W. K. Lis
Superstar
As expected (from the Toronto Sun, also as expected) from Doug Ford, at this link:
Grace period over on King Street as Ford calls pilot project 'full-out war' on cars
Doug ignores the 70+ people on board a streetcar, and putting the 1.3 people in a car on a pedestal instead.
Grace period over on King Street as Ford calls pilot project 'full-out war' on cars
Toronto Police picked up enforcement on the King Street Pilot Project Monday, saying motorists who failed to obey mandatory right turns would be handed $110 tickets with two demerit points.
Doug Ford called the pilot project a disaster that he would reverse if elected mayor next year, dubbing the penalties ‘Mayor John Tory tickets.’
“Then the poor driver gets two demerit points — their insurance is going to go up,” he said Monday. “They’re trying to run the car right out of the city … there’s a full-out war.”
Ford pointed to the bike lanes on Woodbine Ave. and Bloor St. W. as proof that the war on car exists.
Although many people have praised the project on Twitter, Ford said businesses along King St. have been thrown under the streetcar at their busiest time of the year.
“They’re absolutely livid … everywhere from the Financial District to the restaurants,” Ford said on the first day of stepped-up police enforcement. “What also hurts — people are just avoiding King St., they’re avoiding downtown now.”
Some restaurants are sending waiters home for the first time, he said.
The City of Toronto began a pilot project just over a week ago that prioritized streetcars, pedestrians and bikes.
Along King St., between Jarvis and Bathurst Sts., motorists are forced to exit right at most intersections.
“This pilot project will put transit first and will help improve reliability, speed and capacity for the customers on this busy streetcar route,” TTC board chair and Councillor Josh Colle said in a statement at the pilot launch. “We’ve made changes to the 504 King streetcar route in the past, but nothing has had the effect that the TTC needed, so the time is now to take a bolder step for transit in this city.”
Tory backed the pilot project, but emphasized he would not be considering it for any other downtown streets.
On Monday he announced that the city is joining up with traffic app Waze to help motorists navigate around gridlock.
Tory has already launched a traffic warden program to move people through busy intersections, and special teams to clear disabled vehicles blocking major downtown roads.
“We’re trying things,” he said. “I’m optimistic that they’re going to work and that they’re making a difference already.”
In the pilot project’s first week, police emphasized education over enforcement — but that learning period was over Monday.
Ford said cars and taxi drivers find the project confusing, so it’s no surprise that some motorists are ignoring the mandatory right turns.
“I went down there – I was so nervous I didn’t want to hang a right on King,” Ford said. “I just avoided it totally.”
TTC spokesman Brad Ross noted the pilot project is just eight days old.
“The city and TTC are monitoring it closely, but it’s important to remember the objective of the pilot: To get transit moving for the 65,000 daily riders on King St.,” Ross said in an email.
The project wasn’t well thought out, and pushes the agenda of a small group, Ford said.
“It’s not that I’m against public transit by no means,” he said. “I just want a fair transit plan for everyone — the car, for bicycles and public transit. And this is just the beginning — the thin edge of the wedge. It’s going to be full steam ahead after King St.”
Ford has indicated that he plans to run against Tory in next fall’s municipal elections, although the campaign doesn’t get underway officially until the new year.
Doug Ford called the pilot project a disaster that he would reverse if elected mayor next year, dubbing the penalties ‘Mayor John Tory tickets.’
“Then the poor driver gets two demerit points — their insurance is going to go up,” he said Monday. “They’re trying to run the car right out of the city … there’s a full-out war.”
Ford pointed to the bike lanes on Woodbine Ave. and Bloor St. W. as proof that the war on car exists.
Although many people have praised the project on Twitter, Ford said businesses along King St. have been thrown under the streetcar at their busiest time of the year.
“They’re absolutely livid … everywhere from the Financial District to the restaurants,” Ford said on the first day of stepped-up police enforcement. “What also hurts — people are just avoiding King St., they’re avoiding downtown now.”
Some restaurants are sending waiters home for the first time, he said.
The City of Toronto began a pilot project just over a week ago that prioritized streetcars, pedestrians and bikes.
Along King St., between Jarvis and Bathurst Sts., motorists are forced to exit right at most intersections.
“This pilot project will put transit first and will help improve reliability, speed and capacity for the customers on this busy streetcar route,” TTC board chair and Councillor Josh Colle said in a statement at the pilot launch. “We’ve made changes to the 504 King streetcar route in the past, but nothing has had the effect that the TTC needed, so the time is now to take a bolder step for transit in this city.”
Tory backed the pilot project, but emphasized he would not be considering it for any other downtown streets.
On Monday he announced that the city is joining up with traffic app Waze to help motorists navigate around gridlock.
Tory has already launched a traffic warden program to move people through busy intersections, and special teams to clear disabled vehicles blocking major downtown roads.
“We’re trying things,” he said. “I’m optimistic that they’re going to work and that they’re making a difference already.”
In the pilot project’s first week, police emphasized education over enforcement — but that learning period was over Monday.
Ford said cars and taxi drivers find the project confusing, so it’s no surprise that some motorists are ignoring the mandatory right turns.
“I went down there – I was so nervous I didn’t want to hang a right on King,” Ford said. “I just avoided it totally.”
TTC spokesman Brad Ross noted the pilot project is just eight days old.
“The city and TTC are monitoring it closely, but it’s important to remember the objective of the pilot: To get transit moving for the 65,000 daily riders on King St.,” Ross said in an email.
The project wasn’t well thought out, and pushes the agenda of a small group, Ford said.
“It’s not that I’m against public transit by no means,” he said. “I just want a fair transit plan for everyone — the car, for bicycles and public transit. And this is just the beginning — the thin edge of the wedge. It’s going to be full steam ahead after King St.”
Ford has indicated that he plans to run against Tory in next fall’s municipal elections, although the campaign doesn’t get underway officially until the new year.
