Toronto Transportation Commision (TTC)Streetcar

The Toronto streetcar system comprises eleven streetcar (tram) routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the municipal public transit operator. Totalling 305.8 kilometres in length, the network is generally concentrated downtown and in proximity to the city's waterfront. Some of the TTC's streetcar routes date back to the 19th century. Unlike newer light rail transit (LRT) systems, most of Toronto's streetcar routes operate in the classic style on street trackage shared with car traffic, and streetcars stop on demand at frequent stops like buses rather than having fixed stations. However, some routes operate (totally or partially) within their own rights-of-way, though they still stop on demand at frequent stops.

Before the TTC came into operation in 1921, there were seven distinct transit systems in the city. There were no transfers allowed between them, and so the free transfer has always been a sensitive issue for the TTC. The goal of ease in changing routes has affected the design of the system.

There are underground connections between streetcars and the subway at Union, Spadina, and St. Clair West stations, and streetcars enter St. Clair, Bathurst, Broadview, Dundas West, and Main Street stations at street level. At these stations, no proof of payment is required to transfer between streetcars and the subway, as the streetcars have entered the paid area of the stations. Streetcars also pass by the entrances of St. Andrew, King, Osgoode, Queen, St. Patrick, Dundas, Queen's Park, and College—other downtown stations, although proof of payment is required to transfer between streetcars and the subway at these stops, as the streetcars stop outside of the stations themselves at these locations.

The TTC now operates 11 streetcar routes with 248 streetcars, of which 52 are higher-capacity articulated streetcars. Almost all TTC streetcar routes operate all day, every day. The density of this grid is largely unchanged for 18 operating hours per day, thus providing transit services within a 5 to 7 minute walk of most areas within Toronto. The streetcars carry about 74 passengers during peak periods.

This results in the majority of TTC services operating at peak intervals of 5-10 minutes, with some service as frequent as every 2 minutes, and off-peak service every 5 to 20 minutes.