Trucking Industry Celebrates Toronto Council Vote on Gardiner Hybrid

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 11, 2015) - The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is applauding Toronto City Council's vote today to redesign the eastern portion of the Gardiner so that it respects the needs of road users and pedestrians while also continuing to improve Toronto's waterfront skyline and open it up for development.

"Today's vote showed leadership and vision on the part of Mayor John Tory and supporting members of City Council," said OTA's Senior VP Stephen Laskowski. "All Ontarians, both those who reside inside and outside of the City of Toronto, will benefit from council's decision to support the hybrid redesign, which is without question the safest, most efficient, and least disruptive option for city traffic and Toronto's economy."

Council today approved the so-called 'hybrid' option rather than tear down the eastern portion of the highway and replace it with a traditional boulevard as some interests and city officials had been pressing for.

While details have yet to be ironed out, the hybrid concept instead calls for establishing a continuous freeway link between the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway, while also maintaining at-grade, east-west traffic flow to and from the downtown core. OTA, through its membership of the Don'tCutMeOff.Net Coalition, strongly supported the hybrid plan as the only available option that satisfied as many requirements as possible for businesses, transporters, residents and developers.

"Today's support by Council of the hybrid redesign avoids the removal option - a plan that knowingly would have made traffic conditions much worse for commercial operators servicing the city and led to a competitive imbalance for businesses in downtown Toronto," said Laskowski. "The hybrid option will improve the appeal of the Toronto's skyline as many Torontonians would like to see, but not at the expense of commuters and those trying to service the ever-increasing number of residents and businesses in the area."

The Ontario Trucking Association would like to thank and recognize the other members of the Don'tCutMeOff.Net Coalition for their work and dedication on this successful campaign:

CAA South Central Ontario, Toronto Industry Network, Canadian Courier and Logistics Association, Redpath Sugar, Labourers International Union of North America, Toronto Financial District Business Improvement Area.