Toronto adding more Traffic Agents to deal with nerve-wracking congestion

Long commutes and short tempers have become the norm in The Big Smoke, but in an attempt to alleviate the seemingly endless traffic snarls, the City of Toronto says it is deploying more Traffic Agents to some notably troubled intersections.

In a release Tuesday, the City said the first wave of 30 new Traffic Agents have already been deployed to “critical intersections” across Toronto, with more on the way.

What are Traffic Agents?

The City began its Traffic Agent pilot program in 2016 and says it was hugely successful with “at least a 90 per cent reduction in blocked intersections during the pilot period and at least a 70 per cent reduction in blockage of intersections by pedestrians.”

“Expanding the City’s Traffic Agents Program is an important step in our efforts to manage traffic congestion in Toronto with common sense solutions,” said Deputy Mayor, Jennifer McKelvie.

“Increasing the number of Traffic Agents will help us provide better service to the public and ensure that our streets are safe and accessible for all road users.”

The agents, who are trained by Toronto Police and appointed as special constables, are tasked with the following: (Source: City of Toronto website)

• Encouraging drivers to stop at the stop bar if there is not enough space on the other side of the intersection to maintain the intersection and sidewalk clear;
• Encouraging pedestrians to stop crossing the intersection once the pedestrian signal starts displaying the red hand;
• Ensuring people on bikes follow the rules of the road;
• Discouraging drivers from stopping to pick up and drop off passengers along key intersection approaches; and
• Avoiding illegal parking near key intersections.

While their main goal is to educate and encourage behaviours that keep traffic safely flowing, they also have the authority to write tickets.

“While their focus is on reducing congestion and educating people driving, on bikes and pedestrians, agents may be required to issue parking violations in some instances,” the City states on its website.

The City says the agents will currently be deployed to the following locations:

• Front Street West and Bay Street
• Front Street West and Simcoe Street
• Front Street West and University Avenue/York Street
• Adelaide Street West and University Avenue
• Adelaide Street East and Jarvis Street
• Queen Street West and Bay Street
• Wellington Street West and Simcoe Street
• Lower Jarvis Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East
• York Street and Gardiner Expressway (on-ramp)
• Bloor Street West and Bay Street
• Bay Street and Richmond Street West
• Spadina Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard West
• Yonge Street and Lake Shore Boulevard
• Bremner Boulevard and York Street
• Eglinton Avenue West and Allen Road
• Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue

Toronto’s sardine-packed streets will only get more clogged when Ontario Line construction shuts down sections of Queen Street in a few weeks.

Last week, the City announced the looming implementation of Priority Travel Routes to coincide with the start of construction connecting the Ontario Line to the TTC’s Queen Station — work that will fully close Queen Street from Victoria to Yonge streets and Yonge to Bay streets starting on Monday, May 1, 2023.

The first priority route will be Dundas Street from Jarvis to Bathurst streets.

RELATED: City announces priority travel routes to alleviate Ontario Line traffic woes

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.

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.”