The TTC streetcar camera pilot has placed four vehicles on five Toronto routes for nine months, measuring illegal passes at open doors before any move toward automated ticketing.

TTC Flexity Outlook streetcar operating beside road traffic on route 501 Queen in Toronto
Illustrative image: TTC Flexity Outlook streetcar 4483 operating in mixed traffic on route 501 Queen. The photograph does not depict the camera pilot. Cropped to 16:9. Photo: PollardKay / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Four streetcars cover five Toronto routes

Beginning July 20, the Toronto Transit Commission⁠ deployed camera-equipped streetcars using technology supplied by British Columbia-based Gatekeeper Systems. The vehicles are operating on routes 501 Queen, 506 Carlton, 504 King, 511 Bathurst and 505 Dundas, all of which include mixed-traffic sections.

The cameras are designed to capture passing infringements in the lane immediately to the right while a streetcar is serving a curbside stop. During the test, the TTC will count violations and evaluate the system’s reliability. Tickets will not be issued at this stage.

In its July CEO report⁠, the TTC says the pilot will also help define designs, timelines and costs for a possible broader rollout. The agency plans to build an evidentiary package that could support future penalties, while consultations with the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto address licence-plate data sharing and ticket administration.

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Pilot targets a documented safety problem

Between 2014 and 2024, 141 people were hit by vehicles while boarding or leaving Toronto streetcars. The TTC also says customers and operators report multiple violations and near misses every day.

Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act⁠ prohibits road users—including drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and e-bike or scooter riders—from passing open streetcar doors while a curbside stop is being served. The TTC lists a fine of up to C$183.25 and three demerit points for the offence.

“No one should have to worry about their safety when getting on or off a streetcar,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said as the pilot was announced.

Results will shape any future enforcement

Before installing the camera systems, the TTC placed transit checkers on mixed-traffic routes to establish a baseline. Its report says incidents observed from one streetcar on each route produced a combined daily total higher than the agency’s 10-year claim count. The TTC describes this as preliminary evidence that near misses may be widespread.

After the nine-month test, the agency will use the collected statistics, technical results and administrative review to determine whether to pursue a full rollout. Automated ticketing therefore remains a possible later stage, not part of the current pilot.

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