King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

[Midtown Urbanist]

In the age of instant access to information, ignorance is no excuse.

AoD

Marshall McLuhan predicted that in the age of mass information, we would all become a lot more tribal and ignorant, rather than enlightened.

I would say he has been proven right.

 

[jys]

I have to flip that over, unfortunately, the 'Age of the Internet Enlightment' is going backwards.

It's astounding with the world at their fingertips that most of the 'iGeneration' know less about local events, let alone world ones, than they did before the iDevice arrived.

But almost every one of them knows how to take a 'Selfie'.

Cannot agree more. Instead using it to arm themselves with useful information, lots of people are using technology purely for entertainment and pleasure. Poor use of technology is making us more and more 'shallow'. People (in general) are becoming less and less concerned with events that actually affect them than their short-term pleasure.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Cannot agree more. Instead using it to arm themselves with useful information, lots of people are using technology purely for entertainment and pleasure. Poor use of technology is making us more and more 'shallow'. People (in general) are becoming less and less concerned with events that actually affect them than their short-term pleasure.

A recent episode on the Orville TV series might be worth the view, if you haven't seen it yet. Called "Majority Rule". Here's one review:

 

[MetroMan]

I’ve been seeing some of the changes already. At King/Spadina, they took down the LED “No Left Turns” sign that had just recently been put up. I guess it’s now a permanent no left turn so an LED isn’t necessary, just a static sign.

Also, there’s a covered traffic light below the usual red/yellow/green. It’s likely an advance right turn green. While the light is covered, it appears to be operating already. When all signs turn red, the pedestrian green doesn’t turn on right away. There’s about a 10 second delay, presumably when the advance right turn green will be on to clear cars from the intersection.

A few other things have been going on. Crews have been digging up King and John. That westbound streetcar stop has already been moved to in front of TIFF’s entrance. There’s a utility box installed on the sidewalk at the SW corner of King/Spadina — terrible placement, point blank in the middle of the sidewalk rather than off to the side. The streetcar stop on that corner is being replaced with one on the far side of the intersection but they’re keeping the discontinued shelter.

It’s becoming clear that pedestrians are an afterthought in this pilot. Typical politics. Cater to the loudest interest groups, ignoring what actually needs to be addressed. Wait until The Well, Gehry and a bunch of mega residential projects bring in tens of thousands of more pedestrians into an already crowded area.

 

[amnesiajune]

It’s becoming clear that pedestrians are an afterthought in this pilot. Typical politics. Cater to the loudest interest groups, ignoring what actually needs to be addressed.

This is primarily a transit project. The priority is to get transit users moving faster.

 

[MetroMan]

It begins.

 

[MetroMan]

This is primarily a transit project. The priority is to get transit users moving faster.

They seem to be catering a lot to cars for a transit project.

This is not just about transit. Considerable time was spent in the public meetings talking about fixing a broken King Street, about how it doesn't work for anybody given the increase in density from all the new residential units flooding the area. Several of those residents spoke up at the meetings about the narrow sidewalks and city staff proudly claimed that these sidewalks would be widened and that there would be areas for people.

But then when the final plans came out, it was clear that the car lobby won all the concessions while just barely serving transit and the pedestrians who don't have any advocates at City Hall, got the leftovers despite being the largest group by far (and growing).

This is going to fail spectacularly. The only savings grace is that it's gotten so bad that we'll never go back to the status quo. It'll be considered a win despite many of the mounting problems persisting and left for other politicians to solve when walking on King Street becomes totally untenable.

 

[Avenue]

It’s becoming clear that pedestrians are an afterthought in this pilot. Typical politics. Cater to the loudest interest groups, ignoring what actually needs to be addressed.

This is primarily a transit project. The priority is to get transit users moving faster.

This is so often getting missed out and I blame Keesmat. The severity of the transit situation is not comparable to that of pedestrians/public realm. It's absurd that tens of thousands of people waste hours every day in traffic trying to get to their jobs despite living so centrally. This is has drastic quantifiable impacts and it's bad for productivity and the overall economy. It's bad for the viability of Parkdale, Liberty Village, City Place areas, which are some of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the whole country. The "what about some street patios and planters" approach is not getting this.

 

[MetroMan]

This is so often getting missed out and I blame Keesmat. The severity of the transit situation is not comparable to that of pedestrians/public realm. It's absurd that tens of thousands of people waste hours every day in traffic trying to get to their jobs despite living so centrally. This is has drastic quantifiable impacts and it's bad for productivity and the overall economy. It's bad for the viability of Parkdale, Liberty Village, City Place areas, which are some of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the whole country. The "what about some street patios and planters" approach is not getting this.

Nobody is asking for street planters and patios. What’s needed are adequately sized sidewalks for people to get around. Transit improvements aren't what is taking away from pedestrians. Sidewalks are being kept narrow to maintain taxi stands, bus parking and car drop offs.

There are 60,000 transit riders per day on King Street, 20,000 drivers and more pedestrians than both of those put together — and growing with each new residential tower that’s completed. See the problem?

Of course we have to fix King Street for transit. But catering that redesign to appease cars when the sidewalks are already bursting at the seams is ignoring a much larger problem that is going to get much worse. The city is approving the density but failing to plan places for those people to walk. People don’t just fly out of their windows into the 504 or around their neighbourhoods to shop and get to work.

Once again, I’ll let this picture do the rest of the talking:

Taken around 4pm before rush hour. It gets much worse.

This decision was made to preserve taxi stands, bus parking and car drop offs across the street. This is only one of these decisions that cater to cars over people. Transit is not affected either way.

What’s worse, a lot of these problems are easy to solve. There is room on Duncan for dedicated taxi stands and bus parking. Unused transit shelters don’t need to be kept when new ones are going up across the street. Pedestrians are simply not being considered because they don’t have a loud lobby at City Hall.

 

[DSC]

What’s worse, a lot of these problems are easy to solve. There is room on Duncan for dedicated taxi stands and bus parking. Unused transit shelters don’t need to be kept when new ones are going up across the street. Pedestrians are simply not being considered because they don’t have a loud lobby at City Hall.

Don't forget, this is a TRIAL so removing current transit shelters and fixing the sidewalks (some are on slightly raised 'platforms) seems wasteful. Also remember that they say the arrangements will be 'adjusted' based on experience during the year.
("Perfect is the enemy of good" and all that!)

 

[muller877]

It begins.

View attachment 125946

I really dislike the sign. Very confusing to drivers. I hope there is something behind the black sign to make it easier to understand.

If I did not know better I would interpret it as if
- Auto's could not go straight from 10pm-5am (similar to the no left sign shown below).
- Taxi's could go through any time.
- And transit and cyclists would have the same rules as drivers

 

[MetroMan]

Don't forget, this is a TRIAL so removing current transit shelters and fixing the sidewalks (some are on slightly raised 'platforms) seems wasteful. Also remember that they say the arrangements will be 'adjusted' based on experience during the year.
("Perfect is the enemy of good" and all that!)

I’ll agree to that but they are in fact building new “permanent” shelters on the far sides of existing stops — not just putting temporary signs for a new stop — in effect duplicating the obstacles on already constrained sidewalks.

I hope that soon after the pilot begins, they’ll determine whether those far side stops work and either remove the old ones or keep the new ones. I know that this is a pilot amd that they said they’ll make adjustments as they go but I hope that they in fact listen to input from residents rather than “pretend to listen” and just do what they had predetermined to do.

 

[amnesiajune]

This is going to fail spectacularly.

I see this project is already getting the typical Downtown Torontonians' optimism.

 

[andrewpmk]

501 Queen is being detoured onto King St for "Hudson's Bay Holiday Window Reveal" this afternoon just before the priority measures take effect.

If the TIFF King St closure is allowed next year despite the "priority measures" it is not going to look good for John Tory.

 

[steveintoronto]

This is so often getting missed out and I blame Keesmat. The severity of the transit situation is not comparable to that of pedestrians/public realm. It's absurd that tens of thousands of people waste hours every day in traffic trying to get to their jobs despite living so centrally. This is has drastic quantifiable impacts and it's bad for productivity and the overall economy. It's bad for the viability of Parkdale, Liberty Village, City Place areas, which are some of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the whole country. The "what about some street patios and planters" approach is not getting this.

I agree with points, obviously, but don't blame Keesmaat on this. I'm sure she's with you. Blame Council, even some of those who championed this project.

A review:

[...]
But after hearing from representatives of taxi companies who complained they had not been adequately consulted on the plan, Tory moved a motion asking city staff to consult with the industry and consider exempting taxis from the proposed turning restrictions, either completely or during certain times of day. The motion, which the committee approved, also asked staff to consider adding additional spaces for cab stands “or other measures to assist taxis.”
[...]
The city’s chief planner, Jennifer Keesmaat, disagreed. She said giving taxis the same consideration as transit vehicles would undermine the pilot. City transportation staff estimate that between one-quarter and one-third of the cars on King are taxis.

“Taxis are not public transit. They don’t even carry remotely the volume of people we carry on public transit. They’re not at the price point of public transit. Are they an important part of the movement system in the city? Yes. But are they public transit? Absolutely not,” Keesmaat said.

Asked whether the fact that the city was considering treating cabs like transit vehicles was a sign that Toronto is reluctant to take bold moves to improve transportation, she replied: “I think we’re getting stuck in some old thinking.” [...]

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...-king-st-pilot-project-cab-companies-say.html

I was actually Googling to find Cressy's volte-face come vote time on this issue. And he wasn't the only one, I'll add that in later when I find reference to link, but for now, the record must be made clear on Keesmaat's stance. She was compromised on a few issues before Council, this wasn't one.