You’ve got a big, ugly, abandoned elevated track that just looks awful. What’s a city to do? Well, convert it into a park. of course. That’s what High Line Park is. It starts at 30th Street (though it’s being extended northward) and runs parallel to 10th Ave all the way down to 12th Street. It made for a very enjoyable walk. So without further ado, I’m going to hog the internet bandwidth to bring you the dozens of pictures I took…

That’s where they’re expanding it.

I like the bench running along the side.

Looking down the park.

Doesn’t look like the nicest street.

The fact that they kept the track is really cool.

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There were some art installations along the park. This appears to be an organ resting on a hammock. You know, generic stuff.

A little rest area.

I like that mural on the right.

A bit of contrast between two art forms.

It doesn’t even look like New York it’s so leafy.

I love how they incorporated the track into the actual path.

There’s been a security breach!

New York has a bike share service, apparently. This one isn’t very well-used.

That’s a nice view.

Looking into New Jersey.

Some flowers.

That is a really cool building.

This street is a lot nicer.

I love this view!

This is where the official gift shop is.

One of New York’s newer buses.

There was also a snack bar.

We were wondering what this building is. It’s a really nice one.

The buildings seem to be getting taller.

Going through a building.

Looking into New Jersey again. I assume that’s Hoboken.

Looks like things get ugly again.

Another leafy section.

Here’s another art installation.

The track was apparently electrified.

Next up: we finally get back to Boston bus reviews!

Okay, Google Maps. Take me from the Met to our hotel near Penn Station. Let’s see, it says to take the M4 bus rather than the subway. Well, Google Maps is always right, right?

Wrong. The subway is always faster than the bus in New York. Though it was an enjoyable ride, the M4 was so slow – and it even had its own dedicated bus lane! I mean, the Silver Line along Washington Street isn’t the best, but it does goes somewhat fast. The issue in New York is that other cars go into the bus lane anyway. You’re not gonna move any faster by doing that, guys.

We got on the bus right by the Met, at the 81st Street stop. Buses cost the same amount of money to ride as the subways: $2.50 with a MetroCard and $2.75 without one. It wasn’t that crowded inside, and it never did get crowded for the entire ride, probably because the subway is about 500 times faster than the bus. The inside was standard, but nice enough. I was sort of annoyed that there weren’t any automatic announcements, though; I mean, come on! This is New Yawk!

A bad picture of the M4.

Another bad picture of the M4.

The inside of the bus.

There could be a much better use for that.

We headed down 5th Avenue, right alongside Central Park with tall buildings on the other side. But eventually, the park ended and we were surrounded by buildings. We were stopping at every stop, but there were never too many people on the bus at any given point. And again, the bus was moving at a snail’s pace, what with the insane amount of traffic and red lights.

Also, there are about half a million bus routes that run down 5th Ave. Maybe it’s a busy corridor, but they all have different stops! For example, at Central Park South, there’s a stop for the M1-M4, then the BxM6-BxM11 stop before the intersection at 58 Street, while the M5 and Q32 stop after the intersection, then at 56 Street there’s a stop for just the BxM18, and at 55 Street the BxM3-BxM4, M1-M5, Q32, X63-X64, and X68 all share a stop, then the BM1-BM5 stop at 54 Street, while the X10, X10B, X12, X14, X17, X17J, X30, and X42 stop between 54 and 53 Streets. How is anyone supposed to figure all this out? It doesn’t help that there are all the prefix letters, and even some suffix letters to confuse people even more. Long story short, I feel sorry for anyone who’s looking for the right bus to take on 5th Ave.

We went by Rockefeller Center, and then the cool-looking New York Public Library a few blocks later. We got to 34th Street, but my mother insisted on getting off here and walking the rest of the way. I agreed, since the bus turns onto 34th Street, and going across town is even slower than downtown. Though it wasn’t the fastest way to get around, the bus did provide a nice view of the city, and it felt a lot more relaxed than a ride on the subway can ever feel.

A quick note about when we got off: these back doors were ones that you push to leave. It seemed like the driver would unlock them whenever the bus got to a stop, and passengers were free to push it if they wanted to get out the back. It was actually really heavy and hard to open, but a cool feature regardless.

The back doors.

Oh, look, they’ve even added non-MTA services to the bus stop sign just to make it even more confusing!

That’s a much better picture.

Travelling by bus on weekends and nights must be a pain. But now that I think about it, the lack of a bus lane would make no difference.

A nice schedule and map at a stop.

This is an express bus that appears to be out of service. I find it interesting that they use coach buses for these routes.

Six bucks?! And I’ll bet the subway’s still faster.

These are just some extra pictures that didn’t have to do with the previous posts. This will be the last Service Change from my Toronto trip. Next up is the continuation of my trip to New York a while back (here’s Part 1 and Part 2 – there will likely be two more parts), then probably some Boston stuff. Aside from the very slight chance that I take any buses on a weekend trip to Rhode Island and a possible weekend in Burlington (where I already rode a bus), the next Service Change won’t be until another trip to New York in a little under a month. We’ll be taking Amtrak there and I already know which subway line I want to take for fun…

But for now, here are some extra pictures from Toronto.

The TTC’s paratransit service is called Wheel-Trans.

There’s also a bike share service in Toronto, creatively titled “Bike Share Toronto.”

This is an example of a streetcar stop with a countdown clock.

Roundhouse Park used to be a huge rail yard. This is a beautiful old train outside.

Another train. These ones outside are free to look at and (I believe) go into.

There’s a miniature railway (7.25″ gauge) that goes in a small loop around the park. Is it worth the $3.00? Probably not, since it’s a short ride and these people look ridiculous. I’m sure it’s fun, though.

For five bucks to get in the museum, there really isn’t much. The only thing of note that’s not under construction or a gift shop is this. It’s the cab of a real train, connected to Trainz Simulator 12. The novelty sort of wore off, though, since the in-game track was really short and Trainz Simulator isn’t that good. I like Train Simulator 2014 much more.

The ferry ride in question happens to be from Toronto City Airport to the mainland, a distance of about 400 feet and a ride time of about 90 seconds. Short, indeed. The overall airport process at this airportwais pretty great. Security and customs seemed to go by really quickly, and once the ferry ride was over we’d be right in the city.

So yeah, the ferry. The terminal was nice enough, pretty much just two lines. I’m not entirely sure why they would have two lines instead of one wider line, but it still works. I also like that the people getting off the ferry leave through a different door than the ones getting on, so there’s no mass confusion like on the Toronto Islands Ferry.

The ferry offered quite a lot of room for standing, with a bench running along the perimeter. We decided to stand outside (which I’m not sure you’re actually allowed to do, since there was barely anywhere to stand out there) for a better view. But after about a minute and a half, the ride was over and we headed out.

The terminal.

I don’t know if you can read that, but I liked it for some reason.

The inside of the ferry.

The destination in view.

A foggy view.

Looking back towards the airport, having completed the ride.

Vehicles can go onto the ferry for a fee.

This pedestrian tunnel will be convenient. The ferry will still stay for vehicles to be able to go over.

I took a bit of extra time on the mainland to take pictures, and so we didn’t even notice the shuttle bus waiting there. It had already closed its doors and started to leave by the time we saw it, but they saw us running and opened the doors. I love it when bus drivers do that.

Unfortunately, it was one of those buses that has an ad plastered on the outside, so you can’t see a thing out the window. It actually messes with your vision and is just really disorienting. The route was really simple: we went up Bathurst Street, crossing over the railroad tracks, then turned onto Front Street and stopped a block away from Union Station. It was an underwhelming ride, but I’m glad that they stopped for us and opened the doors. Plus, it was free. Free’s good.

I had to snap a quick picture.

The inside. Good thing there’s space for luggage.

Ah, yes. What a beautiful view.

People boarding the bus to go back.

The Toronto Islands used to be a peninsula, but nature caused them to become separated from the mainland. They’re now a popular place to visit for tourists, but they also have some residential areas. It’s actually North America’s largest urban car-free community. But there’s no bridge connecting to the islands, so there are three ferry routes to do the job. They operate with vintage ferries from the 1950’s, which is very cool, and the ride for all three is about 15 minutes.

Quite a few people, as you can see.

Again, a large number of people appear in the picture.

There is a large mass of people in the location of this waiting area

That guy up there’s probably having the time of his life.

There are boards to show where the next ferry’s going.

Two decks.

They tried to pack as many people as they could onto this boat.

And finally, the crowded second deck.

Since it was such a short ride, the only view was of the Toronto skyline. But it was a pretty awesome view that I was completely willing to look at for 15 minutes.

Bye!

When close to the dock, you mostly just see these apartment buildings.

A view of the city.

A ferry going the other way.

Centre Island was, as you might expect, extremely crowded. We decided to get away from it all and take a walk down the rural boardwalk, visiting the cute residential areas of Algonquin and Ward’s Islands. And it was at Ward’s Island that we got on the ferry back. It was practically identical to the first one, just a little less busy. Overall, it was a pretty great day excursion – as long as you’re not claustrophobic…

Another view. Man, I love that skyline.

Another boat.

This is the ferry terminal at Ward’s Island.

For a while I thought that GO Transit was just a generic name. But then I found out that GO stands for Government of Ontario, turning the name into a cool acronym. I love it!

Two inside views.

It’s not exactly as imposing as the one at South Station, is it?

The platform we were waiting on was pretty standard. It was at track level, with a basic shelter running down it. It looks like other platforms may be a bit fancier, though.

Meh.

That looks a bit better.

A VIA Rail train – these go all across Canada.

The locomotive looks similar to some of the new ones the MBTA got – is it the same?

Double-decker! Hooray!

Forward-facing seats! Hooray!

A nice view of the financial district from Union Station.

The bathroom was disgusting, as you might expect.

There weren’t any automatic announcements, unfortunately. We left Union Station at a slow speed, with Toronto’s Old Town to the north and the elevated Gardiner Expressway to the south. There was a bridge over the Don River, the track gradually curved north, and it started getting more suburban. At one point we went by a huge yard for the Bloor Line, which was pretty cool.

Soon after we arrived at our first station, Danforth. There’s no direct connection (or free transfer), but the Main Street Bloor Line station is a short walk away. There were more suburban views until Scarborough Station, where there was a quick industrial break. After stopping at another station, Eglinton, we went past a golf course and arrived at Guildwood, which is also served by VIA Rail trains. A few other people got off here, but they all got rides while we walked to the bus stop.

The train at Guildwood.

The platform.

That’s an absurd amount of shelters going the other way.

The train leaving.

The really dingy tunnel to get out of the station.

I’m not entirely sure how Presto Cards work. It’s interesting that they’ve implemented smartcards into the commuter rail network but not the TTC.

It’s hard to see, but they even had an arrival board here!

The area just outside the entrance into the station.

A very tall sign.

The 86 coming back from the Toronto Zoo was by far the worst bus ride I’ve ever experienced. It’s not the route that’s the problem…no, the route’s fine, going from Kennedy Station on the Bloor Line to the Toronto Zoo. It’s the people that were on it. We got on the bus at Guildwood GO Station (GO is Toronto’s commuter rail network) having taken the train from Union in downtown Toronto. The ride to the zoo was full of screaming kids, and my father still talks about the odor of the bus.

The bus coming over a bridge.

Up close and personal.

The inside.

But it was the ride back that was awful for me, as you’ll find out. The bus was already pretty crowded leaving the zoo (it’s pretty much the only service there, aside from a few 85 trips), but nobody was sitting next to me…yet.

The bus at the zoo.

We left the zoo’s busway and parking lot, going by a pointless stop in the middle of nowhere, then merged onto Meadowvale Road. Right by a housing development, there was a loop for short-turn buses from Kennedy, then we went through same-house central. We then crossed over the 401, the busiest highway in North America and one of the widest. Then it was back to more housing, even after we turned onto Kingston Road.

It was sometime along here that a man came onto the bus. He had a very drunk-looking walk, a bandage over two of his fingers, and blood all over him. Of course he sat next to me. It made me very uneasy, to say the least. There were some businesses, then Kingston Road went over a bridge with a similar view to that viaduct on the Bloor Line. That is to say, a good view.

Nice and rural.

There were some weird businesses and hotels along the next stretch. At Lawrence Ave, the route was joined by another variant of the 86 that loops around a residential area and office park. It was obvious that this was a big car area, based on Kingston Road’s width, as well as the huge parking lots for every business.

At one point, a bloody arm impaired my vision. Turns out it was the guy sitting next to me, and he wanted to get off. He awkwardly reached across me to pull the cord, and yanked it toward him. It was like one last gross thing to do before getting off.

Hooray! I was alone again! But not for long, because a few stops later, another guy came on and sat next to me. He seemed normal enough at first, but then he started hitting himself on the head. And again. And again. He was constantly counting on his fingers, then hitting himself on the head. He couldn’t help it (he clearly had Tourette syndrome), but it was still really, really annoying.

We passed Guildwood Station where we got on before and went over the train tracks. There were a few apartments, and then it was back to housing, housing, housing. We turned onto Eglinton Ave, and that had quite a few apartment buildings, as well as more trashy businesses with huge parking lots. We passed the Eglinton GO Station, then there were was another housing development and then a lot of businesses.

We went past the Kennedy GO Station, then over the Scarborough RT tracks and then turned onto “North Service Road,” all in quick succession. Finally, we pulled into Kennedy Station and we all got off the bus.

A cool feature.

That’s the best “not in service” sign ever!

“Scarborough Center Rocket…” I like the sound of that. It’s a lot catchier than just saying “express bus.” And it was pretty fast, with only six stops on the route to Scarborough. We started out at Don Mills, the terminus of the Sheppard Line which also has a really dingy busway. There was a fair amount of people waiting with us.

It was an older bus.

The inside.

This is literally the best picture I could get of the stop announcement board.

This is literally the best picture I could get of the “stop requested” sign.

The automatic announcements reminded us after every stop that the bus was express. But what I really like about the announcements on both TTC buses and streetcars is that they say what the next stop is, rather than the current stop. It gives you more time to pull the cord.

We headed down Sheppard Ave, going by the massive mall that Don Mills Station is situated in. We crossed over a highway, with huge apartment buildings always visible. Literally 40 to 50 story buildings that apparently sprung up when they built the Sheppard Line. But there were also shopping plazas and housing developments to vary the views. This was really all there was along the entire route. I mean, we went over a small creek at one point. Is that interesting?

After a stop at Midland Ave, the bus went total express until Scarborough Town Center (the busiest stop on the Scarborough RT). We turned onto Midland, going past – something different! – an industrial wasteland. But those apartments were still in view. Then we turned onto Progress Ave, and then Borough Drive (at the corner of Progress and Brimley Road, there was a restaurant called Boston Pizza!), and finally came into Scarborough Town Center. A fast but totally unremarkable ride.

A somewhat better picture of the bus.

The TTC refers to the 510 as something like “streetcar rapid transit,” but I like to just refer to it as a Super Streetcar. Unlike most TTC streetcars (the 509 and 512 are the other two classified as SRT), the 510 runs in a median separated from other traffic. That means that the trains really move quickly along Spadina Avenue. The other cool thing about the 510 is that it runs through all three of the TTC’s underground streetcar stations. The two by the harbor were closed, but we did take it through the other tunnel up at Spadina Station.

We got on the 510 at Dundas, right in the heart of Chinatown. Fittingly, there was a cool dragon sculpture at one end of the stop, though we didn’t have very much time to enjoy it since we were running for a streetcar. Also of note is how leafy the median is: it really makes the street look nice.

Not bad, considering I was running.

So there aren’t that many trees here, but it gets better.

We sped up through Chinatown, which mostly runs up Spadina, but once we got to College the business names turned English again. Soon after College the street split up into a rotary around a big church-like building that may or may not be a church. It could also be a University of Toronto building, as we were running alongside the university during this next stretch.

There was a tall building, uncharacteristic for the neighborhood, just before the tunnel portal. In the tunnel, I could hear a lot of screeching from the streetcar. Looking on the map now, it looks like it does make some sharp curves to get into the station. There was a bit of a wait just before because of boarding streetcars, then we came in and everyone got off to go to the subway.

A streetcar going through the tunnel.

A streetcar at the station.

They do have countdown clocks here.

It’s so dark!

This was the streetcar that we took.

Replacement buses: you gotta love them. Turns out that part of the 511 Bathurst streetcar was being replaced by buses when we rode. We were waiting at the King Street stop for quite a while until finally a bus showed up. Everyone piled in (and I mean piled in), and the bus went up Bathurst at a glacial pace. The driver seemed both astonished and amused at how crowded her vehicle was.

I was not happy to see this.

After what seemed like a million years, we finally arrived at Queen Street where passengers could get off and grab the streetcar. We waited at the Queen Street stop for another million years, until we found out that it was boarding on a side street. Really? Ever heard of signage?

I don’t have any pictures from the bus experience, so here’s another 511 we took at the normal Queen stop.

A very cool feature about all of the TTC streetcars.

There were some businesses after Queen but soon it changed to amazingly cute British style flats. After going by a park, we crossed Dundas and went by a huge hospital. There were some businesses up until College, then it was just the flats on both sides. We went by a track and field, then pulled the cord (so much better than the buttons here) and got off at Lennox Street to go see a play.

What a charming neighborhood and a great ride. It almost makes the bus ride worth it…