New year, new Toronto traffic czar

The new year will be bringing with it Toronto’s first traffic czar.

In an internal memo obtained by CBC Toronto, the city’s deputy manager of infrastructure services said Andrew Posluns will take on the role of chief congestion officer and executive director of strategic capital coordination, beginning Jan. 5.

“He will shape the policies, partnerships, and technologies that will define Toronto's traffic future,” Will Johnston said.

The move comes as the city has faced consistent congestion challenges, including bumper-to-bumper traffic, a return to work mandate and the FIFA World Cup 2026.

In a CBC Toronto three-part series earlier this year, a December 2024 Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis study found gridlock costs the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) $44.7 billion a year in economic and social value.

In July, the city’s infrastructure and environment committee approved a plan to hire for the position. The plan went to council for final approval later that month, after which Johnston says a “comprehensive recruitment process” took place.

Posluns's top priorities will be to oversee the city’s congestion management plan, provide leadership to improve construction project coordination and to lead the development and implementation of the transportation plan for the imminent soccer tournament, Johnston told CBC Toronto in a statement Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Mayor Olivia Chow said Chow is “confident” Posluns is up to the task.

“It’s a critical new role to help Toronto get moving and especially important as we expect hundreds of thousands of visitors during the FIFA World Cup next year,” Braman Thillainathan said in a statement to CBC Toronto.

According to the internal memo, Posluns has over 25 years of experience in progressive public sector leadership.

Posluns has worked as the senior director of corporate planning, policy and research at the Canada Infrastructure Bank since 2020. Previously, he held senior roles at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation from 2009 to 2015, where he led the implementation of the transportation plan for the 2015 Toronto Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.

The $61-million transportation plan included a 1,500-kilometre route linking venues, airports and the athletes’ village. It also included roughly 185 kilometres of new, temporary high-occupancy lanes on major highways and thoroughfares in the GTA.

The Pan Am and Parapan Am plan also saw ticket holders get free transit admission on the day of their ticketed event on GO Transit, the TTC and 12 other regional transit systems.

Posluns also held senior leadership roles at Metrolinx from 2016 to 2020, where he oversaw the GO Expansion strategy across the GTHA.