the esplanade toronto

Toronto street is total chaos as drivers keep using the wrong lanes

It's no secret that driving around Toronto can be a real headache. From streetcar stops, to bike lanes, to confusing intersections, it's difficult to keep track of all the traffic rules in the city.

One traffic-violation hot spot in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood recently had local residents in an uproar, and it looks like the chaos is still continuing.

Many drivers continue to drive down the red lanes of The Esplanade at Princess Street despite signage and pavement markings indicating that the street is reserved for bus and bike traffic only. These lanes are known as RapidTO lanes and can be found in other parts of the city, like Scarborough.

Several residents have contacted city councillors and the Toronto police in an effort to get the area patroled. However, many have reported that the police have done little to monitor the area on a regular basis.

One person wrote on a Reddit thread regarding the street, mentioning that Google maps continues to recommend the route during heavy congestion as a way to get down to Lake Shore.

"I constantly see people driving on there...and going the wrong way," another person said.

The city previously directed blogTO to the Toronto Police Service, who did not unveil any plans for tackling this controversial street issue.

Another person said that although the signage allows bus and bike traffic only, many drivers are simply too distracted to notice.

"There are a lot of people who just follow the car ahead of them and don't really pay attention to the signage, so if there is a lineup of cars then people will just proceed through and not even think twice," they said.

In October 2021, red paint was added to The Esplanade between Lower Sherbourne Street and Princess Street to boldly indicate the traffic rules.

Alas, it seems like too many drivers are accidentally, or perhaps, blantantly ignoring the signage.

Lead photo by

@starfishchk



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