There’s a new traffic sheriff in town says Mayor John Tory

John Tory has delivered a tub-thumping agenda designed to relieve the City’s traffic congestion. He spoke to reporters at City Hall Thursday morning (December 4, 2014). The program as outlined by Mr. Tory ranges across using media helicopters to spot trouble for the police, re-timing stop lights (a program in progress), a no-tolerance program of swiftly removing cars and trucks in rush hour lanes and high fees for lane closures for private projects. “I am the mayor and not the sheriff of Toronto, but I can say that there is a new sheriff in town in this regard,” Mr. Tory said.

Forklift trucks?

The mayor seemed to warm to his subject as the news conference opened to questions. He speculated about having forklift trucks available to instantly remove parked cars from rush-hour lanes and ferry them away. He acknowledged that his plans might prove disruptive to deliveries and the essential work of paper shredding trucks. The practice by many service companies, such as Rogers and Bell, of parking a van and routinely placing a traffic cone at each corner has yet to be reckoned with. The mayor spoke glowingly about a “determined bulldog” in Ward 25″s Jaye Robinson, the new public works boss She stood with the mayor at this morning’s briefing.

Practical matters

The mayor was not closely questioned on some practical matters. Business may have something to say about delayed deliveries. The mayor’s determination to avoid simultaneous closures of Lakeshore Road and the Gardiner Expressway will be popular but may run up against the immutable nature of the calendar. Getting everything done without such overlaps may prove a bit of a hurdle.