Mayor John Tory’s plan for dealing with traffic congestion is a good first step towards addressing what’s long been a crippling issue for the city, says a former city hall and TTC insider.
Jean-Pierre (JP) Boutros, who was Karen Stintz’s senior policy advisor during her time as TTC chair and a city council candidate in this year’s election, had high praise for the plan introduced Thursday morning by Tory, calling it an opportunity for Toronto’s new mayor to get "quick wins" for a city-wide concern.
But while Boutros was optimistic the plan will succeed in easing gridlock, he urged the mayor and city council to ensure the plan has the necessary "teeth" to make it effective, and called for regular evaluations to measure its impact.
"These regulations point to delivering for the greater good, and I’m happy with that," said Boutros on Thursday, Dec. 5. "My concern is it be done with teeth and impacts measured, and we can go back in three-and-a-half years and say these things worked, or weren’t good enough. Even a mid-term report card or assessment would be a very smart thing."
Tory’s six-point plan calls for immediate towing of cars and trucks illegally parked on major roads during rush hour, adding more arterial road cameras, ramping up the installation of re-timed traffic signals scheduled for next year, extending work hours on construction sites for large infrastructure projects and making private-sector firms pay more for the privilege of closing lanes and boulevards for construction. Some of the measures if approved by city council would become law as early as Jan. 1, 2015.
On Tory’s stated resolve to personally tow illegally parked vehicles blocking traffic, Boutros said better enforcement would improve road safety for all road users.
"Towing cars from Yonge and Eglinton which shouldn’t be there at 7:30 a.m. on a weekday makes it easier for someone like me who is bicycling since I would be forced to go further into the centre lanes or the core lane to avoid a blockage that shouldn’t be there," he said. "It will make everything safer. These proposals won’t just improve flow; they’ll improve safety for everyone."
On the matter of increasing fees to close off roads, Boutros said the problem with current flat-rate pricing is it doesn’t create an incentive for private companies to complete work on schedule. He pointed to developments near the Yonge-Bloor intersection which constrain the running of TTC shuttle buses because of the prolonged lane closures.
Boutros also agreed Tory could continue to address congestion in the long term by advocating for more contentious strategies like road tolls or better dedicated transit funding.
But for now at least, he said Tory’s plan indicates he’s on the right track when it comes to improving traffic.
"You have to find a way to improve the status quo for current road users now," he said.
-with files from David Nickle
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