tiff king street

King Street closure for TIFF has people already complaining about their commute

The Toronto International Film Festival officially gets underway today and so already people are complaining about King Street being closed off for four days

The pedestrian-only section on King Street between University Avenue and Peter Street is to accommodate star-studded red carpets and the Festival Street until Sept. 9. 

While some are enjoying the walk to work with no vehicles or streetcars in the way, others are complaining about how it “paralyzes a city of commuters.” 

The King Street closure means the 504 (A and B) King, 508 Lakeshore and 304 King will be diverting from their regular routes. With an average of 80,000+ daily riders, the 504 streetcar is among one of the busiest public transit lines in the city. 

As we’ve come to know, altering TTC routes invokes a strong reaction from locals. 

One thing people agree on is that they love TIFF, but wonder if it’s worth shutting down a major artery of the city for it. 

Not all the reaction on Twitter has been negative.

Others are taking advantage of the “impromptu open streets.”


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