Here’s where Toronto traffic agents will be deployed in a bid to alleviate congestion

The City of Toronto says it is expanding its traffic agents program to better manage congestion at several busy intersections in the downtown core.

The program places “traffic agents” who are special constables in key intersections during the morning and afternoon peak traffic periods to reduce congestion.

Traffic agents are trained to prevent vehicles from stopping in the intersection after the light has changed, as this has caused the oncoming traffic to be unable to drive through, a process known as “blocking the box.”

They also ensure drivers obey the traffic laws such as speed limits, stop signs, traffic signals, that pedestrians don’t cross once the pedestrian signal starts displaying the red hand and that cyclists are following road rules.

The city is deploying more than a dozen agents to these high-volume intersections:

• Front Street West and Bay Street
• Front Street West and Simcoe Street
• Front Street West and University Avenue/York Street
• Adelaide Street West and University Avenue
• Adelaide Street East and Jarvis Street
• Queen Street West and Bay Street
• Wellington Street West and Simcoe Street
• Lower Jarvis Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East
• York Street and Gardiner Expressway (on-ramp)
• Bloor Street West and Bay Street
• Bay Street and Richmond Street West
• Spadina Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard West
• Yonge Street and Lake Shore Boulevard
• Bremner Boulevard and York Street
• Eglinton Avenue West and Allen Road
• Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue

Under the provincial Highway Traffic Act, only police officers are allowed to manage traffic at signalized intersections and so, in working with the province and Toronto police, traffic agents were ensured special constable designation for this program, the city said.

The City said the program was “successfully” piloted in 2016  where it saw at least a 90 per cent reduction in blocked intersections and 70 per cent reduction in blocked intersections by pedestrians.

In late 2020, the city hired 16 full-time traffic agents but said in Tuesday’s announcement that they are expanding the program to hire more staff.

A total of 30 traffic agents are in the budget to be deployed this year.

“We’re expanding the number of boots on the ground because we know the traffic agent program works,” said Toronto’s Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie.

McKlevie said the city will look at other intersections and, based on traffic volume data, deploy the traffic agents to other locations.

A six-month pilot project will also leverage up to 20 Toronto police and special constables per day to be traffic agents during rush hour on a call-back basis. The city said on-duty officers will not be used for the pilot project.

1:46 Toronto ranks in the top 10 cities in the world for worst traffic congestion