[Cooool]

Believe it or not, Toronto has the 4th worst traffic in North America (after LA, San Francisco and Chicago). Probably wouldn't be too much of an issue if the subway was more comprehensive and not two intersecting lines.

Which highways do you feel are the worst?

In my opinion, when the QEW merges with the 403 right before Trafalgar, it's bumper to bumper. You have to wonder why people in Halton don't just take the GO train to work.

Also, as everyone probably knows, the 401 is disgraceful. But the 427 is a very smooth ride even during rush hour.

 

[Hipster Duck]

Blame the decentralization of employment to office parks and far flung industrial areas which requires you to have a car to get around. Most of the commutes, and most of the traffic, results from suburb-to-suburb commuting rather than commuting to the central city, anyway. The worst bottlenecks are, of course, where suburban highways narrow from 6 lanes to 3 in each direction, such as the 401 through Mississauga, the 401 east of Salem and the dreaded QEW at the Ford Plant.

The answer isn't to build transit following development, but to build transit prior to development and confining growth to those corridors only. In fact, we already follow this strategy, only with cars (i.e. we build roads and expressways into farmers fields to stimulate development). Surprise! Surprise! The ensuing development is auto-centric and designed for the transportation system (roads) that originally supported it. Trying to encourage transit use under these circumstances is a little like trying to catch mice in your house while you leave cheese out in the open.

 

[Edward Skira]

Where do you get the 4th worst?

I spent some time in Fort Lee New Jersey back in the spring. Wait time to cross the George Washington Bridge was generally 1 hour during rush hour. Now that's traffic.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I just can't agree. I drive every weekday from Cabbagetown to 14 Ave and Markham Rd in Markham, a total distance of 31.2 km. I go up the DVP, take 401 east, exit at McCowan, go north to Middlefield, and then right off 14 Ave. In the mornings this commute takes me about 40 minutes, for an average speed of 78 kph. The drive home is usually a little faster.

Sure there are days when it can take an hour, especially in poor weather, but there are some great alternative routes as well. Take DVP to Don Mills South Exit, take Don Mills/O'Connor all the way to Eglinton and then Eglinton to McCowan and up you go from there.

This used to be called reverse commuting, but with many office jobs moving out of Toronto due to uncompetitive corporate taxes, land cost/availability, parking costs, etc. there are a lot more drivers like me every morning, and we're moving along okay.

 

[urbanboom]

Funny how Toronto has the forth most amount of traffic on this continent, while it also the fourth largest city in the same area. The point is: traffic comes with becoming a big city.

And PS. I'm pretty sure Mexico City should be on that list. It would bump down Toronto a rank to its rightful spot.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Believe it or not, Toronto has the 4th worst traffic in North America (after LA, San Francisco and Chicago).

This is nuts. I've driven in Mexico City, and traffic there is chaos - perhaps the author forgot that North America continues south of Texas. Sure, the GTA has bad traffic, but Toronto isn't that bad, provided there isn't a marathon or parade going on.

 

[Second_in_pie]

I just can't agree. I drive every weekday from Cabbagetown to 14 Ave and Markham Rd in Markham, a total distance of 31.2 km. I go up the DVP, take 401 east, exit at McCowan, go north to Middlefield, and then right off 14 Ave. In the mornings this commute takes me about 40 minutes, for an average speed of 78 kph. The drive home is usually a little faster.

Sure there are days when it can take an hour, especially in poor weather, but there are some great alternative routes as well. Take DVP to Don Mills South Exit, take Don Mills/O'Connor all the way to Eglinton and then Eglinton to McCowan and up you go from there.

This used to be called reverse commuting, but with many office jobs moving out of Toronto due to uncompetitive corporate taxes, land cost/availability, parking costs, etc. there are a lot more drivers like me every morning, and we're moving along okay.

Yeah, it still is reverse commuting and it still gets you there significantly faster than going downtown.

I agree with Cooool and Hipster, we need better transit service. Notice how the biggest cities in North America (New York and Mexico City) are actually not on the list? That's cause they both have insanely comprehensive transit systems and huge subway and regional rail networks. And those networks are still growing, seen by the Second Avenue Subway in New York and the Gold 12 Line in Mexico.

I think that if Toronto's population is supposed to continue exploding (apparently the GTA alone is going to beat Chicago in two or three decades,) we need to improve our transit instead of improving our highways. We should be building for almost total transit reliance along the lines of New York, London, Moscow, Paris or Tokyo. If you ask me, we don't need any more highways or more highway capacity, we need more Go trains and more subways.
One big thing that could help is the greenbelt and places to grow. If the GTA stops sprawling as it's supposed to, we'll built up enough density to have a much more comprehensive transit system. Wouldn't it be something if the GTA could almost double it's population in the area it's currently occupying?

Do I have an optimistic view or is this actually possible?

 

[Paleo]

The answer isn't to build transit following development, but to build transit prior to development and confining growth to those corridors only. In fact, we already follow this strategy, only with cars (i.e. we build roads and expressways into farmers fields to stimulate development). Surprise! Surprise! The ensuing development is auto-centric and designed for the transportation system (roads) that originally supported it. Trying to encourage transit use under these circumstances is a little like trying to catch mice in your house while you leave cheese out in the open.

I wish they would build more bus routes that came more than four times an hour.

 

[lead82]

I just can't agree. I drive every weekday from Cabbagetown to 14 Ave and Markham Rd in Markham, a total distance of 31.2 km. I go up the DVP, take 401 east, exit at McCowan, go north to Middlefield, and then right off 14 Ave. In the mornings this commute takes me about 40 minutes, for an average speed of 78 kph. The drive home is usually a little faster.

Sure there are days when it can take an hour, especially in poor weather, but there are some great alternative routes as well. Take DVP to Don Mills South Exit, take Don Mills/O'Connor all the way to Eglinton and then Eglinton to McCowan and up you go from there.

This used to be called reverse commuting, but with many office jobs moving out of Toronto due to uncompetitive corporate taxes, land cost/availability, parking costs, etc. there are a lot more drivers like me every morning, and we're moving along okay.

Admiral, what time of day do you make that commute? Also, what's the commute back home like, where do you get on the DVP, as the 404/401 bottleneck is brutal all day. I drive to Markham from North York centre, and it takes about 20mins in the morning and 25 in the afternoon to commute for me. I'm just amazed that it only takes you 40 mins to drive up further north to Markham from downtown.

 

[junctionist]

Blame the decentralization of employment to office parks and far flung industrial areas which requires you to have a car to get around. Most of the commutes, and most of the traffic, results from suburb-to-suburb commuting rather than commuting to the central city, anyway. The worst bottlenecks are, of course, where suburban highways narrow from 6 lanes to 3 in each direction, such as the 401 through Mississauga, the 401 east of Salem and the dreaded QEW at the Ford Plant.

The answer isn't to build transit following development, but to build transit prior to development and confining growth to those corridors only. In fact, we already follow this strategy, only with cars (i.e. we build roads and expressways into farmers fields to stimulate development). Surprise! Surprise! The ensuing development is auto-centric and designed for the transportation system (roads) that originally supported it. Trying to encourage transit use under these circumstances is a little like trying to catch mice in your house while you leave cheese out in the open.

I blame the poor "balanced" transportation policy in Ontario that has resulted in a staggering amount of highways built in the GTA and a second-rate GO and subway system built. This has been historically a huge and fast growing region and public transit should have been chosen as the way of moving most people in the city and suburbs from the mid-twentieth century because of its efficiency. By now, most GO lines should have been electrified and the subway network counting at least 100 kilometres.

We are the largest urban area in Canada and comparable to the largest in North America and we should be leading in transit infrastructure. From that spirit of leadership, property developers adapt their plans.

 

[kettal]

I blame the poor "balanced" transportation policy in Ontario that has resulted in a staggering amount of highways built in the GTA and a second-rate GO and subway system built. This has been historically a huge and fast growing region and public transit should have been chosen as the way of moving most people in the city and suburbs from the mid-twentieth century because of its efficiency. By now, most GO lines should have been electrified and the subway network counting at least 100 kilometres.

We are the largest urban area in Canada and comparable to the largest in North America and we should be leading in transit infrastructure. From that spirit of leadership, property developers adapt their plans.

It's too late now, but the Province should have stepped in long ago.

When a developer wants to build huge residential subdivision? Fine, but first they have to help fund GO service to the area, as a pre-condition to development.

Instead, the developers build, collect their billions, and leave without any concern to the actual conditions they have created.

 

[madmolecule]

I blame the poor "balanced" transportation policy in Ontario that has resulted in a staggering amount of highways built in the GTA and a second-rate GO and subway system built. This has been historically a huge and fast growing region and public transit should have been chosen as the way of moving most people in the city and suburbs from the mid-twentieth century because of its efficiency. By now, most GO lines should have been electrified and the subway network counting at least 100 kilometres.

We are the largest urban area in Canada and comparable to the largest in North America and we should be leading in transit infrastructure. From that spirit of leadership, property developers adapt their plans.

Compared to most similar-sized American cities (and even some smaller ones), I would guess that Toronto actually has a lower density of freeways (but better transit). E.g., see a road map of metropolitan Dallas, San Diego, Minneapolis or St. Louis. Whereas most American cities have lots of freeways and poor transit, and European cities have few freeways and lots of transit, we seem to have taken a middling approach.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Admiral, what time of day do you make that commute? Also, what's the commute back home like, where do you get on the DVP, as the 404/401 bottleneck is brutal all day. I drive to Markham from North York centre, and it takes about 20mins in the morning and 25 in the afternoon to commute for me. I'm just amazed that it only takes you 40 mins to drive up further north to Markham from downtown.

I get on the DVP at Bayview/Bloor. Stay off the 404 northbound from the 401. Instead, keep in the far right lane of the DVP North and take the 401 east to McCowan. Also, stay off Markham Rd north of the 401, too many traffic lights and left turners. Instead take McCowan to Middlefield. Middlefield is like a rocket, there's very few lights, no trucks, no very few buses, and it goes straight up to 14 Ave.

I leave my house at 7:45am and am at my desk by 8:30am at the latest.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

don't worry folks because according to Miller, Giambrone, and others, Transit City will save the day!

 

[wyliepoon]

I think one reason why the traffic is so bad in Toronto is the view (which isn't far from the truth) that reliable forms of transit only exists in the 416 (and various pockets of the 905 such as the Yonge Street corridor, or in Mississauga). Outside these areas transit service levels are so low that people have no choice but to be auto-centric, even if they do take transit, and transportation planning here takes this into account (with park-and-ride, kiss-and-ride facilities at GO Train and suburban TTC subway stations, and HOV lanes on highways). I think there is a big problem when transit actually generates traffic instead of taking traffic off the road.