City of Toronto’s congestion plan drives co-ordinated action to keep people moving

Mayor Olivia Chow, Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth), Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, and newly appointed Chief Congestion Officer Andrew Posluns provided an update today on the City of Toronto’s Congestion Management Plan, highlighting progress made over the past year and outlining next steps to improve travel across the city.

From crowded rush‑hour routes to construction delays and traffic spilling onto side streets, congestion is a daily reality for Toronto residents. The City’s plan focuses on straightforward, co‑ordinated steps to help people move more easily and improve reliability across the network.

Progress over the past year

There have been measurable improvements in managing congestion:

• Construction-related road closures are now 2.4 days shorter on average.
• Transit riders on Line 6 are saving up to 20 minutes, and riders on Line 5 up to 10 minutes for a round trip.
• More than 100 traffic agents are stationed at key intersections to improve traffic flow and prevent gridlock.

2026 Congestion Management Plan

The 2026 plan focuses on five key actions:

• Reducing the impact of construction by shortening road closures and improving neighbourhood co-ordination.
• Expanding traffic management through more traffic agents and upgrades to the Congestion Management Centre.
• Improving transit reliability by upgrading signals to prioritize buses and streetcars.
• Using smarter technology such as smart signals and intelligent intersections to better manage real-time traffic and forecast disruptions.
• Shifting how people travel by providing more and better options, including transit and cycling, to help reduce the number of cars on the road.

Proactively managing congestion

Toronto’s first Chief Congestion Officer is leading a more proactive, co-ordinated approach to managing congestion within the City. This includes applying a congestion lens to programs and decisions that impact roads, and taking a broader view of construction so that congestion impacts can be anticipated and mitigated further and more quickly when changes occur.

Key actions this year

• Make streetcars and buses faster by upgrading signals at 72 locations, building on travel time savings already seen on Lines 5 and 6.
• Expand the smart signal network to 244 locations and 356 intelligent intersections so it can respond to traffic conditions in real time.
• Continue to shorten construction-related road closures through stronger co-ordination, enforcement and incentives, building on the 2.4-day reduction already achieved.

Quotes:

“Toronto continues to grow, and we are taking a co-ordinated, city-wide approach to keep people moving. By bringing construction, transit, and traffic management together, we are reducing disruptions, improving reliability, and delivering faster, more predictable trips across the city.”

– Mayor Olivia Chow

 

“This Congestion Management Plan makes real improvements that Torontonians can see and feel and includes practical changes that make a difference in how people move through their neighbourhoods and across the city. We’re shortening construction timelines and co-ordinating better to minimize unnecessary disruptions and overlapping projects. While there is still work to be done, this plan helps people spend less time waiting in traffic and more time getting where they need to go.”

– Councillor Paula Fletcher, Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee

 

“The Congestion Management Plan continues to drive down travel times in the city. As Chief Congestion Officer, I am excited that this year’s plan goes further than ever before, expanding efforts to consider congestion within the city, launching a process to identify ways to address congestion hot spots, exploring new ideas like digital twins to improve decisions, and setting a course for long term impact.”

– Andrew Posluns, Chief Congestion Officer

 

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As an Official Host City for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City's website or follow us on X, Instagram or Facebook.