TORONTO, ON – The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) says it will continue to work with the City of Toronto on a comprehensive plan to deal with commercial vehicle operation and delivery in the downtown core.

City officials are in the process of establishing courier loading zones for commercial carriers, part of the municipality’s attempt to deal with gridlock.

At the urging of new mayor John Tory, who in December unveiled a six-point plan to keep traffic moving, the city announced a “zero-tolerance policy” toward stopped vehicles that impede traffic flow, particularly during rush hours.

The OTA wants the city to “revisit” its implementation of that policy, but in the meantime is working with the mayor’s office on the inauguration of a modern delivery policy with courier loading zones for commercial carriers.

Tory has said publicly that courier companies will have to learn to change the way they do business.

“Canada Post, for example, is showing some leadership on this. They’re changing the time they clear mailboxes, so that it is not done during rush hour,” Tory said.

“We just can’t have, no matter how important those envelopes are, we can’t have people blocking up traffic to deliver an envelope, meanwhile, thousands of people, potentially, are getting inconvenienced.”

Loading zone areas have already been identified for Ward 20 and Ward 28 in the downtown area. These are expected to become operational in early 2015 as soon as signs have been erected.  City officials have assured OTA that signage for these areas “has been given highest priority.”

In the meantime, the current zones that are operational as of today are:

1) 384 Adelaide St. W.

2) 320 Front St. W.

3) Emily St.

4) 100 King St. W.

5) Across from 79 Wellington St. W.

6) Victoria St. north of Adelaide St. E.

7) 55 Queen St. E.

8) Colborne St.

9) 57 The Esplanade

10) 20 Edward St.

11) 481 to 505 University Ave.

12) Centre Ave. south of Dundas St. W.

13) Pearl St. Between University Ave. and York St.

All delivery vehicles, regardless of size and weight, can use the identified courier loading zones as long as they are making a delivery. For the time being, only “short stop deliveries” will be permitted, with a maximum stop time of about 20 minutes.