Persistent pedestrian in Toronto consistently defeats streetcar races on foot
In an unusual yet insightful experiment, Mac Bauer, a data scientist from Toronto, has been racing TTC streetcars on foot to determine if he can beat them. His aim is to identify operational inefficiencies and suggest improvements to enhance streetcar service efficiency.
Bauer's streetcar races have gained traction, with his fourth run on the 504 King streetcar route, a 12.9-kilometer journey from Broadview Station to Dundas West Station, garnering 57,000 views at the time of writing. Remarkably, Bauer completed the run in 58 minutes, including 5 minutes of waiting at red lights, while the TTC arrived at Dundas West Station at one hour and 16 minutes.
The idea for these races was born during a slow streetcar ride from Roncesvalles to Leslieville. Bauer, expressing concerns about the TTC's reliability and safety, suggested better signal priority as a way to improve travel times.
So far, Bauer has won all five races he has participated in. His friend, who specializes in content and video creation, documents the races and posts them on social media.
Bauer plans to race the 505 Dundas streetcar on Saturday and the College and St. Clair streetcars in the near future. The "final boss" for Bauer will be the full distance of the 501 Queen, a 24-kilometer journey, later this summer.
While the TTC and TTC Board Chair Jamaal Myers did not respond to News Toronto's request for a comment on Bauer's runs in time for publication, Bauer's runs reveal that streetcars often lose time due to slow travel between stops and waiting at intersections. This suggests that implementing transit signal priority (TSP) systems, increasing dedicated streetcar lanes to avoid traffic delays, and optimizing stop placement to reduce excessive stopping could improve TTC streetcar service efficiency.
Bauer's favorite race distance is a half-marathon. His first race, Run #1 - 509 Harbourfront, was a 3.4-kilometer run from Exhibition Loop to Union Station, which he completed in 14 minutes, 7 minutes and 32 seconds faster than the TTC. The second race, Run #2 - 511 Bathurst, was a 4.7-kilometer trek from Bathurst Station to Exhibition Loop, which Bauer completed in 18 minutes, while the TTC took 40 minutes.
As Bauer continues his unusual experiment, he hopes to bring attention to the operational inefficiencies plaguing TTC streetcars and inspire changes that will improve service for Toronto commuters.
- Mac Bauer's fourth streetcar race, an interview about his experiment, was published on a travel news platform, showcasing the 57,000 views it received at the time of writing.
- In the sports world, Bauer plans to participate in more races, including the 505 Dundas and the College and St. Clair streetcars, and he has set the "final boss" as the full distance of the 501 Queen streetcar later this summer.
- The finance industry might be intrigued by Bauer's experiment, as it measures time efficiencies in the public-transit sector and suggests improvements for streetcar service, such as implementing transit signal priority systems, increasing dedicated streetcar lanes, and optimizing stop placement.
- Bauer's friend, a specialist in content and video creation, records the interviews during the streetcar races and shares them on social media, helping to spread the word about potential improvements in the transportation industry.
