Traffic ‘crisis’ has many Toronto-area residents ‘reluctant’ to work in office: poll

Many Toronto-area residents are “reluctant to travel to work” amid a traffic and congestion “crisis,” a new poll indicates.

The poll, conducted by Ipsos for the Toronto Region Board of Trade (TRBT), also showed that a majority of respondents have contemplated moving outside of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area to avoid traffic issues.

“We’re steadily cementing our reputation as a place where you can’t get around,” TRBT president and CEO Giles Gherson said in a news release.

“Gridlock is driving people’s decisions on whether to go to work, the store, a sporting event, or even continue to call Toronto home.”

The release said the congestion is not just a personal inconvenience, but is affecting “already declining economic productivity.”

“The daily grind of traffic jams takes a toll on work-life balance and professional efficiency,” it said.

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Sixty-four per cent of respondents indicated they are “reluctant to travel to work” because of traffic and congestion, and 59 per cent said they are less productive at work due to time spent commuting.

“The stress and fatigue from long commutes can lead to lower job performance and decreased employee satisfaction,” the release said.

Twenty-four per cent also said they’re discouraged from applying for jobs in different parts of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Among those surveyed, 86 per cent said they think there is a “traffic and congestion crisis in the GTHA,” and 53 per cent of respondents said they’ve contemplated moving away from the GTHA to avoid the gridlock.

Among 18- to 34-year-olds surveyed, the latter figure is even higher, with 64 per cent considering leaving the region.

“The data highlights a troubling trend: traffic congestion is more than an inconvenience. It stands as a driving factor behind the potential exodus of our future workforce,” the release said.

Fifty-seven per cent said there are too many vehicles on the road, while 68 per cent think “too much construction at the same time and mismanagement of construction schedules” is the main reason for the gridlock, the release said.

Seventy-three per cent, meanwhile, support 24-hour road construction and 74 per cent support 24-hour transit construction, even in their own neighbourhoods, the release noted.

The TRBT said the findings highlight the “urgent need for progress” on traffic congestion.

The board has a congestion task force, aimed at finding “practical, high-impact solutions” to traffic problems.

The poll was conducted online between June 7 and 14, and surveyed 1,000 GTHA residents aged 18-plus.

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