King Street (Streetcar Transit Priority)

[TheKingEast]

King St has been PACKED the last few weeks with the good weather. I defy these restaurants to tell me they're losing money. The streets are alive!

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

King St has been PACKED the last few weeks with the good weather. I defy these restaurants to tell me they're losing money. The streets are alive!

Well...now they are alive! It will be dead again soon

 

[drum118]

Ridership was down in April, but still over 10% increase in ridership before pilot project started.

Weather will always have an impact on restaurants and other business. If they don't allow for this up and down cycle, they shouldn't be in business or real poor business planners.

Going to see more patios this year than the past

 

[Leo_Chan]

The King \ St between Toronto and Church St:

 

[mdrejhon]

When's the ribboncutting?

Or can I do some DIY ribboncutting?

*packs scissors*

 

[mrgrieves]

The installations between Simcoe and John look pretty shabby. During the day I very rarely see anyone sitting on the yellow lego milk crate thing. Maybe people don't want to sit on plywood...And for the pool noodle installation, a lot of the noodles have been ripped out. I get these are temporary installations not done by professionals and they are certainly creative, but IMO they contribute to the already shabby look of the street given the concrete barriers everywhere and the temporary ramps to board the streetcars.

 

[steveintoronto]

The installations between Simcoe and John look pretty shabby. During the day I very rarely see anyone sitting on the yellow lego milk crate thing. Maybe people don't want to sit on plywood...And for the pool noodle installation, a lot of the noodles have been ripped out. I get these are temporary installations not done by professionals and they are certainly creative, but IMO they contribute to the already shabby look of the street given the concrete barriers everywhere and the temporary ramps to board the streetcars.

It is pretty shabby, and even if there may not be that much actual dirt down there, it looks filthy, like what one expects Buffalo or Detroit to look like.

Toronto's third busiest transit route...it defies the senses that it's such an uphill battle to have done what's clearly only a fraction of what's necessary.

 

[TransitBart]

The King \ St between Toronto and Church St:
View attachment 145924
View attachment 145925

That will solve the problem with through traffic. We got a transit mall by stealth. This is interesting and the whole thing (pilot) is probably an improvement in gridlock. But I failed completely to grasp that the ‘pilot’ meant narrowing the street to two lanes.

 

[steveintoronto]

That will solve the problem with through traffic. We got a transit mall by stealth. This is interesting and the whole thing (pilot) is probably an improvement in gridlock. But I failed completely to grasp that the ‘pilot’ meant narrowing the street to two lanes.

Actually not. Much of the King Street Pilot was already narrowed to two lanes. This will impeded cycling traffic more though, even as an avid cyclist, something I agree with. Pedestrian traffic will also have to be controlled from blocking the tracks as well save for marked crossings.

 

[DSC]

That will solve the problem with through traffic. We got a transit mall by stealth. This is interesting and the whole thing (pilot) is probably an improvement in gridlock. But I failed completely to grasp that the ‘pilot’ meant narrowing the street to two lanes.

As narrowing the street and improving the pedestrian realm was clearly one of the major intentions and obvious from the plans I am amazed that this is only striking you now, 6 months later.

 

[Leo_Chan]

As narrowing the street and improving the pedestrian realm was clearly one of the major intentions and obvious from the plans I am amazed that this is only striking you now, 6 months later.

I think it should have been made more obvious from day 1. As I have mentioned multiple times on this thread, the pilot should have started with wooden sidewalk extensions and the patios could be added later.

 

[syn]

The King \ St between Toronto and Church St:
View attachment 145924

It looks like someone went to Home Depot for garden supplies and just left it all on the side of the road.

 

[syn]

I think it should have been made more obvious from day 1. As I have mentioned multiple times on this thread, the pilot shout have started with wooden sidewalk extensions and the patios could be added later.

That probably would've deterred drivers too.

 

[TransitBart]

A significant issue with this set up and state of affairs now is that bicycles and streetcars are competing for the same (piddly 2-lane) space. If it is our plan to keep this, I think that the cross town bike lanes should be removed from Adelaide and Richmond (restoring two lanes) and that they should be planned into King (which has apparently not only restricted, but removed two in many places.) I personally dislike the lanes on Adelaide and Richmond a lot. They are too busy and the streets are busy too. Notwithstanding the streetcars, there is a good deal more space on King these days for bicycles.

 

[Leo_Chan]

A significant issue with this set up and state of affairs now is that bicycles and streetcars are competing for the same (piddly 2-lane) space. If it is our plan to keep this, I think that the cross town bike lanes should be removed from Adelaide and Richmond (restoring two lanes) and that they should be planned into King (which has apparently not only restricted, but removed two in many places.) I personally dislike the lanes on Adelaide and Richmond a lot. They are too busy and the streets are busy too. Notwithstanding the streetcars, there is a good deal more space on King these days.

How would forced right turns work in this situation though?