Toronto Council meets today. Surprise! It’s a very special meeting to approve the purchase of 47 more streetcars. This should be a very quick thread. You can watch live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njzOXasmlQc
And we’re live. Mayor John Tory moves to introduce the item approving the streetcar purchase. He calls this a “great day for transit in Toronto”, noting that all three levels of gov are on board.
There was a time not too long ago when a Toronto Council vote to buy a bunch of streetcars would have been controversial, with motions to scrap the idea and instead buy buses or whatever. Don’t think that’s going to happen today.
Here’s Council’s 2009 vote to move forward with the original purchase of 204 streetcars. 36-6. 11 years later, the brother of one of the “no” votes is premier and is kicking in $180 million to buy more of the same streetcars.
TTC chair Jaye Robinson also lauds streetcar purchase. She notes a streetcar can carry capacity of 2.5 buses. Also extra streetcars will free up buses for other routes. And TTC’s Hillcrest yard will get a much-needed upgrade to accommodate storage. “Magical moment,” she calls it.
Meeting is over. “Go Leafs Go,” adds Speaker Nunziata. Council will have a much longer meeting starting on June 8, debating sidewalk snow clearing, child care, plastic waste and more. To stay in the know, check out @cityhallwatcher. https://graphicmatt.substack.com/p/chw124
This purchase of 47 more streetcars comes atop an already-approved order for 13 vehicles. So 60 new vehicles coming. Will grow the fleet size from 204 to 264. The TTC had 248 of the old-model CLRVs and ALRVs before they were decommissioned.