The Toronto Police Service is providing an update on its three-month traffic congestion enforcement campaign, now at the halfway mark.

Launched on October 20, the Traffic Congestion Team, which is made up of officers from the Parking Enforcement and Traffic Services Units, have been increasing enforcement of Highway Traffic Act and City of Toronto bylaw offences in the downtown core during peak afternoon hours. The goal is to reduce gridlock, improve traffic flow, and enhance safety for everyone using Toronto’s roads.

Between Bloor Street and Front Street, and Bathurst Street to Jarvis Street, officers continue to focus on the most congestion-causing behaviours, including no stopping, no parking, and blocking the box. They are also enforcing key safety-related offences such as prohibited turns, speeding, distracted driving, and traffic signal violations.

Campaign Totals to Date (October 20 – November 28):

Since the campaign began, officers have issued:

• 7,716 tags
• 418 tows
• 893 tickets in total, including:
  • 826 Highway Traffic Act tickets
  • 67 bylaw tickets
  • Of these, 186 were for a Prohibited Turn, 228 for Distracted Driving, and 39 for Don’t Block the Box offences

As part of this campaign, the Toronto Police Service has been working with the City of Toronto to measure the impact of this enforcement on travel times street by street. So far, between the start of the campaign on October 20 and November 28, observed average travel times have decreased by 1% to 25%, or between 16 seconds to over 8 minutes of saved time, compared to baseline levels recorded from October 13 to 17. 

The campaign continues until mid-January, with further updates to follow. Officers will continue issuing tickets and towing vehicles where necessary. Drivers who choose not to obey traffic laws can face penalties of up to $615.

This enforcement is an intensification of the Service’s routine rush-hour operations and is intended to remind drivers of the importance of following traffic rules to help keep the city moving and our roads safe for everyone. 

Media interested in a ride-along with our Traffic Services Unit can contact [email protected].

A b-roll package of gridlock enforcement is available to media upon request by contacting [email protected].