Toronto streetcar system loops
Streetcar loops in Toronto serve as termini and turnback points for streetcar routes on the Toronto streetcar system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The single-ended streetcars require track loops in order to reverse direction. Besides short off-street track loops these can also be larger interchange points, having shelters and driver facilities, or be part of a subway station structure for convenient passenger interchange.
Some loops include separate unloading and loading stops, some have a single stop, and some off-street loops have no stops and passengers are not allowed to ride around the loop. If streetcars loop clockwise, the track entering the loop must cross over the track exiting, and any loading or unloading platforms must be inside the loop; if anticlockwise, any platforms must be on the outside.
The minimum radius of curvature may be as short as 36 ft (10.973 m).[1]
Current loops
Loops have various shapes according to the space available. For example, the "loop" track may actually be mostly straight, using on-street trackage to complete the looping motion (as at Bingham Loop or Oakwood Loop), or there may be a single sharp curve through almost three-quarters of a circle (as at Union Station Loop or Wolseley Loop).
Some loops consist only of a single track and are blocked when occupied by a stopped streetcar. Others have a side track or dead-end "tail track" where a streetcar can wait, or a track that allows a streetcar on the loop to make a complete circle (or equivalent) and reenter the loop.
Loops at subway stations
Bathurst Station Loop
- Anticlockwise loop, northern terminus of the 511 Bathurst route, on the east side of Bathurst St. north of Bloor St. The tracks continue north of the station to connect to the Hillcrest Complex and St. Clair Ave. Streetcars can enter or leave the station from/onto Bathurst either northbound or southbound.
Broadview Station Loop
- Anticlockwise loop, eastern terminus of the 504 King and 505 Dundas routes, on the east side of Broadview Ave. north of Danforth Ave. The loop track splits into two, one for each route. All streetcars enter the station from Broadview northbound, and exit onto Erindale Ave. westbound, leading to Broadview southbound.
Dundas West Station Loop
- Clockwise loop, western terminus of the 504 King and 505 Dundas routes, on the west (nominally south) side of Dundas St. north of Bloor St. The loop track splits into two, one for each route. All streetcars enter the station from Dundas northbound (nominally westbound), and exit onto Edna Ave. eastbound, leading to Dundas southbound.
Main Street Station Loop
- Clockwise loop, eastern terminus of the 506 Carlton route, on the east side of Main St. north of Danforth Ave. All streetcars enter the station from Main northbound, and exit onto Main southbound.
Spadina Station Loop
- Anticlockwise underground loop, northern terminus of the 510 Spadina route, on the east side of Spadina Rd. north of Bloor St. A tunnel runs from Spadina Ave. and Washington Ave. to the station. All streetcars enter the tunnel northbound on Spadina, turn eastbound under Bloor, northbound under Madison Ave., and westbound into the station; they exit southbound under Spadina Rd. and Ave.
St. Clair Station Loop
- Anticlockwise loop, eastern terminus of the 512 St. Clair route, on the south side of St. Clair Ave. east of Yonge St. All streetcars enter the station from St. Clair eastbound, and exit onto St. Clair westbound.
St. Clair West Station Loop
- Clockwise underground loop, an intermediate stop and possible turnback point on the 512 St. Clair route, on the north side of St. Clair Ave. two blocks east of Bathurst St. There are separate eastbound and westbound loading stops on the same loop track. A tunnel runs under St. Clair from Wells Hill Ave. halfway to Tweedsmuir Ave. Streetcars can enter or leave the station from/into this tunnel either eastbound or westbound.
Union Station Loop
- Anticlockwise underground loop, eastern terminus of the 509 Harbourfront and southern terminus of the 510 Spadina route. A tunnel runs under Bay St. from Queens Quay station. All streetcars enter the station from the tunnel northbound and exit into the tunnel southbound.
Loops at carhouses
Roncesvalles Loop
Clockwise loop through the Roncesvalles Carhouse trackage, at Roncesvalles Ave. and the Queensway, 43°38′21.5″N 79°26′48.0″W / 43.639306°N 79.446667°W, a possible turnback point for westbound 501 Queen and 508 Lake Shore streetcars and for 504 King in either direction. Streetcars on King or Queen westbound or Roncesvalles southbound can run onto the Queensway westbound, then turn northbound to enter the loop. They can exit the loop onto Roncesvalles Ave. northbound or southbound, with the latter leading onto the Queensway westbound or King or Queen eastbound.
No passenger access, no use by buses.
Other off-street loops
Bingham Loop
Counter-clockwise loop northwest of Kingston Rd. and Victoria Park Ave.,[2] 43°40′53.5″N 79°17′05.3″W / 43.681528°N 79.284806°W, eastern terminus for 502 Downtowner and 503 Kingston Road streetcars. From Kingston Rd. eastbound, all streetcars turn onto Victoria Park Ave. northbound, turn west to enter the loop, and exit onto Bingham southbound to return to Kingston Rd. westbound. Until 2013, the Bingham Loop had a rarely-used "loop-the-loop" capability wherein streetcars could exit back on to Kingston Rd eastbound, and re-enter the loop.
Shelters are provided. Westbound 12 Kingston Road buses enter the loop as an intermediate stop, and when the streetcars are not running, 22A Coxwell or 322 Coxwell Blue Night buses use it as a terminus.
Dufferin Loop
Anticlockwise loop northwest of Dufferin St. and the Gardiner Expressway, 43°38′03.5″N 79°25′34.5″W / 43.634306°N 79.426250°W. From Dufferin southbound, all streetcars turn west on Springhurst Ave. and south on Fort Rouille St., turn east to enter the loop, and exit onto Dufferin northbound.
During the Ex (Canadian National Exhibition), this loop is an access to Exhibition Place via its Dufferin Gates just south of the Gardiner Expressway; it is then the southern terminus of the 29 Dufferin bus, the loading platform is operated as a fare-paid area with ticket booths and turnstiles, and a control tower is used. Formerly during the Ex the loop was also as the eastern terminus of the 522 Dundas Exhibition streetcar and special buses. The 522 operated from Dundas West station via Roncesvalles Ave., King St., and Dufferin St.[3]
At other times the special facilities are out of use; the loop is still a terminus for the 29 Dufferin bus at some times, but is operated as an ordinary bus stop. It is still a possible turnback point (accessed via Dufferin) for westbound 501 Queen streetcars or for 504 King or 508 Lake Shore in either direction, but is now rarely in regular use by streetcars due to extensive road construction in the area.
Earlscourt Loop
Clockwise loop southwest of St. Clair Ave. and Lansdowne Ave., 43°40′32.5″N 79°27′03.4″W / 43.675694°N 79.450944°W, possible turnback point for westbound 512 St. Clair streetcars. Streetcars from St. Clair in either direction can turn southbound on Lansdowne to enter the loop, and exit onto St. Clair eastbound.
A cabin is provided for drivers. Northbound 47 Lansdowne buses use the loop as a regularly scheduled turnback point.
Exhibition Loop
Anticlockwise loop northeast of Manitoba Dr. and Nova Scotia Ave., western terminus of the 509 Harbourfront and southern terminus of the 511 Bathurst route. Private right-of-way runs along the north side of Manitoba from Fleet St. at Strachan Ave. to the loop. From Fleet westbound, all streetcars continue west along the private right-of-way to the loop, where they cross north under the elevated Gardiner Expressway, run west, and cross back south under the expressway before returning eastbound to Fleet.
During the Ex, this loop is an access to Exhibition Place and is operated as a fare-paid area with ticket booths and turnstiles. At other times the these are closed and it is operated as an ordinary stop. Storage tracks are provided so that extra streetcars can be rapidly dispatched for peak traffic, as well as a passing track allowing the two routes to have separate stopping points without conflict.
Exhibition GO Station is adjacent to the loop. Overnight the 310 Bathurst Blue Night and 316 Ossington Blue Night buses use the loop as their southern terminus.
The loop opened in 1996, replacing a previous Exhibition Loop that could not be used by buses and was on land about to be redeveloped.
Fleet Loop
Anticlockwise loop on the south side of Fleet St. in the angle with Lake Shore Blvd., surrounding the Queen's Wharf Lighthouse, 43°38′09.2″N 79°24′18.8″W / 43.635889°N 79.405222°W, a possible turnback point of the 509 Harbourfront and 511 Bathurst routes. Streetcars can enter and exit the loop from/onto Fleet St. either eastbound or westbound.[4]
There is no passenger access and no bus access.
Gunns Loop
Anticlockwise loop northwest of St. Clair Ave. and at Gunns Rd., 43°40′19.2″N 79°28′17.6″W / 43.672000°N 79.471556°W, western terminus for the 512 St. Clair route. All streetcars westbound on St. Clair turn northbound on Gunns, enter the loop westbound, and exit onto St. Clair eastbound.
A shelter is provided. The loop is also a northern terminus for the 71 Runnymede bus.
High Park Loop
Anticlockwise loop west of Parkside Dr. opposite Howard Park Ave., on the edge of High Park, 43°38′53.0″N 79°27′28.6″W / 43.648056°N 79.457944°W, western terminus for the 506 Carlton route. All streetcars enter the loop from Howard Park westbound and exit onto Howard Park eastbound.
Public washrooms and a shelter are provided. No bus access.
Humber Loop
A pair of anticlockwise loops south of the Queensway, just west of the Humber River,[5] 43°37′51.7″N 79°28′43.8″W / 43.631028°N 79.478833°W, an intermediate stop and possible turnback point for the 501 Queen route. The loops are accessed by private right-of-way that connects tracks on the Queensway to the east and Lake Shore Blvd. to the west. All streetcars either eastbound or westbound enter the private right-of-way; streetcars in either direction can turn left onto one of the loops to return the way they came.
This arrangement exists because Humber Loop was formerly the western terminus of the 501 Queen route and the eastern terminus of a separate 507 Long Branch route along Lake Shore, and through passengers had to transfer. It was also formerly a fare zone boundary.
An enclosed waiting room is provided, as well as staff facilities. The loop is also the southern terminus of the 66A Prince Edward bus and the eastern terminus of the 80B Queensway bus.
Kipling Loop
Anticlockwise loop on the west side of Kipling Ave., north of Lake Shore Blvd., 43°35′55.8″N 79°31′03.3″W / 43.598833°N 79.517583°W, a possible turnback point for westbound 501 Queen or 508 Lake Shore streetcars. Streetcars can turn from Lake Shore either eastbound or westbound onto Kipling northbound to enter the loop, and exit onto Kipling southbound, leading to Lake Shore eastbound. The loop was once known as New Toronto Loop.
No bus access.
Long Branch Loop
Anticlockwise loop northwest of Lake Shore Blvd. and Brown's Line at 43°35′30″N 79°32′41″W / 43.59167°N 79.54472°W, western terminus for 501 Queen and 508 Lake Shore routes. All streetcars enter from Lake Shore westbound and exit onto Lake Shore eastbound. The loop is both the westernmost and the southernmost point in Toronto's streetcar system, based on either true directions or the street grid.
A shelter is provided. The loop is the southern terminus for the 110A and 110B Islington South and 123 Shorncliffe buses, as well as MiWay (from Mississauga) 5 Dixie buses, and the eastern terminus for MiWay 23 Lakeshore buses. The loop is just across a parking lot from Long Branch GO Station.[6]
Media related to Long Branch Loop at Wikimedia Commons
McCaul Loop
Anticlockwise loop northeast of McCaul St. and Stephanie St., at 43°39′05.8″N 79°23′24.6″W / 43.651611°N 79.390167°W, western terminus of the 502 Downtowner and a possible turnback point for the 501 Queen in either direction. Streetcars either eastbound or westbound on Queen St. can turn north onto McCaul and then can turn into the loop, exiting onto McCaul southbound to return to Queen either eastbound or westbound.
No passenger access, no bus access. The loop was previously in the open air, but was covered when the Village by the Grange mixed-use development was built over it, opening in 1976. Two old streetcar bodies were incorporated into the building inside the loop, the space originally being used for a restaurant.[7]
-
A Peter Witt car on tour service, decorated for Dominion Day, 1975 -
Entrance to the loop, now enclosed by the Village by the Grange -
Detail of the track looping around inside the building
Neville Park Loop
Anticlockwise loop southwest of Queen St. and Nursewood Rd.,[8] 43°40′25.5″N 79°16′53.0″W / 43.673750°N 79.281389°W, eastern terminus of the 501 Queen route. All streetcars enter the loop from Queen eastbound and exit onto Nursewood northbound to return to Queen westbound.
No passenger access. Eastern terminus of 143 Downtown/Beach Express buses.
Oakwood Loop
Anticlockwise loop northeast of St. Clair Ave. and Oakwood Ave., 43°40′50.2″N 79°26′07.8″W / 43.680611°N 79.435500°W, a possible turnback point for route 512 St. Clair in either direction. Streetcars either eastbound or westbound on St. Clair can turn northbound onto Robina Ave., then westbound to enter the loop, exiting onto Oakwood Ave. southbound to return to St. Clair either eastbound or westbound.
No passenger access. Northern terminus of 63A Ossington buses.
Queen–Coxwell Loop
Clockwise loop northeast of Queen St. and Coxwell Ave., 43°40′00.4″N 79°18′59.1″W / 43.666778°N 79.316417°W, a possible turnback point for route 506 Carlton in either direction. Streetcars either eastbound or westbound on Gerrard St. can turn southbound on Coxwell to reach the loop, then eastbound to enter the loop, exiting onto Queen westbound to return to Coxwell northbound and turn eastbound or westbound onto Gerrard. The loop exit track briefly overlaps the westbound track on Queen but does not connect with it, leading only onto Coxwell northbound.
No passenger access. This loop is not currently used by buses, although up to the mid-1980s, it was the southern terminus of the Coxwell 22 bus line.
Queens Quay and Spadina Loop
Anticlockwise loop northeast of Queens Quay and Spadina Ave., 43°38′18.5″N 79°23′28.5″W / 43.638472°N 79.391250°W, a possible turnback point for 509 Harbourfront or 510 Spadina streetcars in either direction. Streetcars southbound on Spadina can turn eastbound on Queens Quay to reach the loop; streetcars eastbound or westbound on Queens Quay can turn northbound into the loop. Streetcars exiting the loop can turn northbound on Spadina, or southbound on Spadina to reach Queens Quay eastbound or westbound.
No bus access.
Sunnyside Loop
Anticlockwise loop northeast of the Queensway and Sunnyside Ave., 43°38′20.0″N 79°26′53.5″W / 43.638889°N 79.448194°W, a possible turnback point for westbound route 501 Queen or 508 Lake Shore streetcars. Streetcars can enter the loop from the Queensway westbound and exit onto Sunnyside southbound to return to the Queensway eastbound.
No passenger access. Southern terminus of 313 Jane Blue Night buses.
Wolseley Loop
Anticlockwise loop northeast of Bathurst St. and Wolseley St., 43°38′53.8″N 79°24′14.6″W / 43.648278°N 79.404056°W, a possible turnback point for westbound route 501 Queen streetcars, and routes 504 King and 508 Lake Shore in either direction, as well as an alternate western terminus for the 502 Downtowner route if McCaul Loop is unavailable. Streetcars eastbound or westbound on King St. or westbound on Queen St. can turn northbound on Bathurst, then can turn eastbound on Wolseley to enter the loop northbound, exiting onto Bathurst soutbound to return to Queen St. eastbound or King St. eastbound or westbound.
No bus access, no passenger access. A cabin for drivers is provided.
Woodbine Loop
Clockwise loop northeast of Queen St. and Kingston Rd., 43°40′04.8″N 79°18′41.5″W / 43.668000°N 79.311528°W, a possible turnback point for eastbound route 501 Queen and for 502 Downtowner and 503 Kingston Road in either direction. Streetcars eastbound on Queen can turn northeast (nominally east) onto Kingston Rd.; streetcars running northeast or southwest on Kingston Rd. can turn eastbound into the loop, exiting onto Queen westbound, and can then turn northeast from Queen onto Kingston Rd.
The name Woodbine refers not to Woodbine Ave., almost a half-mile to the east, but to the former Woodbine Race Course, which was once directly opposite the loop on the south side of Queen. The racetrack was renamed Greenwood Raceway after the New Woodbine Racetrack opened in another part of the city in 1957; Greenwood Raceway was demolished in 1994. Despite this, the "Woodbine Loop" name persists.
No bus access, no passenger access.
Named on-street loops
In addition to these named locations where a streetcar just runs around one or two city blocks to reverse, there are several places on the system where a longer loop around city streets is possible. The western terminus of the 503 Kingston Road, for example, is an on-street loop via Church St. southbound, Wellington St. westbound, York St. northbound, and King St. eastbound.
Charlotte Loop
Clockwise on-street loop via King St. westbound, Spadina Ave. northbound, Adelaide St. eastbound, and Charlotte St. southbound, 43°38′47″N 79°23′38″W / 43.64639°N 79.39389°W, a possible turnback point for routes 504 King, 508 Lake Shore, and 510 Spadina in either direction. It is used regularly to short-turn southbound 510 Spadina streetcars.[9] Streetcars can enter and exit the loop from/onto King eastbound or westbound and Spadina northbound or southbound.
College Loop
Anticlockwise on-street loop via Lansdowne Ave. northbound, College St. going southwest (nominally westbound), and Dundas St. going southeast (nominally eastbound), 43°39′02″N 79°26′23.4″W / 43.65056°N 79.439833°W, a possible turnback point for routes 505 Dundas and 506 Carlton in either direction. Streetcars can enter and exit the loop from/onto either Dundas or College in either direction.
Future Loops
A streetcar loop at Cherry St. and Distllery Lane is being built for 504 King cars; see Cherry Street streetcar line.
Former loops
| Name | Location | Streetcar route last using loop | Status and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asquith Loop | Church Street north of Bloor Street East | Church | Later bus loop, now redeveloped |
| Avon Loop | Weston Road & Rogers Road[10] | Weston Road | Later trolleybus loop, now buses. Currently under renewal for new streetcar/bus loop in 2014. |
| Bedford Loop | Bloor Street West & Bedford Road | Bloor | Partially redeveloped, partially parking lot |
| Bicknell Loop | Rogers Road & Bicknell Avenue | Rogers Road | Belongs to the City of Toronto.[10] Currently under renewal for new streetcar/bus loop in 2014. |
| Birchmount Loop | Birchmount Road & Kingston Road[11] | Kingston Rd. | Sold, redeveloped into condominiums |
| Caledonia Loop | St. Clair Avenue West & Station Street | St. Clair | Commercial development |
| Christie Loop | Dupont Street & Christie Street | Dupont | Redeveloped |
| City Hall | on-street: Louisa, James & Albert Streets | Dundas | Tracks removed |
| Danforth (or Danforth-Coxwell) Loop | Danforth Avenue & Coxwell Avenue | Coxwell | Was part of Danforth Carhouse property; now redeveloped |
| Erindale Loop | Broadview Avenue & Erindale Avenue north side of street, opposite parkette |
King | Redeveloped |
| (old) Exhibition Loop | north of Princes Boulevard, 1/4 mile (400 m) west of Strachan | Bathurst | Redeveloped into National Trade Centre (now Direct Energy Centre) |
| Ferry (or Ferry Docks) Loop | Queens Quay West west of Bay Street | Dupont | Parking lot |
| Gilbert Loop | Eglinton Avenue West & Gilbert Street | Oakwood | Parkette |
| Glen Echo Loop | Yonge Street & Glen Echo Avenue | Yonge | Redeveloped as retail and residential area |
| Hillingdon Loop | Danforth Avenue & Hillingdon Avenue | Bloor | Was part of Danforth Carhouse property |
| Jane Loop | Bloor Street West & Jane Street | Bloor | Now redeveloped as new mall |
| Keele Loop | Keele Street north of St. Clair Avenue West | 512 St. Clair | Redeveloped |
| Keele Stn. Loop | Indian Grove & Bloor Street West | Bloor | Temporary loop 1966–68; redeveloped |
| Lawton Loop | north of Yonge Street and Lawton Boulevard intersection | Yonge | Lawton Parkette |
| Lipton Loop | Lipton Avenue & Pape Avenue | Harbord | Bus loop, part of Pape Station |
| Luttrell Loop | Danforth Ave., between Luttrell & Kelvin Avenues (west of Victoria Park Ave.) | Bloor | Sold, redeveloped into housing |
| Main Loop | Main Street north of Danforth Avenue | Carlton | Rebuilt into Main Street Station Loop |
| Mt. Pleasant Loop | Eglinton Avenue East & Mount Pleasant Road | Mt. Pleasant | Also known as Eglinton Loop. Later trolleybus loop, now buses. Originally open-air, now under an apartment building. |
| Mutual Loop | Mutual Street & Queen Street East | Lakeshore | Redeveloped, now a parking lot |
| Moore Park Loop | Mount Pleasant Road & St. Clair Avenue East | St. Clair | Loring-Wyle Parkette |
| Northlands Loop | Weston Road & Northlands (or Northland) Avenue.[10] | Weston Rd. | Redeveloped as commercial plaza |
| Park Loop | Bloor Street West & High Park Avenue | Bloor | Part of High Park |
| Parliament Loop | King Street East | Parliament | Later bus loop only; now under part of a car dealership. Currently under renewal for new streetcar/bus loop in 2014. |
| Prescott Loop | Prescott Avenue and St. Clair Avenue West | Dovercourt | Now St. Clair Garden Parkette |
| Royce Loop | Lansdowne Avenue & Dupont Street | Harbord | Redeveloped |
| Runnymede Loop | Dundas Street West & Runnymede Road | Dundas | Later trolleybus loop, now buses |
| St. Clair (or Wychwood) Carhouse Loop | Wychwood Avenue & Benson Avenue | St. Clair | Reduced to wye after carhouse closed, then closed |
| St. Clarens Loop | St. Clarens Avenue & Davenport Road | Harbord | Primrose Avenue Parkette |
| Simcoe Loop | Front Street West & Simcoe Street | Yonge | Redeveloped |
| Small Arms Loop | Long Branch Small Arms factory, on Lake Shore almost 0.5 mile west of Long Branch Loop | Long Branch | For temporary 1942–45 extension of route |
| Terauley | on-street: Bay, Richmond, Victoria, Queen | Bay | Bus loop |
| Townsley | north of St. Clair Avenue West & Old Weston Road | 512 St. Clair | Bus loop |
| Vaughan Loop | north of Bathurst Street/Vaughan Road intersection | Bathurst | Redeveloped |
| Viaduct Loop | Bloor Street East & Parliament Street | Parliament | Parkette |
| Vincent Loop | across from Dundas West Station | King | Redeveloped as Crossways Mall and condos |
| Woodbine Stn. Loop | Cedarvale Avenue & Strathmore Boulevard | Danforth | Temporary loop 1966–68; part of parking lot |
Former wyes
As an alternative to a loop, a streetcar can also be turned using a maneouvre similar to a three-point turn, involving at least two switches and a suitable layout of connecting tracks. This can be done if necessary at any intersection or other track junction where suitable tracks exist, but the TTC also had a few wye tracks with no other purpose. There are none of these any more; the table shows some of the last ones to be removed.
| Name | Location | Date closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Wye | Bathurst Street & Adelaide Street West | 1973 | Remnant of through tracks on Adelaide Street |
| Glencairn Wye | Yonge Street & Glencairn Avenue | 1954 | Closure with the opening of Yonge subway and closure of Yonge streetcar |
| Hillside Wye | Lake Shore Boulevard West & Hillside Avenue | 2002 | |
| Junction Wye | Keele Street & Junction Road | 1963 | Removed as part of closure of Bloor streetcar route |
| St. Clair Carhouse Wye | Wychwood Avenue & Benson Avenue | 1998 | Access tracks for former carhouse retained when it closed in 1978 |
References
- ^ The Canadian Light Rail Vehicles - Transit Toronto
- ^ Venerable Bingham Loop
- ^ Streetcars to the Exhibition (Routes 521, 522 and more)
- ^ Exhibition Loop and Fleet Loop
- ^ The Humber Loop Interchange
- ^ Westerly Long Branch Loop
- ^ A Brief History of McCaul Loop
- ^ The Great Neville Loop
- ^ Introducing Charlotte Loop
- ^ a b c A History of the Rogers/Weston Streetcar Loops (Northlands, Avon and Bicknell)
- ^ Remembering Birchmount Loop
External links
- TTC Toronto Track Diagram 1966
- Toronto Transit Commission Track Diagram 1973
- TTC Streetcar Track Map (1995)
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