Terrible drivers prompt Toronto transit agency to gate off underground tunnel
by The Canadian Press
In spite of bollards, flashing lights, rumble strips and raised track, Toronto drivers, often impaired ones, continue to drive into a streetcar-only tunnel
TORONTO—The Toronto Transit Commission will install gates at the entrance to a busy downtown streetcar tunnel after yet another motorist drove in and got stuck, holding up two major streetcar routes for hours.
The second such incient in as many weeks happened at about 5:30 a.m. March 17 at the streetcar portal at Queens Quay and Bay St.
Toronto police says a man in his 20s was arrested for impaired driving.
It took crews several hours to remove the small blue car from the tunnel and regular streetcar service resumed shortly after 10 a.m.
The same thing happened during the overnight hours last Sunday.
TTC spokesman Brad Ross said transit officials had avoided adding a gate to the tunnel out of fears that it could cause delays if it fails but said the latest occurrence is the last straw.
“Despite bollards, signs, rumble strips, flashing lights and raised track, some still manage to drive their cars down the Queens Quay streetcar portal, though mostly on weekends and in the middle of the night,” said Ross on Twitter.
“Enough. The TTC will now be installing a gate mechanism.”
Mayor John Tory said he supports the gate installation to fix what he called a “ridiculous and frustrating situation.”
—With files from CP24
