Here’s where Toronto traffic agents will be deployed in a bid to alleviate congestion – Toronto | 24CA News
The City of Toronto says it’s increasing its site visitors brokers program to raised handle congestion at a number of busy intersections within the downtown core.
The program locations “traffic agents” who’re particular constables in key intersections in the course of the morning and afternoon peak site visitors intervals to scale back congestion.
Traffic brokers are educated to stop autos from stopping within the intersection after the sunshine has modified, as this has triggered the oncoming site visitors to be unable to drive by way of, a course of generally known as “blocking the box.”
They additionally guarantee drivers obey the site visitors legal guidelines corresponding to pace limits, cease indicators, site visitors alerts, that pedestrians don’t cross as soon as the pedestrian sign begins displaying the pink hand and that cyclists are following street guidelines.
The metropolis is deploying greater than a dozen brokers to those high-volume intersections:
- 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
Under the provincial Highway Traffic Act, solely cops are allowed to handle site visitors at signalized intersections and so, in working with the province and Toronto police, site visitors brokers have been ensured particular constable designation for this program, the town mentioned.
The City mentioned this system was “successfully” piloted in 2016 the place it noticed no less than a 90 per cent discount in blocked intersections and 70 per cent discount in blocked intersections by pedestrians.
In late 2020, the town employed 16 full-time site visitors brokers however mentioned in Tuesday’s announcement that they’re increasing this system to rent extra employees.
A complete of 30 site visitors brokers are within the funds to be deployed this 12 months.
“We’re expanding the number of boots on the ground because we know the traffic agent program works,” mentioned Toronto’s Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie.
McKlevie mentioned the town will take a look at different intersections and, primarily based on site visitors quantity information, deploy the site visitors brokers to different areas.
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