THE GOOD NEWS – the Gardiner Expressway, which carries traffic to and from the western suburbs and Niagara region, will be construction-free three months ahead of schedule.

THE BAD NEWS – Downtown TORONTO will see major road work done on Richmond, Gerrard, Queen, College, River and Shuter Streets. That means heavy traffic on a number of cross-town routes in the city centre.  122 kilometres of roads are being resurfaced city-wide; 238 kilometres of sewer and watermain pipes upgraded; $263-million worth of repairs to roads, expressways and bridges.  The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will be closing sections of the subway 14 times for track work before the end of summer, and another 16 times in the coming fall and winter.

MORE GOOD NEWS – With the low Canadian dollar (roughly 79 cents to the US greenback) Americans have discovered TORONTO. On average there are 7,000 American visitors every day and a further 5,000 from other countries (China and the UK in particular).  “Our city has never looked better or been more attractive to foreign and domestic travellers,” says Johanne Bélanger, President and CEO of Tourism Toronto.

ADVICE – in advance get to know the TTC’s reliable subway, bus and streetcar system; purchase a daily Transit Pass ($11 available at all subway stations, better deal on weekends and holidays); Bikeshare; Uber; taxis; use subway station parking lots and take transit from there . . .  or just walk in one of Canada’s most walkable city centres.