Help! Avoiding traffic en route to Pearson Airport during Pan Am games

July 10, 2015 8:28 AM

I'm going to Toronto Pearson Airport for a 9 am meeting on Saturday, July 11 - the second day of the Pan Am Games. I can't tell how much time I need to get to the airport from midtown Toronto.

Hello from Toronto! The Pan Am games are starting today, and one of my clients has booked a meeting at a hotel at Toronto Pearson Airport for 9 am Saturday morning (tomorrow).

Usually I'd allow 30-45 minutes to get there by cab, but with athletes (and many others) travelling to Toronto for the games, I wonder if I need to allow more time?

I'll be travelling from midtown Toronto (Yonge-Davisville area for the locals). Although I drive, I don't commute by car and I have no idea how slow traffic might be. The available information isn't helping me much - I know what streets to avoid, but I can't tell whether traffic to and from the airport during a Saturday morning will be much worse than usual or not.

Local MeFites, please offer any advice you may have! Thanks in advance.

posted by Schadenfreudian to Travel & Transportation around Toronto, ON (7 answers total)

Best answer: You'll probably be fine. Taxis can go in the HOV lanes, and thus bypass a lot of congestion. Try calling the cab company to get their take on your particular journey.
posted by kevinsp8 at 9:04 AM on July 10, 2015

Subway to Union, then the UP?
posted by scruss at 9:05 AM on July 10, 2015 [3 favorites]

Best answer: 8 am on Saturday won't be that busy on the 401/409 anyways. I won't make any comment about the DVP but you don't need to use it anyway as at that time going up Yonge or the Allen to the 401 should be pretty light. There isn't anything games related in that area that I know of so it'll just be normal traffic.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 9:17 AM on July 10, 2015

Give yourself a little extra time. Or do York Mills and take the GO. Buses get to do the HOV lanes I think.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:37 AM on July 10, 2015

Best answer: Scruss' suggestion is a good one, and likely totally hassle-free. That said, owing to the HOV lanes allowing cabs, you may be in for a quicker cab ride than usual, especially from where you're at.

For peace of mind, by cab, give yourself an hour and you should be more than good.

There is a real-time traffic info app for the games here, available as a mobile app as well, that has a trip planner and time estimates based on road closures, how quickly traffic is moving on a given part of the route, etc.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:17 PM on July 10, 2015

OTOH, if you did use Union-Pearson Express you might have to then take a cab to the meeting depending on the hotel's location relative to Pearson.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:21 PM on July 10, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I ended up taking a cab an hour before my meeting and got there half an hour early. I appreciate the Hivemind (Toronto section) in action yet again!
posted by Schadenfreudian at 6:09 PM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]