What to know
- The nine-month TTC camera pilot began on Monday, July 20.
- Four camera-equipped streetcars will operate along the 501 Queen, 504 King, 505 Dundas, 506 Carlton and 511 Bathurst routes.
- The cameras will record illegal passing incidents and test the technology’s accuracy, but tickets will not be issued during the pilot.
- Between 2014 and 2024, 141 people were hit by vehicles while boarding or exiting Toronto streetcars.
The TTC has launched a new camera pilot aimed at catching motorists and other road users who illegally pass streetcars while passengers are getting on and off.
The nine-month pilot began on Monday, with four camera-equipped streetcars operating across five mixed-traffic routes: 501 Queen, 504 King, 505 Dundas, 506 Carlton and 511 Bathurst.
According to the TTC’s news release, the cameras will track how frequently road users pass open streetcar doors and test whether the technology is reliable enough for future automated enforcement.
However, no tickets will be issued during the pilot.
The technology, provided by B.C.-based Gatekeeper Systems, is installed on the side of each streetcar where passengers board and exit. The cameras can capture activity in the lane immediately beside the streetcar, including potential violations and licence-plate information.
The TTC says the pilot will also help it determine the design, cost and timeline of a potential systemwide rollout. In its July CEO’s report, the transit agency said it plans to develop an evidence package that could eventually be used to issue fines and penalties.
Before installing the cameras, TTC staff observed mixed-traffic routes to establish a baseline for how often illegal passing happens. According to the report, the combined number of violations witnessed in a single day was higher than the TTC’s entire 10-year count of passenger-vehicle contact claims.
The early findings suggest near misses may be far more common than official collision figures show.
Between 2014 and 2024, 141 people were hit by vehicles while boarding or exiting Toronto streetcars, according to TTC data. Customers and operators also report witnessing violations and near misses on a daily basis.
“Every day, our customers and operators see vehicles blow past open streetcar doors, putting people at risk,” TTC Chair Jamaal Myers said in the release.
Under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, cars, motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, e-bikes and scooters are prohibited from passing a streetcar’s open doors while it is serving a curbside stop.
The province’s driver’s handbook instructs drivers to remain at least two metres behind the streetcar’s rear doors while passengers are boarding or exiting. The rule differs at stops where a raised safety island separates passengers from traffic.
Passing open streetcar doors can result in a fine of up to $183.25 and three demerit points, though the pilot cameras will not trigger those penalties during the testing period.
The approximately $460,000 project includes the development of the system, camera installation on four streetcars and nine months of testing, according to an earlier TTC announcement.
The TTC has pushed for camera-based streetcar enforcement for years. Its board requested changes to provincial legislation in 2017, and amendments allowing camera enforcement took effect in 2022.
Once the pilot is complete, the TTC is expected to assess the results and consult with the City of Toronto and the province about licence-plate data sharing, ticket administration and a possible broader rollout.
