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Size matters

The new streetcars will be 30 metres long and will have 70 seats, holding 2.5 times more people than the current fleet. The old streetcars are 15 metres and 25 metres long. The new one will have air conditioning in the summer and will be more resilient in extreme cold in the winter. Furthermore, the new fleet relies on hydraulic and electric systems, as opposed to the pneumatics and air systems that caused trouble for the old streetcars this past winter, said TTC spokesman Brad Ross.

Presto

Gone will be the days of searching for tokens in pockets and purses. The new streetcars are outfitted with Presto payment scanners, allowing riders to pay for their trip by scanning a Presto card when they enter. However, here will be an interim solution for the first few months of the streetcar rollout because “Presto’s not quite ready,” said TTC CEO Andy Byford. In the meantime, riders can use vending machines that accept token and cash payment. The TTC says the new system will reduce time spent at stops because riders can enter through any one of the four doors.

The Cockpit

A clear door in the cab or “cockpit” area, as one driver called it, separates drivers from the public. This is a good and a bad thing, said streetcar operator Doug Pickering. “The good part about it is it will cut down on things like driver assaults,” he said. The bad part is the public will have a harder time communicating with drivers. “They’ll have to rely on each other a little bit more for information,” he said. Outside the vehicle, video monitors located at the right and left sides of the vehicle are replacing mirrors. Drivers will be able to see the video images on the dashboard screens in the cockpit. Cameras are also located inside every door entrance, letting drivers monitor the comings and goings of passengers. New exterior and interior PA systems also ensure “the driver doesn’t have to scream anymore,” said streetcar operator Eddie Braga. Another change is that drivers will use a touch screen and control handles to operate the vehicle, instead of pedals.