Streetcars now rule the road along King St. in downtown core
“Our objective is to speed up streetcar travel times and improve its reliability for TTC customers along the route,” said TTC spokesperson Brad Ross.

TheStar.com
Nov. 12, 2017
Jaren Kerr

TTC employees in red vests were scattered along King St. on Sunday to help explain how a one-year pilot project aims to improve the daily commutes of over 65,000 streetcar riders.

The project will give priority to streetcars as a means of improving travel along the notoriously slow and busy artery between Jarvis and Bathurst Sts.

“Our objective is to speed up streetcar travel times and improve its reliability for TTC customers along the route,” said Brad Ross, a spokesperson for the TTC. “We’ll be measuring those two things, in addition to ridership.”

The main method of improving flow will be reducing the amount of cars on King St. Motorists are permitted to drive only one block before having to turn right. Left turns off of King St. are not allowed, nor is there any on-street parking.

Cars travelling eastbound on King Street must turn at Bathurst Street and vehicles traveling westbound must turn when approaching Jarvis Street.

Ed Osborne, who rode the streetcar on Sunday, is cautiously optimistic but said it’s too early to tell how the project will work, especially on a quiet Sunday.

“The real test is Tuesday,” he said. “I hope it’s going to be better, I don’t know . . . the 504 needs help.”

There are some exceptions to the rules for motorists. Taxis will be allowed to travel along the street from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., which will accommodate the bustling nightlife on King. Ride-hailing apps like Uber do not have the same permissions, and the city has advised it to pick up passengers on other streets.

Emergency and maintenance vehicles can travel through the pilot area at all times of the day.

Cyclists can ride through the pilot area in the curb lane, but there are no dedicated bike lanes.

Leo, a cyclist, usually rides his bike on King, but is concerned that the changes “will make drivers on King St. more aggressive.” While he hopes for the best, he proposed closing the street to motorists completely.

Chris Drew, an urban planner, took the King streetcar Sunday and said they appeared to be moving faster.

“It was fascinating to watch a street you’ve known and used for years be something different and good,” he said. “TTC passengers now have safer entrances/exits for the streetcars,” referring to protected waiting areas in the curb lane.

“We have to try something on our streets when they aren’t moving people efficiently,” said Drew. “We can’t just pretend the status quo is good enough for eternity.”

Tanya Richardson is optimistic about the pilot project. An everyday commuter, she hopes to see more streets adopt the model.

“As our population grows, I think this is a great idea to keep the streets clear,” she said. “I think it’s going to help reduce stress . . . it’s just a relief, and it’s so nice not to have to run through traffic.”

On the project’s first day, many drivers seemed unaware of the new rules, driving through intersections and making illegal turns.

“We remain hopeful that once everyone adjusts, that we’ll begin to see improvement along the corridor.”

Streetcar stops have moved to the far side of each intersection, with the exception of King at Bathurst and King at Portland, both on the north side.

“It’s going to take everyone a few weeks to adapt to and recognize the change on King,” said Ross, the TTC spokesperson.