City announces priority travel routes to alleviate Ontario Line traffic woes

Traffic in downtown Toronto is already a nightmare, but it’s about to get markedly worse once Ontario Line construction commences in the downtown core in a couple of weeks.

The multi-billion dollar transit expansion will fully close Queen Street from Victoria to Yonge streets and Yonge to Bay streets starting on Monday, May 1, 2023.

To prepare for the inevitable traffic chaos, the City announced in a release on Thursday that it will launch Priority Travel Routes that will be “kept clear of as many road restrictions as possible – including non-emergency utility work – to ensure that there are alternative and parallel routes for people to get around.”

The first priority route will be Dundas Street from Jarvis to Bathurst streets, starting on May 1, to coincide with the start of construction connecting the Ontario Line to the TTC’s Queen Station.

“Until summer 2024, this stretch of Dundas Street will only have emergency work; on-street parking will be restricted and CaféTO Curb Lane cafes will not be installed to keep the roadway as clear of restrictions as possible,” the City announced.

As the construction on the Ontario Line progresses, the City will announce more Priority Travel Routes, adding that some existing permits and bylaws may be cancelled or amended.

“Where necessary, these may include not installing CaféTO curb lane cafés, changes to on-street parking and deferring requested road closures for events,” the release states.

The City says it will also be assessing all construction permit applications and related Traffic Management Plans to “minimize the overall disruption caused by construction.”

“We know we have a lot of construction ahead of us and we recognize the vital need for transit expansion while balancing the needs of the public and businesses to travel in and through the downtown core,” said Deputy Mayor, Jennifer McKelvie.

“Priority Travel Routes are just one of the ways we’re working to keep Toronto moving and I will be encouraging City staff to keep implementing common sense measures to help people during this unprecedented construction.”

RELATED: A glimpse of the trains that will operate on Toronto’s Ontario Line

The City also stressed that there’s a big payoff coming when the Ontario Line is finally up-and-running.

“Once completed, the Ontario Line will make travel within Toronto faster and easier by providing a 15-station subway line running from Exhibition Place, through downtown, to the Ontario Science Centre. The new subway line will also offer significant crowding relief within Toronto’s existing transit network.”

The almost 16-kilometre, 15-stop Ontario Line was first unveiled by the PC government back in 2019, expanding on the city’s initial Relief Line proposal.

When completed, the line will connect with 40 other transit routes, including GO train lines, TTC subway and streetcar stops and a new east-west light rail line that is currently being built.

Metrolinx has pegged the total cost of the project at almost $11 billion and its projected to be operational by 2030.

With files from John Marchesan