I wonder what happened to the drop off zones, taxi stands, pedestrian areas and streetcar stop road designs. They’re there in signage but the curb lane just looks wide open and many cars are just driving in them.
They need to paint the curb lanes with a colour code and add more planters and lane separators.
They also need to get the street signs figured out. This is still up, eastbound, King and John:
Steve Munro has an excellent article up on the King Project @ Torontoist:
https://torontoist.com/2017/11/king-street-transit-pilot-launches-quietly/
I had long talks with some TTC and Cops, many ideas and observations exchanged, but further to my claims of "Bike Boxes" and a lot of cycling infrastructure being outside of the HTA, a discussion on the HTA itself ensued.
I'd queried:
Another question: Does anyone know if using the opposing lane to pass a stopped streetcar is legal? This brings into question the single solid white/yellow line v double solid white/yellow line debate. It's an important point, because sure as hell some impatient motorist is going to try this, and it turns to grief. The actual meaning of a solid white/yellow line remains ambiguous under even the HTA. (careful when answering that, as it has huge implications for cyclists and cycle lanes, let alone motorists crossing them to turn, as discussed in the HTA but not comprehensively).
Answer from the cops was truly chilling:
(gist) "The reason you can't find a definitive answer in the HTA is because there isn't one. Even if a motorist passed a streetcar by crossing a double yellow line, that in itself is not a chargeable offence, it's only if it results in an accident that they could then be charged with a related offence."
I asked about how Planning goes about doing a project like this. "Do they consult you before doing it?" The answer, after the two cops looked at each other, bit their tongues and rolled their eyes was: (gist) "They give us forms to submit *after the fact*, and even there, who knows if they read them or not?"
I asked about the cycling lanes and the HTA. The senior cop remarked (gist) "Man, you're hitting the sore points we've been discussing. Again, there is no answer in the HTA, and no, unless there's an offence under the HTA or the Criminal Code, we can't enforce the by-laws for the bike lanes. You're up on this, you have to pursue this with City Hall and Queen's Park...someone has to."
I didn't mention my already trying to get the attention of Planning, two Councillors, and the most prominent cycling org in Toronto by written requests for clarification. Not one reply from any of them.
The cops don't fare much better evidently...
I'd pointed out the need for the illuminated LED "No Left Turn" signs a few posts back, and posted the link to the company that makes them and the City's own testing of them and their now using them at 40 locations in the city.
Munro states same:
[...]
One immediately obvious problem is that a “no through traffic” restriction is quite rare in Toronto, and motorists assume that a green signal means they can go straight ahead, even if not in any other direction. Much more prominent, preferably illuminated signs are needed to grab drivers’ attention just as the city already does with “no left turn” arrows at key intersections.
Active direction of traffic will be key at the entrance points to the pilot. On a drizzly Monday morning, a traffic constable at Bathurst gave no quarter, and waved off every vehicle that attempted a move banned under the new rules. This will be fine as long as it lasts, but the moment this type of hands-on management disappears, scofflaws will reappear in droves. This really is a job for TTC staff or Mayor Tory’s recently announced
traffic wardens.[...]
https://torontoist.com/2017/11/king-street-transit-pilot-launches-quietly/
BlogTO reports on the Project here:
http://www.blogto.com/city/2017/11/drivers-ignoring-new-signs-king-street-pilot/
