King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

[steveintoronto]

We're not there yet, but it's got to be confronted at some point, it's a *huge* factor in the King Scheme working or not, and that's a streetcar RoW not just dedicated to be not vehicle, but also *not pedestrian*. Here's how this is progressing in terms of realizing how incredibly distracted and incapable of their own safety many, if not most, pedestrians are:

Dutch town testing out traffic lights for distracted pedestrians
AFP
Published Friday, February 17, 2017 7:20AM EST

"Oy, get your head out of your phone!"

With pedestrians increasingly glued to mobile screens and straying into roads and oncoming traffic, a Dutch town has launched a pilot project to help warn of impending danger.

Launched this week, the so-called "Light-line" scheme uses LED light strips embedded into a road crossing and linked to traffic lights to cast a red or green line across the pedestrian's path.

"People are increasingly distracted on their smartphones when they are out and about among traffic," said local councillor Kees Oskam from the small western town of Bodegraven.

"Greater attention is being paid to social media, games, What's App, and music, and so there is not so much attention on traffic," he said in a statement.

"We probably can't overturn this trend, so we might as well try to anticipate" problems.

The lights have been produced by Dutch firm HIG Traffic Systems, and if the pilot test proves a success the aim will be to roll them out in other Dutch towns. It could possibly also be used on the country's many cycle paths.

According to the Dutch Road Safety organization, a smartphone is involved in one in five bike accidents involving young people.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/dutc...istracted-pedestrians-1.3289703?autoPlay=true
Access link above for Facebook url to video

It's not going to go down well with local businesses, but the streetcar tracks are going to have to be protected to get streetcar speed close to optimal, or we're back to where we started from again.

As to vehicles passing others stopped on the 'loops': Bays are going have to be cut into the sidewalk for any business that wants stopping in lieu of sidewalk in front of their business. And *signalled* pedestrian crossways will have to be established across the tracks and vehicle loops to allow flow from one side of the street to another. It may have to be gated to prevent pedestrians of the type mentioned in the article above from ignoring the lights.

 

[Forgotten]

What do we think of this now that Yonge Street North York changes have been defeated? Does it still look wise to put all of our King Street transit sidewalk patio eggs in one basket? And correct me if I'm wrong, wouldn't any of the proposals require enforcement which we all know isn't coming?

 

[amnesiajune]

And correct me if I'm wrong, wouldn't any of the proposals require enforcement which we all know isn't coming?

The only proposal that would require enforcement is the "transit promenade" one that maintains two-way access but forces cars to turn right at the end of each block. And even with that one, it wouldn't need a whole lot of enforcement - four officers (at Portland, Peter, Bay, and Victoria) would be enough to prevent through traffic from using King.

 

[steveintoronto]

The only proposal that would require enforcement is the "transit promenade" one that maintains two-way access but forces cars to turn right at the end of each block. And even with that one, it wouldn't need a whole lot of enforcement - four officers (at Portland, Peter, Bay, and Victoria) would be enough to prevent through traffic from using King.

I beg to differ. Some would require more than others, but none of them could work without a high degree of enforcement. It still hasn't been stated how "separated" is to be achieved. Painting lines works as well as...well...phhh..the Bloor bike lanes. And bollards are a joke.

I think it will take *fences* to make this work, with gaps gated and signalled for pedestrians to cross. There's as much danger from pedestrians as there is from cars. What's the use of doing this if there isn't a *clearway* for streetcars? And an enforced and reliable one.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Make public transit number one, pedestrians and bicyclists number two, and motorists (especially the single-occupant ones) last.

 

[nhui06]

https://cityoftoronto.fluidsurveys.com/s/kingstreetpilot/

Time to voice our opinions

 

[ndawgg]

https://cityoftoronto.fluidsurveys.com/s/kingstreetpilot/

Time to voice our opinions

Done and done!

 

[salsa]

The film industry opposes plans to change King Street, because change. And also parking.


Moviemakers worry revamping King Street could damage one of their favourite streetscapes

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...one-of-their-favourite-streetscapes-1.4020704

 

[Cobra]

The film industry opposes plans to change King Street, because change. And also parking.


Moviemakers worry revamping King Street could damage one of their favourite streetscapes

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...one-of-their-favourite-streetscapes-1.4020704

Go to Queen, Dundas or College.

 

[steveintoronto]

Go to Queen, Dundas or College.

Indeed, it's not like King is unique, and one of the only buildings I'm aware of (507 King East) is not going to be used for shooting next year because Orphan Black is wrapping. And that strip of King would be little changed anyway.

Methinks the one most worried is TIFF, and their 'Eminent Domain' on King when, where and how they want it.

Jonathan Ahee, co-chair of the city's film, television and digital media board, stands on a section of King Street that he says is a popular stand-in for streets in Chicago and New York.

Gee, do you think the streetcar tracks just might be a give-away?

 

[W. K. Lis]

By that train of thought, the pedestrianization of Times Square must have been a disaster for movie makers.

 

[kotsy]

Gee, do you think the streetcar tracks just might be a give-away?

likely deleted in post production

 

[amnesiajune]

Go to Queen, Dundas or College.

(Not that many people in this forum will care, but...) King is popular for filming because it looks like a generic city downtown between Simcoe and Yonge. Queen, Dundas and College don't have that - the only other streets that do are Wellington and Adelaide.

 

[Cobra]

(Not that many people in this forum will care, but...) King is popular for filming because it looks like a generic city downtown between Simcoe and Yonge. Queen, Dundas and College don't have that - the only other streets that do are Wellington and Adelaide.

What about Bay Street instead? You don't get more "Manhattan" than that! lol

 

[steveintoronto]

likely deleted in post production

I queried a noted Cdn film editor friend on that, and here's his reply:
[...
It doesn't take special software. It just is expensive and time-consuming. They may be framing out the tracks already. And they can paint out overhead wires too. You can alter the image in almost any way these days it's just a matter of bucks.

The quality of poster on the CBC site seems to have deteriorated. What a bunch of whiners.]

lol...I left the last two lines in as his comment on the CBC article on it.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...one-of-their-favourite-streetscapes-1.4020704