More than 6,600 tickets handed to drivers for violating King St. pilot rules

Thestar.com
July 18, 2018
Bryann Aguilar

More than 6,600 tickets have been issued to drivers along King St. since the start of the pilot project, which police say is disappointing but not surprising.

From November 2017 to June 2018, Toronto police have issued 6,624 tickets -- 6,141 for proceeding contrary to sign at intersection, which instructs drivers to make a right and exit King St., and 483 for disobeying signs. It’s an average of 31 tickets handed out per day.

People enjoy lunch on chairs set up along King St. W. near Brant St. as part of the King St. pilot program, which gives priority to TTC streetcars along the busy downtown street.

The number suggests police have issued an additional 2,000 tickets since April, when police revealed that more than 4,600 tickets were issued during the first four months of the project.

“The numbers are disappointing, however not surprising, we have many intersections throughout the city where moving violations such as these are an issue,” said Const. Clint Stibbe in an email to the Star.

“Unfortunately the greatest impact from the drivers who break the rules will be for those who commute through the pilot area using public transportation.”

The pilot project, which was launched eight months ago and runs until the end of the year, gives priority to TTC streetcars along the busy downtown street between Bathurst and Jarvis Sts. Due to the project, on-street parking was removed and drivers are compelled to exit at major intersections.

In April, a Toronto Star photographer filmed five intersections along King St. for 15-minute intervals and saw between seven and 13 drivers pass through each intersection illegally during that time.

Stibbe said he expects the number of tickets issued to climb as enforcement of the signs continues along the stretch.

“Enforcement is not the challenge, the human element or action in relation to the offence is the biggest challenge,” Stibbe said,

He added more education and continued awareness of the rules for drivers is one of the ways to bring down ticket numbers.