TORONTO – Toronto traffic Congestion: What is the Plan?
It used to be said that Toronto had two seasons: Winter and Construction. Now Toronto has only one season: “construction chaos”.
This is the city that is supposed to host games for next summer’s FIFA World Cup. How might that work?
Torontonians cannot get to work, school or anywhere for that matter, without saying a prayer before they get into the car make that an entire litany. I have resorted to praying while in the car now.
The road systems, once designed to accommodate urban sprawl and the “futuristic” use of cars in the 1960s have now been denigrated to facilitate make- shift construction of new “middle of the road islands”, more useless bike lanes and overdue road “patch up” repairs.
Highway 401, the major highway crossing one end of the city to the other, is a Christmas Eve parking lot every day of the week.
Anyone looking for reprieve used to travel across Wilson Ave, Lawrence Ave, or Eglinton Avenue to have a fighting chance of arriving at destination on time. Not anymore.
The Lawrence West Station at Allen Rd. and Lawrence Ave., W. has been under “renovation” for a lifetime. Anyone familiar with the stretch of torture on Lawrence Ave. West between Dufferin Street and the Allen Rd way understands why most people look for “work from home” employment. The traffic light coordination is an oxymoron. Construction to build wide, useless islands in the middle of the intersection has brought the flow of traffic to a halt 24/7.
Somehow it makes sense to someone that buses drop passengers off on the street side rather than turn into the station as they once did; or that placing a crosswalk right at the off ramp of the Allen is an “intelligent” idea. I guess with more traffic accidents the city can spend money on “proposals to re-configure the road for pedestrian safety”. Or just eliminate the crosswalk at the Allen Rd. and pedestrians can continue using the crosswalk fifty meters away at the intersection of Marlee Ave. and Lawrence West Ave.
These once wide two-lane roads in both directions have been “attacked” by the city’s need to expand bike lanes, reduce usable lanes to one in each direction and give way to buses occupying the only lane. Many bus stop lane-indentations have been removed. Buses now block the only lane available for the flow of traffic.
This is mild compared to the Eglinton Ave Nightmare. I do not know where to begin.
Driving across Eglinton Ave W in slow moving traffic is not fun. Looking at empty bike lanes the whole time just fuels the fire boiling within. Hence the praying. Then, come to the only space available to advance and you find two buses driving side by side. Why? To ensure they allow each other to re-enter into the only usable lane.
Trying to make your way downtown is only possible via helicopter. The TTC is not the” better way”. Unless, maybe, if your residence and destination are both on the subway line. Otherwise stay home. Construction on all major roads running north south seems to be allowed to happen simultaneously. I guess City Hall sees Zero economic benefit in having anyone come downtown for events, for work or to spend money.
Toronto City Council is looking for a Traffic Czar. I nominate the PR person on Taylor Swift’s team. That person managed to relieve all traffic congestion during rush hour to have Taylor Swift’s caravan move across the city from the airport to the venue. Magic!
In the photos, traffic in Toronto: from the top, Dufferin Street, Allen Road and Eglinton Avenue
