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Carlton Streetcars Now On Route

From TT contributor Christopher Livett:

“Well, streetcars have returned to College/Carlton, but street work still has a way to go and crews seem to be hard at work to complete the job. Between University and Bay, for example, auto traffic is allowed westbound, but it is ‘streetcar only’ eastbound. The eastbound curb lane is completely missing, meaning a foot-or-more drop down from the edge of the streetcar/concrete lane, with construction crews hard at work at completing the job. Certainly no place for private traffic, but not a problem for the streetcar as long as it sticks to its tracks. This creates an interesting question; at University Ave, how do you let the streetcars through, but ensure that no private traffic enters? Well, you get a guy in a 10 ton backhoe to guard the entrance!

“Leading up to the intersection are no fewer than THREE “ROAD CLOSED, TTC STREETCARS EXCEPTED” signs, coupled with several no-through- traffic restriction signs. But do you think people notice them? Of course not. What they DO notice is the backhoe in the sole eastbound lane, on the east side of the intersection, blocking the way. Whenever a streetcar approaches, the backhoe pulls out of the way, letting the streetcar through, then zips right back into place again. Good luck to all the cars trying to get through, but he ain’t moving anywhere unless he wants to. Sure thing, a taxi decides that he wants to heard down College Street eastbound, swerving into the westbound lane to zip around the backhoe. The gigantic backhoe quickly charged toward the taxi, putting a quick end to those plans (hmm, taxi vs. backhoe. Not much of a fight).

“Well, that’s ONE way to create a private ROW for the streetcars.
Certainly entertaining to watch� ‘whaddya mean the lousy streetcar can drive down that street but I can’t?!?’”

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