Rush hour traffic tinkering designed to improve east-end Toronto's commute

insidetoronto.com
April 25, 2017
By Joanna Lavoie

A number of changes have been made to peak-period parking and turning left on parts of Queen Street East, east of Parliament Street, as well as along Broadview Avenue and Kingston Road.

Earlier this month, the city announced it was taking measures to reduce traffic congestion, and improve the flow of streetcars and other traffic along key corridors.

Similar changes have already been made on sections of King, Queen, Dundas, and College streets.

New signs advising of the no parking and no stopping regulations are now being installed.

When it comes to weekday no-stopping hours, eastbound Queen Street East between Woodbine and Wineva avenues as well as between Carroll Street and Broadview Avenue has been extended from 4 to 6 p.m. to 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Northbound Broadview Avenue between Millbrook Crescent and Danforth Avenue has been extended from 4 to 6 p.m. to 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Eastbound Kingston Road between Glen Manor Drive and Victoria Park Avenue has been extended from 4 to 6 p.m. to 3 to 7 p.m., while westbound Kingston Road between Scarborough Road and Main Street/Southwood Drive has also been extended from 7 to 9 a.m. to 7 to 10 a.m.

The city has also introduced several turn prohibition extensions on weekdays.

Motorists are now prohibited from turning left from Kingston Road at Balsam and Silver Birch avenues as well as Glen Manor and Southwood drives, and Winthorpe and Scarborough roads between 7 and 10 a.m.

Left turns are also prohibited eastbound from Queen Street East to Broadview Avenue from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and from Queen Street East at Woodbine Avenue during that same period.

“Congestion and variable travel times have a significant impact on the quality of life for residents and carry an economic cost to business,” the city said in a release earlier this month.

“Recent studies have indicated that congestion costs Toronto commuters several billions of dollars annually in travel delays and vehicle operating costs as well as increasing vehicle emissions.”

These new regulations are part of the Transportation Services Division’s Congestion Management Strategy, which also includes increasing the number of cameras on streets to better detect problems on key transportation routes, increasing variable-message signs, and enhancing co-ordination of traffic signals.

The city expects these changes will help them better respond to changes in traffic conditions and better provide motorists with updates information so they can change routes as necessary.