When it comes to constructions in Toronto, everything appears to be happening everywhere, all at once, contributing more to the core’s congestion problems and creating havoc for cyclists, transit-users, and motorists alike. It’s led to more calls for a safety plan, and for a coordinated approach to projects with impacts on major arterial routes.

For the next five weekends, the southern portion of Yonge Street will be closed for a demolition project affecting pedestrian and car access to Lakeshore Boulevard and off the Gardiner Expressway.

Were it to be occurring in isolation, the work could be written off as a temporary headache. Instead, it comes at the same time as on-going projects on Adelaide and College streets, and dozens of others.

A look at the city’s website detailing road restrictions reveals a map with an almost comical amount of closures. The concurrent closures have spurred more calls for increased coordination, including from the city’s mayor, but relief may be hard to come by.

At a recent press conference, Mayor John Tory bemoaned ongoing utility work at the corner of Bay and Queen streets which appeared to have no end in sight. While he made no apologies for necessary work needed to expand transit and housing, he conceded some projects could be handled better.

“I’m not satisfied with the degree to which we could better coordinate the construction,” Tory said, “when it comes to the standpoint of people moving around the city.”

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