Toronto tackles Gridlock with New “Traffic Czar” and Construction Fees
Toronto is grappling with severe traffic congestion, costing teh Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) an estimated $44.7 billion annually. This figure encompasses lost productivity and a diminished quality of life for commuters,according to a December study by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis.
The “Traffic Czar”: A new Hope for Congestion Relief?
Mayor Olivia Chow has introduced a motion to establish a new position: a traffic “czar.” This individual will spearhead Toronto’s congestion strategy, taking a “big picture approach” to identify creative solutions across multiple city divisions.The aim is to preemptively address challenges and reduce gridlock.
While Toronto already has a director of traffic management, the “czar” role is envisioned to be more strategic and cross-departmental.
Councillor brad Bradford argued that Mayor Chow should directly appoint the “czar” to ensure accountability. With strong mayor powers she could set up this office today. She could even appoint somebody today,
he stated. Chow responded that while she leads Toronto, she cannot also be the city manager.
The city manager is expected to report back on the role to the city’s infrastructure and surroundings committee in June.
Construction Fees: Making Delays Costly
Toronto is North America’s busiest construction city. Construction activities have led to the temporary closure of as much as 24% of the city’s roads. To combat this, the city is increasing fees for construction companies that shut down traffic lanes.
The current fees, effective this month, include a $76.15 application fee, plus $40.71 per 50 meters, per day, for closing a lane on a major road.
Did You Know?
Affordable housing projects and street events are exempt from these new construction fees.
Mayor Chow highlighted a past construction project on Lake Shore Boulevard where a company paid approximately $5,000 for closing lanes on a 4.5-kilometer stretch for nearly a month. Starting this month, every day this company closed down the Lake shore, they will pay more.The faster they do their work, the less they pay.
Under the new fee structure, closing the same stretch for the same duration would now cost around $287,000. City staff report that these fees are already incentivizing companies to expedite construction schedules to reduce costs. The revenue generated will be reinvested into the city’s congestion-fighting initiatives.
Transit and Traffic Management strategies
The city’s updated plan includes several strategies to improve traffic flow and transit efficiency:
- expanding Transit signal Priority: Extending green light durations for Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) vehicles on high-ridership corridors.
- Eglinton LRT Integration: adding signal priority along the above-ground section of the Eglinton LRT upon its opening.
- Reducing Streetcar Delays: Collaborating with Toronto police and the TTC to minimize delays caused by illegally parked vehicles blocking streetcar routes, potentially through higher fines, increased enforcement, and faster towing.
- Smart Commute program: Investing just over $400,000 for a “Smart Commute program” for one year.
Bike lanes and Congestion
Councillor Gord Perks questioned transportation head Barbara Gray about an injunction blocking the removal of several major bike lanes. gray confirmed that bike lanes do not significantly increase congestion and enhance roadway safety.
