Toronto’s TTC launches pilot to stop motorists and cyclists from squeezing past open‑door streetcars

On a breezy Tuesday morning, a silver‑tone streetcar rolled down King Street, its doors yawning wide as commuters shuffled aboard. A few moments later, a cyclist veered close, trying to slip past the moving vehicle. The TTC’s new pilot, which went live last week, would have caught that rider in an instant – and handed out a fine.

The experiment, officially dubbed the “Open‑Door Enforcement Pilot,” targets exactly that sort of risky behavior. It isn’t just drivers who get the short end of the stick; cyclists, pedestrians and even delivery workers who dart past a streetcar with its doors ajar are now on the radar. The goal? To stop the habit of “door‑dashing,” a practice that has long frustrated TTC operators and, more crucially, put riders in jeopardy.

How does it work? Cameras perched on the streetcars themselves will snap a photo the moment the doors open. If the system spots another road user entering the vehicle’s path before the doors shut, an automated ticket is generated and mailed to the offender’s address – much like a red‑light camera. The fine is modest, $55, but it’s enough to make people think twice.

Toronto’s transit chief, Rick Leary, explained the rationale in a press briefing: “When a vehicle or bike squeezes past a streetcar with doors open, the risk of injury spikes dramatically. We’ve seen a steady uptick in near‑misses, and it’s time to put a clear line in the sand.” He added that the pilot will run for six months on three busy routes – King, Queen and Spadina – before the TTC decides whether to roll it out city‑wide.

Community reaction has been mixed. Many riders breathed a sigh of relief, recalling the jarring clang of a door closing on a cyclist’s foot or a pedestrian’s leg. “I’ve been almost hit twice this year,” said longtime rider Maya Patel. “If this stops it, I’m all for it.” On the flip side, some cyclists argue the fines feel punitive, especially on routes where bike lanes disappear and riders feel forced onto the streetcar tracks. Advocacy group Bike Toronto has asked the TTC to pair the pilot with clearer signage and dedicated bike‑only windows at stops.

Safety advocates point out that the numbers back the TTC’s concerns. In 2023, there were 312 reported incidents of people being struck or nearly struck by an open‑door streetcar, resulting in 27 injuries that required medical attention. While that’s a fraction of the total traffic incidents in the city, each one is a stark reminder of how a split‑second decision can have lasting consequences.

Critics also worry about the technology’s accuracy. Could a camera misread a shadow as a person, or miss a cyclist riding in the blind spot? The TTC assures that the system has been pilot‑tested for two months on a single streetcar line, with a 94% correct‑identification rate. Any disputed tickets can be appealed online, and the agency promises a quick turnaround.

Beyond fines, the pilot includes an educational element. Each ticket comes with a QR code linking to a short video explaining why staying clear of open doors matters, plus tips for navigating streetcar stops safely. The TTC hopes the combination of deterrence and awareness will gradually shift behaviour.

Only time will tell if the approach sticks. Still, as Toronto wrestles with growing ridership and tighter streets, the TTC’s Open‑Door Enforcement Pilot could become a template for other cities wrestling with the same safety puzzle.