Safety is a must on the Gardiner

TORONTO, Jan. 15, 2013 /CNW/ - CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) calls on Toronto city councillors to put indecision and partisanship aside, and focus on public safety, namely supporting the budget committee's recommendation to fund dire repairs on the deteriorating Gardiner Expressway.

Safety is a top priority for CAA. Studies have shown that the expressway has been crumbling and cracking due in part to years of neglect. With the safety of road users being put at risk, CAA has been calling on city councillors to refrain from making safety a partisan issue.

City council is scheduled to debate the future of the 50-year-old highway at today's council meeting.

"There is no more time for debate. We're at the tipping point. The highway is deteriorating and experts have warned that any delay could be devastating," said Faye Lyons, Government Relations, CAA SCO.

The City's budget committee introduced a plan that would commit $505-million over the next 10 years to make the Gardiner safe and structurally sound, a plan that CAA supports.

If nothing is done about the state of the highway, the risk of a lengthy closure due to safety concerns increases and would have an enormous impact not only on the GTA's economy and road congestion, but also on the quality of life for GTA residents.

"The city cannot afford to delay repairs any further. The time is now to make the Gardiner safe for all road users," added Lyons.

Each week, there are over 750,000 trips on the Gardiner Expressway in both directions.

CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club offering insurance, travel, automotive care and roadside services. There are more than 1.9 million CAA members in South Central Ontario and over 5.6 million members in Canada. We're more than Roadside Assistance. We're Life-side Assistance. Visit www.caasco.com.

SOURCE: CAA South Central Ontario

Media contact: Silvana Aceto, Media and PR Specialist, CAA SCO, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone] or Jeff LeMoine, Communications Specialist, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone].