The Toronto Transit Commission will begin a nine-month pilot on Monday using cameras to detect vehicles that illegally pass open streetcar doors.
Four streetcars will be equipped with camera technology and deployed across five mixed-traffic routes: 501 Queen, 506 Carlton, 504 King, 511 Bathurst, and 505 Dundas.
During the trial, the system will measure how frequently illegal passing occurs and assess the reliability of the technology for future automated enforcement. No tickets will be issued in this phase.
Under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, it is illegal for any road user — including drivers, motorcyclists, and cyclists — to pass a streetcar with open doors during a curbside stop. The offence carries a fine of up to $183.25 and three demerit points.
Transit data shows 141 people were struck by vehicles while boarding or exiting streetcars between 2014 and 2024, underscoring the safety risk the pilot aims to address.
City and transit officials say the initiative is a critical step toward reducing dangerous driving and protecting passengers. They emphasized that no one should fear for their safety when entering or leaving a streetcar.
Transit leadership noted that vehicles routinely ignore open doors, endangering riders and operators alike, and called the pilot a foundation for broader safety measures.
The pilot follows a 2017 board request to amend the Highway Traffic Act to permit camera-based enforcement. Those legislative changes were enacted five years later, enabling the current test.
Officials say the project reflects a broader effort to modernize transit safety through technology. Data gathered will inform decisions on a potential citywide rollout and formal enforcement program.
