U.S. tourist shocked by Toronto traffic during visit and here's what they had to say

For those of us who live in Toronto, traffic is just a normal (albeit annoying) part of everyday life. However, one American tourist who recently visited the city described the congestion in Toronto as some of the "worst" gridlock they've seen anywhere, including major U.S. cities. 

The visitor detailed their experience with the city's gridlock in a Reddit thread, which quickly garnered a ton of reactions. 

"American visitor here. It's probably the worst I’ve seen anywhere including New York or D.C. or L.A. Or India," the Reddit user wrote of T.O.'s gridlock woes, asking how locals cope with the roads.

They added that they were "literally now still stuck in it trying to leave and go home" at the time of writing the post, asserting that they came from a place of "no hate."

"I'm genuinely curious, why is the traffic so bad? Too many cars, not enough highways? Misdesigned intersections? Or am I here simply at a wrong time? Otherwise what a cool place you have! Awesome city," they wrote.

How do you guys cope with your weekend traffic
byu/ManeuverSheWrote intoronto

The post, shared in the Toronto subreddit, racked up over 200 upvotes and more than 200 comments from other tourists and, of course, local residents, who are all too familiar with the congestion that plagues the city during rush hour (and often off-peak times, too). 

"Toronto, it's just one hour away from Toronto," one of the top comments reads. "Too many people, fewer large cities to visit vs. the US, insufficient public transportation, insufficient infrastructure in general," another user pointed out. 

Although many cited urban planning and infrastructure flaws, others noted that the problem lies in behavioural patterns, as well. 

"Too many cars, not enough alternatives to driving, and a populace not willing to use the transit options available to them due to habit," one person wrote, later adding "if the transit solutions are viable enough, people gravitate towards the 'best' method of transportation, which, if well implemented, will be public transit 80 per cent of the time."

Last year, a report by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA), commissioned by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) and the Ontario Road Builders' Association (ORBA), painted a dire picture of the city's traffic. 

According to the study, traffic congestion currently costs Ontario $56.4 billion annually, with a staggering $44.7 billion of that impact felt in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

In 2024, nearly half of commuters in the GTHA experienced heavy congestion three or more times a week, more than double the rate elsewhere in the province. 

Looking ahead, the study found that by 2044, if current conditions persist, the annual cost of congestion could balloon to $108 billion, consuming 6.2 per cent of Ontario's economic output. Nearly 80 per cent of that, around $85.5 billion, would land on the GTHA. 

However, in April, the City of Toronto unveiled an update to its Congestion Management Plan, promising a suite of new measures aimed at tackling the gridlock. Officials say the plan is designed to "help mitigate traffic congestion, improve transit reliability and make travel safer and more efficient for all road users."