CNE / Streetcars of Tomorrow / Queenie's Farewell

August 31, 2007 - So a bunch of us went to check out the Ex tonight! It has been awhile since I've been to the Ex and really, not that much has changed since my last visit. The Food Building (99 cents pasta + 2 bucks for 2 meatballs), the scary rides, and the smelly farm animals are still there! While I have to say that the Ex isn't THAT exciting (though the Human Cannonball was really cool), it's still fun to go - especially with a big group.

This year's CNE features a special exhibit called "Streetcars of Tomorrow". On display were two models (designed by Siemens and Bombardier, two of the four bidders for TTC's new streetcar contract) of what future Toronto streetcars could look like. While the final design will look considerably different, both consortia went all out to impress Torontonians. Siemens showed off their Combino Plus model - a slim, sleek LRV that reminds me of the trams in Germany. Kudos to Siemens for painting their model in classic red/white TTC colours - it allowed people to immediately identify with it. However, because the vehicle is so slim, the interior does look too narrow compared to our current streetcar fleet - and I can't imagine what it would be like to be stuffed inside one of these vehicles during rush hour.

The Bombardier model is the same one that was on display at Dundas Square awhile back. I have already blogged about that - but compare to the Siemens model, the Bombardier one does look a bit bulky. Sure, it's roomy inside - but does it have to look like a box on the street?

I also want to stay that I think the TTC, Siemens, and Bombardier are doing a great job in terms of educating the public about our future streetcars. The moment I stepped on the Siemens model, I was greeted by a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic person that answered all my questions (I had to play dumb for a bit just to see how much he knows). I also liked how pamphlets were readily available and a large map of the Transit City Plan was also on display. Gotta hand it to all three for the excellent PR job - what a great way to generate interest on our new transit vehicles!

Our Ex visit also served as Queenie's farewell, who will be leaving us for Asia! Good luck Queenie!