You know, before we sold them ours. Well we didn't sell them the whole system. In fact we only transferred some of our fleet to Toronto in 1952 where they remained in service for 30 years. This of course is after complaints were alleged that the mayor at the time and city council members were gifted new General Motor automobiles in exchange for the city's purchase of a new General Motor's bus fleet (at the time the FBI wasn't able to investigate).
Toronto's streetcar system was a familiar and predictable route for traveling to visitors in a new and strange city and I found the 24 hour a day service rather helpful. I don't want stir the water and start spouting conspiracy theories. That isn't what this post is about.
Instead I wanted to mention that the streetcars of Toronto were a predictable comfort, one that Cleveland is missing and that will hopefully be brought back when the new Euclid Corridor BTR is completed. I think I can finally understand the import of a public transit corridor with such reliable repetition. While our Rapid and bus system do a fine job, the Rapid system does not offer the same street level conveyance and the bus system isn't really predictable nor understandable yet (signage, maps and clocks at/near bus stops would be a great way to alleviate this).
I wholeheartedly look forward to the BTR project along Euclid being completed and would hope that when it proves successful, that other high traffic routes are make the leap to the BTR system (see Detroit Ave. line) comfortably connecting the east and west side to downtown.
Resources (yes, I used the wikipedia!):
Cleveland Railway Company
Toronto Streetcar System
Toronto's streetcar system was a familiar and predictable route for traveling to visitors in a new and strange city and I found the 24 hour a day service rather helpful. I don't want stir the water and start spouting conspiracy theories. That isn't what this post is about.
Instead I wanted to mention that the streetcars of Toronto were a predictable comfort, one that Cleveland is missing and that will hopefully be brought back when the new Euclid Corridor BTR is completed. I think I can finally understand the import of a public transit corridor with such reliable repetition. While our Rapid and bus system do a fine job, the Rapid system does not offer the same street level conveyance and the bus system isn't really predictable nor understandable yet (signage, maps and clocks at/near bus stops would be a great way to alleviate this).
I wholeheartedly look forward to the BTR project along Euclid being completed and would hope that when it proves successful, that other high traffic routes are make the leap to the BTR system (see Detroit Ave. line) comfortably connecting the east and west side to downtown.
Resources (yes, I used the wikipedia!):
Cleveland Railway Company
Toronto Streetcar System
Was anyone under the impression that the Euclid Corridor HealthLine/Silverline was going to be new service? I was under that impression. Silly me. It will not be new service. Compare the Silverline route with the 6 route. They're identical.
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