ttc streetcar noise toronto

Corktown residents want TTC streetcar route removed

There's nothing pleasant about the screech of a TTC streetcar, other than the sound signalling that a streetcar is indeed on the way. But for some Torontonians, the noise is getting to be a bit too much.

Residents in Corktown are pretty unhappy with the relatively new 514 streetcar route (it went into to service in June), which runs from along King Street from Exhibition Place and then turns down Sumach towards both the Distillery and Canary Districts.

A few individuals who live in Corktown told CBC News they're fed up with the noise emanating from the tracks. "It's become a form a torture for us," said resident Jason Mednick to CBC. ""Equivalent to waterboarding."

As CBC reports, Brad Ross acknowledged that the screeching (from the turning streetcars) is noisy, but new streetcars - which come equipped with a self-lubricating mechanism - should help mitigate the problems.

Some residents, however, disagree and want to route suspended. The TTC is currently doing track work on the 514.


Many others, however, rely on the 514 in order to get in out of the city's core - a difficult feat if they were relying solely on the already crowded 504. Is this just a case of Toronto NIMBYism at work?

Are you annoyed by the 514? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Randy Hoffman via the blogTO Flickr pool.


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