Olivia Chow makes a transit announcement on King Street

Mayor Olivia Chow is set to hold a news conference tonight about traffic regulations on King Street as the city looks to speed up streetcar service along the King Street Transit Priority Corridor.

The TTC said in November that streetcar trips on the busy route were slower last year than before the project was implemented in 2017.

Tram journeys between Bathurst and Jarvis streets took just 16 minutes a year after the King Street pilot began, but last year the same journey took an average of 26 minutes – three minutes longer than when the pilot began.

The reason for slowing down the speed is the increase in regular vehicles that violate the rules by driving through the intersections along the corridor.

Performance has also plummeted. An analysis published in November by the University of Toronto's School of Cities found that less than half a percent of daily violations along the priority corridor are punished by the police. The study said that automatic surveillance cameras can help prevent drivers from breaking the rules.

Number. Chris Moise copied a proposal passed by City Council on Nov. 8 asking staff to study the feasibility of implementing automated traffic control along the King Street transit priority corridor. He said that the main route of the tram was “not working” at the time.

Staff were asked to report on tram performance over the past five years and possible improvements to the route in the second quarter of this year.

At its meeting this week, Toronto City Council adopted a new framework for resolving ticket disputes around red light and speed cameras. City officials said speeding up the ticket resolution process will allow the city to expand its enforcement.

Chow is expected to hold a press conference at 12:45 p.m. to address traffic enforcement.