Greetings everyone, thanks for coming and having a view. I recently traveled down to Toronto again and indulged in a little more transit photography. It was a nice day after all and this was a special mission. I mentioned in a previous photo that Toronto streetcars typically operate in mixed traffic. Over 80% of the revenue network runs with autos, trucks, bikes and everyone else. However, for over a decade, it has been the policy of the TTC to establish streetcar right-of-ways where ever possible. The most recent effort has been this segment of St. Clair Avenue which reopened for streetcar operations between Yonge Street and Bathurst Street two weeks ago. Without fanfare and on a cold Sunday morning when no one was looking - it's the TTC's way. When the St. Clair right-of-way is fully completed late next year, the St. Clair line (Route 512) will become the TTC's third streetcar route to be fully separated from other traffic. The other two are the Harbourfront line (Route 509) and the Spadina line (Route 510). Ironically, the St. Clair line was originally built with a right-of-way. St. Clair Avenue was actually planned, early in the last century, to be wide enough to accommodate a segregated streetcar line. But it was removed during the depression years as a make work project and as another concession to the automobile. Later, during the abandonment era, the St. Clair line was also well on its way to becoming Toronto's answer to St. Charles line in New Orleans. Operation of the St. Clair streetcar line was a term of annexation for the working class districts north of St. Clair Avenue. The local residences were not pleased with the imposing of bus service over there long cherished streetcars. They pressed for the terms of annexation to be honoured. The city and the TTC might well have been compelled to retain the St. Clair line after all other lines had fallen to the bus. Fortunately it never came down to that. This CLRV streetcar is traveling westbound to Keele Street. The uptown office buildings on Yonge Street are clearly visible in the background. Actually the western terminus for the St. Clair line is at Gunns Road, just a block west of Keele. Why the roll signs say Keele and not Gunns is unclear except that Keele has a sexier name and is a more important road than Gunns. NOTES: TTC: Toronto Transit Commission CLRV: Canadian Light Rail Vehicle