Andrew Posluns has been appointed as Toronto’s first-ever \u2018traffic czar,\u2019 overseeing congestion management and transportation planning for the FIFA World Cup. <\/p>\n
The City of Toronto will kick off 2026 with a new face at the helm of its congestion plan. <\/p>\n
Andrew Posluns has been named Toronto\u2019s new \u201ctraffic czar,\u201d a role city council voted earlier this year to create. <\/p>\n
\u201cAndrew will lead the city\u2019s congestion management efforts by working collaboratively across city divisions and agencies as well as with industry and government partners to develop innovative strategies aimed at reducing traffic congestion,\u201d Will Johnston, deputy city manager – infrastructure services, said in a statement. <\/p>\n
Officially, Posluns\u2019 title will be chief congestion officer and executive director of the Strategic Capital Coordination Office.<\/p>\n
Johnston said Posluns\u2019 priorities will be overseeing and presenting Toronto\u2019s Congestion Management Plan to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in April, leading the Strategic Capital Coordination Office to reduce the impact of construction projects on congestion, and leading the transportation plan for the FIFA World Cup next year. <\/p>\n
Posluns is set to start in the role on Jan. 5 and Johnston said there will be a media availability with him early in the new year. His appointment follows a competitive recruitment process launches earlier this year after council agreed to create the position. <\/p>\n
According to his LinkedIn profile, Posluns held various roles at the Ministry of Transportation over nearly seven years, followed by various roles within Metrolinx over more than four years. Most recently, he served as the senior director of corporate planning, policy and research at the Canada Infrastructure Bank. <\/p>\n
Toronto has struggled for years to tame congestion, which consistently ranks as one of the biggest irritants to residents \u2013 and as one of the biggest drains on the local economy. <\/p>\n
According to one estimate a year ago, congestion costs the economy<\/a> of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area around $10 billion per year. <\/p>\n Celebrities and athletes have also weighed in on the sluggish pace of Toronto traffic<\/a> when visiting the city, with some of them ditching cars to walk or cycle so that they don\u2019t miss events. <\/p>\n Some experts have cautioned that the gridlock could worsen<\/a> with stricter in-office mandates coming into effect for many workers in the new year. There have also been concerns with how the city will cope with additional traffic as a result of the FIFA World Cup games that are set to be played in Toronto this coming summer. <\/p>\n