Toronto fines for stopping in intersections rise from $90 to $450

Drivers who clog up traffic by stopping in intersections when the lights change can now be fined $450 in Toronto, a significant bump up from the previous $90 ticket, Mayor Olivia Chow said Monday.

The fine for an improper stop at an intersection has also been raised for community safety zones, from $120 to $500, Chow said. The increase in fines was approved by the provincial government under the Provincial Offences Act, according to a city news release.

The city is also working with Toronto police to beef up enforcement so people are actually punished for the common issue, with a staff update coming to council in October, the release said.

"One of the things that infuriates drivers the most, is these drivers that blindly rush out into the middle of the intersection even when they don't have room in front of them to get through," Chow said at the announcement in downtown Toronto on Monday. "Well guess what, you're going to pay for that behaviour."

The move, which is part of the city's plan to manage congestion, comes as Toronto grapples with notoriously bad traffic, which has been called a crisis and some of the worst in North America.