Traffic expert reveals one way Toronto could ease congestions on the roads
Toronto streets seem more jammed than they have any time since the pandemic began, and a traffic systems expert at the University of Toronto says it may be public health advice that could do more to clear traffic on the roadways.
Professor Baher Abdulhai is offering the same prescription for traffic congestion that we have heard from his colleagues in public health pushing to fight the spread of COVID-19: get vaccinated.
“One obvious answer is, vaccination, vaccination, vaccination. Take the virus out of the equation and go back to normal life,” said Abdulhai, the director of Toronto’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Centre.
The reason, Abdulhai says, is that while people believe COVID-19 remains a threat, they are less likely to go into close quarters with strangers, which means they are less likely to take public transit.
That means the people who might be occupying a small space on a bus or a train may be choosing to use vehicles that occupy a much larger space on the roads, he said.
“If people continue to avoid transit for obvious reasons, the other main option is driving,” he said. “No transportation planner ever factored in the possibility of attracting a deadly virus.”
“This is a showstopper that became a game changer. It’s going to take a bit of time for the risk to disappear, for people to realize that and start trusting taking public transit again,” he said.
Toronto Transportation Commission statistics show that ridership is down to about 45 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Driving, however, is only down to about 85 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, according to city statistics.
That means more slowdowns on roads that had been much more empty since March 2020.
“Today took me twice as long as it usually would to get from downtown to Scarborough,” said Emily Mills. “Downtown was lots of construction. Queen Street was a huge mess.”
A City of Toronto spokesperson said the city had granted more rush hour construction exemptions during the pandemic, but that it was rolling those back as traffic increased.
The city has brought together a congestion management team to anticipate increased traffic congestion, implementing programs including new priority bus routes in Scarborough that make local buses faster, a more connected city-wide bike network, and smart signals that will be deployed at 17 intersections starting in November.
The OPP said it’s preparing for some of the heaviest traffic volumes of the year on Thanksgiving weekend.
Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the force had responded to more than 39,400 motor vehicle collisions so far this year, 195 were fatal and 5,100 resulted in injuries.
The expected higher traffic volumes had Schmidt reiterating safety messages.
“With increasing traffic we are getting congestion and people need to pay attention,” Schmidt said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.