In preparation for 10 days of Taylor Swift, the City of Toronto has announced how it will deal with traffic, transit and public safety, as huge crowds are expected to flock to the downtown core during her six scheduled shows in November.
Swift will perform at Rogers Centre for her sold-out Eras Tour from Nov. 14 to Nov. 16 and the following week from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, and the city says it is expecting up to 500,000 visitors from outside Toronto. About 60,000 people are expected to attend each concert.
Tens of thousands of Swifties are expected to use public transit to get to the venue and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the home of fan event Taylgate’24, while overlapping events at Scotiabank Arena could bring up to 20,000 more people downtown every concert night.
Transit service expanded
The Toronto Transit Commission is adding service in preparation for all those events, says spokesperson Stuart Green.
The TTC has no subway closures planned during the events, he says, and it will have extra service on subway lines 1 and 2 in the hours before and after Swift’s show. The transit agency is also planning on more streetcars and buses for some routes, including the 509 Harbourfront and the 510D Spadina.
Provincial transit authority Metrolinx says it will have additional staff and signage at Union Station to guide fans to the concerts.
“We need to be able to handle all those people,” Green told CBC Toronto this week. “We’ve done it before. We do it for things like New Year’s Eve.”
But Swift’s stop in Toronto is expected to be on another level.
Taylor Swift’s concerts have posted significant boosts to the economies of every city where she’s performed this tour. In Toronto, hosting six Taylor Swift concerts in a row will be like hosting six Super Bowls in a row, one expert says.
The concerts are predicted to inject $282 million into the city’s economy, with visitors expected to account for 93 per cent of spending, according to an estimate from Destination Toronto.
Toronto hotels are already taking advantage, with rates going up ten-fold in some cases for the nights Swift is in town.
Road closures, traffic measures on show dates
With traffic congestion worse than it’s ever been in Toronto, the city is taking measures to ensure people can get around, though city staff are encouraging concertgoers to give themselves plenty of time to get downtown.
“With heavier than usual traffic, we want to make sure that everyone can get to Taylor Swift’s shows or wherever else they need to be on time,” Barbara Gray, the city’s general manager of transportation services, told reporters.
The city is encouraging concertgoers and locals alike to leave their cars at home and use transit, Bike Share or ride share services to get around on concert dates, Gray said.
But there will be designated pick-up and drop-off zones for those who opt to drive through the crowded downtown streets, Gray said. Parking downtown will be limited, though more than 2,000 spaces will be available at Green P parking garages on York and Church streets.
The city is taking further measures to improve traffic flow during the concerts.
Construction will be limited downtown on concert dates and the city’s Traffic Operations Centre will have extra staff to monitor and respond to traffic conditions around the concerts in real time.
Road closures will also be in effect around Rogers Centre and downtown on concert dates. There will be signs in place downtown providing real-time closure updates.
Extra police presence downtown
Toronto police say they will work with the event organizers and local stakeholders to manage traffic, security measures and crowds.
“You can expect to see a significant and visible police presence throughout the concert week, including a significant number of officers deployed both inside and outside [Rogers Centre] to ensure the safety of all attendees and to assist wherever needed,” Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue said Thursday.
Police intelligence teams are also monitoring for potential threats, Pogue said.
This summer, a foiled plot to attack Eras Tour concerts in Vienna led to the cancellation of three sold-out shows.
Swifties are celebrating as Taylor Swift resumes her Eras Tour at London’s Wembley Stadium after shows in Vienna were cancelled by concert organizers, who said government officials had confirmed a ‘planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium.’
“We’re confident that our comprehensive approach, combined with the support of our law enforcement and intelligence partners, will ensure that the concerts proceed safely,” Pogue said.
Police are also discouraging anyone who is not attending the concert from gathering outside Rogers Centre on concert nights, Pogue said.
The city’s emergency operations centre will also be activated on concert dates, said Joanna Beaven-Desjardins, head of Toronto Emergency Management.
The city is also promoting local artists through free poetry events that play on Swift’s lyrics and work.
Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik said she was unable to provide figures for the cost of the measures the city is taking on policing, traffic personnel and transit workers during the tour dates.
Toronto is one of two Canadian stops for Swift on her record-breaking tour, which ends in Vancouver in December.