Trolley buses a solution to TTC's streetcar problems

Trolley Bus in Vancouver. Photo by Steve Morgan via Wikipedia

The Red Rocket streetcars are an icon of Toronto. Clanging their way through the downtown on one of the world's oldest and largest networks. The city just wouldn't be the same without them.

However, they're not without their problems.

When the system was built, it was on roads that handled far less vehicular traffic than they do today. 

Each time streetcars stop, they take out two full lanes to drop off passengers. That's not to mention how dangerous it is dumping riders off into a live lane of traffic. They don't have flashing lights or signs like a school bus does. 

The streetcars are also a nightmare to dispatch. That's why they're often delayed, or you see them travelling in packs. Since they're tied down to rails, if one's behind, it creates a huge bottleneck. Other streetcars can't just overtake it. So the whole system gets bogged down.

Whenever the rails have to be maintained, it means streets get dug up, snarling traffic.

Finally, as we saw this week, the ageing vehicles don't handle the city's harsh weather all that well. Frozen break lines took twenty out of service, forcing the TTC to resort to shuttle buses. 

Dedicated light rail lines have been proposed as one solution to this issue. However, these still take out an entire lane of traffic. Their drawn construction process can also reek havoc on local economies.

The streetcars may be iconic but they're no longer practical. What if there was an easy and cheap solution to the problem?

There is: the trolley bus.

A trolley bus is a hybrid between a bus and a streetcar. It looks like a regular bus, but gets its power from overhead lines. The same ones that currently power the TTC's streetcars.

Vintage TTC trolley bus, circa 1987. Photo by Steve Morgan, via Wikipedia

They run on electricity, so they're still an emissions free vehicle. Yet they're not tied down to rails. Meaning they can change lanes, and drop passengers safely off at the curb. Since they run on regular rubber tires, they're not only quieter but could significantly cut down on maintenance costs. There's no tracks to repair or replace. No digging to disrupt traffic either. 

Of course you still have the dispatching issues, since buses can't switch wires easily (yet), but it does solve several major problems associated with the streetcars. 

In fact, it's so brilliant the TTC actually has used them in the past. They've been a big success in other Canadian cities as well, such as Vancouver. So why'd they stop? Who knows, but it's definitely time they made a comeback.