Average weekly - 65%
Peak Day - Wednesday 75%
Low Day - Friday 37%
Not a great deal of change in the first two weeks of May.
We have been asking contributors to comment on the commute to the office. Though not a sophisticated survey and comments are often personal in nature, the overwhelming response is that road congestion is intolerable and getting worse.
The first link in the Articles of Interest section below is a summary of the some of the solutions being put in place by the City of Toronto to help move traffic along.
SRRA is continuing research on reducing congestion and improving the daily commute. Please feel free to send in your comments and thoughts on these important challenges facing the region. They will be treated in confidence and are very much appreciated.
Your SRRA team
Links to Articles of Interest
City of Toronto Turning to Tech to Tackle Traffic
Tales of gridlock and travel misery for drivers have long since moved beyond the anecdotal. But in a cash-strapped administration, there is rarely good news. Led by forward-thinking bureaucrats, innovative new approaches offer an additional bonus to taxpayers: the costs of experiments in drone and AI-driven camera technology capable of modifying worsening conditions in real time are being borne by tech companies in partnership with Telcos.
Facing Huge Pushback, New York Stops Move for Manhattan Congestion Charge
Despite having invested millions in the preparations to collect stiff fees from car commuters and no other means to fund the re-investment requirements of the MTA, the Governor has put the congestion charge plans on “pause” for an indefinite period.
Public Service Alliance Equates “Right to Work Remotely” with Voting Rights, Maternity Leave
Equating remote work with the fight for the “eight-hour workday, “maternity leave” and “the right for women to vote,” the head of the public service union dismisses critics of his union’s push back against the benefits of in-person working as “tired arguments.”
Federal Workers to be Reminded About “Values and Ethics Bible”
Noting that thousands of federal employees were “on-boarded” virtually during the pandemic, some observers believe that current complaints about having to come to the office at least three days a week may be linked to poor understanding of what it means to be a civil servant. “The core values are respect for democracy, respect for people, integrity, stewardship and excellence,” argues clerk of the Privy Council. “The challenge is to build a culture around those values to guide the work of public servants in a rapidly changing world.”
The Federal Government Doubling Down on the Potential to Convert Offices to Housing?
Although it is a long way from a budget statement to action on the ground, this Globe and Mail analysis adds fuel to the fire sale represented by its office portfolio.
Finch LRT to Open Before Eglinton But Potentially “doomed” Say Critics
The ill-fated O line in Ottawa has similarities to Finch in terms of the rolling stock, which some say bodes badly for the future of Finch,
New Housing Bill About to Become Law
Ontario’s plan to tinker with planning legislation continues with the passage of Bill 185, which, among other things changes the rules for the amount of parking required for certain types of development. It also shifts the centre of gravity for decisions on where to invest in infrastructure to facilitate intensification.
“The Occupancy Index is supported by the City of Toronto, Downtown Yonge BIA, and Downtown West BIA. It is a measure of the percentage of office employees returning to the office compared to the number of employees who would normally have come to their offices pre-COVID. For a detailed description of the calculation please contact Iain Dobson at [email protected],”