been reduced to stops both ways at the Woodfield Road crosswalk.
On Gerrard Street, the TTC has moved the westbound Highfield Road Stop to the pedestrian crosswalk at Woodfield Road.
The westbound Kingston Road stop that was to the west of Woodbine Avenue has been moved east of the avenue.
The TTC also combined the two westbound stops at Malvern Avenue and Walter Street, respectively, into a new one at the Glen Manor Drive signal.
Ahead of the changes, the TTC said transit staff met with Ward 32 Coun. Mary-Margaret McMahon’s office. Notices were placed on poles to inform transit riders of the forthcoming changes three weeks before they were made.
However, there was a delay in giving notice online, and it was related to the retirement of a TTC employee, Green explained.
“We have identified and corrected a gap with respect to notification that should have been on our website and communicated to our customers,” said Green in the statement.
“We apologize for that oversight and are making sure it doesn’t happen again in September when we post another group of stop changes,” he added.
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