News Release
June 24, 2020

Mayor John Tory announced today that two major downtown ActiveTO cycling network connections, on parts of University Avenue/Queen’s Park Crescent and Bloor Street, will be installed before the weekend, shortly after Toronto enters Stage 2 of the Province of Ontario’s reopening plan.

There are now 2.3 kilometres of new, separated bike lanes along University Avenue/Queen’s Park Crescent, between Adelaide Street West and Bloor Street West, and by Friday, separated bike lanes spanning 1.45 kilometres will be nearly completed along Bloor Street between Avenue Road and Sherbourne Street. New, separated bike lanes (one kilometre) were also installed on Dundas Street East, between Sackville Street and Broadview Avenue, earlier this month.

Design and installation planning are well underway for cycling routes along Brimley Road, between Lawrence Avenue and Kingston Road, Huntingwood Drive, between Victoria Park Avenue and Brimley Road, Wilmington Avenue-Faywood Boulevard, between Finch Avenue and Sheppard Avenue, and Bayview Avenue between River Street and Rosedale Valley Road. It is expected that the new bike lanes on Brimley Road will be installed next week.

The ActiveTO cycling network plan is the largest expansion of Toronto’s on-street bike network ever in one year. It includes approximately 25 kilometres of temporary, new bikeways along with the acceleration of 15 kilometres of cycling routes previously planned for this year, for a total of approximately 40 kilometres of new on-street cycling lanes in 2020 to be installed. Through ActiveTO, the cycling network is being expanded quickly through temporary installations by repurposing curb lanes along several key corridors.

ActiveTO Major Road Closures this weekend:

The following ActiveTO major road closures will be in place this weekend, from Saturday, June 27 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, June 28 at 11 p.m. include:

  • Lake Shore Boulevard West (eastbound lanes only) from Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road. As a result, the eastbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp to Lake Shore Boulevard West (exit #146) will also be closed
  • Lake Shore Boulevard East (eastbound lanes only) from Leslie Street to just south of Woodbine Avenue (Kew Beach Avenue)
  • Bayview Avenue from Front Street East to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue

Parking lots at Sunnyside Park, Sir Casimir Gzowski Park and Budapest Park will be closed all weekend during ActiveTO closures. Overnight parking is not permitted in these lots and any vehicles should be moved before midnight on Friday night.

The popular ActiveTO major road closures are installed adjacent to City trails to make space for people, alleviate weekend crowding, and ensure there is room to be physically active and support physical distancing.

Vehicle access on these sections of major roads will not be permitted to allow for walking, running and cycling. These closures will continue on a trial basis and will be adjusted as required. The City actively manages traffic during these closures through signal timing adjustments on adjacent routes and roadway signage to alert drivers. Motorists who normally travel these roads on weekends should plan alternate routes. Those expecting to use the major road closures to walk, run or cycle should access them as a pedestrian or by bike, since nearby parking is limited and site parking is not provided.

Toronto has a robust trail and cycling network, near and around neighbourhoods throughout the city, that residents are encouraged to use every day to be physically active while respecting physical distancing.

A cycling network map, including multi-use trails, is available at https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation/cycling-in-toronto/cycling-google-map/.

Walking and hiking trails are available at https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/recreation/walking-hiking/trails/.

Quiet Streets update:

All planned and approved Quiet Streets locations are now in place, totalling more than 60 kilometres along neighbourhood routes across Toronto. Staff continue to actively monitor and adapt all locations, based on neighbourhood use, and have been returning to locations to address on-street issues as they arise. An online feedback survey is also being planned for those who are using Quiet Streets.

Quiet Streets are shared space to allow residents to maintain physical distancing, while getting around on neighbourhood streets. Signage and temporary barricades are placed at intersections to encourage slow, local vehicle access only so the roadway can be a shared space that welcomes people who walk, run or bike as an alternative to riding transit. Parking and drop off areas are not impacted and City services, such as waste collection and emergency access, continue as normal. Quiet Street locations have been prioritized based on several factors including population density, equity and access, access to greenspace, nearby attractions, traffic volumes and other considerations.

More information on ActiveTO, including an online map of all locations, is available at http://www.toronto.ca/activeTO.

The ActiveTO program was developed by Toronto Public Health and Transportation Services to provide more space for people to be physically active and improve physical distancing as part of the City’s restart and recovery in the wake of COVID-19. All ActiveTO initiatives have been created to be adaptable, flexible and temporary.

Quotes:

“The ActiveTO cycling network expansion is going in rapidly so that we can see the benefits for our residents quickly. As we enter Stage 2, more and more residents will be able to rely on a well-connected cycling network along our transit lines that will get people, including frontline healthcare workers, moving to where they need to be and provide an important relief valve for the subway.”

– Mayor John Tory

“New, safe bike lanes that connect people on bikes from all parts of the city to important downtown corridors that are lined by hospitals and businesses, will play an important role in preventing virus spread as we continue to re-open. Re-purposing our roadways to support active transportation and creating plans that prioritize Vision Zero will help people feel safer and be more comfortable while moving about.”

– Councillor James Pasternak (Ward 6 York Centre), Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee

“Cities around the world, including Toronto, are expanding cycling infrastructure to make it easier and safer for people bike as we move into the recovery and re-start phase. The separated bike lane on University Avenue helps frontline workers in hospitals, medical clinics, and doctor’s offices get to work safely. It also means that people who live in our community now have an accessible alternative to public transit, which will open up more space for physical distancing on our subways, streetcars, and busses.”

– Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 10, Spadina-Fort York)

“We are very quickly making our roads safer for cyclists, as well as building and expanding a city-wide grid of protected bike lanes. When provided safe options to bike, people will choose biking and have confidence they can get to work and go about their day safely. This is an important week for community groups and local residents who have been advocating for a protected bike lane along both University Avenue and Bloor Street for some time. And an important week for our city as we provide capacity for the Line 1 subway that will help people stay safe from virus spread.”

– Councillor Mike Layton (Ward 11 University-Rosedale)

“Re-purposing public infrastructure now to fill an important cycling gap on Bloor Street will help keep people on bikes safe and make more space on transit which will help support our collective recovery. We have accelerated the critical cycling infrastructure we need to help people respect physical distancing and we are actively expanding the city-wide grid of protected bike lanes.”

– Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 13 Toronto Centre)

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