quick clear squad toronto

Quick clear squads coming to Toronto highways

If you follow Mayor John Tory on any social media platform, you know he's serious about traffic congestion (and hashtagging his plans to fix it).

From parking ticket blitzes and traffic wardens to UPS delivery bikes, the mayor and his staff have tabled and/or implemented dozens of new measures over the past three years as part of their #getTOmoving initiative.

Still, gridlock remains a serious problem both in and around the city thanks in no small part to collisions that block traffic for hours.

In an effort to keep our highways moving after accidents, Tory announced at a news conference this morning that the city would be deploying "quick clear squads" to move disabled vehicles off major roadways starting today.

The mayor said that these rapid response teams would help to clear temporary lane blockages, which can be caused by "something as simple as a car that is stalled, a car that has run out of gas" or "people who stop in live lanes of traffic to send text messages."

"The bottom line is that we have to get them cleared out," he said. "Both because it's impeding traffic [and] because it's very unsafe.”

The city's transportation department has been testing the solution on the Gardiner Expressway, the Don Valley Parkway and major arterial roads as part of a pilot project since September, according to Tory.

The program will be operating at full capacity by next year during morning and afternoon rush hours, as well as on weekends.

For now, the quick clear squads will continue to monitor the Gardiner and DVP during all morning rush hours, effective immediately.

Lead photo by

Danielle Scott


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

What's open and closed on Victoria Day 2024 in Toronto

The breathtaking Mast Trail in Toronto follows a 200-year-old logging route

Moore Park Ravine is an escape from the city in midtown Toronto

The history of what was once Toronto's grandest mansion

This is how Toronto celebrated Victoria Day over 100 years ago

You can take in breathtaking valley views along the Vista Rouge Trail in Toronto

Downsview Park in Toronto is a massive urban park around an artificial lake

Canada is seeing one of the worst standard-of-living declines in 40 years