February 25, 2007
Next Stop, Awesomeness
Holy crap.
Earlier today, Spacing Wire found and posted some YouTube videos of the TTC's temporary re-routing through Lower Bay station that we told you about back in December. The detour through the long-closed station—often used as a set for movies and commercials, and as a training area for TTC conductors—is only in its second day, so we bet that many of you haven't had a chance to experience it yet. And golly gee, it sure looks incredible. Here's Spacing's (and our) favourite clip:
This video, looking out the side of a slow-moving subway car as it goes through the station, is a close second.
To check out some more photos and videos, try searching YouTube, or check out Torontoist's Flickr Pool (and keep an eye on both searches—more photos and videos are sure to be added over the next month).
To experience it for yourself, go west from Bloor-Yonge station or east from Museum any weekend from now until March 31. Oh, and bring a book, since if this weekend is any indication you'll be doing lots of waiting.
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I accidentally went out there last week to record it. Imagine my disappointment when we rolled into regular Bay Station :(
I went through today! The conductor was fantastic, he was like a tour guide, telling us when it had closed, how it was used for movie sets etc. He drove nice and slow so we could all get a good look. He also joked: "CTV news is reporting a rumour that a legless lady in red is floating around down here... If you see it, let me know. We are now driving through Lower Bay station."
At Yonge, one of the men who had been standing at the front window with me said with a huge grin, "I've been waiting 44 years to see that."
!
Saturday evening was madness!!! I got on the subway at Christie and there were (hard to hear) announcements going and everyone was looking glum. Of course, the stupid ticket taker didn't tell me that there were no trains running. The announcements mentioned a shuttle bus. But, of course, if they ever come they are full. I walked down Bloor. It was pretty cold. At Bathurst, I couldn't believe my eyes: a shuttle bus with nobody on it. I ran to the bus stop. But the bus didn't open its doors. Other people were they - we yelled but it keep going - empty!
Adam Giambrone: what's with empty TTC buses going up and down Bloor when the subway is shutdown?
I heard on the news, as did you, that there was a crazy guy pepper spraying people, there was a switching problem and of course the scheduled disruption at Bay. Wow. Not to mention ticket takers who take tickets when they know the trains aren't running and buses drive around teasing us.
I went on the subway adventure yesterday. It was fun! Thrilling! Yeah, there was a bit of waiting but it was worth it.
It took me over 40mins+ to go from Royal York to Museum (normally 20min or so) - stops at pretty much every station from Dufferin east for up to 5 mins.
Disappointed that with all the fuss about the new subway screens the ones at Museum are the old style ones so no service updates (not that there probably wouldn't have been on the new ones I suppose), just where you can get a kennel for your dog. Several TTC staff on Museum platform but they seemed more comfortable advising to individual riders than making announcements - I heard one TTC employee saying an eastbound train would stop at St George and have to correct herself. If you were hard of hearing you'd have been pretty screwed on Saturday I think.
In the end I was lucky - Bloor Danforth shut down about 20 mins after I left Museum and they ran shuttle buses from Ossington to Broadview.
TTC should have advised passengers to take alternatives - Dundas West/Bathurst/Spadina/Broadview streetcars to get downtown or get buses to St Clair to get to midtown.
you can read more about the ghost in the red dress at the "Toronto Ghosts" website.
torontoghosts[dot]org
My son and I went through Lower Bay with glee, much to the amusement of fellow passengers who had no idea about the re-routing. One of the TTC employees on the Museum platform proudly told us that the station hadn't been open to the public since 1966 -- you could tell he thought it was cool, too -- and my son was absolutely thrilled.
Y'all might want to add 15-20 minutes to your travel time next weekend.