We Saw a Chicken …

Tag: line5

  • Crosstown is finally open and I am 😐

    It’s years late and many millions over budget, but — at last — the TTC Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown is open today! I am slightly happy for them, as finally they’ll have to stop making excuses about why it’s closed.

    I rode a little bit of it today (it was free) and this little bit of dust graffiti sums up how I feel

    dust inscription on Kennedy station's window says: it's finally open! ?
    dust inscription on Kennedy station’s window says: it’s finally open! 😐

    I rode the surface section from Kennedy to Aga Khan Park this afternoon, and my overall impression was: wow, this is really slow.

    Map of Eglinton Avenue East, showing Crosstown stations from Aga Khan Park & Museum to Ionview
    Map of Eglinton Avenue East, showing Crosstown stations from Aga Khan Park & Museum to Ionview

    I was only able to track the train from Ionview, as my phone GPS is useless underground.

    Westbound

    I got on a westbound train a little after 15:30

    Station Distance / km Arrive Depart Time Speed / km/h
    Ionview 15:37:20
    Birchmount 0.552 15:39:05 15:39:40 1′ 45″ 18.9
    Golden Mile 1.244 15:42:37 15:42:39 2′ 57″ 25.3
    Hakimi Lebovic 0.455 15:44:29 15:44:30 1′ 50″ 14.9
    Pharmacy 0.592 15:47:55 15:48:30 3′ 25″ 10.4
    O’Connor 0.584 15:50:00 15:51:55 1′ 30″ 23.3
    Sloane 1.225 15:53:25 15:54:03 1′ 30″ 49.0
    Wynford 1.600 15:56:45 15:57:17 2′ 42″ 35.5
    Aga Khan Park & Museum 0.718 15:58:25 1′ 08″ 38.0
    Total 6.969 21′ 05″ 19.8

    Despite getting up to almost 50 km/h between O’Connor and Sloane, we still didn’t exceed an average of 20 km/h over the whole 7 km trip. So many stops for lights. Traffic on Eglinton was moving faster than us.

    Eastbound

    Two Alstom TTC/Metrolinx Crosstown light rail trains sit at the rather snowy Aga Khan Park station
    Two Alstom TTC/Metrolinx Crosstown light rail trains sit at the rather snowy Aga Khan Park station

    I had to wait for 10 minutes at Aga Khan Park station for the return train. It was just a little brisk out. When it finally arrived, it was so busy that I ended up smushed against a door for most of the ride.

    Station Distance / km Arrive Depart Time Speed / km/h
    Aga Khan Park & Museum 16:08:55
    Wynford 0.718 16:10:10 16:11:00 1′ 15″ 34.4
    Sloane 1.600 16:14:00 16:14:45 3′ 00″ 32.0
    O’Connor 1.225 16:17:35 16:19:15 2′ 50″ 25.9
    Pharmacy 0.584 16:20:35 16:21:15 1′ 20″ 26.3
    Hakimi Lebovic 0.592 16:23:10 16:23:30 1′ 55″ 18.5
    Golden Mile 0.455 16:25:52 16:25:54 2′ 22″ 11.5
    Birchmount 1.244 16:29:50 16:30:25 3′ 56″ 19.0
    Ionview 0.552 16:31:35 1′ 10″ 28.4
    Total 6.969 22′ 40″ 18.4

    Even slower coming back.

    It’s okay, TTC/Metrolinx: we’ve got used to waiting.