Toronto commuters spend 87 hours a year stuck in traffic

Traffic jam in Sao Paulo Brazil. Photo by Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz via Wikipedia

Toronto commuters will spend over two working weeks stuck in traffic this year according to a new study.

GPS maker TomTom just put out their fifth annual traffic index, comparing congestion across the world's major cities.

It found that Toronto drivers deal with 87 hours per year worth of delays, based on a typical commute that would normally take a half hour without any traffic. That's up from 78 hours back in 2012.

The study also found that in-town routes, and not highways, are the most congested roads in the GTA. They face a 35% average increase in travel time during peak hours, versus only 24% for the major routes.

However, highways had the biggest gain, with volume increasing 9% from 2012 versus just 4% for city streets. The busiest time of the week are Thursday afternoons, with 75% peak congestion on some routes.

Toronto currently ranks as the 47th most congested city in the world, and 8th in North America. Vancouver took the top spot in Canada with less congested highways but ram packed city streets.


The most congested city in the world went to Istanbul, Turkey where drivers can expect to spend 110 hours stuck in traffic jams.

TTC suspends subway service due to mysterious goo

Transit crews investigate mysterious leak at College Station. Photo by TTC, via Twitter

The Toronto Transit Commission suspended subway service on the Yonge Line Tuesday morning after a mysterious goo began leaking into one of the tunnels.

Around 6:00am, crews noticed an oil-like liquid seeping through a crack near College Station. Trains were shut down between Bloor and Union as a precaution while fire crews try to determine what the goo is and where it's coming from.

"The oil-like substance is leaking from the surface. We can't run trains through tunnels with gas vapors," said TTC head of communications Brad Ross on Twitter this morning.

Shuttle buses and streetcars are being provided, but frustrated riders report delays of an hour or more.

This is the second major commuter incident in Toronto this week. On Monday, a rolled over tractor trailer closed a section of the 401 during the peak of rush hour.

UPDATE: Subway service resumes shortly before 2pm Tuesday afternoon.

Toronto Fire has taken samples and will test to determine what the substance is leaking through the tunnel. pic.twitter.com/yxdOdLfdv2
— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) March 24, 2015

More tunnel pics of oil-like substance leaking into the tunnel north of College Stn pic.twitter.com/KF8SCkpqHm
— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) March 24, 2015

Westbound 401 closed at 404 after truck rollover

The westbound express lanes of the 401 remain closed at the 404 this evening after an earlier truck rollover.

The crash happened shortly before 4pm when a tractor trailer lost control on the ramp form the southbound 404. The truck then rolled onto its side, losing its shipping container and spreading glass across the roadway. Two other vehicles were damaged in the incident.

Police say it was fortunate that nobody was seriously hurt.

The express lanes are expected to remain closed for some times as crews will need to bring in heavy equipment to remove the container and right the vehicle. The 404 south ramp to the 401 westbound express is also closed.

OPP are still trying to determine the cause of the crash.

Traffic is currently being forced into the collector lanes with delays back to Markham Road. Drivers looking for an alternate may want to try either Sheppard or Ellesmere.

UPDATE 24/03/15: OPP have confirmed to local media that the driver of the truck has been charged with careless driving.

Photo by OPP

Pilot project seeks to chauffeur riders to GO Station

Metrolinx has announced a new pilot project that might make your morning trip to the GO Train a little easier.

The transit operate has partnered with Waterloo based RideCo. The company is promising a new service that will let you book a shuttle right from your phone. It will then whisk you across town to the GO Station for about $4 per round trip.

The service will first launch in Milton starting in April.

Speaking with Metro News, RideCo president Matthew Monteyne says he wants to sell people on the concept of personalized public transit.

“Having a dynamic, more flexible transit system that adapts to their schedule works very well.”

As the service grows and more people get on board, he says shuttle routes will grow dynamically to service demand.

Town councilor Mike Cluett praised the project noting this should be a big help for local commuters who don't have access to the local bus service.

“We have a transit system that’s in its infancy. Anything that will help make getting rides on transit easier so they’ll use it a good thing.”

Ohio's worst neighbour leaves salty note for disabled driver

Ashley Brady and the salty note she received

If you park in a handicapped spot and you aren't handicapped, you're a jerk. If you leave a rude note attacking the disabled person who just chided you for doing it, you're probably going to hell.

Ashley Brady, 26, had lost her leg in an accident last year. She learned to walk again using a new prosthetic but found navigating icy parking lots a challenge. 

"I struggled a lot across the snow and ice in the parking lot trying to learn how to balance and walk," Brady told ABC 22. “I fell multiple times all of which my neighbours have seen.”

So her apartment complex graciously provided her with a spot closer to the door.

A few days later, she found a non-disabled resident parked in that spot. So Brady did the decent thing and left the person a note explaining the situation, warning them that she'd get the car towed next time. 

The note the neighbour sent her in response was salty enough to make the Colonel jealous.

‘Hey handicapped! First, never place your hands on my car again! Second, honey you ain’t the only one with ‘struggles’ I let the office know the cry baby one leg touches my property I will cause trouble. So go cry your struggles to someone who cares cause I’m walking away with both mine!'”

Her sister posted a photo of the note on Facebook, and it has since gone viral.

“I got a lot of feedback from this online from a lot of other amputees who have been in similar situations,”  Brady said. 

She has filed a grievance with the local police and will soon be meeting the complex management to decided on an appropriate course of action.

Source: Yahoo News

50 vehicle pile up closes 401 near Trenton

File photo of plows clearing a highway

A massive 50 vehicle pileup closed a portion of the 401 near Trenton on Wednesday. The accident happened just after midnight, and saw all eastbound lanes closed for 12 hours.

Four people were injured in the crash, which police are calling weather related. Icy road conditions combined with sudden snow squalls made driving treacherous.

"It's a mess down here," trucker James Dawson told the CBC.

At least 33 trucks were reportedly involved in the crash. 50 people were taken to a nearby hotel to spend the night while crews cleaned up.

Source: CBC News

Road raging driver gets instamatic karma

Some folks just need to take a chill pill, such as this 26-year-old Vancouver man who was caught road raging on video.

The incident took place February 12th on Terminal Avenue near Science World.

A man is seen getting out of his car, walking up to another vehicle, and punching the driver. It's not clear what sparked the confrontation. Dashcam video shows traffic stopped at a red light when the incident took place.

A witness said one of the drivers may have thrown something at the other.

Police were on the other side of the street on an unrelated call. Witnesses are seen grabbing an officer. Less than three minutes after the punch, the offender is in handcuffs. The person who shot the video calls it "instant karma".

Police said the attacker was arrested and later released. Assault charges are still pending.

Source: Global News