City of Toronto singles out 10 most congested intersections

TORONTO – Anyone who drives around the City of Toronto knows there are certain spots where traffic congestion is utterly rage inducing.

A new Transportation Services report has recently identified 10 key locations where the bumper-to-bumper nightmare is the worst and six of them happen to be on Sheppard Avenue.

The list was compiled in April and suggests three ways to curb the congestion: adding additional arterial road traffic cameras, adding arterial road variable message signs and upgrading the traffic operations centre.

The cost of implementing these measures will be $7.4 million in 2013 and $10.4 million in 2014.

But Councillor Josh Matlow says it’s an investment that needs to be made to improve the quality of life of Torontonians.

“It costs us much more to be stuck in gridlock,” Matlow said. “It costs all actually far more than the investment we can make now.”

Matlow also suggested that that Toronto follow the lead of New York City and coordinate traffic signals in the city.

Increasing access to public transit as well, Matlow said, would help decrease congestion in the city.

“There’s so many things we need to do comprehensively to affect gridlock and defeat congestion and we need to do it all at the same time,” he said.

Toronto is no stranger to congestion reports. GPS maker TomTom released the results of its annual congestion index report in April, identifying traffic hot spots across North America.

According to that list, Toronto follows Vancouver as the second worst city in Canada, sixth in North America, with travel times 62 per cent longer during the night-time rush.

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee will look at the report’s recommendations at a meeting on May 15, 2013.

If approved, these measures will be brought to city council on June 11.

Toronto’s worst intersections

Dufferin St. at Finch Ave. W.
Black Creek Dr. at Lawrence Ave. W.
York St., Front St. to Gardiner Expressway
Sheppard Ave. W. at Allen Rd.
Bayview Ave. at Sheppard Ave. E.
Yonge St., Highway 401 to Sheppard Ave.
Leslie St., Highway 401 to Sheppard Ave. E.
Lake Shore Blvd., York St. to Bathurst St.
Kennedy Rd., Highway 401 to Sheppard Ave. E.
Markham Rd., Highway 401 to Sheppard Ave. E.

-with files from Adam Frisk