Toronto residents surprisingly very on-board with the days-long closure of a major street

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has officially taken over the city, and, particularly, King Street, which remains closed between Peter and University from Sept. 10 through 13, diverting streetcars and causing general traffic headaches for commuters.

That said, do the pains that come with the closure of King Street outweigh the benefits of the festival? blogTO hit Festival Street on TIFF opening day to find out how city residents really feel about the street closure.

The general consensus? Surprisingly, the majority of people interviewed actually expressed appreciation for Festival Street, road closures and all.

@blogto How do you feel about closing King West for Festival Street? 🤔 🎙️ @antonwongvideo 🎥 @betabriii ♬ original sound - blogTO

"I love it. I feel like this is a really, like, important thing for Toronto, and I think it's worth it," one festivalgoer responded, noting that the festival attracts tourists and art to the city.

"I know it's a little inconvenient, but live a little — it's fun," another person said.

Some people even expressed that they wish the festival street closure would last longer — for the duration of the festival or even be made permanent — with one respondent citing Montreal's pedestrian streets as an example.

A handful of people did still point out the inevitable inconveniences that come with closing a major artery for an extended period, like one man who typically uses King Street to get to work every day.

"I mean, they've got to do something about congestion. You can't just close it and not open up other lanes," he says, adding, "I hope people have fun out there, but it's harder for some of the other commuters."

How do you feel about King West's Festival Street closure? Would you like to see it extended indefinitely, or would you prefer for it to be left on the cutting room floor? Let us know in the comments.