Category: Latest Issues

Walk Toronto wrote to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee to express its support for the extension of the Bloor West complete street from Runnymede Road to Resurrection Road.

The plan will reduce speed limits and add cycle tracks, which will have the benefit of calming traffic and buffering pedestrians from vehicle traffic.

However, Walk Toronto also noted a plan to replace a section of grass boulevard where the sidewalk is missing with a temporary on-road, painted pedestrian path. We expressed concern about this plan, which could be unsafe for pedestrians, urging the committee to implement a full separate sidewalk at the same time as the cycle tracks.

• Read Walk Toronto’s letter (PDF)
• See the IEC agenda item

Walk Toronto’s Michael Black has submitted a series of recommendations to Transportation Services staff via a letter to City Council, proposing a series of adjustments to plans for proposed safety improvments to Millwood Road, from Pape Avenue and across the Leaside Bridge to the intersection of Overlea Boulevard and beyond.

Overall, Walk Toronto is supportive of the planned changes, which will improve a very walking-unfriendly section of roadway, but we feel additional improvements are important, especially as they relate to accessibility.

• Read Michael Black’s letter (PDF)
• See the agenda item

Walk Toronto considers Ontario Place to be a treasured area for the public to walk, and has been active in advocating for the land to remain public.

In support of that goal, Walk Toronto has written to the General Government Committee to oppose a proposal to declare City-owned land in and around Ontario Place surplus in order to facilitate its transfer to the Provincial governmnent. Walk Toronto argues that, given the importance of this issue and the conflicting positions of different candidates in the mayoral by-election, this decision should not be made until after a new mayor has been elected.

• Read Walk Toronto’s communication (PDF)
• See the General Government Committee agenda item

Walk Toronto has written to the Toronto East York Community Council (TEYCC) to support Councillor Dianne Saxe’s motion to implement pedestrian and traffic safety measures on Avenue Road between Bloor Street West and St. Clair Avenue West.

The measures would include reducing the speed limit from 50 km/hr to 40 km/hr and introducing a pilot project to reduce the number of driving lanes from 6 to 4.

Walk Toronto’s letter points out that, outside this stretch, Avenue Road and its continuations are 4 lanes wide with a 40 km/hr speed limit. As well, the current curbside lanes are often blocked by construction, parking, and other closures, forcing unsafe lane changes. As well, the current sidewalks are extremely narrow and often have obstacles. Avenue Road has 5 schools and 4 senior’s residences on it or nearby, and is seeing a significant increase in population with new developments. The proposed changes would make walking safer and more attractive, and provide space to improve accessibility.

• Read Walk Toronto’s letter to TEYCC (PDF)
• See the TEYCC agenda item
• See the call for support from the Avenue Road Safety Coalition
• Watch the discussion and deputations at TEYCC (YouTube, timed to the motion)

Walk Toronto has written to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in support of a motion to address problems with sidewalk snow clearing, IE2.8 – Request for First Year Review of Winter Maintenance Contracts and Addressing Obstructed Sidewalks with Snow and Ice.

Walk Toronto’s Doug Vallery writes that Toronto should “consider a coordinated, team approach to winter maintenance developed in Montreal, where roadway plows are followed by sidewalk plows in order that problematic windrows created by the former can immediately be cleared by the latter in one clean sweep.”

• See the agenda item
• Read Walk Toronto’s letter (PDF)

Walk Toronto has written to the Executive Committee to support the principle that CafeTO curbside patios should be placed on platforms level with the sidewalk to ensure accessibility, now that the program is becoming permanent.

While it was understandable that, in order to roll out the program quickly, partial solutions in the form of ramps were all that was required in the initial stage, experience showed that these did not provide full accessibility. Meanwhile, for this year, a federal program will subsidize half of the cost of the platforms.

Walk Toronto’s Dylan Reid wrote:

We believe, when restaurants make the calculation, that many will realize the platforms are a worthwhile longterm investment in their business. They are certainly a vital long-term investment in making Toronto a truly accessible city for all.

• Read Walk Toronto’s letter to Executive Committee (PDF)
• See the Executive Committee agenda item

Walk Toronto has written to Mayor John Tory to support making the ActiveTO Midtown Yonge Complete Street pilot project between Bloor Street and Davisville Avenue permanent. The pilot project included bike lanes, planters, CafeTO curbside patios, and artwork. It has led to a 142% increase in pedestrian activity in this strip, among other benefits.

Walk Toronto’s Lee Scott also spoke at the January 20, 2023 meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in favour of making this project permanent.

In the letter, Walk Toronto’s Lee Scott writes:

With the unprecedented development in the Midtown area of Toronto, we encourage a new vision of how the streets and sidewalks are used as this new growth is accommodated in affordable and space-efficient ways. Yonge is often referenced as Toronto’s Main Street and its narrow right-of-way south of St. Clair Avenue is particularly in need of Complete Street ideas that encourage travel by public transit, cycling, and walking.

• Read the Walk Toronto letter to support MidTown Complete Street Project (PDF)
• See the Infrastructure and Environment Committee agenda item
• Watch the Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting

Walk Toronto has written to Toronto City Council to support a motion by councillor Dianne Saxe to improve construction safety on Bloor Street.

Multiple construction projects on Bloor Street, East and West, have reduced or removed sidewalk access and removed safe spaces for cyclists. The safety measures taken for active transportation have been inadequate and inconsistent. Walk Toronto’s letter specifically notes construction projects at Castle Frank subway station and the Glen Road pedestrian bridge, among others.

In his letter, Walk Toronto’s Michael Black concludes:

In order to avoid the mixing of modes and the incursions of bikes into areas designated for exclusive pedestrian use, we recommend that planners of building and road projects preserve existing active transportation infrastructure to the greatest extent possible when accommodating construction activity. If temporary changes cannot be avoided, then safe routes should be established which keep pedestrians properly separated from cyclists, and in turn keep all active transportation users separated from vehicular traffic.

The motion was passed by City Council by a 25-1 vote.

• Read the agenda item for the Dianne Saxe motion
• Read Walk Toronto’s letter (PDF)

Walk Toronto has joined Cycle Toronto, Friends and Families for Safe Streets, and The Centre for Active Transportation to create a campaign to bring safe and active streets to the heart of the discussion in the 2022 Toronto municipal election.

The Safe and Active Streets for All initiative identifies 10 priority actions and asks election candidates whether they support these actions to make Toronto’s streets safer and more accessible.

1. Building Complete Streets across every ward in Toronto
2. Establishing and Implementing a Vision Zero Safety Checklist
3. Streamlining the traffic calming process equitably across the city
4. Reducing traffic speed on our streets to 30 km/h and 40 km/h on all arterial roads city-wide
5. Improving the safety and accessibility for people walking and using mobility devices
6. Accelerating the Cycling Network Plan to provide safe and connected bike lanes in every ward
7. Funding & supporting Active School Travel programs to ensure young people can safely walk and bike to school
8. Investing in equitable methods to manage traffic enforcement by reallocating resources away from on-the-ground police enforcement
9. Reallocating road space to provide regular and recurring car-free spaces for active transportation
10. Supporting the multi-modal future of Toronto’s transportation system

Walk Toronto has joined 15 other organizations dedicated to road safety to urge the Chief Coroner of Ontario to commence death reviews for road fatalities involving pickups and large SUVs based on the growing body of research that these vehicles pose a greater risk of death to pedestrians and cyclists than conventional cars (e.g., sedans) on our roads. We believe, based on the research, that pickups and large SUVs have been involved in deaths on our roads that would not have occurred with regular cars.

We believe an investigative review for pickups and large SUVs, typically designated as “light trucks,” is needed to save the lives of people on foot, bikes, and who rely on mobility devices, including wheelchairs and scooters, or who have visual impairments.

The letter includes an extensive analysis of the evidence relating to the danger posed by oversized pickups and light trucks to pedestrians and cyclists.

• Read the full letter: Request for investigation of road deaths in Ontario involving pick-up trucks, large SUVs, and heavy trucks (PDF)
• See the CBC News story (quoting Walk Toronto’s Daniella Levy-Pinto)
• Watch the CBC News video clip (featuring Walk Toronto’s Daniella Levy-Pinto)
• Watch the CityNews video clip (featuring Walk Toronto’s Daniella Levy-Pinto)