Toronto´s `atrocious´ commutes make gridlock a key election issue
(The Star Travel)

As the Oct. 22 municipal election nears, we look at some of the most pressing challenges facing Toronto, what voters think, and how mayoral candidates propose to tackle them.The Issue: Traffic congestion continues to worsen, and while public transit is under construction, new lines alone may not be enough to rein in the city’s gridlock problem. Troy Burtch has a word to describe his daily commute: “atrocious.� The 36-year-old communications manager lives with his wife and children near Woodbine and Danforth Aves. in the city’s east end, and works at an Etobicoke brewery in the southwest.Normally the drive to and from work via the Gardiner Expressway would be long, but lately he’s also been ferrying his 14-month-old daughter to and from daycare in midtown. The detour is made worse by extensive construction for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which will continue for at least another three years. The result is Burtch now spends about three gruelling hours a day in his car.“Every day is like, we’ve got to do this slog again, all the way up and all the way back,� he says. Read more: Crowded buses, long commutes — why transit is top of mind for Toronto votersTen (not at all) tough questions for Toronto’s mayoral contendersWhat’s motivating Torontonians to vote — or not — on Oct. 22 (and it’s not the ward fiasco)Burtch finds ways to cope — good podcasts are a blessing — but the long hours behind the wheel are taking a toll on his quality of life. “A lot of times it’s, ‘Aw come on buddy, move! Let’s go, let’s go!’ � he says, describing his mindset while he’s on the road.Burtch says he knows his arduous commute is partly his own making, the result of the choices he’s made about where to live and where to work. But his family has made a home in the east end for almost a decade, and his wife works downtown, so even if they moved ...