Toronto last place in traffic gridlock, overtakes Los Angeles

Toronto - A recently released report finds that Toronto is dead last when it comes to commuting times compared to several other metropolitan cities. But is this news surprising to most Torontonians?

A new Toronto Board of Trade report shows that Toronto has the worst commuting times of other metropolitan cities. Commuters in the city spend 80 minutes getting to and from work, whether it’s driving in their car or using the Toronto Transit Commission, according to the National Post. The ranking, which was described as “embarrassing” by Toronto Board of Trade Chief Executive Carol Wilding, puts the city in last place as Los Angeles commuters spent a little more than 56 minutes and New Yorkers spent 68 minutes, while the average commuter in Montreal spends four minutes less than Toronto, reports City News. The new study further shows that 70 percent of Torontonians drive to work, while 30 percent of Parisians rely on their car and only 10 per cent of those living in Hong Kong depend on their car as means of travel.

KJ Mullins

Toronto gets hits by snow storm.

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However, time isn’t the only thing that is being wasted. Gridlock, according to the Toronto Board of Trade, is estimated to cost the country about $5 billion per year. CBC News reports some of the reasons for the city’s traffic issues are urban sprawl and several decades of under-funded public transit system. The Ontario government recently announced that it would delay its earlier decision of allocating $4 billion to the GTA for public transit funding.