New poll says King Street Pilot driving up businesses traffic

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It’s been over a year since the King Street Pilot Project began, and it’s reportedly had a positive impact on retailers in the area.

According to a study conducted by Potloc, in conjunction with Retail Insider, 76% of their respondents said they’ve visited local retailers either more often or as often as they had before the pilot project.

This, they said, compares with just 24% who said they’ve visited less often since the project began.

“We’re seeing a big increase in pedestrians, cyclists and transit users coming to the shops on King. This more than makes up for a significant decrease in motorists shopping in the area,” said Mike Garard, senior account manager at Potloc.

“Many people in Toronto and cities across Canada are looking for faster transit times, more pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods and easier ways to get around.”

The survey had 2,062 respondents, 72% of whom said the Pilot on King should either stay as it is or be enhanced with more streetcars, and more space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Over one year ago on November 12, Toronto’s downtown transit pilot project began, changing the way cars travel through this major corridor between Bathurst and Jarvis along King.

The closure was to help traffic flow, and in order to decrease travel times for streetcars.

The pilot has had the desired effect among transit users, 69% of whom have been using public transit on King more often since the pilot began, states the study.

The City of Toronto also released data regularly through the pilot, with the latest one showing an 11% increase in all-day ridership along the corridor.

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