Toronto closing 57 km of streets to traffic for pedestrians and cyclists

The City of Toronto plans to close sections of major streets this long weekend in Kensington Market, along Lakeshore Boulevard and Bayview Avenue to give more room to pedestrians and cyclists.

The ActiveTO initiative plans to create 57 km of what the city calls “quiet streets” across the city to provide more space for people to be physically active and improve physical distancing as part of the restart and recovery in the wake of COVID-19.

Signs and temporary barricades will be placed on neighbourhood streets to allow local car traffic only and open up space for people who walk, run, use wheelchairs and bike.

People who normally park their car on the street designated for Quiet Streets will still be able to park and travel as they normally would and routine city services, such as garbage and recycling pickup, will continue as they normally would.

The city is also going be closing portions of major thoroughfares on a trial basis over the weekend to make space for people, alleviate weekend and holiday crowding and ensure there is enough room to be physically active and support physical distancing.

Starting Saturday, May 16 at 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. Monday, May 18, all eastbound lanes on Lake Shore Boulevard West between Windemere Avenue to Stadium Road, Bayview Avenue from Mill Street to Rosedale Valley Road and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue will be impacted.

Moving forward, future weekend closures that are not on a long weekend will be from 6 a.m. on Saturdays until 11 p.m. on Sundays. Those locations will be announced as they are finalized.

The initial locations that have been confirmed for Quiet Streets (as of May 14):

• Kensington Market (area that borders Nassau Ave., Spadina Ave, Augusta Ave. and Dundas St. W.)
• Shaughnessy Blvd. between Van Horne Ave. and Havenbrook Blvd.
• Havenbrook Blvd. between Shaughnessy and Manorpark Ct.
• Lakeshore Dr./Lake Promenade (First Ave. to Forty Second St.)
• High Park Ave. (Bloor St. W. to Annette St.)
• Brock/Emerson/Cowan Ave. (Dupont St. to King St. W.)
• Winona Dr. (Eglinton Ave. to Davenport Rd.)
• The Esplanade (boundaries TBC)
• Crawford St./Montrose Ave. (Bloor St. W. to Queen St. W.)
• Howard and Earl Streets (Sherbourne St. to Parliament St.)
• Sackville/Sumach Streets (Shuter St. to Gerrard St. E.)
• Monarch Park Ave. (Felstead Ave. to Sammon Ave.)
• Fulton/Sammon Avenues (Broadview Ave. to Monarch Park Ave.)
• Woodfield Rd. (Knox Ave. to Walpole Ave.)
• Lee Ave. (Kingston Rd. to Alfresco Lawn)
• Secord Ave./Eastdale Ave./Lumsden Ave./Main St./Hamstead Ave./West Lake Ave. (Dawes Rd. to Oak Park Ave.)
• Military Trail/Highcastle Rd. (Sealstone Terrace to Bonspiel Dr.)
• Kew Beach Ave. (Waverly Rd to Lake Shore Blvd. E.)
• Westview Blvd. (St Clair Ave. E. to Holland Ave.)
• Dundalk Dr. (Ellesmere Rd. to Antrim Cr.)
• Trudelle St./Cedar Brae Blvd. (Danforth Rd. to Bellamy Rd.)