Toronto names new ‘traffic czar’ to tame congestion

Andrew Posluns has been appointed as Toronto's first-ever ‘traffic czar,’ overseeing congestion management and transportation planning for the FIFA World Cup.

The City of Toronto will kick off 2026 with a new face at the helm of its congestion plan.

Andrew Posluns has been named Toronto’s new “traffic czar,” a role city council voted earlier this year to create.

“Andrew will lead the city’s 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,” Will Johnston, deputy city manager - infrastructure services, said in a statement.

Officially, Posluns’ title will be chief congestion officer and executive director of the Strategic Capital Coordination Office.

Johnston said Posluns’ priorities will be overseeing and presenting Toronto’s 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.

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.

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.

Toronto has struggled for years to tame congestion, which consistently ranks as one of the biggest irritants to residents – and as one of the biggest drains on the local economy.

According to one estimate a year ago, congestion costs the economy of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area around $10 billion per year.

Celebrities and athletes have also weighed in on the sluggish pace of Toronto traffic when visiting the city, with some of them ditching cars to walk or cycle so that they don’t miss events.

Some experts have cautioned that the gridlock could worsen 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.

Mayor Olivia Chow has said the addition of traffic agents has helped in some areas, but has acknowledged the city could be doing more.