Category: Latest Issues

Toronto is a long way from achieving its stated Vision Zero goal of prioritizing the safety of its most vulnerable road users. Since the beginning of 2026, more pedestrians have been killed in Toronto collisions than people riding on bicycles and motorcycles and driving in cars combined. Since the end of August, eight pedestrians have either died or been seriously injured. During the current election campaign, we have an opportunity to ask candidates about their position on issues concerning the ability to get around Toronto safely on foot.

With municipal elections just under six weeks away on October 26, now is the time to ask questions of those who want our vote to represent our interests at City Hall.

Walk Toronto offers the following five key questions as a starting point to engage candidates and keep the conversation about pedestrian safety front and centre. Remember, we are all pedestrians at some point in our journey.

1. Can we spend more on sidewalk maintenance and snow removal? During the winter of 2025-26, Toronto experienced significant snowfall. In some areas, sidewalk snow removal took weeks, forcing people to walk in the roads. Some people requiring mobility devices could not get out of their homes for weeks because there was simply no access to sidewalks. Meanwhile, during the rest of the year many sidewalks create tripping hazards through lack of maintenance.  
2. Can bike lanes be retained and should the cycle track network be expanded? Walk Toronto believes that separated cycle tracks create a buffer between vehicular traffic and the sidewalk. Studies have shown they also reduce cycling on sidewalks. Also, cycle tracks tend to slow drivers as they make right turns, making collisions with pedestrians less likely.
3. Can right turns on red be prohibited? Walk Toronto has long called for a ban on right turns on red lights. There are several intersections across Toronto where this has been instituted, although sometimes only on certain days and at certain hours. This inconsistency leads to confusion, collisions, injuries, and deaths. The consistency of having a total ban of right turning on red lights would calm traffic and make it safer for pedestrians (and cyclists) to cross intersections.
4. What can be done to ensure every street in Toronto has a sidewalk? Toronto’s plan to replace missing sidewalks is moving slowly and is often derailed by local resistance when it comes time for the city to install sidewalks along with scheduled road work.
5. Can we expand the pedestrianization of streets, both seasonal and permanent? Many businesses and communities enjoy the experience of semi-permanent, or permanent, pedestrian streets that are closed to vehicles. This past summer some of Church Street and Market Street were closed to create vibrant areas for easy walking, local retail and community group events, and entertainment. Continuing and expanding these initiatives would contribute to making Toronto a better city for walking.

Go to the City of Toronto website for details on how to vote and a list of candidates for all positions.

Walk Toronto’s Lee Scott spoke at the June 2026 meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee to reiterate Walk Toronto’s call to prohibit right turns on red lights in Toronto (as is done in Montreal and other cities).

Lee spoke to the “Updates on Vision Zero Road Safety Initiatives” item, pointing out that the initial reduction in pedestrian deaths and injuries from Vision Zero has levelled off, and that new safety measures are needed to continue the improvements to traffic safety and reduce deaths to zero. Lee noted the many dangers to pedestrians created by allowing right turns on red lights.

• Read Lee Scott’s letter (PDF)
• See the IEC agenda item “Updates on Vision Zero Road Safety Initiatives”

Walk Toronto joined other signatories from across Canada in a joint letter to Gregor Robertson, the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, urging the release of $500 million in active transportation funds.

While the federal government committed $500 million for capital active transportation projects in 2025, these funds remain unreleased. Across Canada, municipalities and First Nations are waiting on the green light from the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. Coordinated by Vélo Canada Bikes, a group of 101 national, provincial, and local organizations has submitted a Joint Statement to Minister Gregor Robertson.

For more information, see: velocanadabikes.org/jointstatement/

At the July 10 meeting of the Toronto City Council Infrastructure and Environment Committee, Walk Toronto filed a submission or presented a deputation from Walk Toronto Steering Committee member, Adam Cohoon on several issues related to walking, including a Chief Congestion Officer, the Missing Sidewalk Program, and to support the construction of a sidewalk on Hesketh Court.
 
IE. 23.4 Establishing a Chief Congestion Officer for the City of Toronto. 
Read the letter (PDF) submitted on behalf of Walk Toronto by Lee Scott.
 
IE 23.6 Cycling Network Plan – 2025 Cycling Infrastructure and Missing Sidewalk Installation – Second Quarter Update.
Read the letter (PDF) submitted on behalf of Walk Toronto by Lee Scott.
 
IE 23.11 Hesketh Court –  Proposed New Sidewalk Construction.
Read the letter (PDF) submitted on behalf of Walk Toronto by Susan Bakshi.

Walk Toronto wrote to the Executive Committee of City Council to support the recommendations of the Winter Maintenance Program Review.

After the severe snowstorms of February 2025, pedestrians had significant complaints about inadequate and erratic plowing of sidewalks, which made walking difficult, dangerous, and, for some, impossible for many days.

Walk Toronto supported a motion in March for a Winter Maintenance Program Review to look at how winter maintenance can be improved in response to major snow events.

Walk Toronto is pleased with the significant recommendations that have come out of this review, including for a Major Snow Event Response Plan. We encourage City Council to implement these recommendations in time for the next winter season.

• Read Walk Toronto’s letter to Executive Committee (PDF)
• See the full agenda item and Program Review report

Walk Toronto’s Adam Cohoon also wrote separately to the Executive Committee (PDF), and spoke at the meeting, about the difficulties faced by wheelchair users during and after these storms.

At the June 2025 meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, Walk Toronto submitted comments regarding making it easier to establish safe pedestrian crossings, and establishing pedestrian zones on city streets.

For the item “Updates on Vision Zero Road Safety Initiatives: Improving Crossings for Pedestrians, Updated Road Classification Criteria and Other Matters,” Walk Toronto’s Dylan Reid submitted comments supporting making it easier to establish safe pedestrian crossings where there was a long distance to another crossing, or where a pedestrian had been killed or seriously injured. These are changes Walk Toronto has long advocated for. However, we urge the City to establish safe crossing points at locations that local communities identify as dangerous before anyone is killed or seriously injured, rather than after.

• Read Dylan Reid’s comments regarding safe pedestrian crossings (PDF)

Walk Toronto’s Adam Cohoon also submitted comments regarding safe crossing technology, and spoke in person at the meeting.

• Read Adam Cohoon’s comments regarding safe crossing technology (PDF)

For the item “Pedestrian Streets Policy and Guidelines Development – Accessibility Feedback,” Walk Toronto’s Michael Black submitted comments supporting the City of Toronto’s initiative to establish more pedestrian streets while ensuring accessible access, but calling on the city to be more ambitious with establishing pedestrian zones than just small sections of individual blocks.

Read Michael Black’s comments regarding pedestrian streets (PDF)

At the Infrastructure and Environment committee meeting, held April 9, 2024,  Walk Toronto made submissions on two items.

Congestion and construction issues were up for discussion as Transportation Services offered to committee the IE20.3 Congestion Management Plan – 2025 Update. Much of the plan prioritizes solutions to speed up the movement of vehicles with special focus on how to manage construction sites and their impact on city-wide road congestion. Walk Toronto has repeatedly voiced concern over the prioritization of vehicle movement over the safe and timely passage of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

• Read the Walk Toronto submission (PDF)

In another agenda item put forward by Councillor Dianne Saxe (University-Rosedale), and also related to the heavy burden Toronto citizens face related to construction, Susan Bakshi posted a submission on behalf of Walk Toronto for IE20.12 Breathing Easier During Construction, supporting Saxe’s motion to reduce construction “nuisance” dust which is reducing comfort and safety of pedestrians.

• Read the Walk Toronto submission (PDF)

 

In the wake of the significant disruptions caused by the record snowfall in February, Walk Toronto’s Lee Scott  wrote to the March 19, 2025 meeting of Toronto City Council’s Executive Committee  to emphasize the vulnerability of pedestrians in major snowfalls and to support a review of sidewalk snow clearing procedures in those circumstances.

• Read Lee Scott’s communication (PDF)

Walk Toronto’s Adam Cohoon also wrote to Executive Committee with specific recommendations in terms of accessibility for major snow events.

• Read Adam Cohoon’s communication (PDF)

Walk Toronto submitted multiple communications at the February 27, 2025 meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, and Walk Toronto’s Adam Cohoon deputed in person for several items. Walk Toronto supported various proposals to make Toronto a better, safer, more comfortable, and less polluted city for walking.

• IE19.1 Cycling Network Plan – 2025 Cycling Infrastructure Installation – First Quarter Update
  ◦ Submission from Lee Scott on Behalf of Walk Toronto:
  https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ie/comm/communicationfile-187962.pdf
  ◦ Deputation by Adam Cohoon
• IE19.2 Anti-idling By-law
  ◦ Submission from Susan Bakshi on behalf of Walk Toronto:
  https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ie/comm/communicationfile-187984.pdf
  ◦ Adam Cohoon Deputed
• IE19.3 Street ‘A’ Environmental Assessment Study
  ◦ Submission from Pam Gough and Lee Scott on behalf of Walk Toronto:
  https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ie/comm/communicationfile-187992.pdf
  ◦ Adam Cohoon deputed
• IE 19.4 1886-1920 Eglinton Avenue West – Construction Staging Area
  ◦ Lee Scott submitted letter on behalf of Walk Toronto:
  https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ie/comm/communicationfile-187967.pdf
  ◦ Adam Cohoon deputed
• IE19.6 King Street Transit Priority Corridor Improvement – Update
  ◦ Deputation by Adam Cohoon
• IE19.9 Strengthening Toronto’s Tree Canopy – Report on Climate Resilience and Tree Equity
  ◦ Submission by Susan Bakshi on behalf of Walk Toronto:
  https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ie/comm/communicationfile-187972.pdf
•  IE19.10 Options to Fund and Expand the HTO To Go Water Trailer Program
  ◦ Adam Cohoon deputed
•  IE19.12 Corporate landowners Should Have to Clear their Sidewalks again
  ◦ Speaker Adam Cohoon

Walk Toronto has written to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee to comment on the update to the Vision Zero road safety program.

Walk Toronto strongly endorsed the continued expansion of the program, but noted a couple of areas of concern, involving the lack of maintenance of zebra markings on crosswalks, and the lack of movement in changing the “warrant” system to give more weight to a death or serious injury caused by a collision.

We thank Councillor Dianne Saxe for raising our concerns in the committee discussion and getting a promise from staff to follow up on them.

• Read Walk Toronto’s communication on Vision Zero (PDF)
• See the Vision Zero agenda item