ActiveTo Has 25 Km Of Temporary, New Bikeways Along With Acceleration Of 15 Km Of New Routes
TORONTO: Mayor John Tory last Tuesday announced that two major downtown ActiveTO cycling network connections, on parts of University Avenue/Queen’s Park Crescent and Bloor Street, will be installed before the weekend, shortly after Toronto enters Stage 2 of the Province of Ontario’s reopening plan.
There are now 2.3 kilometres of new, separated bike lanes along University Avenue/Queen’s Park Crescent, between Adelaide Street West and Bloor Street West, and by Friday, separated bike lanes spanning 1.45 kilometres will be nearly completed along Bloor Street between Avenue Road and Sherbourne Street. New, separated bike lanes (one kilometre) were also installed on Dundas Street East, between Sackville Street and Broadview Avenue, earlier this month.
Tory said: “The ActiveTO cycling network expansion is going in rapidly so that we can see the benefits for our residents quickly. As we enter Stage 2, more and more residents will be able to rely on a well-connected cycling network along our transit lines that will get people, including frontline healthcare workers, moving to where they need to be and provide an important relief valve for the subway.”
Design and installation planning are well underway for cycling routes along Brimley Road, between Lawrence Avenue and Kingston Road, Huntingwood Drive, between Victoria Park Avenue and Brimley Road, Wilmington Avenue-Faywood Boulevard, between Finch Avenue and Sheppard Avenue, and Bayview Avenue between River Street and Rosedale Valley Road. It is expected that the new bike lanes on Brimley Road will be installed next week.
The ActiveTO cycling network plan is the largest expansion of Toronto’s on-street bike network ever in one year. It includes approximately 25 kilometres of temporary, new bikeways along with the acceleration of 15 kilometres of cycling routes previously planned for this year, for a total of approximately 40 kilometres of new on-street cycling lanes in 2020 to be installed. Through ActiveTO, the cycling network is being expanded quickly through temporary installations by repurposing curb lanes along several key corridors.
Parking lots at Sunnyside Park, Sir Casimir Gzowski Park and Budapest Park will be closed all weekend during ActiveTO closures.
Overnight parking is not permitted in these lots and any vehicles should be moved before midnight on Friday night.
The popular ActiveTO major road closures are installed adjacent to City trails to make space for people, alleviate weekend crowding, and ensure there is room to be physically active and support physical distancing.
The ActiveTO program was developed by Toronto Public Health and Transportation Services to provide more space for people to be physically active and improve physical distancing as part of the City’s restart and recovery in the wake of COVID-19. All ActiveTO initiatives have been created to be adaptable, flexible and temporary.
Toronto has a robust trail and cycling network, near and around neighbourhoods throughout the city, that residents are encouraged to use every day to be physically active while respecting physical distancing.