The two main rivals in Toronto´s mayoral race are squaring off over who deserves credit for the King St. transit pilot project, with both claiming they´re responsible for its success.New figures released by the city Wednesday show that after the introduction of the pilot, which restricts car traffic on a downtown section of King in order to prioritize streetcar operations, some of the worst streetcar commute times have been reduced by up to five minutes.The numbers were collected in May and June, and indicate the $1.5-million pilot project has increased weekday transit ridership on King by 11 per cent. About 80,000 people a day now take the streetcar.Read more: More than 6,600 tickets handed to drivers for violating King St. pilot rulesLatest King St. pilot data shows higher ridership, shorter commutesOpinion | Editorial: King St. pilot project is workingOn Thursday morning, Mayor John Tory did a media blitz to talk about the pilot, making at least four appearances on television and radio shows.`Mayor John Tory led city council to try something different on King St. last fall,` his campaign said in a press release.`Whether it´s cars, transit vehicles, bikes, or pedestrians, John Tory wants to find better ways to get people to work or school and home again quickly, safely, and more efficiently. That´s why he´s a supporter of trying different ideas like the city´s King St. transit pilot.`The release made no mention of the role in the project played by mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat, who was chief planner under Tory´s administration when the streetcar initiative was approved. She stepped down from the position last September, before making a last-minute entrance into the mayoral race on July 27.In an interview Thursday, Keesmaat said it was she and her planning team who were responsible for coming up with the King pilot idea, variations of which had been discussed at city hall for years, and that Tory was initially reluctant to support it.She said she could re ...
|