'Trapped' inside Toronto's Liberty Village: Congestion levels reach critical point, says deputy mayor
CTV
Toronto's Deputy Mayor is calling on the city's staff to develop a plan to tackle the "critical" congestion levels in Liberty Village, made worse by a slew of summer construction and major events at nearby venues.
Toronto's Deputy Mayor is calling on the city staff to develop a plan to tackle the "critical" congestion levels in Liberty Village, made worse by a slew of summer construction and major events at nearby venues.
In a statement released Friday, deputy mayor and councillor for Fort York – Spadina Ausma Malik said she shares residents' concerns of “worsening traffic congestion” in the downtown neighbourhood.
“With the Gardiner and King Street construction, and a number of special events, the situation is at a critical point,” she said.
Graham O’Hanlon, who’s lived “smack dab in the middle” of Liberty Village for years, told CTV News Toronto he feels "trapped” in his neighbourhood. In recent weeks, O’Hanlon said it can take him up to 30 minutes to drive the few blocks out of the area. And with partial lane closures in place on the Gardiner, he says the drive back can take even longer.
“Everyone is sitting in traffic, frustrated, pushing their way in. It makes everyone’s drive more stressful,” he said.“And who wants to sit in traffic for 40 minutes, 50 minutes just to run an errand, right?”
It’s a reality shared by the thousands of residents who live in the small southwestern pocket of the city, which stretches south from King Street between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. The area has seen significant redevelopment over the last decade and with it, a population spike. Bookended by railways on both its north and south end, however, its entry and exit points are limited.
