Lake Shore West closure not part of this year’s ActiveTO
City is exploring blocking other streets to cars to replace popular stretch
Major streets could be closed to car traffic on weekends again this year as part of Toronto’s ActiveTO program, but it looks like the most popular closure won’t be returning.
In a city report released Tuesday, transportation staff laid out their plans for this year’s edition of ActiveTO, which in 2020 saw the temporary closure of major streets for 25 weekends between May and October.
The initiative, which also included the installation of “quiet streets” and a significant expansion of Toronto’s cycling network, made use of temporary infrastructure that could be rolled out quickly and was intended to give residents a way to get outside while staying physically distant in the early days of the pandemic.
The report recommends continuing the weekend road closures “in 2021 and beyond,” and opening up stretches of Lake Shore Boulevard East and Bayview Avenue to pedestrians and cyclists again this year.
But staff aren’t recommending repeating closures on Lake Shore Boulevard West this year, because of major road work already underway at the nearby intersection of King Street, Queen Street and Roncesvalles Avenue.
The construction is scheduled to last until August 2022 and will severely limit east-west traffic along King and Queen. Recurring closures of Lake Shore West would add to the congestion, and “as a result … likely cannot be accommodated” in 2021 and 2022, staff concluded.
Last summer, the six-kilometre closure of the eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard West between Windermere and Stadium roads attracted an average of 18,000 cyclists and 4,000 pedestrians each weekend, according to city figures.
The city is exploring alternative road closures in the west downtown, including at Exhibition Place, is also considering locations outside the core.
Amanda O’Rourke, executive director of 8 80 Cities, a nonprofit that works with municipalities to promote active transportation, said the exclusion of Lake Shore West this year is “disappointing.” But she was encouraged that the city isn’t treating ActiveTO as a one-off response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“It’s exciting to see that the city is getting more used to taking this kind of approach (of) experimenting, doing quick in- terventions in order to create more space for people to be ac- tive and get outside,” she said.
In addition to the weekend closures, city staff are asking for the authority to implement a “complete street” pilot project on a 3.2-kilometre stretch of Yonge Street, from Bloor Street to Davisville Avenue.
Similar to the changes made last year on Danforth Avenue, the project would include onstreet patios, streetscape improvements, temporary bikeways and road safety improvements, while reserving space for parking and loading.
According to city staff, installation could begin in early summer.
As part of ActiveTO in 2020, the city used signage and temporary measures like traffic barrels and concrete blocks to slow traffic on 65 kilometres of local roads, and provide more space to pedestrians and cyclists.
But staff aren’t recommending repeating the quiet streets initiative this year.
The report will be considered at next Tuesday’s meeting of the infrastructure and environment committee.
Staff estimate ActiveTO road closures will cost $2.8 million in 2021, and cycling projects an additional $3.8 million.