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News Roundup for May 6, 2024
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King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

turbanplanner said:
I’m surprised! I’ll be honest the one thing I really like about King Street being open to bikes, is that pre-pandemic when I biked on Adelaide or Wellington there were a lot of hard-core cyclists in a narrow lane, and it honestly turned me off biking
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Even on a rainy, cold and windy day, the valets move a pretty decent number of bikes.
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from the above:

- those new traffic signals at church and yonge are being monitored on a trial basis. They hope to be able to use them instead of officers. Also noting that they cant do any automated enforcement without HTA ammendments

- theyre adding the raised platforms at more stops coming this fall. 5 out of 20 this fall. the other 15 should be done next year

Staff have reviewed the feasibility of implementing modular raised transit platforms at all20 transit stops along the Transit Priority Corridor at the existing locations in the curb lanes, and are proceeding to install this year at locations that have minimal conflicts with existing sub-surface utilities. Design work is underway for these transit stops, and a contract is in place for installation of 5 to 7 locations in the fall of 2024

The remaining locations require time for engineering review and detailed design due to conflicts with utilities located within the roadway. Subject to resolving these issues and consultation with affected utility providers, these will be planned for implementation in 2025
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- curb widening on a few parts of king

In some locations, mid-block boulevard curb extensions are planned to enhance the public realm, and in some cases provide opportunities for green infrastructure along the Transit Priority Corridor. Mid-block curb extensions would be implemented in areas that do not interfere with TTC stops, turning lanes or on-street loading areas. Design is planned to be initiated in Fall 2024, with initial installation to begin in 2025.
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- Billy Bishop shuttle to be allowed to use King.
- A possibly public dashboard of historical and current streetcar travel times along king is in development

An updated performance dashboard about the Transit Priority Corridor is currently in development and will be posted online once completed. It will include data on the performance of streetcars along the Transit Priority Corridor prior to the pandemic, during the pandemic, prior to closing of Queen Street for Ontario Line construction, and following the use of Traffic Agents at key intersections.
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generalcanada said:
- Billy Bishop shuttle to be allowed to use King.
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I've only used it to go from the airport to the Royal York. What part of King does it need to use that isn't presently open to it anyway? Unless they are adding new drop off locations? The King Edward maybe?

EDIT: unless it's for times where traffic on Lakeshore/Front/York is so bad it would still save time to make a roundabout detour north on Bathurst to King?
 
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Jonny5 said:
I've only used it to go from the airport to the Royal York. What part of King does it need to use that isn't presently open to it anyway? Unless they are adding new drop off locations? The King Edward maybe?

EDIT: unless it's for times where traffic on Lakeshore/Front/York is so bad it would still save time to make a roundabout detour north on Bathurst to King?
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Though you could have seen the full info by looking at rthe Report ...

Billy Bishop Airport Shuttle Bus Exemption

General traffic is required to turn right off of King Street at most major intersections, with the exception of streetcars, buses, TTC-operated Wheel-Trans vehicles, and bicycles. A further exemption for licensed taxicabs is provided between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

The Billy Bishop Airport shuttle service currently operates every 15 minutes between the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (located on the mainland in front of the Main Terminal/Passenger Tunnel Access Building) and Union Station (located on the westside of Fairmont Royal York Hotel, at the northeast corner of Front Street and York Street, across the street from Union Station). The current route for the shuttle bus mainly utilizes Queens Quay and York Street. Given the transit-like operations of the Billy Bishop Airport Shuttle Bus, and in order to improve the shuttle service and neighbouring traffic operations, it is recommended to amend the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950 to allow the Billy Bishop Airport Shuttle Bus to utilize the Transit Priority Corridor.

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the last time I used the shuttle was years ago in 2019, but what I remember is the shuttle going up York to wellington, across then down Simcoe all the way to queens quay, then across to Bathurst.
This would allow them to use king street all the way to Bathurst then down to Billy bishop, the traffic on Simcoe also gets pretty bad too
 
generalcanada said:
the last time I used the shuttle was years ago in 2019, but what I remember is the shuttle going up York to wellington, across then down Simcoe all the way to queens quay, then across to Bathurst.
This would allow them to use king street all the way to Bathurst then down to Billy bishop, the traffic on Simcoe also gets pretty bad too
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Ah I get it. I was only thinking about the trip from the airport to downtown, not the other way around which I've never done.
 
Watch a police officer give tickets to 3 drivers with minute of each other who told the other 2 to wait while he was finishing writing the first one up at Bathurst. It was an unmarked car.

Traffic was non-existent but I did see a few drivers run intersections that they were not to do in the first place. Overall, a lot of drivers obeying the rules of the road.

As for flashing red arrow, the driveway on Wellinton west of Spadina have horizontal lights with a flashing red arrow for turning in either direction based on which way the single lane of traffic is moving. Waterlines are being installed with only a single lane open. If they can be used there why not at regular intersections??

Quality of service was a different story.
 
generalcanada said:
Also noting that they cant do any automated enforcement without HTA ammendments
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This is not true, and it is not what the report says.

Here's the quote:
The longer-term plan entails the deployment of automated enforcement along the King Street corridor. Whereas the City has the legal authority and contracted services in place to implement cameras for red light running, there are still further changes required to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act (HTA) to enable the City the full authority to implement automated enforcement over the bylaw infraction of entering an intersection on a green light and effectively blocking the intersection to opposing traffic.
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The City can do automated enforcement for all the people driving straight through the new red lights, which seems to be most of the infractions anyway. The main thing they can't enforce now is the people who block the intersection by entering on green despite the far-side being obstructed with traffic (e.g. at Bay, York, Simcoe where there are still going to be green lights for general traffic going straight).
 
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reaperexpress said:
This is not true, and it is not what the report says.

Here's the quote:


The City can do automated enforcement for all the people driving straight through the new red lights, which seems to be most of the infractions anyway. The main thing they can't enforce now is the people who block the intersection by entering on green despite the far-side being obstructed with traffic (e.g. at Bay, York, Simcoe where there are still going to be green lights for general traffic going straight).
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Of course the city can do red light cameras but I dont think you can source something saying red light running is the primary cause of the delays?

Its people who enter the intersection on a green light and end up stuck there blocking streetcars. Question is whether you can actually call that red light running if theyre in the intersection during a red light?
 
generalcanada said:
Of course the city can do red light cameras but I dont think you can source something saying red light running is the primary cause of the delays?

Its people who enter the intersection on a green light and end up stuck there blocking streetcars. Question is whether you can actually call that red light running if theyre in the intersection during a red light?
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One of the biggest factors of the King Street Pilot is to prevent people from driving straight through intersections (or turning left) and if there's a red light, and you drive into the intersection, you have run a red light. The light doesn't have to change for it to mean that you've run the light.
 
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nfitz said:
It's the easy- west red light running that's the issue. Most of the time. Unless you've observed something different.
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Back in November when the streetcars were backed up end to end from peter to church, It was the intersection blockers at bay and yonge that really stood out to me, as soon as you pass the intersection it was clear all the way past church.

This is an anecdote but Its not really clear to me which one is the true cause of the backups on king.
Now sure the priority pilot is the main thing, but what stands out to me is the traffic cops, preventing people entering intersections. They can help preventing people from going straight but Id happily be proven wrong on this.

I remember riding by and seeing this exact image. It would always clear up after yonge

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