Canada Post begins to make Operational Changes to Help Alleviate Gridlock in Toronto's Downtown Core

Given size and scope of operations, changes will be phased in over coming weeks and months.

TORONTO, Jan. 5, 2015 /CNW/ - Canada Post understands that the City of Toronto must address ongoing issues with traffic congestion and gridlock in the downtown core.  We also understand that our own delivery vehicles contribute to traffic congestion. 

In order to meet the needs of our customers our employees have to temporarily park vehicles in the downtown core. They clear out street letter boxes, deliver and collect mail and parcels from thousands of residential and commercial addresses each day.

To help reduce traffic congestion and gridlock in the downtown core, we recognize that changes to operating procedures must be made by everyone who serves the downtown core.

Canada Post is in the process of conducting a thorough review of our pick-up and delivery operations in the downtown core of Toronto and have assembled a senior team to work and implement a plan to help alleviate this issue.

In the short term, we are focusing on the changes that we control directly while minimizing the impact on customers. Where possible, we are looking to shift stop-times to off-peak hours between 1:00 – 3:00 pm, and again after 7:00 pm.

• Starting January 5, we will implement additional mail and parcel pick-up at our corporate and franchise post offices in the downtown core between 1 pm and 3 pm in order to reduce the time to clear the stores at the end of the day.
• On January 12, we will implement later pick-up times for our street letter boxes on the major arteries in the designated area. We are also looking at changing the location and clearance time for almost 400 boxes in the area.

In the medium term, we have started the review of the activities that Canada Post doesn't control directly such as delivery (including large volume receivers) and pick-ups (both on-demand and scheduled). Those changes will likely require adjustments from our customers: mailroom hours, drop off/pick up locations, pick up times, different mode of delivery (to 1^st floor versus all floors, different entrance, etc.). We are starting those discussions with our customers as soon as possible.

The size and scope of Canada Post's operation in Toronto's downtown core means it will not be feasible to make all changes required immediately. Within the 14 main streets in the area of Yonge/Bloor/Bathurst/Front, Canada Post serves almost 8,000 addresses, delivering and picking up mail and parcels on almost 200 delivery and clearance routes.

Canada Post will continue to work internally, with the delivery industry and with the City of Toronto on practical solutions to help alleviate congestion as soon as logistically feasible, while continuing to serve our customers.

SOURCE Canada Post

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