Toronto is being strangled by gridlock. Here's what leading mayoral candidates plan to do about it
CBC
Traffic congestion was a hot topic on the campaign trail Tuesday with a handful of mayoral candidates pledging to take concrete action to ease the flow of cars on city streets.
"I feel your pain, Toronto," candidate Anthony Furey said at a news conference in front of a metal construction fence near the site of a dismantled Gardiner Expressway off-ramp on Tuesday.
"I understand what you're going through. And as mayor, I promise, I will prioritize your traffic and congestion woes."
Furey said he would rebuild the eastern part of the Gardiner Expressway and tear up bike lanes on major streets if elected.
At least seven candidates, including Furey, have specific ideas to help Toronto residents get around the city more quickly. Toronto residents go to the polls on Monday to elect a new mayor after John Tory stepped down in February. There are 102 candidates for mayor in all.
Mark Saunders would also remove bike lanes on major arteries.
Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford and Mitzie Hunter would push for traffic enforcement officers to crack down on illegal parking and cars that block intersections. Olivia Chow and Josh Matlow would improve cycling and transit infrastructure with the aim of having fewer cars on the road.
Earlier this week, CBC Toronto published a map of current road restrictions in the downtown core based on available city data. The aim: to get a sense of what construction is underway and provide a resource to navigate the related traffic.
The interactive map includes 50 road restrictions in the downtown area bordered by Bathurst Street in the west, College Street in the north, Parliament Street in the east and Lakeshore Boulevard in the south.
So what to candidates plan to do about the congestion?
Furey, a political columnist, said the city clearly has "traffic headache points" when it comes to congestion and it's important for city hall to "unclog" Toronto streets to make the city livable again.
His plan includes:
Saunders, the former police chief, says he would reverse the decision on bike lanes for Toronto's busiest streets to help ease congestion. He would:
Saunders says he would cut commute times by doing the following:
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