Toronto was recently named the seventh-most congested city in the world, thanks in part to dozens of traffic-jammed intersections across the city.
The city’s ranking was included in a report by a traffic analytics company that found commuters lost an average of 118 hours on Greater Toronto Area roads and highways to traffic congestion in 2022.
The report, published by INRIX this month, draws on four years of mobility and anonymized GPS probe data to identify traffic patterns in various cities across the world.
But for those wondering which specific intersections have the worst congestion, the City of Toronto also tracks its own traffic data.
Using a formula known as the travel time index (TTI), city officials can determine exactly how congested each major intersection is during the a.m. and p.m. rush hours compared to their most uncongested state – the middle of the night.
Here is a list of the 10 Toronto intersections with the most traffic congestion in 2022.
1. Lake Shore Boulevard East & Lower Sherbourne Street
2. Finch Avenue West & Norfinch Drive/Oakdale Road
3. Finch Avenue West & 400 South Finch Westbound Ramp
4. Finch Avenue West & 400 North Finch Eastbound Ramp
5. Finch Avenue West & Signet Drive/Arrow Road
6. Lawrence Avenue East & Scarborough Golf Club Road
7. Lake Shore Boulevard East & Bay Street
8. Steeles Avenue East & Pharmacy Avenue/ Esna Park Drive
9. Islington Avenue & Finch Avenue West
10. Lake Shore Boulevard East & Parliament Street
The intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard East and Lower Sherbourne Street had the highest TTI during the a.m. and mid-day peak periods, however it only came in third during the evening rush hour.
It was beaten out by the intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard East and Bay Street as well as Finch Avenue West and Signet Drive/Arrow Road.
“Our internal congestion data indicates that traffic volumes in the city have returned to pre-pandemic levels, and each of these intersections has different factors that contribute to traffic congestion,” the city said in a statement.
“These areas may be affected by infrastructure designs that decrease road capacity or by issues related to municipal road work, construction and private development.”
The city also said that managing congestion throughout Toronto is one of city hall’s priorities going forward, as travel demand rises with population growth.
“To address congestion, the City of Toronto has developed MoveTO, an action plan that aims to manage congestion and build a more resilient, modern and safe transportation system,” the city said.
The City of Toronto says the plan focuses on a number of key initiatives, including adding more “smart traffic signals,” which automatically adjust signal timing based on actual traffic demand, as well as “intelligent intersections,” which will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
The city also says it plans on implementing Advanced Transit Signal Priority at certain intersections, which detects buses running behind schedule and extends green times when necessary.
City planners will have their work cut out for them if trends continue, as Toronto’s seventh-place ranking on INRIX’s 2022 report was up from 22nd place in 2021.
---With files from CTV News Toronto's Abby O'Brien
