Council approves new plan to ease Toronto congestion, create 'traffic czar'

Toronto city council approved a slew of measures Wednesday — including the future appointment of a "traffic czar" — to deal with traffic congestion, something that's been a major headache across the city. 

The meeting saw councillors share their local traffic gripes, much of which stemmed from ongoing construction, which city officials have identified as the leading cause of worsening traffic. 

Here's what's being done in 2025:

If you're thinking, "that won't fix it," you're right.

City staff admit these recommendations "will not eliminate congestion," and rather are the next steps to managing the situation.  

Gridlock costs the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) $44.7 billion a year in economic and social value, which includes lost productivity and reductions to commuters' quality of life, according to a December study by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis. It was commissioned by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario and the Ontario Road Builders' Association.

Mayor Olivia Chow introduced a successful motion asking city manager Paul Johnson to establish the new position of a traffic "czar," who would lead Toronto's congestion strategy.

Although the city already has a director of traffic management, the new role would take more of a big picture approach to the issue. The "czar" would focus on creative solutions involving multiple city divisions to reduce congestion, while preemptively identifying challenges.

Coun. Brad Bradford said Chow should be appointing the role herself, so she can be held accountable on traffic results, and introduced an unsuccessful motion to that effect.

"With strong mayor powers she could set up this office today. She could even appoint somebody today," he said.

In response, Chow said while she leads Toronto, she can't also be city manager. 

The city manager will report back on the role to the city's infrastructure and environment committee in June.

Toronto is the busiest construction city in North America, according to the staff report before council. At its peak last summer, construction caused the temporary closure of 24 per cent of all city roads.

The city is now charging construction companies more money for shutting down lanes of traffic. The current fees, which came into effect this month, charge companies a $76.15 application fee, then $40.71 per 50 metres, per day, for shutting down a lane of a major road.