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Week-long grace period is over, police begin issuing $110 tickets with 2 demerit points
Drivers on King St. beware, new laws being enforced,
Police are out in numbers this week to enforce the new traffic rules for the King St. transit pilot project, but a spokesperson for the force is warning the true test of the plan to improve streetcar service downtown will come after the ticketing blitz ends.
The one-year pilot, which severely restricts car movement on King by compelling drivers to turn right off of the street at most major intersections, went into effect between Bathurst and Jarvis Sts. on Nov. 12. The goal is to free up road space for streetcars on King, which is the TTC’s busiest surface route.
After a weeklong grace period, during which officers issued thousands of warnings to drivers who broke the rules, police began handing out tickets Monday.
Sgt. Brett Moore of Toronto Police Traffic Services said based on officers’ observations, the project has succeeded in speeding up streetcar operations, and most drivers are obeying the rules.
“Transit moved incredibly well today on King St.,” he said in an interview Monday morning. “Torontonians need to be congratulated . . . Folks are getting the message by and large.”
The enhanced police presence on King is scheduled to end after the weekend however. Moore said if the project is going to succeed in the long run it will have to do so without intense police oversight.
“The King St. pilot project has to stand on its own two legs. That might be a little controversial, but . . . it can’t have dedicated police to make it work,” he said, adding that’s why the force is doing everything it can to educate the public about the project.
Each day of the blitz, police will deploy 10 officers along the 2.6-kilometre route, who will be dedicated to ticketing drivers who don’t turn off King at restricted intersections. The provincial offence comes with a $110 fine and two demerit points.
Up to 10 parking enforcement officers will also staff the route and be responsible for enforcing municipal parking rules.
Scarborough resident Mahendra Nalla was among the drivers ticketed Monday. He drove straight through the intersection at Yonge St., and though he stopped on the other side as soon as he realized his mistake, it was too late. An officer pulled him over. Nalla said he didn’t know about the new regulations and called the enforcement blitz “ridiculous.” He said the officer explained the goal of the pilot was to improve streetcar service, but he maintained having different rules for one section of King was confusing.
TTC and city transportation staff say giving streetcars priority on King is warranted because most people who use the street take transit. The 504 King streetcar carries roughly 65,000 people per day, more than triple the 20,000 drivers who use the street.
Some transit users say they’re already seeing the benefits. Madison Dewart, a college student who relies on the streetcar to get to school, said service is usually slow during rush hour but in the past week she’s seen an improvement.
The police weren’t able to release statistics from the blitz in time for the Star’s deadline Monday, but there are indications hundreds of drivers were fined. One officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity said he had written 23 tickets between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. and his shift still wasn’t over.
Although the enforcement will ease next Monday, TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said he expected police to continue playing an active role in the King pilot. With files from Jaren Kerr and Brennan Doherty