TTC frontman Brad Ross has said something that rational thinkers know and have insisted on for decades. Buses make far more sense than streetcars. This blasphemy will deeply offend the high priests of Toronto’s state rail religion. It will not go down well with those whose lives revolve around the care and feeding of streetcars. But the TTC is removing trams from the long Queen Street line this summer and putting buses in their place. With buses there are many fewer detours and when they do occur they’re easier. There are no traffic backups, no stalled streetcars and the buses are air conditioned. Oh wait, what about the old chestnut that streetcars carry more people. Of course they do but so what. They are also less frequent because of it and their purchase and upkeep make the cost of buses look like pin money. Here’s what Ross had to say: “You know, it was a bit of a shock to everybody. ‘My goodness, you are removing all the streetcars from Queen. How could you do that?’ Well, frankly, I think this is probably the better option,” he said.
