Anti-gridlock blitz starts Monday on busy downtown streets

The rules aren’t new but with the new year comes stricter enforcement for rush-hour traffic on downtown streets.

Tow truck drivers will be patrolling busy streets during rush hour on Monday, looking for vehicles stopped illegally.

“We are not going to have people blocking up traffic, whatever they’re excuse is, and ruining life for a whole bunch of other people,” Mayor John Tory told 680News ahead of the blitz.

The new rules were outlined in Tory’s six-point plan to tackle gridlock, unveiled in December.

“Whether they’re getting a coffee or making a delivery or shredding documents, it’s just not on anymore. The law’s been clear for a long time: you don’t stop in rush hour on busy streets.”

Drivers are coming out in favour of the proposal. But not everyone is happy with the plan.

When Tory announced the blitz, tow truck drivers expressed concern over their ability to tow vehicles as quickly as the mayor hoped.

“We can’t just go there and pick up any vehicle,” John Paul Cruz, president of JP Towing, said at the time.

There is no car impound lot downtown, so all towed vehicles must be taken to a lot in East York, a round-trip that could add more than an hour between tows.

Delivery drivers are also unsure how well the rules will work with their business.

The Ontario Trucking Association said in a statement emailed to CityNews they are working with the mayor’s office to discuss alternatives.

“We think there are potential solutions and will begin working with the mayor’s office on exploring the feasibility of these solutions. In the short-term we are asking the mayor’s office to revisit the immediate implementation of the zero-tolerance policy,” the statement read.

An unphased Tory told 680News’ John Stall on Monday that courier companies will have to learn to change the way they do business.

“Canada Post, for example, is showing some leadership on this. They’re changing the time they clear mailboxes, so that it is not done during rush hour,” Tory said.

“We just can’t have, no matter how important those envelopes are, we can’t have people blocking up traffic to deliver an envelope, meanwhile, thousands of people, potentially, are getting inconvenienced.”

Listen to the full interview with Tory below:

Vehicles blocking traffic aren’t the only offenders Toronto police will be looking for when the enforcement blitz gets underway.

Anyone caught making an illegal turn, jay-walking, or blocking an intersection could also get hit with a ticket for up to $180. Another $160 is required to retrieve a car from an impound lot.

The mayor is confident most road users will be happy with the results, even if it comes at a price.

“I think most people are very understanding of the fact that it is the law and that is the sensible thing to do in a city like Toronto,” Tory said.

How to retrieve your towed car

As the blitz begins, Toronto police are offering motorists a step-by-step guide to retrieving a towed car.

Motorists cans call the police non-emergency line at 416-808-2222 to find out if their car has been towed and by which towing company.

Tap the below interactive map to view Toronto towing locations and fees. Mobile viewers, click here.