'Trapped' inside Toronto's Liberty Village: Congestion levels reach critical point, says deputy mayor

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.

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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?”

The CN Tower can be seen behind condo's in Toronto's Liberty Village community in Toronto, Ontario on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

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.

“There used to be three ways out,” O’Hanlan said. “You could get out on East Liberty on either end – at either Strachan or Dufferin – or you could take Atlantic onto King, but that’s basically closed. Now, there’s only two.”

The issue has reached a critical point, says Malik.

“Residents are experiencing unreliable and lengthy travel times via car and on public transit,” Malik said. At Wednesday’s City Council meeting, the Spadina-Fort York representative will put forth a motion calling on the city to develop a plan to reduce congestion, improve traffic mitigation during special events, and preserve road safety in the area.

“With vehicles and transit trapped, some motorists are disobeying rules of the road, causing additional challenges and safety risks to road users, including cyclists and pedestrians,” the Notice of Motion, filed ahead of Wednesday, reads.

In a statement to CTV News, Toronto’s Director of Traffic Management, Roger Browne, said the proposed plan would require a collaborative effort between the city and the TTC.

“Parking, construction projects, event management, and rideshare options will be examined to preserve road safety, reduce congestion, improve traffic flow, and increase faster and more reliable travel times for road and transit users,” Browne wrote. “Various action levels will be implemented to gather data, metrics, and feedback from neighborhood associations and local residents to determine the most effective to deal with congestion issues."

While Malik stated that imminent solutions are a priority, she also highlighted the need for a long-term plan that includes improved traffic mitigation for summer events. The line-up of events scheduled over the summer months at the major venues just south of Liberty Village – Budweiser Stage, Exhibition Place and BMO Field – have intensified congestion in recent weeks and, at times, ground traffic to a near halt.

“Whenever there are closures – like the ones we just had for the Honda Indy, for example, or Toronto FC games, or The Ex – you have to really plan ahead and give yourself a buffer to get anywhere,” O’Hanlon said.

“It’s gotten worse with the shutdown of the Ontario Place parking lot, which leaves only parking at Exhibition Place,” he continued. “Ticketmaster now is basically telling people to either park there or in Liberty Village.”

Winner Colton Herta (26) of the United States drives during the 2024 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy, in Toronto on Sunday, July 21, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Come 2026, the FIFA World Cup will put the area’s ability to withstand high volumes of both foot and vehicle traffic further to the test as 300,000 out-of-town visitors are expected to flock to Toronto. With the games scheduled to be played at BMO Field, Liberty Village stands to bear the brunt of that influx.

“I think I'm probably just going to try and get out of here,” O’Hanlon said of his summer 2026 plans.

READ MORE: Feds giving Toronto more than $104M to host 2026 FIFA World Cup

Malik, on the other hand, is determined to see solutions before the cup descends upon the city. To do so, she‘s asking residents to share the changes they'd like to see implemented as part of a survey.

If Malik’s motion is passed, measures identified through the development of the Liberty Village Traffic Action Plan will come into effect in July 2024, according to the notice. After two months of the new initiatives, city staff would report back to the council with their findings.