King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

[DSC]

Correct, this is the old farside stop that I'm saying has now been moved nearside—but the new stop also doesn't have any of the "protections" found on other King St stops. I presume condo construction caused the move.

I THINK that this is a temporary move while they do underground work.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Toronto has to stop giving priority to the automobile. Time for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit to be first before the automobile.

European Commission prioritises cyclists and pedestrians in cities for "first time in history"​

See link.

The European Commission has proposed an overhaul of urban infrastructure to encourage more walking and cycling as part of the EU's aim to become a net-zero continent by 2050.

If passed, the Efficient and Green Mobility package would require the 424 largest cities in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) to hash out sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs) centred on these kinds of "active mobility" modes by 2025.

Supported by increased funding, this would help the EU wean its cities off fossil fuel vehicles, ease congestion and noise pollution as well as working towards the decarbonisation goals set out in the European Green Deal, which require emissions from cars to be cut by 55 per cent come 2030.

The EU has already tripled its spending on cycling and walking projects in recent years, investing €2 billion between 2014 and 2020.

But the Efficient and Green Mobility package is unprecedented, according to the European Cyclists' Federation, in that it elevates walking and cycling to an EU-wide policy priority.

"This is the first time in history that the European Commission prioritises investment in these modes as the backbone of urban mobility," the federation said.

Advanced transportation systems being implemented​

From link.

Transit riders want three things – faster and more consistent travel times, frequent service and a reliable transit system. Transit signal priority (TSP) is one of the easiest ways local transit agencies can provide all three desires, but it requires that agencies adopt a holistic view of how to better serve their ridership and use the right kind of priority solution.

Legacy TSP systems haven’t evolved much from their introduction in the 1960s. Namely, being an expensive transmitter on buses that flash an infrared strobe light to a receiver installed on a traffic signal mast arm, much like a TV remote control. The cost to install this hardware on both signals and buses is quite high and requires regular maintenance and calibration to guarantee consistent operation. Not to mention the fact that it’s hard to tell if the system is actually working or audit its performance.

Next-gen TSP represents the silver bullet that transit agencies are looking for – predictive, ETA-based green lights provided well in advance of the bus’s arrival. These systems utilise the power of cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to better read movement, roadways and ridership patterns.

By melding new technological advancements with proven strategies, transit agencies can reduce travel times by 20%, reduce fuel usage by 14%, and reduce bus emissions by 12% according to a recent report. Communities that invest in next-gen solutions, like TSP, can benefit from having smarter infrastructure that adapts to real-time traffic conditions instead of being stuck with statically programmed infrastructure that quickly becomes ill-suited to the dynamic nature of traffic.

 

[daptive]

Anyone know what they could be working on around King St and John St? They started this morning.

 

[turbanplanner]

Toronto has to stop giving priority to the automobile. Time for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit to be first before the automobile.

European Commission prioritises cyclists and pedestrians in cities for "first time in history"​

See link.

Advanced transportation systems being implemented​

From link.

What exactly should we implement? Signal priority for streetcars might make sense but for some reason the transport engineers don't want that.

 

[DSC]

View attachment 441785


Anyone know what they could be working on around King St and John St? They started this morning.

Looks as though they have removed a section of concrete around the rails; if so, this happens all the time as they repair problems with either rail or concrete (or both). In fact, I just looked at TTC website that that is exactly what it is, cracked/worn rail.

King at Spadina and John - essential rail repairs​

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November 28 to December 2, 2022
Effective November 28, 2022 to December 2, 2022


MorePrint
What we are doing and why
From November 28 to December 2, TTC track crews will be replacing worn rail at two locations on King Street West - west of Spadina Avenue and east of John Street. This work is required to return the areas to a state of good repair. The majority of work activities involve local rail replacement, concrete excavation, removal and placement of new concrete/asphalt.

Traffic and parking restrictions

• On-street parking is restricted through these areas.
• East-west traffic on King Street will be maintained through the curb lanes.
• The lane restrictions and work zones will be cleared after the newly placed concrete has cured adequately.

Work hours and timeline

• On Monday morning after 5 a.m. the track crew will set up the two work zones and begin cutting into the concrete by 7 a.m. Local concrete removal will take place in order to expose the rail to be replaced, and will end by 11 p.m.
• While most work typically ends at 11 p.m., rail work of this nature requires periods of around-the-clock work to ensure quality installation of new rail and concrete.
• Old rail will be replaced with the new rail, which will involve some cutting and welding/grinding.
• Concrete is poured in the track area and set to cure. The new concrete requires curing time before the work zone is removed for resumption of full road use.

There is also this note on the City's Road Restrictions map: See: https://www.toronto.ca/services-pay.../road-restrictions-closures/restrictions-map/

KING ST W at JOHN ST

Eastbound and Westbound broken rail replacement
Closure Type:Construction (Planned)
Time Frame:Continuous
From:Nov 28, 2022 at 04:00 a.m.
Untilec 1, 2022 at 11:00 p.m.
Impact:Major
Road Class:Major Arterial
District:Toronto and East York
ID:R5830328

 

[reaperexpress]

What exactly should we implement? Signal priority for streetcars might make sense but for some reason the transport engineers don't want that.

There is signal priority at all of the minor intersections along King. The reason the major intersections don't have priority installed is that there used to be very busy nearside stops which made it basically impossible to accurately predict when the streetcar will need a green.

During the implementation of the pilot, the intersections with priority were modified to reflect the new far side stops, but no new intersections were added, mostly because that would be a permanent investment in a nominally temporary installation.

But now that the pilot is permanent and the stops will likely remain on the far side, we really should be campaigning for priority at the remaining intersections: Spadina, University, Bay and Yonge. Giving priority to late streetcars at University would be an especially big help since that's the critical capacity bottleneck along the corridor.

I am definitely biased, but from what I saw, the priority at minor intersections works fairly well. During one study I did, westbound at John St, 100% of late or on-time streetcars passed through without stopping. Despite the light only being green for King about 50% of the time.

In this case "late or on-time" means that it was at least a couple minutes behind the previous streetcar in the same direction. Streetcars right behind the previous streetcar don't get priority because doing so would make the service less reliable and actually slower overall. Less even headways slow down the slowest streetcars with longer dwells, and those vehicles are the ones dictating the speed of the line.

 

[Allandale25]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/king-street-redesign-transit-priority-corridor-councillor-advocate-1.6689566

 

[W. K. Lis]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/king-street-redesign-transit-priority-corridor-councillor-advocate-1.6689566

I cut'n'pasted it for you.

A Toronto city councillor and a public transit advocate say a stretch of King Street West should make streetcar traffic a priority again and the city should explain why the busy downtown corridor is now crawling with cars.

Ausma Malik, who represents Ward 10 Spadina–Fort York, said it's time to revisit the redesign of King Street West. According to the redesign, implemented in 2019, King Street was supposed to give priority to streetcars over private vehicles from Bathurst to Jarvis streets.

Malik said she is going to meet with the general manager of Toronto Transportation Services next week to discuss what is known as the King Street Transit Priority Corridor and why there is now a lack of maintenance of the redesign and a lack of enforcement of city rules on that stretch of the street.

"We have to make sure that in the city of Toronto we have fast, reliable and affordable ways of getting around the city by public transit. It's part of our climate leadership. It's what makes a really incredible downtown," Malik said on Friday.

"As a vocal supporter of the King Street Pilot and a daily transit user myself, it's very frustrating to see the lack of care, maintenance and enforcement on King Street, especially when community and advocates worked so hard to ensure that it succeeded. We have to do better."

Vincent Puhakka, a member of the transit advocacy group TTCriders, is also wondering what happened to the transit priority corridor, saying it is a shell of what it once was or could have been.

In April 2019, city council voted for the redesign of King Street. Private vehicles, while not banned, were supposed to be restricted at a majority of intersections. The vote followed a pilot project in 2017 that prioritized streetcar traffic along the route.

At the time, former city councillor Joe Cressy said: "We have a real opportunity in 2023 when King Street has its track repair done to create a brand new destination street for the 21st century."

Malik said she thinks the transit priority corridor is no longer a priority for the city, in part because of the pressures put on Toronto from the COVID-19 pandemic. But she said there was much public education that made it an initial success, the city could learn from the redesign and it could apply it other transit corridors.

"What we have to do is to be able to get back to some of those core principles that made it one of the most dependable routes to be able to get across the downtown," she said. "We can get back to that."

Puhakka, for his part, said on Friday that being on King Street now feels like being on Queen Street. He said King Street was supposed to be the "showcase" of what transit could be.

He said when King Street is humming at night, particularly near Bathurst Street, the Ubers get in the way.

"This was supposed to be the solution to this problem. And without enforcement and without the transit priority lane being as an actual transit priority, well, what good is it? That's the problem we're seeing right now," he said.

Puhakka called on the Toronto police and the city to do their part. The police and city have not yet responded to a request for comment.

Police need to enforce the rules of transit priority corridor, which involve enforcing the rule that cars have to turn right at intersections, and the city needs to invest in new streetcar stops that were promised as part of streetscape improvements along King Street, he said.

As well, the TTC needs to ensure that there continues to be enough streetcars on the route.

"It is relatively easy to fix," Puhakka said. "If anyone is listening here who is a decision-maker, this is an easy quick win. Torontonians need a quick win. It's been a hard two years. Give it to us."

Should be remembered that pedestrians, cyclists, and especially public transit are very, very, very low priority in the City of Toronto. The single-occupant motorist is king and gets the highest priority.

 

[evandyk]

Should be remembered that pedestrians, cyclists, and especially public transit are very, very, very low priority in the City of Toronto. The single-occupant motorist is king and gets the highest priority.

I don't see it that often anymore, but not that long ago, the city stationed police officers at busy pedestrian intersections whose job was to make 50 pedestrians wait for the next light cycle before crossing so that one or two drivers could make a left or right hand turn.

 

[turbanplanner]

I cut'n'pasted it for you.






Should be remembered that pedestrians, cyclists, and especially public transit are very, very, very low priority in the City of Toronto. The single-occupant motorist is king and gets the highest priority.

The city has put in a lot of "anti car" moves in the last few years. We lowered nearly all the speed limits, re-built many roads narrower to slow down traffic, we're rebuilding college and other streets, took away car lanes on bloor and university.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The city has put in a lot of "anti car" moves in the last few years. We lowered nearly all the speed limits, re-built many roads narrower to slow down traffic, we're rebuilding college and other streets, took away car lanes on bloor and university.

There are still anti-pedestrian, anti-cycling, an anti-public transit councillors who try to veto "anti-car" moves within their wards fiefdoms. Councillor Holyday is a good bad example. See link.

 

[evandyk]

There are still anti-pedestrian, anti-cycling, an anti-public transit councillors who try to veto "anti-car" moves within their wards fiefdoms. Councillor Holyday is a good bad example. See link.

Famously, his dad thought that King Street was a horrible place to raise a child, when in fact it's one of the best places in the city (along with St. Lawrence) to do so.

 

[turbanplanner]

Famously, his dad thought that King Street was a horrible place to raise a child, when in fact it's one of the best places in the city (along with St. Lawrence) to do so.

Are different people not allowed to have different philosophies about raising kids?
I'd want nothing short of a big backyard, so I could let me kids and dog out and not have to worry, build a treehouse etc.

 

[DSC]

Are different people not allowed to have different philosophies about raising kids?
I'd want nothing short of a big backyard, so I could let me kids and dog out and not have to worry, build a treehouse etc.

As they say "Different strokes for different folks".

 

[afransen]

Are different people not allowed to have different philosophies about raising kids?
I'd want nothing short of a big backyard, so I could let me kids and dog out and not have to worry, build a treehouse etc.

Personally, I'd want nothing less than private jet and a little pied a terre on the Côte D'Azur.