TheKing Street Transit Pilotis working double time this week as both a transportation project and the subject of a widespread social media soap opera.

There hasn't been this much drama coming out of the entertainment district since Drake's caravancut off a motoristduring TIFF – and it just keeps on rolling, right into Twitter feeds across the city.

King Street business owners & their employees unveil a social media campaign today appealing directly to the public. Show your support by sharing this message across your social media networks using#ReverseKingCarBan||#Toronto#KingStreetPilotpic.twitter.com/d2YCeuxrzO

— Doug Ford (@fordnation)January 22, 2018

Kit Kat Restaurant owner Al Carbone, who last weekerected a large middle finger made of iceon his property, held a press conference on Monday morning to once again decry Mayor John Tory over King Street'snew traffic restrictions.

Carbone told reporters today that his sales have dropped at least 50 per cent since November, when the pilot project came into effect.

He (andsome other business ownersalong King) blame the city's elimination of parking spots between Bathurst and Jarvis for declining revenues, though others suggest that cold weather and competitors could be at fault.

Wait, it's the ban on driving on King that turned patrons away from area restaurants and not paying $15 for Costco chicken fingers and $18 for basic pasta dish?#ReverseKingCarBan

— Daniel (@Mason_TR)January 22, 2018

Either way, Restaurant Row has been tearing up the web for a solid week now with its ice sculpture shenanigansand related backlash.

When critics of the#KingStreetPilotchose ice sculptures as their symbol of protest, it warmed up a whole puddle of ironies...#topolipic.twitter.com/JUEwhhJVKK

— Brian F. Kelcey (@stateofthecity)January 22, 2018

City Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti is among those fanning the flames by promoting the hashtag#ReverseKingCarBanon Twitter today.

"The King Street merchants just launched a social media campaign. It's a great idea!" hetweeted this morning. "Let's help spread the word and support the local businesses."

看佛rward to an announcement by King Street business owners and their employees at 10 AM tomorrow at Kit Kat.#ReverseKingCarBanpic.twitter.com/NkKFcUUcep

— Giorgio Mammoliti (@mammolitiward7)January 21, 2018

Unsurprisingly,given his stance on the issue, mayoral candidate Doug Ford has been similarly active in promoting the anti-pilot campaign.

All you really need to know is the two biggest political champions of#ReverseKingCarBanare#DougFord&#GiorgioMammolitineither of whom have any idea what living downtown is actually like, or what commuting is like, or what riding transit is like.#ToPoli#KeepItpic.twitter.com/SoFpXg9ZiD

— Alex Kane (@alexpkane)January 22, 2018

The #ReverseKingCarBan hashtag, while not exactly accurate as cars aren'tbannedon King, is being used by Carbone and his supporters to ask the city for an immediate end to the King Street pilot.

"We’d like the mayor to reverse it immediately. It’s hurting too many businesses all at once,” said Carbone today during his press conference. "They want to do a pilot project for a year; I'll do a campaign for a year."