As a rail-fan, I’m looking forward to the new Toronto Streetcars that will begin their service in 2013. As a driver, I am dreading the day – and I know it will happen sooner, rather than later – when I have to pass one of those things on the road.
As you can see from the graphic below, which I’m told is to scale, the new streetcars are almost twice as long as the smaller CLRVs that are currently in use, and a third longer than the ALRVs. On streets like St. Clair and Spadina, this won’t be a problem because thankfully the streetcars have their own right-of-way to travel in, but on streets like Queen, King and Dundas, it’s going to be a free-for-all.
With four sets of doors and the need for a much longer stopping zone, drivers will have a very hard time passing these cars on roads where the new streetcars are integrated with traffic.
I will admit that the new streetcars are a vast improvement over the older ones as far as moving more people quickly. I was lucky enough to have visited the mock-up last year that was at the TTC’s yards and even got to sit the driver’s seat. Sadly though the new cars lose some of the charm that the current cars have (I’ve always felt that TTC streetcars were something of an iconic identity for Toronto)
Zoey Castelino 
When I read the title of your post I thought “what do kidney stones have to do with streetcars?”
Kidney stones might hurt less than trying to pass the streetcar. LOL
We were on the new subway trains for the first time on Sunday … very cool!
LOL Zoey!
I wonder if motorists are going to be able to resist trying to pass one of these things without there being enough room or time to do so. There’s already a big problem with drivers flying by without stopping behind the rear door and almost flattening riders. And it looks like the windows don’t open like our present streetcars. Sometimes nothing nicer than a breeze on your face. I know – can’t have it all ways.
I am so fed up with streetcars .the cost of the upkeep of tracks and overhead power lines and the traffic jams caused by the upkeeps is not worth keeping them. Get rid of the streetcars and get double decker buses that have space for double the passengers . everytime the streetcars stop traffic in vehicle lane (right lane has to stop.) How about trying what they have in European cities electric busses that drive in the right hand curb lane.