Drivers are regularly ignoring the traffic restrictions imposed as part of the King St. transit pilot, leading one councillor to warn “rampant” disregard for the rules could undermine the project’s goal of improving streetcar service.

Since the pilot was installed last November, city statistics show that far fewer drivers are using King and streetcar service has become more reliable.

But of the drivers who do use the route, many are flouting the new traffic restrictions that prohibit them from travelling straight along King through most major intersections between Bathurst and Jarvis Sts.

A Star photographer filmed five intersections during the Tuesday morning rush for about 15 minutes each. Between seven and 13 drivers passed through each intersection illegally during that time. The offence comes with a $110 fine and two demerit points, but none of the drivers were seen being ticketed.

The numbers observed by the Star suggest that over the course of a three-hour morning rush period, across the entire 2.6-kilometre pilot area drivers could be violating the traffic rules hundreds of times with relative impunity.

Local Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 20 Trinity-Spadina) said there is “rampant abuse and flogging of the rules” on King.

Cressy, a strong proponent of the streetcar project, said he has repeatedly raised the issue with city transportation staff and the police.

“My concern and objection is that the rampant abuse of the rules restricts the effectiveness of the pilot. That’s why it’s critical to get it right,” said Cressy.

Read more:

Police now ticketing drivers who break King Street Pilot rules

Toronto’s been road-raging about cars, bikes and streetcars for over 100 years. We’re not about to stop

Transit priority plan could replicate King St. pilot on other TTC routes

The pilot is scheduled to last until the end of the year, after which a new term of council is expected to vote whether to make it permanent. Cressy said if council decides to keep the project, King should undergo a “fundamental redesign” to make it clearer to drivers what the rules are. He said physical modifications to the street such as pinch points and extended curbs could improve compliance.

TTC spokesperson Brad Ross referred questions about traffic enforcement to the police. “We know, however, that for the pilot as a transit priority corridor to be successful, compliance by motorists is critical,” he said.

Jacquelyn Hayward Gulati, Toronto’s director of transportation infrastructure management, said in an email the city is monitoring the pilot to determine where compliance is a problem in order “to identify possible solutions and areas for targeted enforcement by the Toronto Police Service.” She said the city is considering additional measures, including illuminated signage at some intersections, “to further clarify the restrictions.”

According to Const. Clint Stibbe of traffic services, police have no current plans to step up enforcement. “The pilot is still early. For now, the service will continue to monitor and enforce the rules on King Street at the current levels,” he said in an email.

He said police enforce the pilot rules “when officers are available” and that deployment to the project area varies based on calls for service. He noted that the majority of drivers on King do obey the rules.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Of the five King intersections the Star filmed — Bathurst St., Portland St., Spadina Ave., Yonge St. and Jarvis St. — Yonge had the most offenders, with 13 drivers ignoring the rules in 15 minutes. Jarvis had the fewest, with seven.

According to the latest statistics published by the city, car volume on King has plummeted since the start of the pilot. The number of eastbound drivers at Bathurst between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. has fallen from 1,450 to just 100. There’s been minimal effect on traffic on adjacent streets, with travel time on most of the routes varying by less than a minute and drive time on some streets actually improving.

The reduced number of automobiles on King has freed up space for streetcars, and the TTC says early indications are the pilot is working.

Roughly 85 per cent of westbound streetcars during the morning rush hour now arrive within four minutes of the previous vehicle. Before the pilot only 77 per cent arrived in that time. The duration of the longest transit trips, which take place in the afternoon peak, have also been slashed by between four and five minutes.