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Remove Gridlock on Dundas Street East Caused by DVP On-Ramp and Bike Lane Configuration

From "Post your proposal here for the consideration of Councillor Moise"

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Traffic on Dundas Street East regularly backs up from the DVP on-ramp. Vehicles attempting to make a left turn onto the DVP on-ramp are frequently unable to complete the turn due to continuous oncoming traffic. These left-turning vehicles block the single available travel lane, causing all west-to-east traffic—including TTC streetcars—to come to a complete stop.

The problem is exacerbated by the full-lane bike lane occupying the right lane, which prevents any vehicle or streetcar from passing the turning cars. As a result, gridlock routinely extends from the DVP on-ramp back to Sackville Street, with multiple TTC streetcars often trapped and immobilized in the queue.

This occurs daily, and the impact on local residents, commuters, and transit reliability is severe. It is not an occasional inconvenience—it is a predictable, recurring failure of traffic design and signal management.

Ask any local resident or any TTC streetcar operator on this route and they will confirm this problem. It is visibly and measurably undermining the City’s transit service and mobility objectives.

This situation is easily fixable through measures such as signal timing changes, dedicated left-turn phases, lane reconfiguration, or restrictions on turning movements during peak periods. The current configuration is fundamentally incompatible with maintaining traffic and transit flow.

This must be addressed immediately. Toronto cannot claim to prioritize transit or congestion reduction while allowing a known bottleneck to paralyze an entire corridor every day.

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Profile of Abdul Niazi
Posted by:Abdul Niazi
5 days ago
I agree with the problem, but not the solution. Dundas this far East passes through a neighborhood. Perhaps there shouldn't be a freeway entrance there. People who want to get on the DVP should have to go to Queen St or up to Bayview or down to Adelaide. It'll also reduce through traffic coming east on dundas to get on the highway. But I know it's easier said than implemented
  • no likes
Profile of Frank Chester
Posted by:Frank Chester
1 month ago
Why not put in a small round about here. Position it just east of the bridge, cars go around the roundabout and then exit to the DVP ramp. Streetcars drive right through the middle of the roundabout and only then, using traffic signals, are cars, trucks etc. required to stop. No one has to come to a stop, except when a streetcar is present. The rest of the time, the majority of the time, traffic keeps moving. We already know roundabouts save time for drivers, and fuel as they don't need to come to a stop, or idle while waiting, except when a streetcar is passing through. There are examples of streetcars in roundabouts in other cities in the world. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. Wouldn't it be great for our ward to show the city how it's done?!
  • 1 like
Profile of Shannah Kavonic
Posted by:Shannah Kavonic
1 month ago
Toronto can also look to Melbourne, another city with mainstream streetcar use, for strategies. If it's a low-turn area, like 1-3 cars per traffic green, a Hook Turn could be used. This would help relieve congestion across multiple city intersections where left turns hold up traffic. It works well in Melbourne and has been part of their traffic reduction strategy for over 30 years. The way it works - the bike lane narrows a bit within the intersection. Cars that wish to turn LEFT pull to the RIGHT during the green light and queue 1-3 cars without obstructing the laneway or the streetcars. When the light turns yellow, the cars turn left and cross the intersection to the DVP. All traffic yields until they're clear. Advantages - doesn't waste time of the rest of traffic with priority signals when there aren't turning vehicles. Doesn't stop traffic when a car that missed the priority signal has to turn. Allows larger through flow of traffic per green signal. Can be applied across multiple intersections to improve car and streetcar flow. Disadvantages - Requires driver education. Requires extra signs to signal clearly in advance of relevant intersections. Requires painting the roads for it. Can confuse visitors.
  • no likes
Profile of Sam Mc
Posted by:Sam Mc
2 months ago
Why are bike lanes on main/busy streets like Dundas/Yonge/Bloor etc.? If we must have bike lanes (even though they seem rarely used and bikers are just on the sidewalks anyways) then move them to the side streets. There is no reason there should be bike lanes on main/busy roads.
  • 1 like
Profile of Phil Boutin
Posted by:Phil Boutin
2 months ago
@Sam Mc why have left turns and parking on any roads with streetcars? A hundred people on a single streetcar should not be waiting behind tens of people, each in their own car. There is no reason for inefficient transport like single- occupant and empty cars to block lanes, you’re right. They can take the side streets and leave the main streets to high-capacity transportation that moves the most people through. Cars are what block the most lanes in cities - including for other cars. No amount of ignoring that fixes it.
  • 5 likes
Profile of Ryan Visima
Posted by:Ryan Visima
2 months ago
"signal timing changes, dedicated left-turn phases, lane reconfiguration, or restrictions on turning movements" are not fixable as easily as you claim. They require extensive study and council approval. The easiest fix for too much car traffic is to reduce the number of cars. You correctly noted that this is a road with both a streetcar route and cycle track, giving road users two immediate alternatives to car travel. If people would just ditch their cars and use the alternative modes of transit the city already built infrastructure for, the traffic you hate would disappear. Additionally, a well-known, ongoing issue for years has been the dealership on the right of your photo using the cycle track as their personal loading zone, illegally parking huge trailers there for many hours at a time. So even if the road was reconfigured to remove the bike lane (which is idiotic), car traffic would still be impeded by the selfish dealership.
  • 6 likes
Profile of A A
Posted by:A A
2 months ago
The bike lane on Dundas St. has been in place for more than 3 years. The severe gridlock we are experiencing began only this year, so it is inaccurate to blame the bike lane for the current traffic situation. In fact, the City has recently assigned workers/flaggers during rush hours specifically to manage vehicle flow onto the DVP, which clearly indicates that congestion issues are occurring at that access point. Additionally, there are car dealerships located on both sides before the bridge that continuously move vehicles in and out every few minutes throughout the day. This constant activity significantly disrupts traffic flow and contributes far more to the congestion than the bike lane itself. If the City is serious about addressing gridlock on Dundas St., attention should be directed toward these operational bottlenecks rather than shifting blame to infrastructure that has been functioning without issue for years.
  • 5 likes
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Profile of Andrew Clarke Andrew Clarke on January 31, 2026

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