

Chris Kitching and Chris Fox, CP24.com





TTC board members have voted in favour of eliminating 70 streetcar stops in an effort to improve pedestrian safety and speed up journey times.

A staff report had recommended the removal of a total of 81 stops, though the board decided to temporarily spare 11 stops that local councillors had fought to keep.

Some of the stops that will avoid a date with the wrecking ball for now include Bathurst and Adelaide streets, Dundas Street and Sheridan Avenue and King and Trinity streets.

"There were some stops that were non contentious and I am pleased that the commission has voted to allow us to proceed with the removal of those stops,” TTC CEO Andy Byford told reporters following the meeting Wednesday afternoon. “It was only those few that were contentious with particular councillors that we agreed to take away and consider elsewhere.”

The staff report said that streetcar stops should be 250 to 350 metres apart, and the average stop spacing is currently 250 metres.

The proposal had been endorsed by TTC’s advisory committee on accessible transportation and its customer liaison panel.

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