The man behind a crowd-funding transit project in Liberty Village says locals are so frustrated with the congested commute, they are willing to pay for a solution themselves.

In an attempt to provide an alternative to the cramped confines of the King streetcar, friends Brett Chang and Taylor Scollon have begun a crowd-funding campaign to raise $2,500 to provide chartered morning bus service from the west-end neighbourhood to Union Station between Oct. 6 and Oct. 10.

If successful, the pilot project will be turned into a permanent weekday service.

“I think the problems are so bad in Liberty Village that people are willing to pay for it,” Chang told CP24.com on Friday. “You know, you get on the King streetcar, it’s always packed, it’s unreliable and we are looking to provide the opposite kind of experience. This will save people 10, 15 or 20 minutes but it is also about comfort.”

According to Chang, the crowd funding campaign launched two weeks and has so far raised $1,500.

The concept is simple: for a minimum $25 donation, riders are guaranteed a one-way trip on the bus every morning during the trial period.

During the pilot run, the bus, which has been dubbed the Liberty Village Express, will depart for downtown at 7 a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.

“Ultimately what we are looking to do is create accessible and affordable transit for all Torontonians, so it starts with Liberty Village but we are hoping to expand very quickly into other neighbourhoods and also lower the prices as we negotiate better costs with our charter bus companies,” Chang told CP24.com.

Though the prospect of a quicker commute may be appealing for many Liberty Village residents, paying a private company for what essentially amounts to a form of public transit could run afoul of the City of Toronto Act, which gives the TTC a monopoly on providing transit services in the city.

Speaking with CP24.com, Chang said there is some precedent for the idea, including a condominium in Etobicoke that provides a similar service for residents who pay a fee.

“Sometimes innovation moves ahead of legislation and we are hoping to have an open discussion with the city and the TTC very soon,” he said.

Calls to the TTC for comment have not yet been returned.

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