Toronto Police officers will soon be managing traffic at some of the city’s busiest intersections.

Mayor John Tory announced this morning that beginning next Monday, as part of a pilot project, traffic assistant personnel will be placed at eight key intersections at peak times to help improve the flow of traffic as well as pedestrian and cyclist safety.

Tory says he hopes it won’t be long before civilians will be able to be traffic assistants.

“I am determined to ensure as soon as possible that we have the necessary legal clarification to use non-police officers to do this work, both so that we can move ahead and do it, and unblock these intersections and keep people safe in these busy intersections, and also, so that police officers can be better deployed on other kinds of police work,” said Mayor Tory.

The pilot will run during four weeks in the summer and four weeks in the fall in the following intersections:

Bay Street and Queen Street
Front Street and Simcoe Street
Lake Shore Boulevard and Parklawn Road
Sheppard Avenue and Yonge Street
Front Street and University Avenue
Bay Street and Bloor Street
University Avenue and Adelaide Street
Bay Street from Bloor Street to Front Street