Here’s what some experts say is the biggest culprit and what the city can do about it
Premier Doug Ford has focused his ire on Toronto bikeways, but the data shows what has actually closed more vehicle lanes and for how long a time.
As Toronto furiously debates bike lanes and their role in the city’s notorious gridlock, mostly missing from the discussion is a culprit that at its peak occupied almost one-fifth of the city’s road network.
Construction — for provincially managed transit projects, condo and office buildings, and utility work to support Toronto’s booming growth — closes more kilometres of roadway than bike lanes, special events or anything else. City officials say construction closures are the biggest cause of the kind of traffic backups that are angering residents and the Ford government.
Roger Browne, the city’s director of traffic management, said Toronto has about 5,600 kilometres of roadway that is not growing. “This summer we had points in time where as much as 18 per cent of road capacity was taken away by road construction … Really, that’s the issue today in terms of congestion.”
Read more: Toronto’s traffic is a nightmare – Toronto Star, December 7, 2024
