Major problems on St. Clair right of way construction.
Fare Increases.
The time is long past for reviews.......................
Passengers Angry Over Streetcar/Bus Switch
"Construction" isn't a four letter word, but don't blame passengers who use the St. Clair streetcar line if they act like it is. The street has been torn up for about a year and a half while improvements are made to tracks and while just about everyone knows how inconvenient that can be, even the most patient riders have never seen anything quite like this.
People are being forced to get off the streetcar at Oakwood or Bathurst and transfer to a bus - or vice versa. It's a hassle for just about everyone and it's infuriated those who call it their regular route. "All the time is too much trouble to get home," gripes Almerinda Fidalgo. "[I] take the bus every day and the streetcar, but it's way much."
To add insult to injury those transfer points don't always match, leaving commuters forced to get off and wait - and wait - in the worst weather for the next vehicle. "This road is one of the worst managed," complains Guadalupe Sanches. "One time you can see seven buses going this way. No buses coming this way."
Why is it happening? The project has been plagued with endless delays, which the TTC blames on contractors who haven't lived up to their scheduling commitments. And when crews working on the St. Clair West subway station hit a high voltage wire, there was an unscheduled three-month interruption.
But those in charge know that's not really a good excuse for those left inconvenienced day after day. "In terms of the riding public, I mean they deserve to be upset about how it's been handled," confesses TTC chair Adam Giambrone. "And we're going to have to review that because they're just not acceptable." He concedes his department is looking at pursuing legal action against the contractors, but warns commuters there's not much he can do until the work is done.
And it could be a long winter - that's not expected to happen for at least another year.
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