The numbers suggest congestion on the city’s streets has reached a “crisis” level, says the regional Board of Trade president
- A new survey suggests 53% of Torontonians would rather move than deal with the city’s traffic
- Nearly half reported their commutes take longer today compared to last year
- Add it all up, and support is growing for 24-hour construction to get work done faster
If you live in Toronto and feel traffic has gotten exponentially worse over the last few months or years, you’re certainly not alone. A new study using data collected by polling company Ipsos, commissioned by the Toronto Region Board of Trade, claims 53% of people in the Toronto area say they have considered hauling up stakes and moving in order to escape the city’s traffic congestion.
Digging deeper into the numbers and sussing out demographics, the study presents an alarming picture for people aged 18 to 34 years, generally considered an age group full of key workforce talent required for the healthy growth of a region. In that segment, a stunning 64% have considered relocating because of traffic. If that were to actually occur, the brain drain and workforce exodus could be crippling to the area’s economy.
Even if a person isn’t thinking about moving, the troublesome traffic is likely affecting business in other ways. The same study suggests 42% of respondents said they avoid shopping or taking in an entertainment event because they loathe the traffic snarls, with 38% also saying they have been eating at home more often instead of going to a restaurant because of it.
About one-third also said they’ve been avoiding visits with family and friends (but that could be because both laundry and family start to smell after three days). The city of Toronto and the metropolitan area has also been seeing a population increase.
As for why congestion is awful, the study says respondents targeted the city’s never-ending roadworks and construction as a major problem, and in this they have a point. The vast majority of those surveyed said they were in favour of 24-hour construction to speed things along, a notion which is definitely a double-edged sword. Folks living near such areas don’t like it, and construction companies generally loathe having to pay shift premiums for workers toiling in the off-hours. However, there’s no doubt the work would get done more quickly, to say nothing of the argument that employees are safer at night, since there is less traffic zooming past them just inches away.
As such organizations are wont to do, the Toronto Region Board of Trade has assembled a task force to develop an action plan to address the problem. We’ll see how long it takes for all or any of its recommendations to be implemented.