Congestion in Toronto is a major frustration to motorists and a seemingly never ending problem.  Many recommendations by many experts in the field have been put forward for some time, with little tangible results so far.

The City of Toronto has released its recent strategy on dealing with congestion. Lane closures due to construction were identified as the number one cause of traffic congestion. This report identifies root causes of congestion and strategies being implemented to reduce the problem, one of which is to increase the fees for lane closures due to construction. This is expected to reduce the time of traffic disruption.  See:   Congestion Management

Although countless hours have been spent on attempting to keep our streets flowing, it is important to understand that the goal is moving people in the most efficient way possible.  Given that driving a private vehicle is the most inefficient mode of travel, the City is trying to change behaviour habits away from driving to using transit, cycling and walking (for shorter trips). The number of new drivers in Toronto has increased substantially, however the number of our streets hasn’t changed in decades. Congestion won’t be solved unless we fundamentally change the way we move around in the city. 

Other measures that can relieve pressure on our streets are as follows:

• • Congestion Pricing has proved successful in other major cities around the world, like New York, Paris and Stockholm, however, Provincial jurisdiction has prevented the City from contemplating it for Toronto. 
  • Create Car Free Zones in heavily pedestrian trafficked areas such as proposed by the YongeTOday project in the city’s core.
  • Transform TO goal of 75 per cent of school/work trips under 5 km are walked, biked or by transit
  • See: TransformTO

• RapidTO Through this program, the City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) are enhancing bus and streetcar transit across Toronto by studying and implementing transit priority solutions that improve service reliability.

• Expansion of TTC Service both in frequency and geographically
• Expanding Bike Lanes to provide a connected and safe alternative to driving

Easing congestion in a major city like Toronto which has the largest number of active construction cranes in North America is no easy task, however a collective approach that reduces the amount of cars on the road will benefit everyone with enhanced community activity, cleaner air and healthier people.