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King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

............
Why not just ban left turn at this location, if it's causing that much of a problem. Can't they go left on Wellington, and do two rights to come the other way on King?

Vehicles cannot turn left from Spadina northbound to Wellington westbound because of the streetcar right of way median - the only left turn options in the area, other than King Street, would be at the Front Street intersection, or all the way up at Queen Street. There is not left turn allowed at Richmond Street either.
 
The real problem with King (and most other traffic changes) is that there is no answer that is going to improve things for EVERYONE. The City are tweaking things to see if the benefits can be enhanced or maintained without making things worse for another group but the main purpose of the project was to speed up transit and in that it has certainly succeeded.

The most true thing someone has said.

The city needs to prioritize who's travel is the least problematic. In a large city like Toronto, Transit must take priority.
 

If profit is really the only thing that matters to some of these business owners, you would think they'd at least have a clue as to how their own customers actually arrive there and where they come from. They are so blinded by greed that they end up shooting themselves in the foot when they come out against initiatives like this, or bike lanes.

What is also quite ironic is that if street parking is restored - as Fred Luk wants - this can only come from two types of space: cab stands (crocodile tears for the cabbies) or the planned pedestrian areas and (wait for it)... restaurant patio spaces!
 
Killin' myself with this:
"24. These are vampires, feeding on manufactured division and outrage to extend their unnaturally long political lives." I can't read anymore, the point is so exquisitely made.

Ya know, after the subway debacle for two days in a row, and the pathetic little ($1.5M) that the City has begrudgingly sprinkled on the project, I'd say patience is running thin.

For what it costs (we're talking $Bs) to build any length of subway in this town, perhaps it's time to offer to 'buy them out' (them being you know who). How much will it cost? A couple of $M? That would be easily returned by selling the businesses back to new owners. Let it become a court action if they so wish. But enough with the catering to these people.

I feel they do have to be treated fairly, made a case for that a number of times here, and how the City should get in front of this. But patience is limited, and to "get in front" of this, it's time to offer to buy them out. Would a subway project treat them any differently? It would be much worse.

It's time to "get in front" of the opposition, end the pilot, accept that it must be done on a permanent basis, and start doing it right instead of all the 'make believe' with silly platforms and barriers.

And fer Gawdsakes, invest in a state-of-the-art signalling and control system for intersections and streetcar parameters.
 
Have anyone used the 504 as an alternative route to get downtown when the Line 1 had its troubles lately?

Would extending the transit priority all along the 504 help or hinder?
I am sure some people have but it is very hard to know how long subway delays will last so getting of Line 2 at Broadview and taking 504 (or 505) would really be a gamble. Of course, extending transit priority to whole route would speed it up - that's what transit priority does!
 
I am sure some people have but it is very hard to know how long subway delays will last so getting of Line 2 at Broadview and taking 504 (or 505) would really be a gamble. Of course, extending transit priority to whole route would speed it up - that's what transit priority does!
Even if it costs $5M!
 
Vehicles cannot turn left from Spadina northbound to Wellington westbound because of the streetcar right of way median - the only left turn options in the area, other than King Street, would be at the Front Street intersection, or all the way up at Queen Street. There is not left turn allowed at Richmond Street either.
It's not a turn I usually make. Living near Coxwell, I tend to simply drive down Richmond, and park the car the first spot I see ... normally around Portland (actually I tend to use transit ... but if I need the car).

That's a design problem then. Why were they pushing autos to King in the first place instead of Richmond or Wellington? Perhaps something that can be fixed post-trial when they get the $ to put in something permanent.
 
The real problem with King (and most other traffic changes) is that there is no answer that is going to improve things for EVERYONE. The City are tweaking things to see if the benefits can be enhanced or maintained without making things worse for another group but the main purpose of the project was to speed up transit and in that it has certainly succeeded.
I really don't here drivers's complaining that much, other than just in principle. It's not like gridlock has magically appeared elsewhere.

And I don't really see most businesses complaining. Many casual eateries say there's no impact, or perhaps even up slightly (tough to say really when it's been so utterly cold some days. I'm in the St. Lawrence market every week, and it's pretty easy to see both how much emptier it is during very cold or during heavy snow; and not just from the number of people I perceive, but also from what is left on the shelf.

All that's left really making a noise are the restaurants. About a third of which will be gone later this year when Fred's goes, along with everything further west, towards the existing construction site. THen in a couple of years most of the stuff to the east, up to Kit Kat's goes, leaving only a handful remaining. Given then, the reducing supply, the surviving ones should, in theory, get increased sales.

If the only complainers, are the ones that are going to have to leave soon anyway, isn't this a huge success to restrict the damages to those that have little importance in the long-term the greater scheme of things.

And it's legal. Apparently City Council began clearing the way for the King Street Pilot back in 2016.
I'm surprised it took that long. When did Councillor David Miller first propose it, and the city seriously started studying? Wasn't it in 2001?

...and India ...|

And every one of those nations has a more efficient, modern passenger rail system than Canada.
Steve, I have to wonder which part of India you were in! In my experience, modern in India meant that everyone was inside the passenger car in all classes, instead of hanging out the doors and on-top!

For modern efficiency, you went to the airport and flew Jet Airways (gosh I always meant to invest in them a few years ago, but never went about it. I wonder how they've done).
 
Steve, I have to wonder which part of India you were in! In my experience, modern in India meant that everyone was inside the passenger car in all classes, instead of hanging out the doors and on-top!

For modern efficiency, you went to the airport and flew Jet Airways (gosh I always meant to invest in them a few years ago, but never went about it. I wonder how they've done).
Here's what I posted in the VIA string on tilting trains, as to how it ended-up in the King Street Pilot string, and completely misconstrued at that, boggles the bogie:

RE: The forty nations that use tilt trains:
...and India, and Sweden, and Czech Republic, and Norway, etc, etc...

Eleven nations in Europe alone use the Pendolino. And every one of those nations has a more efficient, modern passenger rail system than Canada.
My reference of "every one" was to the closest plural subject: "Eleven nations of Europe". And the claim is true. To bring that back to Toronto, Toronto is also a severe laggard when it comes to city transit, even by the standards of other Cdn cities.

Transit malls have been established and run in a number of western cities, LRTs doing so in car-centric Alberta for a generation now. Granville Mall in Van is another.
 
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