King St. pilot now permanent
City council votes 22-3 to keep transit-prioritizing project for good after program’s success
Streetcars are officially king on King, and their reign could expand to other streets.
City council voted 22-3 Tuesday to make permanent the King St. pilot project, giving streetcars priority over private vehicles between Bathurst and Jarvis Sts.
After success that saw, for a relatively modest investment, weekday rush-hour streetcar boardings skyrocket from 72,000 to 84,000, and overall people movement into downtown increase while vehicle traffic decreased, city staff are looking at other routes.
Barbara Gray, transportation general manager, said other transit pilots won’t
necessarily involve staff restricting vehicles. She noted traffic signal improvement and relocated stops also helped make the King experiment so successful that New York and other global cities are closely studying it.
“When we start to look at … environmental goals and climate-change goals, getting people onto transit, walking and biking is a critical need and goal of the city, and projects like King St. help to get us there,” Gray told council. “We are looking at moving people out of cars and onto public transit.”
When asked about candidate streets for transit pilots, Gray referenced an “enhanced surface network map” that includes Toronto’s busiest streetcar and bus routes.
The city installed the King pilot in November 2017 at a projected cost at the time of $1.5 million split between the city and the federal government. It restricts car movements on the 2.6-kilometre stretch by compelling drivers to turn right at most major intersections, clearing the way for streetcars.
Some King St. merchants said the pilot project hurt their businesses and even forced some to close. City staff acknowledged growth in customer spending slowed to1.7 per cent during the project, from 2.5 per cent the year before.
Al Carbone, the Kit Kat restaurant owner who became the face and middle finger of opposition to the King pilot, said he’ll keep fighting to get restrictions suspended from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
“The street’s a ghost town and more businesses will close,” said Carbone, who commissioned a middle finger ice sculpture as part of his protest. “If you look at the street there’s nobody there — they’re on the streetcar. I’ll continue fighting city hall until they give us a compromise.”
Mike Williams, in charge of economic development, said his department will continue working with businesses to boost foot traffic in the corridor. Now that the pilot is permanent, city staff plan street improvements including elevated patios and comfortable seating in freed-up space.
Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 10 Spadina—Fort York), who represents the corridor that includes the theatre district and restaurant row, urged his colleagues to officially acknowledge transit needs to be a priority over cars in the corridor.
“It’s a pilot for a reason, it’s not designed to be perfect, that’s what happens when you make it permanent and that’s the opportunity here,” he said.
Councillor Stephen Holyday (Ward 2 Etobicoke Centre) failed to convince council to halt restrictions on private vehicles after 7 p.m. and give electric vehicles all-day access. He said businesses need a break, and that some of his Etobicoke constituents have told him the risk of getting a ticket is keeping them from going downtown.
Mayor John Tory acknowledged the challenges, but said the overall increase in transit use can’t be ignored. He successfully asked council to have staff continue monitoring King St. transit. Councillors Holyday, Michael Ford and Jim Karygiannis voted against making the pilot permanent.