Queens Quay is an underground
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...
station of the
Toronto streetcar system
The Toronto streetcar system is a network of nine streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It is the busiest light-rail system in North America. The network is concentrated primarily in D ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Ontario, Canada. It is the only underground streetcar station that is not part of or connected to a
Toronto subway station (, , and subway stations have underground stations for streetcars as well). It was opened in 1990 as part of the former Harbourfront LRT route. The station is now served by the
509 Harbourfront,
510 Spadina daytime routes and the 310 Spadina night route.
The station is named after
Queens Quay, an adjacent street skirting Toronto's waterfront. The station's internal signage bears the subtitle "Ferry Docks", a reference to the nearby
Jack Layton Ferry Terminal
The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal (formerly called the Toronto Island Ferry Docks) is the ferry slip for Toronto Island ferries operated by the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division. Three ferry routes provide transportation betwee ...
for the
Toronto Island ferries
The Toronto Island ferries connect the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario to the mainland of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The main city-operated ferry services carry passengers (all) and commercial vehicles (some) from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal a ...
that provide pedestrian access to the
Toronto Islands
The Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, south of mainland Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the ...
.
This station did not open at the same time as the rest of the Harbourfront line it served, due to disputes regarding direct access to nearby businesses that eventually fell through.
[Route 509 - The New Harbourfront Streetcar - Transit Toronto]
/ref> Additionally, after the station did open, the "FERRY DOCKS" subtitle was not yet present.[Toronto PCC Streetcars in June 1991]
The lack of subtitles can be seen at 5:14 and 5:26.
Design
Queens Quay is a unique station in Toronto because it is served by streetcars rather than subways. It is the only station to have a pedestrian crossing between platforms at track level, as there is no electrified third rail
A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway ...
to contend with. Streetcars crossing the pedestrian walkway must stop and sound their gong before proceeding; Union-bound streetcars stop immediately after rounding a sharp curve, ring their gong, and proceed into the stopping zone to load and unload passengers. Exhibition- and Spadina-bound streetcars enter the station, load and unload passengers, ring their gong, then proceed out of the station.
Originally there was to have been an underground station in front of the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel
The Westin Harbour Castle Toronto is a large hotel opened in 1975 on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Westin Hotels chain within Marriott International.
History
The hotel was built by the Campeau Corporation, after C ...
and the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal
The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal (formerly called the Toronto Island Ferry Docks) is the ferry slip for Toronto Island ferries operated by the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division. Three ferry routes provide transportation betwee ...
. Patrons of the hotel were to have had underground access to the station. Plans for the station were cancelled when the hotel changed its mind about sharing in the station's cost. This meant that the fallback location on Bay would require ferry passengers to cross a busy street on foot.
Queens Quay is also the only station in Toronto that does not have permanent staff or faregates, as the streetcar platform is not a fare-paid zone. Passengers pay their fare upon boarding streetcars.
The station was closed from July 2012 to October 2014 due to Waterfront Toronto's project to rebuild Queens Quay West and reconstruction of the Harbourfront streetcar line, during which time there was a replacement bus service. As of the station's reopening on October 12, 2014 a proof-of-payment ticket vending machine is present on the northbound platform.
Streetcar infrastructure in the vicinity
North of this station, the lines enter an underground loop at Union subway station, below Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
, the city's main railway station; to the south, they emerge from the tunnel onto Queens Quay, where they run west in a dedicated right-of-way as far as Spadina Avenue
Spadina Avenue (, less commonly ) is one of the most prominent streets in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Running through the western section of downtown, the road has a very different character in different neighbourhoods.
Spadina Avenue runs south ...
, where the two routes diverge; the 509 continues west to Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place is a publicly owned mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The site includes exhibit, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments ...
, while the 510 turns north towards Spadina station
Spadina is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University and Line 2 Bloor–Danforth in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Spadina Road, north of Bloor Street West. It is one of only two stations open overnight, along with Union station ...
.
Tunnel intrusions
Between 2014 and 2018, 26 motorists inadvertently drove through the Queens Quay tunnel portal via the streetcar ramp on Queens Quay West between York and Bay streets and became trapped in the tunnel. It took the TTC anywhere from 15 minutes to 5 hours to extract trapped vehicles. In 2016, one automobile reached Union station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
despite the tunnel having no provision for rubber-tire vehicles, with streetcar tracks protruding from a shallow trench. In April 2017, to prevent motorist invasions, the TTC made changes at the tunnel entrance by lowering warning lights closer to driver eye level, by placing a flashing light on a pole between the tracks, by adding rumble strips and by adding signs on posts that also narrow the passage to the tunnel. However, despite these efforts, another motorist drove down the ramp on October 18, 2017, and became trapped in the trench at the bottom. The 24th incident of automobile intrusion occurred on March 17, 2018, spurring the TTC to take further precautions. Thus, on April 22, 2018, the TTC added 6 new bollards at the east side of the intersection of Queens Quay West and York Street to obstruct drivers from driving onto the right-of-way and into the tunnel. Further, in late July 2018, the TTC installed two gates at the top of the ramp to the tunnel which can be opened in 3 seconds by a transponder on an approaching streetcar.
However, on January 22, 2020, a 27th motorist bypassed all the barriers at the tunnel entrance and travelled all the way to Union station before becoming stuck. The intruding SUV passed through the bollards and went past the lights and gates installed in 2018.
Future expansion
An expansion of Queens Quay station is planned as part of the East Bayfront LRT
East Bayfront LRT is a proposed Toronto streetcar line that would serve the East Bayfront and Port Lands areas in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It would run from Union station under Bay Street and along Queens Quay and Cherry Street to a new Polson ...
project, which plans to bring streetcar service in a dedicated right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
along Queens Quay East to serve the developing districts of the Portlands
The Port Lands (also known as Portlands) of Toronto, Ontario, Canada are an industrial and recreational neighbourhood located about 5 kilometres south-east of downtown, located on the former Don River delta and most of Ashbridge's Bay.
Approxi ...
, West Don Lands
The West Don Lands are the site of a neighbourhood under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is bordered by the Don River (Toronto), Don River, King Street, Toronto, Ontario, King Street, Parliament Street and the rail line adjac ...
, and East Bayfront
East Bayfront, or the East Bayfront Precinct, is an emerging neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is currently undergoing a transformation from industrial use to mixed-use as part of Waterfront Toronto's plans to create a residential and ...
. A new entrance and exit on the south side of Queens Quay is planned, along with improvements to the existing entrance. Additionally, a tunnel under the streetcar tracks for passengers to move between the two platforms, replacing the current level crossing, is also planned.
Nearby landmarks and attractions
* Scotiabank Arena
Scotiabank Arena (French: ''Aréna Scotiabank)'', formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Rapt ...
* Queen's Quay Terminal
Queen's Quay Terminal is a condominium apartment, office and retail complex in the Harbourfront neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was originally built in 1927 as a marine terminal with office, warehouse and cold-storage facilities. Whe ...
* Jack Layton Ferry Terminal
The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal (formerly called the Toronto Island Ferry Docks) is the ferry slip for Toronto Island ferries operated by the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division. Three ferry routes provide transportation betwee ...
* Toronto Star Building
* RBC WaterPark Place
RBC WaterPark Place is an office complex designed by WZMH Architects and located at 88 Queens Quay West in Toronto, Canada.
Home to the Royal Bank of Canada, it features a 31-storey tower with of space and developed by Oxford Properties outside ...
* Westin Harbour Castle
The Westin Harbour Castle Toronto is a large hotel opened in 1975 on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Westin Hotels chain within Marriott International.
History
The hotel was built by the Campeau Corporation, after ...
Former landmarks
* Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant (scrapped in 2015)
See also
*Queens Quay East light rail line
East Bayfront LRT is a proposed Toronto streetcar line that would serve the East Bayfront and Port Lands areas in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It would run from Union station under Bay Street and along Queens Quay and Cherry Street to a new Polson ...
References
External links
Queens Quay station
at the Toronto Transit Commission
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the public transport agency that operates bus, subway, streetcar, and paratransit services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, some of which run into the Peel Region and York Region. It is the oldest and largest ...
* News report by CityNews Toronto
''CityNews'' (corporately styled City''News'') is the title of news and current affairs programming on Rogers Sports & Media's Citytv network in Canada. The newscast division was founded on September 28, 1975 as ''CityPulse'' as a standalone lo ...
{{TTCstations
Toronto streetcar system
Railway stations in Canada opened in 1990
Harbourfront, Toronto
Toronto Transit Commission stations located underground
1990 establishments in Ontario