When they're running smoothly, TTC streetcars make getting around the city so easy.
Toronto is the streetcar capital of North America with 11 routes moving more than 250,000 passengers every day. Over the years, the TTC has gone through quite the transformation with plenty of new subway stations and lines being built in recent years. But, one transformation people don't often think about is that of the streetcar network.
READ: Believe It Or Not, The TTC Is Canada’s Best Public Transit System
Redditor fiftythreestudio is trying to change that by posting a before and after of the TTC streetcar system. The animation compares the 1932 streetcar system to the 2018 system, and boy does it look different.
I made an animation comparing the 1932 streetcar system to the 2018 streetcar system. from r/toronto
With time you'd expect growth, but there are actually fewer lines now than there were in 1932. While getting rid of lines like Yonge and Bloor make sense with the installation of the subway, we can't help but wonder why some of the others had to go.
READ: TTC Subway Closures: 5 Stations Closing Early (Mar. 10-13)
Just last month, the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario signed terms of reference for the official upload of part of the TTC to the provincial government.
“Necessary maintenance and investment in the subway system has been put off for too long,” Premier Doug Ford said at the time. “We’ve also been waiting far too long for subway expansions. New subway construction has been stuck in red tape, for years. It’s time to take action and speed things up.”
According to the nine-page terms of reference document, the province will be responsible for ownership, infrastructure and maintenance of the TTC.
