Right-turn ban seems wrong
It can be a long wait to get out of the Kennedy Commons Mall, due to a right-turn ban that puzzles and frustrates drivers.
Kennedy Commons, on the east side of Kennedy Rd., south of Highway 401, is a bustling place, due to the variety of big box stores and name-brand retailers.
A lot of traffic enters and exits on William Kitchen Rd., which runs through the heart of the sprawling mall and connects Kennedy and Progress Ave. But right turns from William Kitchen onto northbound Kennedy are prohibited when the traffic signal is red, which can cause lengthy backups when a lot of drivers try to exit at the same time.
David Schachow sent us a note saying he can’t figure out why right turns aren’t allowed there, saying the “prohibition seems arbitrary.”
Schachow said he was told by the city that the intersection is under the control of the provincial transportation ministry, which is also responsible for Hwy. 401, just north of the mall. The person he spoke to “speculated that the reason for the prohibition is that vehicles are increasing speed to enter the 401,” which has on-ramps from Kennedy, just north of the intersection. We were there late Tuesday afternoon and watched as a traffic snarl of at least 30 vehicles formed several times on William Kitchen, waiting to turn north onto Kennedy. The backup extended almost to the centre of the mall property, while only 12-15 vehicles were able to turn right before the lights changed to red. It may be dangerous for vehicles to cut into traffic zipping along Kennedy toward the 401ramps, but we observed long breaks in the oncoming traffic when it would be easy to make a right.
STATUS: Marko Oinonen, who’s in charge of area traffic operations, confirmed that the intersection is under the control of the transportation ministry. Astrid Poei, who deals with media for the ministry, is trying to find out why right turns on the road are prohibited and whether there is any way to ease the restriction. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To email us, go to www.thestar.com/thefixer and click on the “submit a problem” link. Or call us at 416-869-4823.