January 6, 2016
Mayor John Tory and Councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, today outlined the next steps to improve the flow of traffic across the city, including plans to tackle 10 hot-spot intersections and add "smart" traffic signals, building on the success of last year's six-point congestion plan.
"Less than a year ago, we introduced a zero tolerance policy for illegal parking during rush hour, improved traffic signal coordination and sped up construction work," said Mayor Tory. "These measures had a positive impact in the downtown core and these new added measures will improve commute times for residents in every part of the city."
As part of Phase Two of the congestion management plan, City of Toronto Transportation Services will implement the following initiatives:
• Develop and implement action plans for 10 congestion ‘hot-spots’ across Toronto identified through Big Data. These action plans could include signal re-timing, re-engineering the roadway or intersection, and other measures to reduce delays; • Develop a comprehensive curbside management strategy to respond to competing demands for curb space from vehicles such as delivery trucks, taxis, cyclists, motorcycles and transit vehicles, through measures that could include off-peak delivery programs; • Pilot an upgrade of the city's "smart" traffic signal system in late 2016/early 2017 so that it can adapt to real-time traffic volumes and allocate more "green time" to keep traffic moving; • Initiate a Traffic Assistance Personnel (TAP) pilot that would use dedicated Toronto Police staff to direct and manage traffic at busy intersections; • Expand the existing Smart Commute program, which sees medium- and large-scale employers encourage different commuting options for their staff; and • Develop a Road Safety Strategic Plan, using city data and international best practices to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe and reduce traffic fatalities.
Estimates from 2008 studies for the GTA and Hamilton show that congestion costs commuters as much as $3.3 billion annually in terms of delays and increased vehicle costs while the cost to the local economy is estimated at an additional $2.7 million due to lost economic impact and accompanying job loss.
As part of the Mayor’s original six-point plan, a number of other congestion management measures took place in 2015, including:
• Mayor Tory chairing the city's Road Closure Coordination Committee with key stakeholders to better coordinate road closure reporting and special events across the city; • Implementing a zero tolerance policy on illegal parking during rush hour on key roads. To date, police have tagged more than 83,000 vehicles and towed more than 17,000; • Installing 60 new traffic monitoring cameras on arterial roads to improve incident response and clearance; • Re-timed approximately 353 traffic signals across 11 corridors to reflect current traffic patterns; • Establishing more stringent criteria and substantially higher fees for the closure of lanes and boulevards to accommodate private development; and • Installing 32 new illuminated turn restriction signs that better communicate when turn restrictions are in place.
Councillor Robinson prefaced the Mayor’s remarks today, highlighting the importance of considering safety implications of all congestion-related initiatives and discussing progress on the City’s upcoming Road Safety Strategic Plan.
"There are some who say that fighting congestion and providing safe streets are at odds with each other," said Councillor Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "That’s something I fundamentally reject. I truly believe that as a City we’re capable of keeping people moving both safely and efficiently."
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit
http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.
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Media contacts:
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