toronto thanksgiving weekend traffic

Here's what you need to know to get around Toronto this Thanksgiving long weekend

Whether you're heading out of town for this Thanksgiving long weekend or staying in the city, it is set to be bustling and congested in and around Toronto, with road closures, TTC disruptions and events clogging things up, as usual.

TTC closures and diversions

Track work between Spadina and St. Andrew Stations will necessitate the closure of a portion of the Line 1 Yonge-University Subway. Service between the two points will end a bit early at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 6, and the closure will continue through all of Saturday, October 7.

While shuttle buses will supplememt service on Friday night, due to traffic concerns, the TTC will instead be increasing the frequency of vehicles on streetcar routes such as the 510 Spadina, 506 Carlton, 505 Dundas, 501 Queen and 504 King so people can better bypass the area.

Also, Line 1 subway service between King and Osgoode Stations will open late, by 11 a.m., on Sunday, October 8, again due to track work. Shuttle buses will run in lieu and, unlike in the case of the above closure, the impacted stations will remain open for loading PRESTO cards and other services.

As far as diversions and other impediments are concerned:

  • 511 Bathurst streetcrs will be diverting along Queen, Spadina and King due to maintenance work taking place on the thoroughfare
  • The entire network will be running on a holiday schedule on Monday, October 9
  • Minor diversions also continue to affect a handful of routes, including 503 Kingston, 505 Dundas and 29/329 Dufferin. A full list and details can be found on the TTC website

On the plus side, GO Transit is boosting service on the Kitchener line on October 7 and 15 for students travelling to and from T.O. for reading week.

Ongoing construction

Various infrastructure projects will affect the usability of roads across the city in the coming days and could cause delays:

  • The Dufferin Street Bridge is blocked off for emergency repairs
  • Queen St. W between Bay and Victoria Streets is closed for construction of the new Ontario Line stop
  • Broadview Ave. between Gerrard St. E. and Danforth Ave. is limited to one northbound lane with no southbound traffic due to TTC track replacement
  • Multiple lanes of the Don Valley Parkway in both directions around Don Mills are being occupied for bridge rehabilitation
  • One southbound lane of the Don Valley Parkway from the Leaside Bridge to Beechwood Dr. is closed for valve station work
  • Two westbound lanes of Lake Shore Blvd. E. between Cherry and Carlaw are occupied for work on the Don River Bridge
  • One westbound lane of Lake Shore Blvd. W. between Rees and Spadina is blocked for a shaft and tunnel project
  • One westbound lane of Lake Shore Blvd. W between Yonge and Bay is closed for concrete chipping
  • One eastbound lane of Lakeshore Blvd. W will be blocked at Lower Simcoe and Spadina Ave. for the installation of miovision cameras starting Monday
  • Continued roadwork on Highway 401 means multiple lane closures in and around the city
Road closures for major events

Thankfully, there are no significant road closures on deck for festivals, parades or other events, though there are plenty of things going on in the city — among them, Toronto Oktoberfest at Garrison Common, Drake & 21 Savage at Scotiabank Arena, Pumpkin Fest at Downsview Park —  so expect crowds and slow traffic in some areas, especially on the holiday Monday.

Given the nice weather, those heading to attractions such as the Toronto Islands should anticipate long lineups, as is the case every long weekend. The same can be said for anyone trekking up north to cottage country.

Whether you're driving, cycling, taking transit or walking, keep up with current road closures and hazards via the City of Toronto website, and transit issues via the TTC Service Alerts X account. Closures and other incidents hindering local highway traffic is available via Ontario 511.

Lead photo by

Jeremy Gilbert


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