501 Queen

501 Queen (301 Queen during overnight periods) is an east–west streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).[3] At 24.8 kilometres (15.4 mi), it is one of the longest surface routes operated by the TTC, the longest streetcar route operating in Canada and one of the longest streetcar routes operating in the world.[4] It stretches from Long Branch Loop (just west of Browns Line, adjacent to Long Branch GO Station) in the west to Neville Park Loop (just west of Victoria Park Avenue) in the east, running on Lake Shore Boulevard, in a reserved right-of-way at the median of the Queensway, and on Queen Street.

Not to be confused with 501 Züm Queen.
501 Queen
Westbound 501 Queen streetcar at Queen and University
Overview
LocaleToronto, Ontario
TerminiNeville Park Loop (east)
Long Branch Loop (west)
Stations Queen, Osgoode
Daily ridership52,200 (2014, weekdays)[1]
Operation
Operator(s)Toronto Transit Commission
Depot(s)Roncesvalles Carhouse
Russell Carhouse[2]
Rolling stockFlexity Outlook
Technical
Line length501/301: 24.65 km (15.32 mi)
501A: 16.86 km (10.48 mi)
501L: 7.87 km (4.89 mi)[2]
Track gauge4 ft 10 7⁄8 in (1,495 mm)
Electrification600 V DC overhead
Route number501 (301 overnight)
Route map

 Transfer stop
 Intermediate stop
 Carhouse
 Route:
Connection  00  Terminus  00 
Long Branch GO Station
Long Branch Loop
 110A/110B 
MiWay:  5/5B   23 
 ↓ Browns Line/39th Street ↑
 110A   123 
 37th Street
 Long Branch Avenue
 ↓ 31st Street/30th Street ↑
 ↓ 28th Street/29th Street ↑
 ↓ 27th Street/26th Street ↑
 22nd Street
 Kipling Avenue
Kipling Loop
 44 
 15th Street
 13th Street
 10th Street
 Islington Avenue (7th Street)
 110 
 5th Street
 3rd Street
 1st Street
 Royal York Road
 76 
 ↓ Miles Road/Symons Street ↑
 Douglas Boulevard
 ↓ Norris Crescent/Hillside Avenue ↑
 Mimico Avenue
 76 
 Superior Avenue
 Burlington Street
 Louisa Street
 Legion Road
 ↓ Marine Parade Drive/Park Lawn Road ↑
 66B   145 
 2155 Lake Shore Boulevard West
 2111 Lake Shore Boulevard West
Lake Shore Boulevard
Private Right-of-Way
Gardiner Expressway
Metrolinx Oakville Subdivision
 Humber Loop
 66A 
The Queensway
PRW
The Queensway
Humber River
 South Kingsway
 Windermere Avenue
 77 
 Ellis Avenue
 Colborne Lodge Drive
 Parkside Drive
 80 
 Glendale Avenue
Sunnyside Loop
The Queensway
Queen Street West
 Roncesvalles Carhouse
 Roncesvalles Avenue
to Dundas West Station
 504 
 King Street West
504 to downtown
 Triller Avenue
 ↓ Beaty Avenue/Sorauren Avenue ↑
 ↓ Jameson Avenue/Lansdowne Avenue ↑
 47 
 ↓ Dunn Avenue/O'Hara Avenue ↑
 Brock Avenue
 Dufferin Street
 29   929 
Metrolinx Galt Subdivision & Weston Subdivision
 Gladstone Avenue
 ↓ Abell Street/Beaconsfield Avenue ↑
 Dovercourt Road
 Ossington Avenue
 63 
 Shaw Street
 63 
 Strachan Avenue
 ↓ Niagara Street/Claremont Street ↑
 ↓ Tecumseth Street/Palmerston Avenue ↑
 Bathurst Street
511 to
← Exhibition
Bathurst Station →
 145   511 
 Augusta Avenue
 Spadina Avenue
510 to
← Union Station
Spadina Station →
 510 
 ↓ Peter Street/Soho Street ↑
 John Street
 McCaul Street
502 to McCaul Loop
 502 
 St. Patrick Street
 University Avenue
- Osgoode Station
 142 
 York Street
 Bay Street
 6   6A 
 Yonge Street
- Queen Station
 97B 
 Victoria Street
 Church Street
 Jarvis Street
 Sherbourne Street
 75 
 Ontario Street
 Parliament Street
 65 
 Sackville Street
 Sumach Street
 River Street
 King Street East
503 & 504 to downtown
Metrolinx Bala Subdivision
Don River
Don Valley Parkway
 Carroll Street
 Broadview Avenue
504 to Broadview Station
 504 
 Boulton Avenue ↑
Metrolinx Kingston Subdivision
 Empire Avenue
 Logan Avenue
 Carlaw Avenue
 72 
 Pape Avenue
 72A 
 ↓ Caroline Avenue/Brooklyn Avenue ↑
 Jones Avenue
 83 
 Leslie Street
 ↓ Laing Street/Alton Avenue ↑
 Greenwood Avenue
 31 
 Russell Carhouse
Connaught Avenue
 Woodfield Road
 Coxwell Avenue
 22 
 ↓ Eastern Avenue/Kingston Road ↑
 22A   502   503 
 Woodbine Loop
Kingston Road 502 & 503 to Bingham Loop
 ↓ Sarah Ashbridge Avenue/Lockwood Road ↑
 Woodbine Avenue
 92 
 ↓ Kippendavie Avenue/Elmer Avenue ↑
 Bellefair Ave
 Wineva Avenue
 64 
 Glen Manor Drive
 MacLean Avenue
 Spruce Hill Road
 Beech Avenue
 Silver Birch Avenue
 Neville Park Boulevard
 Neville Loop
 143 

History

In 1875, the Kingston Road Tramway operated a horsecar service along what would become today's Queen Street East. This line was abandoned in the mid 1880s, at about which time the Toronto Street Railway extended its King horsecar line onto Queen Street East to Lee Avenue in The Beaches district. In 1893, the Toronto Railway Company electrified the line. In 1921, the TTC took over streetcar service.[5]

From 1923 to 1928, the Beach streetcar line ran along Queen Street from Neville Park Boulevard to the Humber River similar to today's 501 Queen. At about this time, there was also a route named "Queen", but it ran along Kingston Road to McCaul and Queen streets much like today's 502 Downtowner.[5]

From 1928 to 1937, service to the eastern and western ends of Queen Street was handled by separate routes. Thus, one would need to transfer streetcars in the downtown area to travel the full length of Queen Street.[5][6]

On August 2, 1937, a new Queen route served all of Queen Street between Neville Park Loop and Parkside Loop.[5] (The Parkside Loop was located at the northeast corner of Lakeshore Boulevard and Parkside Drive, south of the rail corridor, which was crossed by a bridge.[7]) East of Roncesvalles Avenue, the Queen route resembled today's 501 Queen.[8]

By 1954, when the Yonge subway (today part of Line 1 Yonge–University) opened, an underground streetcar station was partially built at Queen station to eventually allow streetcars to cross under the subway tracks. The plan was to put the Queen streetcar line in a tunnel under Queen Street between Logan Avenue and Trinity Park. However, because of changing ridership patterns, the plan was dropped in favour of east-west subway line along Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue (today's Line 2 Bloor–Danforth). Today, Lower Queen remains a ghost station.[9]

In 1957, to accommodate construction of the Gardiner Expressway, the streetcar tracks were removed from Lake Shore Boulevard between Roncesvalles Avenue and the Humber River, and the bridge crossing the rail corridor was demolished. As a replacement, a new private right-of-way was built along the Queensway from the Sunnyside Loop to the Humber Loop. At the Humber Loop, passengers could transfer to the Long Branch streetcar which shuttled between the Humber and Long Branch loops.[5][10]

Between 1967 and early 1977, two-car multiple-unit PCC trains served the Queen streetcar route.[5]

On March 26, 1995, the 507 Long Branch route was replaced by a westward extension of the 501 Queen route. At this point, 501 Queen was at its maximum and present-day length.[5][11]

In 2013, the TTC considered setting up a transit mall on the downtown portion of either Queen or King Street. TTC CEO Andy Byford wanted a car-free corridor along one of the city's two busiest streetcar lines (either 501 Queen or 504 King) to prevent bunching, gaps and service delays. Byford would ban general automobile traffic along the streetcar corridor but allow cyclists, taxicabs and delivery trucks. Byford preferred King Street for the transit mall because of recent condominium development along that street. There were similar proposals for a transit mall in 2001 and 2007.[12] Ultimately, the King Street Transit Priority Corridor was established in late 2017.

In January 2017, construction began for approximately 15 months on various projects west of Roncesvalles Avenue, including rebuilding the bridge over the Humber River carrying streetcar tracks.[13] Other work included replacing track and overhead along portions of The Queensway and Lake Shore Boulevard as well as at the Humber Loop. Also at the Humber Loop, a new substation was built, platforms were made accessible to accommodate Flexity streetcars and a siding on the west-to-east loop was modified.[14][15][16] In April 2018, streetcar operations resumed between Sunnyside Loop and Humber Loop.[17][18] Streetcar service between Humber Loop and Long Branch Loop resumed in June 2018.[19]

From May to September 2017, all streetcar service over the entire 501 Queen route was replaced by buses to permit multiple construction projects along Queen Street, including the replacement of an overhead pedestrian walkway at the Eaton Centre, which required overhead wires to be removed. According to TTC spokesperson, it would take 65 buses to replace the 50 streetcars then operating east of the Sunnyside Loop.[13]

Rolling stock
ALRVs once provided base service on 501 Queen (photo at Maclean Ave)

Route 501 Queen was once served mainly by Articulated Light Rail Vehicles (ALRVs) and occasionally supplemented with some of the shorter Canadian Light Rail Vehicles (CLRVs).[20] However, by 2018, the route was mainly served by CLRVs.[21] This was due to the declining reliability and accelerated retirement of the ALRV fleet.[22]

Flexity Outlook streetcars were introduced on the 501 Queen route in phases; weekend service using the Flexity vehicles along the route began in September 2018[23] and moved to full-time on January 6, 2019. The TTC had to address rush-hour crowding due to the accelerated retirement of the ALRV fleet, the last of which made their final voyages on September 2, 2019.[24][25]

By June 23, 2019, the main portion of the route (along Queen Street and The Queensway between Humber Loop and Neville Park Loop) was the first to be fully served by accessible Flexity Outlook streetcars; the southwest portion of the route (along Lake Shore Boulevard between Humber and Long Branch Loop) followed suit on September 1, 2019.[26][27]

507 Long Branch
See also: 508 Lake Shore
PCC on the Long Branch route at Long Branch Loop in 1966

Route 507 Long Branch was a streetcar route that ran along Lake Shore Boulevard West between Humber Loop and Long Branch Loop. Since 1995, the line has been served by the 501 Queen route.[28]

Until September 27, 1928, service along Lake Shore Boulevard west of Humber Loop was provided by the single-track Mimico radial line which continued west to Port Credit. Starting from that date, the TTC replaced the radial track to Long Branch with a double-track streetcar line. On December 8, 1928, the Lake Shore streetcar service (not the same as the later 508 Lake Shore) began operation from downtown Toronto to Long Branch Loop where, until 1937, passengers could transfer to the shortened Port Credit radial line. An extra fare was required to travel from west of Humber Loop to downtown.[28]

On October 28, 1935, the Lake Shore streetcar route was split, and the new Long Branch route was created to run between Long Branch Loop and Roncesvalles Carhouse. In 1958, when a new reserved streetcar right-of-way was opened on the Queensway, the Long Branch route (later called 507 Long Branch) was cut back operating mainly west of Humber Loop.[28]

On January 1, 1973, passengers could transfer between the Long Branch and Queen streetcars at Humber Loop without paying an extra fare.[29]

On September 30, 1979, Long Branch (by now 507 Long Branch) became the first route to employ the then-new CLRV in revenue service.[30] On January 19, 1988, 507 Long Branch was also the first route to employ the ALRV in revenue service.[31]

On March 26, 1995, the TTC merged the 507 Long Branch route into 501 Queen, making one continuous route from Neville Park Loop in the east to Long Branch Loop.[28]

Route splitting

2009 split

By 2007, critics of the TTC's management of this line argue that small delays at one end ripple into 30-40 minute waits at the other. Like route 504, there is much demand at either end of the route, and along the downtown middle stretch. Transit proponents such as Steve Munro have long claimed that Route 501 would be better off if it were split into two or three overlapping segments.[32]

In late 2009, the TTC conducted an experiment of splitting the 501 streetcar route into two overlapping segments, as recommended by critics to alleviate bunching, gaps and short turns when delays occurred.[33][34] During the experiment streetcars from the Neville Park Loop ran west on Queen Street as far as Shaw Street, and from Long Branch Loop or Humber Loop east as far as Parliament Street.[35][36]

In January 2010, the commission received a report analyzing several of the experiments done in 2009 to increase service reliability. It was determined that splitting the route increased short turns by 90%, required more streetcars and resulted in poorer service. The TTC decided to use a route-management system called Step Forward, whereby when an operator goes off duty (break or end of shift), another operator takes over the streetcar instead of the streetcar going out of service along with off-duty operator. According to the TTC, Step Forward reduced short turns in late 2007, from 32.5% to 9.7% in the PM rush hours, and from 13.9% to 4.1% in the AM rush. It also was successful in reducing service gaps according to the TTC. Implementing Step Forward required eight extra operators and two extra supervisors.[37][38]

2016 split

By 2015, passengers were complaining about service on the 501 streetcar. Streetcars would often arrive at irregular intervals, causing unscheduled waits of 20–30 minutes. Streetcars would also do unscheduled short turns at Kingston Road or Roncesvalles Avenue, forcing passengers to exit and wait for the next streetcar. To address these problems and make service more predictable for riders, the TTC again split the 501 Queen route.[39]

On January 3, 2016, the route was split into two sections at Humber Loop. The split is in effect only from 5 am to 10 pm. During the split, service over the entire route operates at intervals of ten minutes or better. The change was also made to provide more frequent service on each segment and to eliminate all but emergency short turns (such as for an accident) on the segment east of Humber Loop. Transfer-free service through Humber Loop was still provided by 3 runs in the morning, in the late evening and overnight. Some riders reported shorter streetcar wait times after the split.[39][40][41]

The split was suspended starting from January 8, 2017,[13] due to construction projects affecting Humber Loop. When streetcar service west of Humber Loop resumed on June 24, 2018, the split was reinstated.[18] Initially, the TTC provided five transfer-free trips during the morning peak period; however, effective September 2, 2018, the TTC temporarily suspended these five runs due to a shortage of streetcars.[42]

Route

From Neville Park Loop, the route proceeds westward in mixed traffic on Queen Street East. At Kingston Road, passengers can transfer to the 502 Downtowner and 503 Kingston Rd streetcars. Further west, Broadview Avenue provides a transfer point to the 504 King streetcars to go along King Street. At Yonge Street, the route passes Queen station on subway Line 1 Yonge–University.

After crossing Yonge Street, the route continues on Queen Street West. At University Avenue, the route passes Osgoode station again on Line 1 Yonge–University. At Spadina Avenue, riders can transfer to 510 Spadina streetcars, and at Bathurst Street, to 511 Bathurst streetcars. The route continues to the western end of Queen Street West at the intersection of King Street West and Roncesvalles Avenue where riders can again transfer to 504 King streetcars.

Beyond Roncesvalles Avenue, Queen Street West flows onto The Queensway, where 501 Queen streetcars run in their own right-of-way until reaching the off-street Humber Loop. Leaving Humber Loop, the line passes through a short streetcar tunnel under a railway corridor and the Gardiner Expressway. The line emerges from the tunnel onto Lake Shore Boulevard West and proceeds westward in mixed traffic to Long Branch Loop where the route terminates.[43]

Sites along the line (from east to west)

Operation

As of June 21, 2020, the split at Humber Loop was temporarily suspended meaning most 501 Queen streetcars now operate the full-route between Neville Park and Long Branch loops (eliminating the need for customers to change vehicles at Humber Loop). [44]

This route operates as part of the TTC's Blue Night Network operating from about 1 am to 5 am under the 301 Queen banner.[2]

Toronto's Brickworks Ciderhouse produces a semi-sweet cider called the "Queen Street 501" which is an homage to the streetcar route, as well as Queen Street in general.[45]

References
  1. "Ridership statistics for surface routes, as of April 2014" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. April 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  2. "TTC Service Summary March 29, 2020 to May 9, 2020" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. March 29, 2020.
  3. Farquharson, Vanessa (March 24, 2012). "Riding the 501: The longest streetcar route in North America". National Post. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. With nearly 25 kilometres of track, the 501 Queen is the longest streetcar route operating in North America.
  4. Hume, Christopher (December 29, 2007). "It's not too good if you're in a hurry, but the 501 does give a wonderful look at city's many faces". Toronto Star. p. A.3. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2013. Torontonians who ride it daily might not be impressed, but National Geographic has named the Queen streetcar, the 501, one of the top 10 trolley routes in the world. The honour is included in a new book, Journeys of a Lifetime 500 of the World's Greatest Trips.
  5. Bow, James (September 6, 2017). "Route 501 - The Queen Streetcar". Transit Toronto. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  6. "System Map - 1930". Toronto Transportation Commission. 1930. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  7. Forman, Roman (1945). "Streetcar System Map 1945" (PDF). Transit Toronto. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  8. "System Map - September 1, 1938". Toronto Transportation Commission. September 1, 1938. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  9. Bow, James (February 19, 2017). "Toronto's Lost Subway Stations". Transit Toronto. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  10. "System Map - October 1958". Toronto Transit Commission. October 1958. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  11. "Ride Guide - February 1996". Toronto Transit Commission. February 1996. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  12. Kitching, Chris (June 20, 2013). "TTC head floats streetcar corridor on King or Queen". CablePulse 24. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  13. Wilson, Codi (March 1, 2017). "Buses to replace streetcars on Queen Street this summer". CablePulse 24. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  14. "TTC Service Changes Effective Sunday, January 8, 2017 (Updated)". Steve Munro: Transit & Politics. December 11, 2016.
  15. Munro, Steve (January 28, 2018). "Reconstruction of The Queensway and Humber Loop". Steve Munro. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  16. "TTC 501 Queen route converts to buses west of Roncesvalles for 2017". Toronto Transit Commission. December 16, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  17. "501 Queen - Streetcar restrictions during several construction projects - February 18 update". Toronto Transit Commission. February 18, 2018. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  18. "TTC service improvements and changes". Toronto Transit Commission. Archived from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  19. "TTC service improvements and changes". Toronto Transit Commission. June 24, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  20. "Service Summary - March 26, 2017 to May 6, 2017" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. March 26, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  21. "TTC Service Summary" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. February 18, 2018.
  22. Munro, Steve (April 17, 2018). "Service Capacity on 501 Queen". Steve Munro. Retrieved April 26, 2018. For many years, the capacity alleged was based on the longer ALRV (articulated) streetcars, but the service was actually operated by a mix of the shorter CLRVs and ALRVs. This was due to two factors: the declining reliability of the ALRV fleet, and the desire to increase capacity on 504 King.
  23. Bow, James [@TransitToronto] (September 2, 2018). "Sunday, September 2, 2018, was the first day for regularly scheduled #TTC #Bombardier #Flexity service on 501 QUEEN, albeit just on weekends only. Here we see Flexity LRV 4455 heading westbound on Queen approaching Church Street. Photo by @jamesbow. bit.ly/2pk9GbJ" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  24. "TTC's 'bendy streetcars' reach the end of the line". TTC. August 29, 2019.
  25. "TTC service improvements and changes". Toronto Transit Commission. January 6, 2018. Archived from the original on December 31, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  26. "Accessible streetcar service updates". TTC. July 2, 2019. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019.
  27. "Service Summary - September 1, 2019 to October 12, 2019" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2019.
  28. Bow, James (September 6, 2017). "Route 507 - The Long Branch Streetcar (Deceased)". Transit Toronto. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  29. Bow, James (July 1, 2017). "A History Of Fares On The TTC". Transit Toronto. Retrieved March 1, 2018. On January 1, 1973, the two zone fare system within Metropolitan Toronto was abolished…
  30. Thompson, John (January 5, 2018). "The car that saved Toronto's streetcars". Railway Age. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  31. Bow, James (January 30, 2017). "The Articulated Light Rail Vehicles (The ALRVs)". Transit Toronto. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  32. Kuitenbrouwer, Peter (November 24, 2007). "Crown jewel badly tarnished". National Post. Toronto. Retrieved January 21, 2008.
  33. "TTC temporarily splits 501 streetcar route". CBC News. October 19, 2009. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Toronto transit advocate Steve Munro said that people who are travelling downtown from the outer ends of the city will still be able to make the trip in one ride.
  34. Vela, Thandiwe (October 15, 2009). "TTC to split Queen streetcar route". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. On weekdays between Oct. 19 and Nov. 20, the west portion of the route will run from Long Branch to Parliament St. while the east portion will run from Neville Park to Shaw St., the TTC announced in a statement. Saturday, Sunday and holiday service will not be changed.
  35. "October 2009 - Service changes effective October 18, 2009". TTC. October 2009. Archived from the original on October 19, 2009. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  36. "TTC Service Summary" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. September 18, 2009.
  37. "501 Queen Streetcar Route: Final Recommendations" (PDF). TTC. January 20, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  38. Kalinowski, Tess (January 19, 2010). "TTC gives up attempt to divide Queen route". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. A report before the city councillors on the Toronto Transit Commission on Wednesday shows that splitting the route in half actually increased the number of short turns by 90 per cent overall during a five-week experiment last October and November.
  39. Stevenson, Verity (January 3, 2016). "Queen streetcar riders get what they've waited for: more service". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  40. Munro, Steve (January 3, 2016). "501 Queen Service Design Effective January 3, 2016". Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  41. "501 Queen - Service increase". Toronto Transit Commission. January 3, 2016. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016. The route will be temporarily split into two separate sections, operating between Long Branch Loop and Humber Loop, and between Neville Park Loop and Humber Loop.
  42. "TTC service improvements and changes". Toronto Transit Commission. September 2, 2018. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  43. "501 Queem Map". Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  45. "Queen Street 501". TheCiderHouse.ca. Retrieved September 21, 2019.

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