Metro Toronto Roads and Transportation

Metro Toronto Roads and Traffic (later Metro Transportation) was a department within the former Municipality of  Metropolitan Toronto.

The department was responsible for maintaining major arterial roads, bridges and local freeways systems (Gardiner Expressway, Don Valley Parkway and W.R. Allen Road) in Metropolitan Toronto and all traffic signal-controlled intersections. Metro roads were akin to county roads, but were not signposted with numbers.

The department did have influence over the design of the city. One example is the width of Yonge Street. When the Toronto Eaton Centre was built, it was setback from the street as to allow the possibility of a future lane of traffic. It wasn't until the late 1990s that the mall was allowed to expand out towards Yonge.

Metro Toronto Roads and Traffic bronze plaques are found on bridges throughout Toronto, but some are being replaced with City of Toronto signs as they are refurbished by Toronto Transportation.

Metro Roads
Most major roads in Toronto were under the authority of Metro Roads and Traffic and a few expressways:


 * Gardiner Expressway
 * W.R. Allen Road
 * Don Valley Parkway

Streets:


 * Yonge Street within Metro Toronto
 * Kipling Avenue within Metro Toronto
 * Islington Avenue within Metro Toronto
 * Royal York Road
 * Jane Street within Metro Toronto
 * Keele Street within Metro Toronto
 * Weston Road within Metro Toronto
 * Parkside Drive
 * Dufferin Street within Metro Toronto
 * Bathurst Street within Metro Toronto
 * Spadina Road, Spadina Avenue and Spadina Crescent
 * Avenue Road
 * York Street
 * University Avenue
 * Jarvis Street
 * Mount Pleasant Road
 * Bayview Avenue within Metro Toronto
 * Leslie Street within Metro Toronto
 * Don Mills Road
 * Victoria Park Avenue
 * Warden Avenue within Metro Toronto
 * Kennedy Road within Metro Toronto
 * McCowan Road within Metro Toronto
 * Markham Road within Metro Toronto
 * Morningside Avenue
 * Steeles Avenue within Metro Toronto
 * Finch Avenue within Metro Toronto
 * Albion Road
 * Sheppard Avenue within Metro Toronto
 * Wilson Avenue
 * York Mills Road
 * Ellesmere Road
 * Lawrence Avenue
 * Eglinton Avenue within Metro Toronto
 * Burnhamthorpe Road within Metro Toronto
 * St. Clair Avenue
 * Bloor Street within Metro Toronto
 * Dundas Street within Metro Toronto
 * Richmond Street
 * Adelaide Street
 * Lake Shore Boulevard
 * The Queensway

Other tasks assigned to Metro Roads:
 * snow removal on Metro Toronto managed roads including use of 5 Trecan Metromelters
 * road repair on Metro Toronto managed roads and bridges

Post amalgamation
The department merged with local departments in 1998 under the Transportation Services Division, which now handles both major arterial and minor local roads across the city. Some vehicles bearing Metro Toronto Roads and Traffic symbols can still be found in the city, but they will disappear once they are retired or repainted.