King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

[steveintoronto]

I was annoyed/not surprised in the last TTC Board meeting that more than one Councillor board member was probing the head of Transportation about accomodating taxis, as in "we should be doing more for taxis". When you're in a TTC Board meeting, you should be wearing your 'advocate for transit' hat, and save non-transit advocacy for council meetings.

There's a popular discourse on-going at this time on how (gist) "Taxis were needed to be allowed for this to pass the mettle of Council"...except that's not what the voting record shows. It was only *after* the measure to approve the plan was overwhelmingly approved that Tory then added on the proviso (slammed in the wedge) for taxi exception.

Something is beyond curious as to why that motion passed so overwhelmingly. Methinks a deal was made in-camera prior to the initial vote.

 

[crs1026]

Ah....but you presume a sense of rationale and clear thinking on behalf of Council, perhaps gracious and well-meaning on your part, but this is the Council that can't even get bike lanes on Bloor right, let alone a transit mall. This council will just state "It didn't work, put it back the way it was".

No guarantees, I agree. But I also presume a media that likes to sensationalise, and a large number of smartphone- equipped night owls with Twitter accounts who will post pictures when their streetcar gets blocked by taxi's. I bet that by the time the pilot is half over, the media will have done this to death. As has happened with vehicles parked in bike lanes, the media loves this kind of story. If that happens, it will be difficult for Council to go against the grain of all the news coverage.

- Paul

 

[steveintoronto]

I bet that by the time the pilot is half over, the media will have done this to death. As has happened with vehicles parked in bike lanes, the media loves this kind of story. If that happens, it will be difficult for Council to go against the grain of all the news coverage.

And that's *exactly* the point!

What has happened with all the media coverage of rampant driver abuse of cycle lanes? They muzzled the parking control by-law officer tweeting about it, and vaguely promised 'more manpower to enforce the rules' and picked and scratched their collective arses while nothing changes. Where's the *blitz* on blocking bike lanes?

(...Sound of crickets chirping...)

Twitter bike cop forced to tone it down, but Toronto’s bike lane campaign could get a boost

Parking enforcement officer Kyle Ashley has become a hero to the city’s beleaguered cyclists, but there are signs his blunt talk about bike lanes ruffled feathers.
https://www.thestar.com/news/city_h...tos-bike-lane-campaign-could-get-a-boost.html

 

[W. K. Lis]

It bugs me that detour streetcar tracks along Richmond Street and Adelaide Avenue are slowly disappearing. Started when they made them one-way streets to become pseudo-expressway ramps to and from the Don Valley Parkway. Those streetcar tracks should be kept and even extended (between Bathurst and Parliament), to be used in case of problems along King Street (and Queen Street), such as the Toronto International Film Festival.

 

[crs1026]

And that's *exactly* the point!

What has happened with all the media coverage of rampant driver abuse of cycle lanes? They muzzled the parking control by-law officer tweeting about it, and vaguely promised 'more manpower to enforce the rules' and picked and scratched their collective arses while nothing changes.

Quite the contrary....l would argue that publuc attitudes are changing, and the average person is less likely to park in a bike lane, and couriers are likely to think twice..... there are still scofflaws, and some people won't care until they see a PCO reaching for their ticket pad......but nobody is denying there is a problem anymore.

Same thing is happening with driving past streetcars with the doors open.

The point being - it takes time to change public attitudes and habits, and a drip drip drip strategy works. Both the transit mall, and the taxi issue, are amenable to this. This Council debate didn't need to be all-or-nothing, time will fix these things.

- Paul

 

[steveintoronto]

the average person is less likely to park in a bike lane, and couriers are likely to think twice

Same thing is happening with driving past streetcars with the doors open

As a serial cyclist and TTC user, and one who follows the law as much as I would driving, my impressions aren't shared. Cyclists disobeying safety, let alone the law, is just as rampant as motorists doing same.

Presuming that enforcement is going to make King work is beyond wishful thinking.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

As a serial cyclist and TTC user, and one who follows the law as much as I would driving, my impressions aren't shared. Cyclists disobeying safety, let alone the law, is just as rampant as motorists doing same.

Presuming that enforcement is going to make King work is beyond wishful thinking.

Consistent, zealous enforcement will make it work. That's not wishful thinking, that's a fact. The issue in Toronto is that rules are plenty but little gets enforced with any degree of consistency. A week of warnings followed by a week of relentless enforcement will get people in line very quickly indeed. And going forward, we can utilize cameras along the route as well.

AoD

 

[steveintoronto]

It bugs me that detour streetcar tracks along Richmond Street and Adelaide Avenue are slowly disappearing. Started when they made them one-way streets to become pseudo-expressway ramps to and from the Don Valley Parkway. Those streetcar tracks should be kept and even extended (between Bathurst and Parliament), to be used in case of problems along King Street (and Queen Street), such as the Toronto International Film Festival.

I read a discussion on this recently, can't remember where, but other than for a couple of turning loops, it's not just the tracks that are no longer viable, it's also the catenary and their supply. I fully agree with your point, but the history of Metro assuming those roads is where it all started to go wrong, and the cost of fixing that is beyond practicable at this point.

 

[steveintoronto]

Presuming that enforcement is going to make King work is beyond wishful thinking.

Consistent, zealous enforcement will make it work. That's not wishful thinking, that's a fact. The issue in Toronto is that rules are plenty but little gets enforced with any degree of consistency.

You make the point too. It's not going to happen. Show me any evidence of it doing so on a sustained basis in Toronto!

Has King gotten any better over the years of 'enforcing' no parking during rush hours? When I see Council appropriating the necessary manpower to enforce this, then your argument is made. I see none (or very little, some in Enforcement are trying their best, but they're woefully under-resourced, and undermined from above in many cases, by the likes of Tory and the Cabal).

(...Sound of crickets still chirping...)

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

You make the point too. It's not going to happen. Show me any evidence of it doing so on a sustained basis in Toronto!

Has King gotten any better over the years of 'enforcing' no parking during rush hours? When I see Council appropriating the necessary manpower to enforce this, then your argument is made. I see none (or very little, some in Enforcement are trying their best, but they're woefully under-resourced, and undermined from above in many cases, by the likes of Tory and the Cabal).

(...Sound of crickets still chirping...)

So? You got to start somewhere. The proposal to prioritize transit on King has been in discussion for years and it didn't even gestate past council - and based on your assertion it shouldn't even have happened because of inertia. This is a start, not an end.

Now, are you going to just bend your arms and sulk when the opportunity presents itself for something that might just improve things for the better?

AoD

 

[steveintoronto]

and based on your assertion it shouldn't even have happened because of inertia.

I'm sorry? Hardly. My point is that enforcement and compliance both are sadly lacking. It certainly works in other *world leading cities*. The reason it doesn't work here is not only a pathetic record of poor planning implementation (through not fault of the planners, it's a political failing), it's a pathetic record of a lack of public will to embrace change for the better.

My attitude is hardly one of defeatism, it's one of putting pressure where it's needed. And that starts not only at Council, it starts with getting Joe and Josephine Blow to becoming aware of the situation, and what's needed to move it forward.

The City has some excellently motivated civic minded persons. Then we have suburban councillors...what's on television?

Edit to Add: Fair amount in the press on this, Globe has an excellent article, but this one more concise:

April 2, 2017 12:46 pm
5th parking enforcement officer assault in 2-week period in Toronto

The number of assaults on parking enforcement officers continues to rise in 2017 with another altercation ending in the arrest of a 49-year-old man Saturday.

Toronto police said a man was charged after assaulting a parking enforcement officer in the Orchard View Boulevard and Yonge Street area.

Police allege the officer issued a ticket to a vehicle for parking on a sidewalk.

READ MORE: Assaults, threats on Toronto parking officers on the rise

The man then moved the vehicle into a “No Stopping” Area and was issued another ticket by the officer, according to police.

The man then shoved the officer, throwing him off balance.

Police arrived on scene and arrested the man.

READ MORE: Man arrested for allegedly assaulting Toronto parking officer

Michael Franks, of Toronto, was charged with assault.

He is scheduled to appear in a Toronto court May 1.

This is the fifth assault on a parking enforcement officer in Toronto in the past two weeks, including an incident where a man was charged with throwing hot coffee in the face of an officer.

READ MORE: Toronto man charged after hot cup of coffee thrown at parking officer’s face

http://globalnews.ca/news/3351627/5...-officer-assault-in-2-week-period-in-toronto/

More parking and traffic enforcement is not only needed, it's becoming more dangerous to do so. Too many drivers have a sense of entitlement not accorded to them. Council has yet to clearly state how the present wanting scheme on King is to be enforced.

 

[crs1026]

Consistent, zealous enforcement will make it work. That's not wishful thinking, that's a fact. The issue in Toronto is that rules are plenty but little gets enforced with any degree of consistency. A week of warnings followed by a week of relentless enforcement will get people in line very quickly indeed. And going forward, we can utilize cameras along the route as well.

AoD

I expect this is what we will see over the pilot. There will be cycles of monitoring, then cops stationed with instructions to warn, then blitzes of issuing tickets, with zero tolerance. What makes the taxi exception a little different is that taxi drivers are a relatively small pool of people (as compared to all other motorists, anyways) who return to the area and face the same rules over and over again. So one warning per driver ought to be all that is given. If some taxi drivers don't get the message, the penalty doesn't need to be just HTA, it can be taxi license suspension or cancellation for repeat offenders.

And, if we go through all that between 10 PM and midnight, no one is going to credibly suggest that the exception be broadened to daytime. Much better outcome than if the ban were total from the start, and the taxi industry complaining that we never gave them a chance.

PS - the revelation to me anyways is just how much power the taxi brokers (the moguls who hold all the licences, not the drivers) wield in this city. They sure must make big campaign deductions. I can't believe how Council kowtows to these guys, compared to other small business owners such as say electrical contractors or locksmiths.

- Paul

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

PS - the revelation to me anyways is just how much power the taxi brokers (the moguls who hold all the licences, not the drivers) wield in this city. They sure must make big campaign deductions. I can't believe how Council kowtows to these guys, compared to other small business owners such as say electrical contractors or locksmiths.
- Paul

I don't think the cab companies hold that much power per se - but it is more a nexus of how you have certain councillors in the inner suburbs with a large cabbie population (which are priority neigbhourhoods, overwhelmingly VisMin), and them being in a position to make waves given the existing inner suburb/downtown schism on council - plus a mayor having to occupy that space first in order to fend of potential challengers who'd exploit that situation.

I could be wrong - but nobody gives a sh*t about Beck or other taxi companies or plateholders - but everybody has to look like they care about the precarious situation and livelihood of cabbies (nevermind that the former screws them in the first place)

AoD

 

[steveintoronto]

[...]
Jacquelyn Hayward Gulati, director of Transportation Infrastructure Management for the city, acknowledges the changes might be confusing at first, but said the city has already met with police about enforcement, which will include both education and ticket blitzes.

She also anticipates many drivers will change their travel plans well before the pilot area, and might opt for transit instead.
[...]
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/king-pilot-project-1.4122852

Similar was stated for the Bloor Bike lanes.
http://globalnews.ca/news/3519834/toronto-police-s-p-a-c-e-to-cycle-safety-campaign/

I see no sign of change since they were implemented. It's going to take *sustained* and intense enforcement to make a difference. Or a design that takes lawlessness into account, which is exactly what other cities and nations have done.

That didn’t take long.

Less than two days after construction began on the new Bloor Street bike lanes, photos of drivers parked illegally in the new lanes began popping up on social media.

“When will the Bloor bike lane be enforced? There are cars parked everywhere,” tweeted CarInTheBikeLane, a local Twitter account that tracks parking scofflaws.

Pics of drivers stopped in the lanes were also circulating on Reddit Thursday.

The lanes – which stretch from Shaw Street to Avenue Road – have been painted, but neither bollards or new signs have been installed.

Mike Layton, the Ward 19 councillor who championed the bike lane pilot, said he’ll be asking for an enforcement blitz when the lanes are finished – likely by the end of next week, weather permitting.

“Right now, we haven’t changed any of the signs to give a clear indication that it’s a bike lane,” Layton said. “When the lanes are fully installed, that’s when we need to take a stronger approach to enforcement.”

http://www.metronews.ca/news/toront...already-parking-in-the-bloor-bike-lanes-.html

And existing traffic enforcement on King?

A perennial issue with traffic management and transit priority is the almost total lack of enforcement of existing bylaws or control of traffic at key points to prevent intersections from locking up. The 2017 Toronto budget proposes additional funding for TTC’s Transit Constables to perform traffic management, primarily for unusual conditions such as parades, but better “hands on” direction is an ongoing requirement.

An important but missing part in the city’s presentation is a discussion of design changes on other streets to absorb diverted traffic and to provide for the new access patterns that cars and trucks will use to access points on King itself. Changes to other streets such as Richmond and Adelaide cold provoke as much debate as the work on King.

https://stevemunro.ca/2017/02/15/transit-first-for-king-street/

When I see cabbies being nabbed for extremely dangerous practices and parking, I'll have some faith that enforcement will be forthcoming. I was doored some years back, the cop (a sergeant) charged the passenger, even though the driver had stopped away from the curb, which is illegal, and something drilled into cab drivers when I was a driver. It is into bus drivers, but alas, the cop wouldn't charge the driver....passenger was found guilty in court, even though, as a witness, I made a case for her in court. I contacted By-Law for City of Toronto, talked to an inspector, who was livid about it. He wanted the details from the cops on the accident, they wouldn't release them to him.

Cabbies are far from the only outlaws out there, but they are the worst offenders, ask any professional driver, let alone what your eyes tell you. And these are the drivers being given exceptions? The mind boggles...

 

[Megaton327]

I could be wrong - but nobody gives a sh*t about Beck or other taxi companies or plateholders - but everybody has to look like they care about the precarious situation and livelihood of cabbies (nevermind that the former screws them in the first place)

I believe Beck and other taxi companies are very well-known to be financial contributors to, at least, Councillor Karygiannis. There was a big hubbub about the obvious conflict of interest during the Uber debates but nothing came of it.