City begins crack down on drivers parked illegally on Queen during rush hour
Posted October 4, 2019 7:02 am.
Last Updated October 7, 2019 5:39 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A new traffic management pilot project is set to begin next week.
Starting Monday, dozens of tow trucks will be patrolling Queen Street, quickly removing any cars parked illegally in rush hour zones.
Mayor John Tory said he hopes the new project will make a real difference on Queen and “stand as a successful precident for us to use in other areas.”
“Today we’re trying something different and it is something I hope will make a big difference,” Tory said.
“We’re going to stop making nice and we’re going to start doing something that represents an important initiative.”
The towed vehicles will no longer be re-located to police lots outside the downtown, but instead they will be moved to nearby designated side streets.
Tory said they chose Queen Street because it has a combination of transit, cars and bike traffic.
The pilot will last about two months, covering the entire length of Queen Street, from Roncesvalles Avenue to east of Victoria Park Avenue.
Since he was first elected mayor in 2014, Tory has launched several initiatives focused on “keeping people moving” around the city.
Tory said that while the growth of the city is positive, the affects of congestion on the roadways can add increased stress to people’s lives and can harm the environment, which is why projects like this are important.
