Item - 2024.IE11.1

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to engage the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and members of the visually impaired community to undertake a pilot to provide construction closure information in an accessible format for the visually impaired.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to work with Toronto Police Service to develop a strategy to provide enforcement support of bylaw infractions such as blockage of signalized intersections and illegal blockage of bike lanes and dedicated transit lanes in support of the Traffic Agent program, and to report to the July 3, 2024 meeting of Infrastructure and Environment Committee with a status update and implementation schedule.

3. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to report back in the third quarter of 2024 on a strategy to commence the charging of a road occupancy congestion management recovery fee that would be implemented in the Transportation Services 2025 budget proposal.

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to further develop a roll - out strategy including public consultation to commence the implementation of peak hour delivery restrictions and to report back on the proposed strategy in the third quarter of 2024.

5. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, to initiate Transportation Innovation projects outside of the Transportation Innovation Zone located at Exhibition Place and to include both pre-commercial and early-market technologies within the scope of future Innovation Challenges, when appropriate.

6. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, to enter into and execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ontario Centre for Innovation to collaborate on the piloting and evaluation of new technologies and Intelligent Transportation Systems within the transportation realm, upon such terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services.

7. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary bills to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, modifications, technical amendments, or by-law amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services. 

8. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to report back to Infrastructure and Environment Committee with a strategy that would promote and encourage more road usage on Mondays and Fridays as way to mitigate road congestion.

9. City Council request the City Manager, and the General Manager, Transportation, to send a letter to the Province of Ontario to request the fines under the Provincial Offences Act for an improper stop in an intersection be increased from $90 to $450, and $120 to $500 for an improper stop in an intersection in a community safety zone.

Roger Browne, Director, Traffic Management gave a presentation on the Congestion Management Plan 2023-2026 - Update.

The Congestion Management Plan (CMP) 2023-2026 was presented at the Infrastructure and Environment Committee (meeting held on October 25th, 2023) and then subsequently to Council (meeting held on November 8-9th, 2023). Since its adoption, there have been various requests via Councillor motions for Transportation Services to report back on a variety of specific aspects of the plan going forward. This report addresses the most recent compiled list of motions identified in IE10.5 - Congestion Management Update Request. Some of the key elements addressed in this report include:

- The feasibility of an increase to road occupation permit fees with the intent on recovering the full cost of a road closure including the congestion impacts;

- The status of work regarding "Don't Block the Box," requesting increased fines and the feasibility of expanding the red-light camera program to help deter this issue;

- Measures to improve upon wayfinding and accessibility around construction work zones;

- Opportunities to increase work hours for capital projects;

-The feasibility of fines that escalate for repeat offenders, such as illegal blocking of traffic lanes; and

- Measures to streamline delivery of goods to reduce congestion.

Some of the new technologies being explored through the updated Congestion Management Plan will require pilots to further develop concepts or to customize proven technologies in the Toronto context. Transportation Services staff have been working on a potential partnership with the Ontario Centre for Innovation that would serve as a catalyst for local Ontario-based companies to receive funding for pilots conducted on City of Toronto streets. This report provides a summary of the proposed arrangement and seeks approval for staff to proceed.