Toronto Mayor John Tory's war on trucks

Politicians forget why we have roads.
If you push the trucks out of the city, the business's will be next.
 
We are lucky in that we do not deliver in Toronto (that we would park on the street) but I think everyone has to agree at least he is trying, it might be trial and error, but something has to be done.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Maybe it's a good time to start a bicycle courier company, or invest in an existing one? This new traffic crackdown will be difficult for the FedEx's, Purolator's and UPS's who have to stop on the street.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PSTC
I agree, however the fines need to be shared with the business's that demand daytime delivery. Once it starts costing business more to receive during daytime hours it wont be long until night deliveries become the norm. If I were a courier or cartage company that had a lot of downtown calls I would prefer to do it during off peak hours. It would be a whole lot more productive than attempting to do it during the day time. I actually used to do a peddle run in Manhattan in the middle of the night. You could make twice as many stops per hour than during the day. You could stop right outside the store on the street and the police would not bother you. The trade off for zero tolerance during the day has to be looking the other way at night.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikeJr and Shakey
It isn't the FedEx, Brinks, Purolator or UPS drivers that are causing the problems downtown. The clog is from people pulling over - in front of buildings with their 4 ways on. They sit...and sit...idling. While usually blocking necessary lanes during daytime and rush hour traffic. The entire downtown core it seems is currently or has been completely under construction for quite some time now. How many actual "main streets" (Bloor/Dundas/Yonge/King) can you actually drive up "construction free"? There is simply no room for anyone to pull over and sit.

The delivery guys are in & out - they use their 4-ways properly. And off they go to the next stop. And if these guys start getting tickets - mark my words - they'll start driving up right onto the curbs & sidewalks "European delivery truck style". You see that all over European countries because trucks can't park on roads so they utilize curbs and walkways. And it's acceptable. These are the same countries where pedestrians don't have the right of way either (I crossed the road in Spain once....nearly cost me my life when the cars DID NOT stop for me).

The problem stems from the idiots waiting either in front of stores/condos. While everyone else is left to merge over on a 2 lane strip of road. Which is great - come 4pm in Toronto. Those are the jerks that need the tickets and tows. Serves them right - it's been going on for a long time now downtown. If this is the "targeted" crackdown - I have absolutely no issue with it. Go ahead and write up tickets for those "jerk offs" all day long....and may they be hefty ones.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Igor Galanter, MikeJr and chica123
One of my guys did a delivery downtown a few weeks ago...driver calls to say he can't find anywhere legal to park, so I call the receiver to ask where they take deliveries; he directs me to an alley just behind his address.
Driver meets the receiver in the alley...delivers his freight...hops back in his truck only to discover the parking ninjas have given him a ticket...he shows it to the receiver who responds "yeah guys get ticketed here all the time"

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!
 
It is a combination of them both. If more deliveries could be made during non rush hour and every "jerk off" that decides to stop in traffic with the four ways on gets a hefty ticket it will make a difference. At least he is trying which will make people happy until someone gets shot and all the police are tied up giving parking tickets, tough to keep everyone happy. Construction is another problem all together which does not seem to have a solution.
 
Just wait until the warehouse and storage charges start to hit consumers and businesses..

Or home delivery services to the condos which can only be done after hours..

Is anyone willing to pay their drivers to sit and wait for hours now to meet the new no parking rules..

Or pay overtime because the driver cannot deliver until after hours..

Or is the trucking industry supposed to roll over like gutless sheep and bare the brunt of the costs.
 
You will see changes in the way things get delivered.
In New York you will see the couriers having a driver and 2 or 3 guys in the truck who do the running in and out of buildings. The truck keeps moving and even with the extra manpower, their productivity improves.
Smaller stores that are not open during the night will have common receiving areas with other smaller shops to receive their goods.
Home deliveries are not such a big deal since most people prefer their deliveries in the evening anyways.
The large office towers have their own underground receiving areas where trucks are able to deliver to.

In New York, unless you have a reserved parking spot at your office you would not dream of driving to work. Public transit and cheap cabs keep their roads moving in midtown Manhattan way better in does in the GTA.

Many years ago, Toronto did the right thing by pushing for more residential buildings in the downtown core. Hundreds of huge condo's have been built in the past 10 years and tens of thousands of more people live downtown. This is a good thing. It keeps the city alive and revitalizes small business in the city. The problem is that the city is growing at a faster pace than the road system can handle.

I personally believe that this whole "War on traffic" crusade is happening now in order to try to fix the problem before the Pan Am Games which will see downtown traffic levels at a new all time high. If the city is ground to a halt during the weeks of the games it will be a disaster costing hundred of millions of dollars. That I believe is the biggest reason this is happening now, but whatever is done will be too little too late.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Igor Galanter and MikeJr
Phase 2 of the "tag & tow" will now hit out of province vehicles. But unless licensing offices across Canada are linked - how will paying these tickets be enforced? Collection companies? Don't see how this will be a success...but I guess Tory can try....

Traffic Crusade
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom