The Bulletin Breakdown | No Right on Red?, Toronto Uploads Roads & Chip-and-Tar Issues

This week’s episode looks at changing traffic safety policies, the growing trend of infrastructure uploading, and concerns over the long-term performance of low-volume road treatments.

🚦 Waterloo Region Wants to Ban Right Turns on Red

The Region of Waterloo is launching a pilot project banning right turns on red at several major intersections across Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo. The goal is to improve pedestrian safety by reducing conflicts between turning vehicles and people crossing the street. The move reflects a broader shift in how municipalities are balancing traffic flow against vulnerable road user safety.

🛣️ Toronto Hands Off the Gardiner and DVP

Ontario has confirmed it will officially take over ownership of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway in 2027. The upload could save Toronto hundreds of millions in future maintenance costs and may create a precedent for other municipalities seeking provincial support for regionally significant transportation corridors. The bigger question: will this become a broader infrastructure trend across Ontario?

🪨 Are Chip-and-Tar Roads Failing Faster?

Several municipalities are reporting that chip-and-tar road treatments are no longer lasting as long as they once did. Some surfaces that historically lasted five to seven years are now failing in as little as two to three. Municipalities suspect changes in asphalt emulsions may be contributing, but weather, curing conditions, and material compatibility could also play a role. Good Roads is now surveying members to determine whether this is becoming a province-wide issue.