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King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

Juan_Lennon416 said:
Crazy are we? :rolleyes:
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Not really.

Both times I tried going to therapy I got sent away after a couple of sessions because the psychiatrist said "You know what you're doing"; "You're perfectly fine" and "You know exactly how to handle this". So I CBT and self-medicated (in an educated and controlled manner) my own damn way out of my depression, anxiety, and paranoid delusion (the latter of which was weak, to be honest).

Why, are you? I can help!
 
A lot biking infrastructure has been going up along the pilot route. I noticed at least 3 new BikeShare stations going up near Spadina and bike locking corrals have been installed along the entire route.

img_8421-jpg.148840
 
drum118 said:
8 months into King Street pilot, police are still having trouble enforcing rules
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I think a lot of the consternation around enforcement is missing the forest for the trees. What matters most is that the turning restrictions have enormously discouraged cars from even attempting to use King Street. Traffic is down by about 90%, if I recall correctly. Sure, not every single one of the 10% of remaining drivers are following the rules, but that doesn't really impact the overall viability of the project. The challenge will be continuing enforcement, such that drivers are remain discouraged from using King Street.
 
Anyways now that summer is here, I must say that I really enjoy the King Street vibe with reduced traffic. This street feels a lot more pleasant than Queen or Yonge. I feel that King could become Toronto's "premier street" with a Queens Quay-style redesign. I look forward to seeing what permanent installations will be featured. Increased tree coverage would be welcome here.

I suppose King also serves as a preview of things to come with the Downtown Yonge revitalization, which should feature lane reductions and sidewalk widening (among other things). It's unfortunate that the Yonge revitalization will terminate at Queen, and doesn't stretch down to King Street. The King Street Pilot + Yonge Street revitalization would work wonderfully together if connected.
 
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TheTigerMaster said:
I think a lot of the consternation around enforcement is missing the forest for the trees. What matters most is that the turning restrictions have enormously discouraged cars from even attempting to use King Street. Traffic is down by about 90%, if I recall correctly. Sure, not every single one of the 10% of remaining drivers are following the rules, but that doesn't really impact the overall viability of the project. The challenge will be continuing enforcement, such that drivers are remain discouraged from using King Street.
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I've got to disagree. The figure should be *ZERO* miscreants.

This continual justification of *cheats* completely misses the point. This was predicted by many of us in the early months of this pilot, and all along there's been the "they'll eventually learn" crowd pandering to the penultimates. They're not learning, and they continue to create problems:
Even with physical barriers, Stibbe thinks cars would likely hit the barriers and continue breaking traffic rules.

City considers red light camera surveillance
Stibbe said these traffic violations aren't likely to stop anytime soon.

"These types of things are going to continue to happen, even if we had officers enforcing here 24/7," Stibbe said.

CBC Toronto reporter Chris Glover stood on the corner of King and Portland Streets for 10 minutes Tuesday afternoon, and watched 17 separate vehicles drive straight through the intersection.

Stibbe said the city has expressed an interest in red light camera-style surveillance to enforce the pilot project rules.

The city of Toronto has since told CBC Toronto that they're looking into alternative measures to help hold drivers accountable, including illuminated signage at key intersections.
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No freakin' kidding! City Council had their chance when Il Duce was Transport Min to apply for special powers under the HTA.

Good freakin' luck getting those now Ford Farelame is driving past the signs...

More than 6,600 tickets handed to drivers for violating King St. pilot rules
Const. Clint Stibbe says the number is disappointing, but not surprising.

PART XVI
PILOT PROJECTS
Pilot projects
228 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may by regulation authorize or establish a project for research into or the testing or evaluation of any matter governed by this Act or relevant to highway traffic. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 33 (1).
[...]
Regulation to create own scheme of rules
(4) A regulation made under this section may regulate the doing of anything or the use of any thing or prohibit the doing of anything or the using of any thing. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 33 (1).
[...]
Offence
(8) Every person who contravenes a regulation made under this section is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not less than $250 and not more than $2,500. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 33 (1).
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08

What in hell was City Hall thinking? Answer: They weren't.
 
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So much for police enforcement on King today.

Watch a Hummer cross Peter St illegal going east and it was follow a cycle officer who pull him over just before John St and ticket issue.

Watch a car going west crossing Spadina illegal and was follow by a police car and another illegal driver behind him. Nothing happen to those illegal cars.

Within a minute of hit Peter St on King, saw 5 cars in a row crossing Peter illegal. A few minutes later, I was back to the intersection to see more illegal drivers with 3 going east and 2 west in a mater of minutes. Can't recall the number of illegal driver for Spadina, but more than 10. Southbound traffic on Spadina was blocking east-west traffic for a number of lights.

Like the setup for people between Peter and Spadina to sit and park their bikes.

Drivers in this city have no respect for anything, other than themselves. Almost got clip getting off a 501 and was sure the car was going to blow the door based on the way he was trying to pass us near the stop. Then a few did this at a few stops while riders were getting off, with the streetcar driver hitting the horn as the car drove by the open doors. Stopping for a red light before making a right turn is a thing of the pass to the point a driving school had the driver to this while learning to drive.

The sign at Spadina going east is useless and should be on a number of post on the west side of Spadina.
 
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Juan_Lennon416 said:
King Street would be even better without the streetcar. Just make it a pedestrian and cycling road! :)
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Are you kidding? So many cities have pedestrian/transit only corridors that utilize only pedestrians, bikes, and trams. Keep the streetcar there, remove the cars (except for deliveries).
 
Streety McCarface said:
Are you kidding? So many cities have pedestrian/transit only corridors that utilize only pedestrians, bikes, and trams. Keep the streetcar there, remove the cars (except for deliveries).
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Unfortunately, a cyclist is going to find themselves in a devastating accident where the sidewalk accoutrements leave no latitude for evasive maneuvers as a streetcar passes them by. There's a good reason most transit malls ban cyclists. Some in these forums claim they feel safe 'doing the tightrope'. It's dangerous enough when there is space to avoid the unexpected. And pedestrians too are going to have to be marshalled as to where they cross or not to avoid mayhem or worse.

City Hall really hasn't thought this through at all. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
 
Ok, so I have a question.

In the last two months, I've sometimes been taking a part of King home from Rosedale when the highway is mash up (usually on Thursdays). I go along the highway til Yonge. Then Yonge-Wellington-Spadina-King-Portland-Richmond-Bathurst (or laneway to Niagara if traffic going south is mash up)-King-Queensway-ok, never mind, it's irrelevant well before this.

So I observe the road use often enough during rush hour. When I hang out along King Street on free time (my fav Toronto high street! shout out!) I don't really look at cars, so can't say what it's like at other times.

So my question is:

Can someone please explain to me why the new restrictions on King are ignored by a lot of drivers yet the pre-existing left turn restrictions during rush hour are universally followed (ok, fine, except at Atlantic)? Also, why was the streetcar lane rush hour restriction never enforced and is never followed yet the left turn restrictions are?

Someone explain to me the psychology of these drivers. Please. I don't understand.
 
MTown said:
Ok, so I have a question.

In the last two months, I've sometimes been taking a part of King home from Rosedale when the highway is mash up (usually on Thursdays). I go along the highway til Yonge. Then Yonge-Wellington-Spadina-King-Portland-Richmond-Bathurst (or laneway to Niagara if traffic going south is mash up)-King-Queensway-ok, never mind, it's irrelevant well before this.

So I observe the road use often enough during rush hour. When I hang out along King Street on free time (my fav Toronto high street! shout out!) I don't really look at cars, so can't say what it's like at other times.

So my question is:

Can someone please explain to me why the new restrictions on King are ignored by a lot of drivers yet the pre-existing left turn restrictions during rush hour are universally followed (ok, fine, except at Atlantic)? Also, why was the streetcar lane rush hour restriction never enforced and is never followed yet the left turn restrictions are?

Someone explain to me the psychology of these drivers. Please. I don't understand.
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Very simple, drivers can't see the signs following streetcars, fail to look at signs that are a mesh mess; thinking streets are normally through streets, not turning every block or so; in a hurry and ignore signs; don't give a shit what they say in the first place as its their rights not to obey them in the first place; can't read English in the first place to under stand what been said. Drivers haven't clue in to the new way to use a street. Lack of large signs as well LED ones. Some flashing lights may work.

Lack of funds to pay officer to be on duty to make sure rules are enforced as well an low apple on the tree requiring officers to do other things.

Could paint the road and put turning arrows on them.

Could have flip down/up signs that are knock down by the streetcar and pop up after it pass over it telling driver to turn right.
 
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Personally, I'd install retractable bollards. Mash up some of these self-important drivers right up. Make my commute interesting.
 
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