Yelp Review 2023 #74: Whenever I'm in Toronto, I rely on trams aka streetcars to get around using my Presto card. I normally stay at hotels along or near Queen Street because they are more accessible. 501 streetcar runs during the day and is the longest tram line. It runs east and west of Toronto. From Neville Park to Dufferin which is over 20km. If I want to go to lululemon, it's a quick streetcar ride. The City Hall is along Queen Street. You can also get to Eaton Center using 501 streetcar. If you're a fan of the show Kim's Convenience, just get off Sherbourne. The times I've used the 501, I've not really experienced any riff raff. Except for when I went to Kim's Convenience. I didn't know it was in a bad neighborhood and people were openly talking about drugs and they're dealing in broad daylight as I was waiting for a streetcar to go back to my hotel and it was 10 minutes delayed and I had to tell myself I'll be fine. And then the streetcar was delayed another 5 minutes. I can see how a visitor's experience might be different from a local's experience because visitors aren't here long enough to know how it really is. I did notice that in the winter, homeless people ride the tram and go up and down, or left to right on trams for hours just to stay warm. If I were homeless, I'd probably do the same thing too. I don't blame them. A problem in Toronto that seems more obvious in the winter than when I went in the summer. read more

501 Queen Streetcar - 501 tram aka streetcar - Public Transportation Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Out of all the TTC routes, the 501 Queen route is closest to my heart. I grew up in the Beaches and lived on Queen Street East. There was a streetcar stop right in front of the apartment building where I grew up, heading eastbound, at Scarborough Beach Boulevard. Recently, I drove by and noticed that this streetcar stop is no longer there. It has moved a block east to Glen Manor Drive. It's a bit sad to see a stop that has been there for decades move. I could start a petition, but will likely not get the results that I want. Going westbound, I had the option of either boarding at Glen Manor or Wineva. I always did the latter because there were a set of traffic lights and it was safer to cross. The 501 route is one of the longest that the TTC offers. I know the eastern part better. The Neville Loop is where the streetcar turns around. The loop is a few steps away from Scarborough and the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant. It's actually a beautiful area with a nice park and Lake Ontario as its backdrop. It opens up once a year, so you can do a tour inside. On the other end of this route is Long Branch. i have recently spent some time in this area, as two of my favourite empanada and ice cream places are on that end of the spectrum. I dig it. Tourist or not, I used to enjoy plopping myself on the streetcar and cutting through the city. You go through a series of cool neighbourhoods, such as Leslieville, downtown Toronto (Eaton Centre, Old City Hall, and Nathan Phillips Square are all viewable from the streetcar if you do not have time to drop by), Parkdale, and more. A number of cool parks are also along the way. High Park, Trinity Bellwoods Park, and Humber Bay Park are just a few. I am biased and love seeing Kew Gardens, because I will always be a Beacher at heart. I have been on this route countless times. I used this route to commute to my summer jobs at the Ex and resting my tired feet after standing all day. Heading to Chinese school, both at the Spadina and Broadview Chinatowns, required taking this streetcar and transferring to another streetcar or bus. Going downtown? I'd take this streetcar to Yonge Street and walk around like the teenager that I was. I haven't taken the TTC for several years. It's what happens when I live in the suburbs and use a car to get around. I hope to board one of the newer streetcars as a passenger someday. As of late, I am either admiring them while waiting for the traffic light to turn or I'm trying to drive past one. Service had its hits and misses. When things were running smoothly, it was a treat taking the streetcar along Queen Street East and West. When it was bad, I'd be waiting for the third or fourth streetcar to come along so I could actually board it without feeling like a suffocating sardine. I do like this route and now I'm all nostalgic. It was nice to see the streetcars on this route in action when I was recently in Leslieville and the streetcar tracks along Queen Street East again. (25) read more

501 Queen Streetcar - Stop at Logan and Queen Street East heading westbound - Public Transportation Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This Streetcar is not named desire. It is named the Queen Streetcar and is numbered 501 like a pair of jeans. Riding up and down Queen is pretty awesome, especially on one of these rickety cute trams that brave some of the harshest winters in any large city anywhere in the world. They're good at ploughing their way through snow, but get pretty cold in the winter. I've ridden on this thing in both winter and summer and I can say that even the most sweltering of days in the summer is preferable to the bitterness of the long dark winters here. The system is actually quite thorough for the vital parts of Toronto, and there are underground trains, buses, and these awesome streetcars. Prices are pretty decent. I've got 99 streetcars but none are as good as the 501. read more

501 Queen Streetcar - I'm interested in your point of view just don't Tram it down my throat - Public Transportation Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The absolute worst since they took out street cars( with no communication to the users at that) several times ive stood at the bus stops and they dont stop, just drive past . Seen this happen to others as well. Also most of the buses go to long branch, so 6 Buses will pass before one comes that goes to park lawn. Many people dont take it any more since the buses started because of the terrible service and unpredictability. Also many of the stops Cant be located in the apps so you cant tell when ones coming. Do better. read more

This is the one of the longest streetcars in Toronto, going from the Wilds of Coxwell and Little India in the East end all the way to Long Branch on the borders of Etobicoke in the west. I like this streetcar when I am not in a hurry, its a great way to see lots of areas of the city, Parkdale, Queen West, Queen East near Broadview and you can really get a sense of Toronto's neighborhoods by riding it on a nice day. The only problem is due to the length of the route and the fact that it is not a segregated line means that the scheduling and speed of this line is extremely variable. It literally crawls at Rush Hour. As well, the spacing of the cars means that one will be jammed packed and then three empty ones will appear in a row. read more

One of the top ten tram rides in the world, according to National Geographic. Who are we to argue with that? The 501 stretches from out beyond the beaches, through the East End foodie neighbourhoods, cutting through the heart of the city, before running out into the West. You can find yourself traversing through some of the most beautiful locations Toronto has to offer, all for the low price of a daily fare. Is it rush hour? Well then, you might be stuck for thirty minutes, without moving more than one city block. That's not so fantastic - but during the off hours, you can get where you need to go without any effort at all. Toronto has a lot to offer, and the 501 will introduce you to much of that which is desired. Still - there's that trick rush hour issue. read more

Neither charming nor genteel, the 501 isn't even the equivalent of the 506. Traversing the already busy Queen St corridor, I think this unfortunate vessel adds to rather than lessens the congestion. Taking it westbound one Saturday afternoon, it wasn't too awful but it was very crowded. However, on the return trip eastbound, it took forever to arrive and then when it did, it was slow as molasses on a January morning in Cottage Country (which is to say it was very slow). I exited at Spadina and walked to my hotel at University and actually beat the streetcar. Granted, I'm a already brisk walker and I really had to use the restroom so I was walking extra-fast to get to my hotel but still, when walking is faster than riding, you know something is just not right. read more

You know what? I like this streetcar. You know what else? I think I LOVE this streetcar. That's right. Sure it's full of characters, and takes abominable detours when you least expect it. And yes, there are like a thousand different places that this car can short turn (Parliament, Church, Broadview, et al) and ruin your day. But IMHO you can't get a better cross-section of the city than than the one carved by this streetcar. It takes you through the highs and dizzying lows of Hogtown. This route is almost 30 clicks, starting as far West as Etobicoke, slicing its way along High Park, through Parkdale, West Queen West, then past the Eaton Centre, and into the depths of gritty Moss Park and Cabbagetown ascending (literally and socioeconomically) across a bridge and the DVP into Riverside and Leslieville ultimately terminating in the Beach and the nifty Neville Loop. In a lot of ways, this streetcar is a metaphor for this wonderful town, and for that I can't give it less than five stars. And unlike Toronto, it runs 24 hours a day. Obligatory Title Pun: Gimme FIVE! Menu Readability: NOPE. Need to mention: Time will actually slow down on the stretch between University and Yonge during rush hour. You might as well walk it. What this place teaches me about myself: I can be oddly forgiving of the Charlie Foxtrot that is the TTC. read more

There's lots to say about this being a scenic streetcar route, how it covers lots of different areas of Toronto, and so on. That's at least somewhat true. The fact of the matter is, this streetcar route simply doesn't work. Imagine this... Take one of the busiest streets in Canada. Then put a streetcar track in the middle of it. Not a dedicated lane for that streetcar, but a track in the street, in the middle of a lane on both sides. Then have people parking, or cabs stopping, in the other lane. Then set it up so that every time the streetcar stops to load/unload people, they have to cross the other lane. You're now blocking both lanes. Next, put the stops right at busy intersections. That way, the streetcar can't stop beside them, because there are already cars waiting at the light. Don't let people on and off if you have to be 2 car lengths away from the stop - that would be too obvious. Finally, if you get behind schedule and multiple streetcars start to bunch up together, don't do the easy thing and send one streetcar ahead. Instead, have the lead streetcar continue to take every stop, while the other streetcars build up behind it, completely empty. What's cooler than traveling convoy style? THAT'S the 501 Queen streetcar. Yesterday I rode this thing. When I exited, I noticed that there were SEVEN streetcars traveling together. Four of them were double streetcars. That's eleven traveling together in a convoy. What a waste. This route is too easily caught in traffic jams. The route CAUSES traffic jams. This route should be underground. If successive governments had any sort of vision - if they ever actually rode the streetcar - this route would have been turned into an underground subway a long time ago. read more

Ok so this streetcar sucks, primarily because it's slow as hell but I don't think it's worst than all the other routes. The 509 Bathurst makes my skin crawl, the 506 College is non-existant and don't get me started on the newly rectified 504 King which now actually runs without shuttle bus. I don't know... my experiences with the 501 have been not so bad in comparison to those other routes but by no means is it perfect. It's notoriously packed, the clustering is laughable and since it's such a long route when it breaks down everything seems to be at a standstill. read more

I'm familiar with the slow-ass nature of the 501, so normally I'd agree with everyone. But tonight, I'd like to make one exception. I had absolutely THE MOST nerdtastic driver while riding to my destination. Not only was the dude courteous ... when he approached stops, he'd speak over the PA system to mention important buildings in the immediate vicinity, points of interest, and any relevant bus routes. Plus, if someone had asked him about a certain bar they were looking for, he'd let them know when the streetcar had arrived. Even when he had to stop for two minutes (presumably 'cause either he was fast, or the streetcar in front of him was slow) he made mention that he had to stop, but would be moving again shortly. Honestly, if EVERY streetcar (and subway) driver were more like that, perhaps transit rides would be (incrementally) less frustrating and rage-inducing ... or would at least make the sluggish nature a bit more tolerable. read more

ARGH! ARGH! ARGH! Okay people, what the HELL is going on with the 501? Yesterday to get to work (live in the beaches, work at Queen and Spadina) it went north on Broadview to Dundas, then south on Parliment to King, north on Church, west on Richmond, and north on Victoria. Yep. Added about 15 minutes to my commute. What - are they playing pac man? Whatever happened to the basic detour? Stupid 501 Seriously making me consider either cabbing it to my office (wasteful) or buying one of those stupid electric scooters (silly). read more

This review comes to you on a snowy mid-April morn. Yes-- that's right... SNOW IN APRIL. I can't ride my bike to work in April... WTF? So unless I feel like walking in the snow, that leaves the Queen car. Always packed up and backed up with such fabulous treats as several glue huffing addicts or someone who feels the need to carp on, loud as can be, about dramatic personal details... it's a wonder that more people just don't get off at the CAMH building. Joyfully (hopefully you get the sopping sarcasm here), my stop is smack dab between the two facilities. Once, I waited 40 minutes for a streetcar after missing 4 that went by so close together that they appeared to be one long urban centipede. Then nothing-- for 40 minutes. My dilemma is also that it takes me 25 minutes to walk (but that's 25 minutes that I can spend on Yelp before work), 4 to ride my bike and depending when the streetcar arrives--1 hr! And for that wait I have to pay $3.00 for a ride that takes 8 minutes. I should just leave earlier and walk, but when the weather is bad, like, say...an uncommonly snowy morning in April, I wanna catch that crowded, hot car crammed with coughing, drooling and extensive waiting. First world problems? Perhaps. But for $3.00 one way, I'm allowed to complain. read more

A street car named Disaster. Okay, I don't ride the streetcars -- I ride my bike everywhere I can and either walk, skateboard, or drive my car anywhere I can't. In a bind I'd take a cab or maybe even the subway, but holy shit do the streetcars lick goat chode in this city. They get stuck in traffic, they cause extra traffic, they make the road condition horrible, they are loud and dirty, and there is no end to the sketchiness of what goes on in there...and all this I know from just observing them while I try to avoid them with my bike. I really can't imagine what benefit they may have over buses, or what union is keeping them around, but their existence makes Toronto a worse city than it otherwise could be. read more

The lingering offensive odor on these streetcars is undeniable. The seats are darker than the other streetcars because they're so soiled by the unclean bodies of the homeless Queen Street inhabitants. A lot of smelly people evade fare by slithering onto this streetcar. There is a lot of back door entry going on, especially at the Church St stop. One time, all passengers were evacuated because of "unsanitary conditions" which was a used tampon on the ground. Blech! So if you can, AVOID this street car, but if you can't, just don't sit down. You can't tell whether the seat is wet or not because they're all sooooo soiled. And also, if you grab some food before getting on the 501, seal it, put it away. Don't think for a second that it's okay to ingest anything on this streetcar. You'll be inhaling the skin flakes of people who live with inch thick layers of body dirt. The only good thing about the 501 is that the sticky floors usually indicate which of the seats are sticky. read more

Getting worse Lifelong Toronto resident - I commute using the 501 to work every day, from Jones to University Ave. Where do I start with the issues ? ... 1. extremely slow service and drivers who couldn't care less about getting you to work on time. Mine is a 5 km commute that, for some reason, takes a minimum of 25 minutes each way - what's that.. an average speed of about 9 km/hour ? Horrible. On bad days, when there are diversions in place (this happens frequently) my little 5 km commute can take an hour and 10 minutes. 2. streetcars on this route are old and decrepit - several leak water during rainstorms onto the seats and they are super cold and drafty in the winter with no A/C in the summer - the new cars will be some improvement, but I find that because the new ones are 1/3 longer, they are even slower and more ponderous than those they are replacing 3. lots of people with mental challenges on this route, every day - usually going to/from CAMH, the courts, or the homeless shelters near Queen/Sherbourne 4. overcrowding is a regular occurrence - and for some reason the dumb drivers don't look back at their rearview mirrors and see a crowded car so they just keep letting more passengers on - have you ever seen pics of the subway in Japan? It's like that. Also, many of the drivers are rude and have no clue about customer service 5. don't bother complaining officially to the TTC - I have - 3 times in the last two years - nothing happens - they respond with a form letter but nothing else 6. the "pilot project" on the neighboring King 504 route (which restricts cars from using King Street) has only made matters worse on the Queen 501 route: cars that can't travel on King St. have now just moved up to Queen St., increasing traffic and congestion there and making the 501 commute even slower. The only positive thing I can say about the Queen 501 route is it's great for tourists who have hours of time to get across and explore major sights in Toronto. They should have put a subway on Queen Street back in the 50's when they had the chance ;( read more

Today it was a bus, not a streetcar. See Kat's review re: where the F are we. I have just been taking the gerrard one and ending up somewhere on college and walking. read more

I took this streetcar everyday for about a years and it forced me to move downtown so I no longer had to deal with the following list of annoyances: - The dreaded shot turns - No streetcars followed by 5 of them bunched up - Overcrowding (sometimes had to wait for 3 streetcars to pass before being able to squeeze on to the 4th) - Broken heaters during the winters and lack of AC in the summer - Broken streetcars during extreme winter conditions - The smell of homeless people who pee'd themselves and sneaked onto the streetcar through the back doors Positives: - Get to travel through Queen West - People watching I recommend riding a bike or walking if you can and if you can't then do what I did and move closer to your destination and avoid the 501 line. read more

Actually one of my faves. I love it in the summer when it smells like R Kelly sheets and takes you straight to the beachy heavens of Toronto. Every single driver I have ever encountered here has been sweet as pie! Crackheads - check Mysterious litter - check So many potential new friends - check read more

Half of me could give the 501 a 4star rating. The other half would give it a 2star at best. For me it completely depends on what time of day you take it. At 4 in the morning, it's the best thing in the world. A Blue Night route, it comes every 1/2 hour and is always on time. It gets me right downtown in 15 minutes tops. No traffic of course. You'd expect the streetie to be pretty empty at that time, but surprisingly, someone gets on at almost every stop. Now, when i'm coming home it's another story entirely. At 4 or 5 pm? Forget it! I'd rather take the subway all the way around and a bus south to Queen again. I usually can't even smash myself into the first one that screeches by, it's so packed. Even when i catch it between 1 and 2pm the traffic is ridiculous, the streetcars are sporadically timed and i'm lucky if i get a seat. Plus my commute time is at least doubled to 30 or 40mins. read more

Agree totally with Kat. This streetcar is useless and an example of why our city's infrastructure is doomed. The streetcar drivers have no investment in telling anyone where the hell the car is going and its dissapointing to watch people hop off after every turn in utter frustration. I can only imagine what newcomers to Toronto, or people who are late for job interviews or other important appts. are experiencing. I take the most issue with the lack of in-car communication to passengers. Completely unacceptable for a modern city. read more

I had to average this one out to a 3 star. On some days (and times) the 501 is quick and efficient... on those days, I love life and even the smelly/creepy/crazy weirdos riding with me. On other days, the wait can be infuriatingly long to catch a car. Recently, at 8.30am at Strachan, headed east, I waited for 27 MINUTES! for a car! And when it finally showed, it was, of course, full. But no fear, there were three within 2 minutes of each other. Not acceptable! Some days - 4 star, some 2. Some drivers - 4 star, some 2. People? Awesome mix of attractive hipster doofuses and smelly weirdos! read more

I had no problems with it. The ride was so enjoyable and the street cars are pretty fast! Love it!

I am an out-of-shape middle-aged woman. I regularly pass this streetcar (or rather 5 of these streetcars bunched together) while riding my bike. In low gear. read more

Needed to make this review. The driver that just ended his shift now at 700pm is the most thoughtful driver ever! Street car 4221. He made sure that everyone got on and off safe even though there was many cars that didn't stop on time. He did beep his horn many times which unfortunately isn't that loud. Just wanted to make a public THANKS for keeping us public transport users safe-whoever you were. It is much appreciated and was definitely recognized! Thanks again!!! read more

I prefer this to taking a bus, however with the cities traffic (lack of transit options), this can be a slow go... When u live in the west (etobicoke, example), going to the beaches can be a 'trek'. read more

A frequent streetcar line that travels through many parts of Toronto! Nevermind the City giving it the Right-Of-Way and Signal Priority that it deserves, a slow ride on the 501 during rush-hour allows for riders to enjoy the history and beauty present along the journey! read more

Service on this line has become much more frequent this year and has surprisingly been great. Although you can never get passed the morning rush and packed queen streetcars..if you wait long enough one will soon enough come around with a seat for you to sit on. Of course there are always the homeless, crazies and just plain rude people that board this bus. The drivers can at times be rude as well however not all are this way. Due to the service becoming more frequent especially during the very cold mornings, the Queen car has gotten my 4/5 rating! Keep it up TTC read more

As I write this, the 501 has just finished detouring up along Gerrard from Parliament to Coxwell. That meant it essentially went right past my house, and that meant that I could get downtown without ever having to make a transfer. Most people complain about this streetcar because it bunches, and thats true, it does (as I experienced firsthand when 3 ones went west right behind each other while I was walking down to Gerrard) but its been getting better lately. All things considered, it actually takes (or took) the same amount of time to get downtown using this than the bus-subway-subway I usually take, and its relaxing, and you get to experience the unusually cool summer we've been having (so its perfectly comfortable to ride on). No, its not a good way of getting to work, but at 30km long its more of a sightseeing thing anyway. Yes, it should really be a subway (along with the 504 King), but thats not going to happen soon (or at all, with our current municipal leader) so just relax. read more