Walk Toronto’s Lee Scott has written to City Council to object to the planned closure of a sidewalk and bike lanes in both directions for a planned 35 months on Yonge Street south of St. Clair to facilitate a private construction project.
Active transportation facilities are too often treated as easily disposable over extended periods of time in Toronto for the convenience of private construction. Scott says the “removal of safe passage in this way for those who choose active and public modes of transportation is entirely at odds with the city’s VisionZero and TransformTO strategies.”
While a narrow covered passage will be built on the roadway for pedestrians, Scott points out, “Time and again, similar construction staging has proven to be an environment of great risk for all vulnerable road users,” including pedestrians and those who use mobility devices, and as well, “When cyclists are at danger in such a forced merging with vehicles, many choose to ride on the designated pedestrian way of passage and thus put pedestrians at risk.”
- Read Walk Toronto’s letter (PDF)
- See the City Council agenda item, TE9.45 – 1404-1428 Yonge Street – Construction Staging Area
