As the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) continues to endure peak construction season, a study from Ipsos reveals that the majority of residents have considered moving to farther flung regions in order to escape the city’s traffic and congestion — and all the stresses that it brings.

Unsurprisingly, but still significantly, 86% of residents in the GTHA agree that there is a traffic and congestion crisis in the region. But in a staggering display of justified contempt, these conditions have pushed a whopping 53% of residents to consider relocating outside the region.

Among the reasons for leaving, 63% say that traffic poses serious problems for their households, while 58% say it often causes them to be late. Others (42%) report longer commutes compared to a year ago. But most can likely agree that it’s just downright stressful and annoying to sit in traffic that takes hours off your day.

Roger Brown, the City's Director of Traffic Management, told STOREYS he understands residents' grievances. "Toronto is the busiest city in North America with new transit infrastructure projects, housing developments, utility infrastructure upgrades and other construction. We recognize that all this work, and the associated road restrictions, contribute to significant traffic congestion," he says. "We know no one wants to be stuck in traffic and we greatly appreciate everyone’s patience as we get these projects completed."

It's not a mystery that construction is one of the largest drivers of this issue. Of those surveyed, 69% think that this congestion is due to excessive construction or mismanagement thereof — the notorious three-year Gardiner Expressway revamp being one example of the kind of standstill-inducing projects that drives Torontonians insane — and 57% feel it is an overabundance of cars and trucks on the road.

But Brown stresses that headaches caused by constructed-related traffic are for the greater good. "The current construction taking place across Toronto will support more housing, improve access to transit and other transportation options, make journeys safer and more efficient for all road users, and benefit Torontonians for generations to come."

Still, finding ways to alleviate congestion where possible will be just as important, especially if the City wants to retain residents currently on the fence about fleeing to greener pastures, or rather, clearer streets.

When it came to mitigating congestion in and around the city, 76% of surveyed residents were in favour of strategies such as, 24-hour road and public transit construction, while others showed support for reducing on-street parking and opening additional lanes for traffic or public transit, and restricting retail and restaurant deliveries to outside normal business hours (evenings and nighttime).

Encouragingly, the City is utilizing measures like these and implementing policy to make the City easier to move through, Brown tells us.

In order to tackle the "mismanagement" of construction identified by residents as a main driver in congestion, the City has released a Congestion Management Plan, which includes "a major revamp of how the City plans and prioritizes construction projects, as well as improved coordination of more immediate and short-term utility work, more information being shared with the public about the construction in their neighbourhoods, and improved enforcement to ensure construction permit holders implement lane and road closures in the safe and accessible manner," Brown explains. "The City is also making major investments in transit infrastructure," he adds, which – if successful – would open more alternative avenues for travel throughout the City.

Change might be in the air, but for now, we'll see you on the Gardiner bright and early — and later in the evening than you might like.

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