CRISANTI: Toronto's traffic czar a one-way street to nowhere

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Traffic congestion is not new to Toronto.

As long as I’ve been a part of city council, I’ve seen attempt after attempt — each less successful than the last — to deal with this persistent issue. The recommendations passed at this month’s council meeting barely scratch the surface in tackling the root causes of congestion.

It’s shocking that this council is averse to considering real solutions to fix this problem. Traffic congestion costs the city billions each year, contributes to worsening productivity, and takes Torontonians away from their loved ones for far too long.

Instead, we’re creating a new role to further complicate the large and experienced bureaucracy already responsible for dealing with this issue. Even after a half-day council debate spent discussing anything but serious solutions, it’s still unclear how this “traffic czar” will perform the miracle of all miracles to reduce congestion. How will their role differ from the multiple departments that coordinate the city’s traffic congestion response? How much will this czar be paid?

We need to move away from growing the size of government and explore serious solutions that address the out-of-control congestion in this city.

Despite how some of my colleagues may feel, we must conduct a full review of the city’s bike lanes. Let’s take a good look at which lanes are well-used and which lanes are underused while taking up lanes of traffic, and act accordingly.

Effectively managing development projects across the city also plays an important role in getting Toronto moving. This council needs to be more proactive in exploring opportunities to remove barriers caused by construction. How about incentivizing development during off-peak hours?

Implementing innovative transportation technologies across Toronto is an essential part of dealing with traffic congestion. While smart signals are being installed at certain locations, this is not enough to support the smooth flow of traffic across the city. There needs to be more decisive and quicker action taken to expand this technology to all parts of the city.

Remove the obstacles and traffic will flow smoother, quicker, and safer.

— Councillor Vincent Crisanti represents Etobicoke North – Ward 1.