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501 Queen Streetcar
Category: Hotels & Travel Transportation Public Transportation Public Transportation [Edit]
Queen StToronto, ON
Neighbourhoods: Niagara, West Queen West, Trinity Bellwoods
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 am - 12 am
13 reviews for 501 Queen Streetcar
13 reviews in English
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Review from Dimitrios D.
7/26/2011
My first time ever riding the streetcar was on a 35 degree celsius day and it was sweltering inside.
But I loved every second of it! -
Review from Vivek S.
5/27/2011 5 Check-ins Here
You know what? I like this streetcar. You know what else? I think I LOVE this streetcar. That's right. Sure it's full of characters, and takes abominable detours when you least expect it. And yes, there are like a thousand different places that this car can short turn (Parliament, Church, Broadview, et al) and ruin your day.
But IMHO you can't get a better cross-section of the city than than the one carved by this streetcar. It takes you through the highs and dizzying lows of Hogtown. This route is almost 30 clicks, starting as far West as Etobicoke, slicing its way along High Park, through Parkdale, West Queen West, then past the Eaton Centre, and into the depths of gritty Moss Park and Cabbagetown ascending (literally and socioeconomically) across a bridge and the DVP into Riverside and Leslieville ultimately terminating in the Beach and the nifty Neville Loop.
In a lot of ways, this streetcar is a metaphor for this wonderful town, and for that I can't give it less than five stars. And unlike Toronto, it runs 24 hours a day.
Obligatory Title Pun: Gimme FIVE!
Menu Readability: NOPE.
Need to mention: Time will actually slow down on the stretch between University and Yonge during rush hour. You might as well walk it.
What this place teaches me about myself: I can be oddly forgiving of the Charlie Foxtrot that is the TTC.Listed in: Transit Whoas
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Review from Diane C.
1/15/2011
I'm familiar with the slow-ass nature of the 501, so normally I'd agree with everyone.
But tonight, I'd like to make one exception.
I had absolutely THE MOST nerdtastic driver while riding to my destination.
Not only was the dude courteous ... when he approached stops, he'd speak over the PA system to mention important buildings in the immediate vicinity, points of interest, and any relevant bus routes. Plus, if someone had asked him about a certain bar they were looking for, he'd let them know when the streetcar had arrived.
Even when he had to stop for two minutes (presumably 'cause either he was fast, or the streetcar in front of him was slow) he made mention that he had to stop, but would be moving again shortly.
Honestly, if EVERY streetcar (and subway) driver were more like that, perhaps transit rides would be (incrementally) less frustrating and rage-inducing ... or would at least make the sluggish nature a bit more tolerable. -
Review from Marie F.
1/6/2011 68 Check-ins Here
Ok so this streetcar sucks, primarily because it's slow as hell but I don't think it's worst than all the other routes. The 509 Bathurst makes my skin crawl, the 506 College is non-existant and don't get me started on the newly rectified 504 King which now actually runs without shuttle bus.
I don't know... my experiences with the 501 have been not so bad in comparison to those other routes but by no means is it perfect. It's notoriously packed, the clustering is laughable and since it's such a long route when it breaks down everything seems to be at a standstill. -
Review from Cheri D.
3/8/2011 153 Check-ins Here
Half of me could give the 501 a 4star rating. The other half would give it a 2star at best. For me it completely depends on what time of day you take it.
At 4 in the morning, it's the best thing in the world. A Blue Night route, it comes every 1/2 hour and is always on time. It gets me right downtown in 15 minutes tops. No traffic of course. You'd expect the streetie to be pretty empty at that time, but surprisingly, someone gets on at almost every stop.
Now, when i'm coming home it's another story entirely. At 4 or 5 pm? Forget it! I'd rather take the subway all the way around and a bus south to Queen again. I usually can't even smash myself into the first one that screeches by, it's so packed. Even when i catch it between 1 and 2pm the traffic is ridiculous, the streetcars are sporadically timed and i'm lucky if i get a seat. Plus my commute time is at least doubled to 30 or 40mins.Listed in: I Get Around
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Review from Kat F.
Updated - 8/11/2009 1 photo
As of this moment this has now officially become the worst streetcar in the city. This review is solely an update about the current clusterf**k of a situation that is the detour in the east end between York and Broadview. Heretofore referred to as The Great Detour Of 2009™.
What was once just a long straight ride across the city has become an awful, gut-wrenching series of turns and delays, not to mention confusion across the board. It's brutal.
Bank on adding between 30 and 45 minutes to your trip for the detour. It hasn't been standard on any of my trips and is different going east or west on Queen. Today the streetcar turned so many freaking times in a span of 10 minutes that when I looked up I actually had no clue where I was or which orientation we were facing. On certain trips there is a dude (like, an actual person) standing in the intersection waiting for the streetcar to pass because it comes off the rails so often due to the turn - around York/Richmond this happens. That's the guy's job - to reattach the streetcar cable.
I should point out that the most disappointing part of this all is the radio silence from the driver. There should be regular updates (even if they're recorded) reminding people that the streetcar is detouring and what the names of the new stops are. What was once Queen & Church is now Richmond and Church and at one point we were on King Street and then later Dundas. No one on the streetcar knew where we were going and people kept getting up to ask where we were. Talk about directional mayhem!Listed in: The Most Random Things I've…, Public Transit in Toronto
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/8/2009 First to Review
Not the worst streetcar in the city, but close (the 510 Spadina takes that honour). Very unreliable… Read more »
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Review from Abby R.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 8/11/2009 1 Check-in Here
ARGH! ARGH! ARGH!
Okay people, what the HELL is going on with the 501? Yesterday to get to work (live in the beaches, work at Queen and Spadina) it went north on Broadview to Dundas, then south on Parliment to King, north on Church, west on Richmond, and north on Victoria.
Yep. Added about 15 minutes to my commute. What - are they playing pac man? Whatever happened to the basic detour? Stupid 501
Seriously making me consider either cabbing it to my office (wasteful) or buying one of those stupid electric scooters (silly).Listed in: The Beach
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/28/2009
The 501 sucks.
The only positive thing I can think to say about it is that it exists, which makes… Read more »
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Review from sarah l.
8/11/2009
Today it was a bus, not a streetcar.
See Kat's review re: where the F are we.
I have just been taking the gerrard one and ending up somewhere on college and walking. -
Review from Aaron B.
3/24/2010
A street car named Disaster.
Okay, I don't ride the streetcars -- I ride my bike everywhere I can and either walk, skateboard, or drive my car anywhere I can't. In a bind I'd take a cab or maybe even the subway, but holy shit do the streetcars lick goat chode in this city. They get stuck in traffic, they cause extra traffic, they make the road condition horrible, they are loud and dirty, and there is no end to the sketchiness of what goes on in there...and all this I know from just observing them while I try to avoid them with my bike. I really can't imagine what benefit they may have over buses, or what union is keeping them around, but their existence makes Toronto a worse city than it otherwise could be. -
Review from Eric L.
5/23/2011
This is probably my favorite street car line. It takes me home, to work, the danforth, downtown. It's usually on time, rarely overcrowded and the drivers are patient and wait if they see you running.
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Review from Mark S.
Toronto, ON
8/11/2009
Agree totally with Kat. This streetcar is useless and an example of why our city's infrastructure is doomed. The streetcar drivers have no investment in telling anyone where the hell the car is going and its dissapointing to watch people hop off after every turn in utter frustration.
I can only imagine what newcomers to Toronto, or people who are late for job interviews or other important appts. are experiencing.
I take the most issue with the lack of in-car communication to passengers. Completely unacceptable for a modern city. -
Review from Jennifer L.
Toronto, ON
3/18/2011
This is absolutely the worst TTC route in the city, probably because it's rammed to the tits and you are constantly breathing into someone else's mouth or being slammed against another's pelvic region. Not to mention the jerky stop and go effect that happens every few minutes. Doesn't matter if you get a seat during rush hour. Good luck with even getting off. I sometimes get off the streetcar earlier just so that I don't have to endure it any longer. I feel sorry for anyone that has to travel from Etobicoke all the way to the Beaches and then back again. You might as well never leave your house.
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Review from Andrea H.
9/7/2010
I am an out-of-shape middle-aged woman. I regularly pass this streetcar (or rather 5 of these streetcars bunched together) while riding my bike. In low gear.
