First significant snowfall to hit GTA this afternoon

Winter is coming. The first significant snowfall of the season is expected to hit the GTA Monday afternoon, and give commuters a rude reminder that we still live in Canada.

The storm is expected to roll into the GTA at around 2:00pm, just in time for the drive home. Snow will continue overnight and taper off early Tuesday morning.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement, stating that amounts of 5-10cm are expected for most of Southern Ontario, with some localized areas seeing as much as 15cm.

The storm will result in poor winter driving conditions on untreated roads.

Commuters in the GTA can expect significantly slower trip than usual for a Monday as they head home this afternoon, with heavier than normal volume across most major routes. Transit surface routes will also likely be impacted.

Police are reminding motorists to slow down and drive to the conditions. Things like all-wheel drive and snow tires can certainly help make navigating winter roads a bit easier, but they're not magic.

Winter driving takes patience. Reaction time and stopping distance play a large role on snow covered or icy roads. You can help make our roads safer this winter! #2018SafetyCountdown ❄️ pic.twitter.com/vEbS2T1yoy

— HRPS Burlington (@HRPSBurl) December 10, 2017

Cold temperatures and flurries are expected to stick around the GTA for the next week. So on the bright side of things, there's a good chance we could see a white Christmas this year.

Fatal collision shuts down 401 in Etobicoke

A fatal collision closed a section of the westbound 401 in Etobicoke early Monday morning.

At approximately 5:20am, police received numerous calls of a car stopped in a live lane of the highway near Martin Grove. Shortly after, the vehicle was involved in a serious collision with a tractor-trailer.

When crews arrived on scene, the driver of the car was pronounced dead. The driver of the truck was uninjured.

“We are still trying to investigate and determine exactly what happened prior to the collision that claimed the life of the driver of this car,” OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt told local media.

Schmidt called the damage to the car "absolutely devistating", and asked anybody who witnessed the collision, or what led up to it, to contact Toronto OPP.

“We are appealing for anyone else who may have driven through this area between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. that may have seen a vehicle either in a live lane disabled or any circumstances."

The westbound lanes of the 401 remained closed through the morning commute, with all traffic being diverted off the highway at Martin Grove. The backup stretched as far as Allen road while police continued to investigate. No time frame was given as to when the highway would reopen.

Fatal collision:#Hwy401 wb at Martin Grove. WB lanes to be closed at Martin Grove, truck and car involved. pic.twitter.com/mfA4bkBfzS

— Sgt Kerry Schmidt (@OPP_HSD) December 11, 2017

Source: CP24

Overnight lane closures on Gardiner begin Monday

The City of Toronto will be closing some lanes on the Gardiner tonight for maintenance work.

One westbound lane will be shut down this evening, as well as on November 14th, 27th, and 28th, from 11:00pm until 5:00am.

One Eastbound lane will be closed from 11:00pm until 5:00am on November 15th, 21st, 24th, and 30th.

In the past, the City has closed the Gardiner two weekends a year for routine maintenance. However, drivers have complained about how difficult this makes trips into the city, especially if there's a major event happening.

Mayor John Tory said that data shows the Gardiner is much less frequently traveled overnight than on weekends, so the city hopes this new approach will minimize disruptions.

King Street Transit Pilot begins this week

The City of Toronto is launching a new pilot project to speed up transit along King Street.

The project, which kicked off Sunday, will prioritize streetcar traffic along King between Bathurst and Jarvis. Private vehicles will face restrictions, though local traffic access will be maintained.

King Street is the busiest surface transit route in Toronto, moving more than 65,000 riders daily. However, streetcars along this stretch have faced slow travel times and are often seen travelling in packs. City officials believe this is due to the high volume of private vehicles also using this route. About 20,000 vehicles use King on a daily basis.

"King Street is a critical downtown spine, connecting neighbourhoods, the largest employment centre in the entire country, and diverse urban forms and uses,"said Councillor Joe Cressy. 

"As in so many other areas – community facilities, new parkland, and more – we must both catch up with growth, and plan for the future. The time for putting people and transit first along this important corridor is now, and the King Street Transit Pilot is our opportunity."

Divers, cyclists, and pedestrians are being advised to use King Street with caution as new transit signs and stops go up. Private vehicles will not be able to access King and must turn up either Bathurst or Jarvis. Exceptions are being made for local traffic, taxis, and cyclists. Police will be out for the first two weeks educating drivers and enforcing the new road restrictions.

City officials did not mention the expected traffic impact on neighboring roads such as Queen and Front.

No end date to the pilot was provided to media.

List of Traffic Changes as part of the King Pilot
• Vehicles travelling eastbound on King Street must turn left or right at Bathurst Street. Vehicles travelling westbound must turn left or right at Jarvis Street.
• Through vehicular traffic should use other parallel east-west streets: Richmond, Adelaide, Wellington, Front, Queens Quay, Lake Shore and the Gardiner Expressway, and then access King Street via north-south streets.
• TTC vehicles, City of Toronto emergency and maintenance vehicles, and cyclists are allowed to travel through the pilot area at all times of the day.
• Space for cyclists is provided in the curb lane but no dedicated bike lanes are provided.
• Between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., City-licensed taxis are allowed to travel straight through the pilot area. At other times, taxis must follow the same rules as other traffic.
• There is no on-street parking on King Street in the pilot area. On-street parking is available on some nearby streets and there are several off-street parking lots near King Street.
• While travelling on King Street, left turns at signalized intersections (turning off King Street) are not allowed.
• Current turning restrictions for accessing King Street will remain in place (where left turns onto King Street were previously permitted, they will continue to be permitted).
• Existing permitted movements and restrictions on north-south streets will continue after the launch of the King Street Transit Pilot. For example, vehicle traffic on all north-south streets in the pilot area (such as Bathurst, Spadina, John, University and Yonge) can still cross King Street.

All your GTA Santa Claus Parades

As is our annual tradition here at The Toronto Traffic Guy, we're once again stoked for all the Santa Claus Parades happening around the city this holiday season. And once again, I'm a little slow off the mark getting this article up. November has a way of sneaking up on you, doesn't it.

If you're looking to meet the big guy himself, here's your complete list of where he'll be over the next few weeks. A lot of volunteers work hard making these parades happen, so go out and support them. Don't forget you can also catch most of these on either RogersTV and YourTV, so check your local listings.

November 12th

Santa Fest in Maple @ 2:00pm

• Major Mackenzie Drive from Canada's Wonderland to Vaughan City Hall

November 18th

Newmarket Santa Claus Parade @ 11:00am

• Eagle from Lorne to Main
• Main from Water St. to Ontario St.

Acton Santa Claus Parade @ 11:00am

• Hwy 7 downtown

Hamilton Santa Claus Parade @ 4:30pm

• Bay from Stewart to York.
• York from Bay to James N
• James from Wilson/York to Strachan
• Strachan to Harbor Front

Georgetown Santa Claus Parade @ 5:00pm

• Guelph St from St. Sinclair to Charles
• Charles from Guelph St. to Fairgrounds

Brampton Santa Claus Parade @ 5:00pm

• Sproule from Ken Whillians to Main
• Main from Sproule to Elgin Drive

Richmond Hill Santa Claus Parade @ 6:00pm

• Leslie from William F. Bell Parkway to Performance Drive

Oshawa Santa's Parade of Lights

• Starts at King and Stevenson
• East along King to Simcoe
• North on Simcoe to Bond
• West on Bond to Stevenson

November 19th

Oakville Santa Claus Parade @ 9:00am

• Lakeshore East from Reynolds to Kerr
• Kerr from Lakeshore West to Stewart St.
• Stewart from Kerr to Felan Ave.

Toronto Santa Claus Parade @ 12:30pm

• Bloor from Christie Pits to Avenue
• Avenue/University from Bloor to Wellington
• Wellington from University to Yonge
• Yonge from Wellington to Front
• Fromt from Yonge to St. Lawrence Market/Jarvis

Milton Santa Claus Parade @ 1:30pm

• Main from Scott to GO Station

November 25th

Pickering Santa Claus Parade @ 10:00am

• Glenna Road from Dixie to Pickering Parkway

Markham Santa Claus Parade @ 11:00am

• Hwy 7 from Main to Markham Museum

Ajax Santa Claus Parade of Lights @ 6:00pm

• Starting at Bayly and Mackenzie Avenue
• Travels east along Bayly then north on Harwood, ending at Ajax Town Hall

Santa Under the Stars Parade Aurora @ 6:00pm

• Yonge from Orchard Heights to Murray Drive

Flamborough/Waterdown Santa Claus Parade @ 6:30pm

• Hamilton St N from Rockhaven to Dundas
• Dundas from Hamilton to Main
• Main from Dundas to Parkside
• Parkside from Main to Hamilton

November 26th

Weston Santa Claus Parade @ 2:00pm

• Weston from Church to Sidney Belsey Crescent

December 2nd

Etobicoke Santa Claus Parade @ 10:00am

• Lake Shore West from Dwight Ave to Longbranch

Whitby Santa Claus Parade @ 10:00am

• Along Brock Street, exact route TBA

Bolton Santa Claus Parade @ TBA

• Queen Street, downtown

December 3rd

Mississauga Santa Claus Parade @ 12:30pm 

• Motorway Boulevard from Glen Erin to Woodchester

Note: The Streetsville parade was cancelled due to lack of support. New parade is at the Erin Mills Auto Mall. 

Burlington Santa Claus Parade @ 2:00pm

• Route TBA but likely same as last year
• Guelph Line from Prospect to New Street
• New Street from Guelph to Brant
• Brant from New Street to Caroline

Arctic blast to create some hazardous driving conditions north of city

An arctic blast from the Prairies is expected to bring winter-like conditions to Southern Ontario this Thursday evening.

Rain is expected to start mid-afternoon, just in time for the commute.

Temperatures will then begin to drop rapidly across the city, with rain changing to flurries in the early evening hours.

A snow squall watch is currently in effect for a wide area ranging from Sarnia to Durham. Icy winds blowing across Lake Huron and Georgian Bay could bring up to 15cm in some spots, making driving conditions treacherous.

GTA residents can expect flurries to accumulate about 2cm when all is said and done. However, with the first snowfall of the year, a large volume of accidents is practically a given. Police are already reminding drivers to slow down and drive to the conditions.

We knew it had to come eventually ❄️ Pack extra patience for your commute tomorrow, drive according to conditions, use full headlight systems, leave extra braking space and dont forget your emergency kit for your car 🚗 #DriveSafe^ao https://t.co/YPCXZULpPb

— HRPS Burlington (@HRPSBurl) November 8, 2017

Along with the snows, the GTA could also see some record breaking low temperatures across the region. The mercury is expected to dip to -10 in the early morning hours Friday, potentially beating the previous record of -8.9 set back in 1973. 

Just what the heck is a turbocharger

If you're shopping for a vehicle today, you've probably seen turbochargers being featured in more cars. Automakers are positioning them as a miracle device that can not only improve engine performance, but fuel economy as well. It may sounds like BS, but it isn't. There are some pretty huge benefits to using a turbo in modern engines. So just how do they accomplish these amazing feats of engineering in the first place.

Turbochargers, along with their ancestor the supercharger, have been around for a long time. Both of these are known as "forced induction" devices.

In a standard car engine, it sucks air in, mixes it with fuel, burns it in the engine, then spits the exhaust out the back. A lot of energy and heat is wasted in that exhaust, but what if we could harness it to boost power? That's exactly what a turbo does.

A turbocharger has two chambers. One is connected to the exhaust. As the hot gasses leave the engine, they spin a turbine. The other chamber has a blower that's connected to the car's air intake. The turbine drives the blower to pump large amounts of high pressure air into the engine. If you've ever heard a diesel truck make that characteristic "whoosh" when they start moving, that's the sound of the turbocharger's turbine spinning up.

With more air entering the engine, the fuel has more oxygen. Since the gasoline burns more completely, this can greatly boost efficiency, resulting in more power with less fuel consumption from smaller engines.

So why aren't all cars equipped with turbochargers?

For starters, turbo equipped cars cost more money than regular "naturally aspirated" engines. Additionally, adding more moving parts means greater likelihood of something failing. Turbochargers can also be easily damaged if they're revved too high, too quickly, or get bogged down in the wrong gear.

Some drivers also might not like what auto enthusiasts call "turbo lag". Like a jet engine, the turbine takes a bit to "spool up" from idle, resulting in a delay between hitting the gas and your engine producing its full power. Small turbocharged engines may feel a but sluggish off the line before pasting you back into your seat. Naturally aspirated engines don't have this problem.

Despite the drawbacks, turbos aren't going away anytime soon. Automakers are being pushed to increase fuel economy, and turbochargers are a cheap, tried and true way to get better mileage and sporty power from smaller engines. You might want to consider one for your next car if you want the most boost with the least juice.

Photo by SFoskett, via Wikimedia