The use of cars and trucks causes air pollution and traffic congestion, which can have a negative impact on the quality of life in the city.

The City supports sustainable means of transportation such as walking, cycling and public transit. Improvements are also being made to the City's fleet of vehicles, making them more efficient and less polluting. Emissions from vehicle idling is also a major concern and a bylaw has been established to prevent unnecessary idling.

• Walking
  • Toronto Walking Strategy
  • Walk21 Conference
  • New Sidewalks
  • Active and Safe Routes to Schools program
• Cycling
  • Toronto Bike Plan
  • Bicycle Lanes
  • Bicycle Parking
  • Cycling Map
  • Cycling Skills
  • Bike Month
  • Bicycle Friendly Business Awards
• Public Transit
  • Hybrid Buses
  • Bio-Fuel Testing
  • Reserved Transit Lanes
• Motor Vehicles
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Vehicle Idling
  • Green Fleet Transition Plan
  • FleetWise Program
  • Better Transportation Partnership
  • Better Transportation Expo
  • Clean Roads to Clean Air Program
  • Reducing Road Salt
• Tools and Resources
  • City of Toronto Smart Commute
  • 20/20 The Way to Clean Air

Toronto Walking Strategy
The Toronto Walking Strategy aims to make Toronto a great walking City. The central theme of the strategy is "putting pedestrian first".

Its implementation calls for a change in mindset from an automobile-oriented transportation system to one that places pedestrians at the top of the road hierarchy.

More information about the Toronto Walking Strategy.

Walk21 Conference
The City of Toronto and Green Communities Canada were proud to co-host the 8th annual Walk21 conference in 2007. Over 400 delegates from 19 countries took part in Walk21 Toronto 2007, including leaders from government, academia, the private sector, non-profit, community, and advocacy groups.

A highly anticipated event for many Walk21 conference participants and the City of Toronto was the Canada-wide World Record Walk Day event. The goal was to break the existing Guinness World Record for the largest number of people walking one kilometre simultaneously. There were approximately 2,000 participating events in Canada. Visit World Record Walk for official numbers and updates.

Presentation papers from the conference are available on the international Walk21 website. Keep up to date with other Walk21 activities, including the 2008 Walk21 conference in Barcelona.

New Sidewalks
The City encourages residents to get out and walk. The New Sidewalk Installation Program involves constructing sidewalks on both sides of arterial and collector roads where there were no sidewalks in the past.

Creating a better sidewalk network will encourage more and safer walking trips.

Additional information is available from Transportation Services.

Active and Safe Routes to Schools program
For many Canadian parents, driving their children to school seems like the safest, most convenient option. Yet our dependency on car travel is linked to increased traffic accidents and greenhouse gas emissions leading to declining air quality and decreased physical activity.

Why not walk to school? - it's fun and it's free! There are many benefits associated with walking to school, including being physically active and environmentally responsible.

For more information about the Active and Safe Routes to Schools program contact Toronto Health Connection at 416-338-7600.

Toronto Bike Plan
The Toronto Bike Plan, adopted in 2001, sets out recommendations and goals for cycling-related safety, education and promotional programs, as well as supportive infrastructure including a comprehensive bikeway network across the city.

More information is available from the Cycling website and by contacting the Toronto Cycling Committee.

Bicycle Lanes
Bicycle lanes are designated space on the roadway exclusively for the use of cyclists. Motor vehicles are not allowed to drive, park or stand in the bike lane, but right-turning cars and trucks can enter the lane at intersections to complete their turn. Currently there are 90 kilometres of bike lanes in Toronto.

The City of Toronto continues to expand the bikeway network across the city. More bikes on city streets means less vehicular traffic and, as a result, an improvement in air quality.

Bicycle Parking
The City recognizes that secure and convenient bicycle parking must be available at all cycling destinations to encourage and support cycling. Bicycle parking is provided through post and ring stands and lockers.

Post and ring stands are installed on City sidewalks and boulevards this year. The stands are provided free of charge in response to requests received from businesses, residents and cyclists.

Bicycle lockers provide excellent, secure
bicycle parking by improving protection from theft, vandalism and inclement weather. The lockers are designed to hold one bicycle each as well as bicycle gear. Locker locations are increasing across the city.

Cycling Map
The Toronto Cycling Map shows bicycle lanes, paths and routes to help you plan your recreational and commuter trips in Toronto. It provides cycling resources, safety tips, information about the Toronto Bike Plan and lots more.

Have a look at the cycling map and starting riding today!

Cycling Skills
Cycling is the best example of green, sustainable transportation. Not only is cycling a quick, economical and efficient means of transportation - it's also fun.

In Toronto, a growing number of people commute to work and school by bicycle and use their bikes for shopping, work, fitness, recreation and sport.

If you want to improve your cycling skills and confidence riding in traffic, the City offers CAN-BIKE courses for cyclists of all ages
(9 years+) and skill levels.

For information, see the CAN-BIKE website.

Bike Month
Bike Month is Toronto's festival for cycling culture.

The City of Toronto's efforts to promote cycling dates back to Bike-to-Work Day launched in 1988. Enthusiastic public response helped Bike-to-Work Day become Bike Week and evolve over the years. A day became a week and now we have a whole month dedicated to cycling!

The Toronto Cycling Committee has been helping to support, develop and co-ordinate Bike Month with other individuals, bicycle user groups and organizations. The Toronto Cycling Committee hosts a group ride and a free pancake breakfast every year that have become popular events.

Join cyclists from across the city at a Bike Month event near you.

Bicycle Friendly Business Awards
The Bicycle Friendly Business Awards are given out every year to businesses and organizations across Toronto who are making an effort to encourage their clients and employees to cycle.

The awards recognize that the more people ride their bikes, the more we will notice a reduction in traffic congestion and pollution, making Toronto a greener and healthier place to live, work, and play.

More information about the Bicycle Friendly Business Awards.

Hybrid Buses
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is now using hybrid buses as part of its fleet. The hybrid diesel-electric buses use less fuel and have lower emissions than traditional diesel-fuel buses.

The energy created by the braking process charges batteries that power an electric motor supplementing the bus's diesel engine.

More information is available from the TTC at 416-393-3162.

Bio-Fuel Testing
Toronto's Fleet Services Division and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) tested 180 TTC buses over a nine-month period in 2004-05. The results showed that the overall ozone-forming potential of a biodiesel bus was about half that of a bus that uses standard diesel fuel.

The City and the TTC have begun using biodiesel fuel in their vehicles, with the intention of increasing the use of biodiesel fuel for their fleets.

More information is available from Fleet Services and the TTC.

Reserved Transit Lanes
The City is exploring the merits and viability of reserving a road lane for public transit. Studies and environmental assessments are being carried out for reserved transit lanes on Yonge Street, Finch Avenue to Steeles, and St. Clair Avenue. An environmental assessment was completed in 2005 for existing bus lanes between Downsview Station to York University.

Making the public transit system a more attractive transportation option is a high priority for the Toronto Transit Commission.

Further information about reserved transit lanes is available from Transportation Services.

Electric Vehicles
The City of Toronto is looking at ways to incorporate electric vehicles (EV) into its sustainable transportation plan. Before we can adopt this new technology, there are a variety of things to consider – from the number and location of charging stations, to the impact on our electricity grid and the need for EV-friendly policies, such as priority parking at City-owned lots.

The goal is to propose a strategy to City Council in 2011. Learn more on our efforts to date.

Share your thoughts on things we should consider and learn more on our efforts to date, including ways we are working to green our own fleet of vehicles and encouraging others to follow suit.

Help shape the future of electric vehicles
The City of Toronto is investigating ways to fit electric vehicles (EV) into its sustainable transportation plan with the goal of proposing an EV strategy to City Council in 2011. Share your thoughts on things we should consider and learn more on our efforts to date.

The City is investigating ways to advance the use of electric vehicles in Toronto. Learn more on our efforts to date.

Vehicle Idling
Contaminants from vehicle exhaust are major contributors to deteriorating air quality in Toronto.

The City of Toronto's Idling Control Bylaw is intended to discourage the unnecessary idling of cars, trucks and buses in the city in order to help combat air pollution. The bylaw limits idling to no more than three minutes in a 60-minute period (with exceptions during extremely hot or cold weather).

The City is working in collaboration with the Toronto Police Service to enforce the bylaw, though the emphasis is on public awareness and general support for voluntary compliance. The City (with help from the media) continues to provide general education about the effects of unnecessary vehicle idling.

Remember to turn off your engine if you are stopping for more than 10 seconds, except in traffic. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting your engine. Help make Toronto idle-free!

Green Fleet Transition Plan
The City's Green Fleet Transition Plan, adopted in 2004, is a strategy to reduce emissions from the City's fleet of vehicles.

The plan calls for the replacement of old vehicles with biodiesel, hybrid electric and natural gas powered cars and trucks - a process that has already begun at the City of Toronto.

In 2005, Fleet Services entered into a partnership with a private-sector company and the federal government to develop a hybrid hydraulic garbage packer for Toronto's fleet of packer trucks.

More information about the Green Fleet Transition Plan is available from Fleet Services.

FleetWise Program
The Toronto Atmospheric Fund's FleetWise program supports projects that further the development and use of hybrid electric and all-electric vehicles in Toronto. The primary focus of this program is on government and corporate fleets.

As part of the FleetWise program, funding has been provided for several pilot projects that will test the performance of hybrid and electric vehicle technologies in a variety of fleet applications.

Better Transportation Partnership
The Better Transportation Partnership (BTP), a public private partnership in Toronto, was created to reduce smog emissions. Participants seek out new and emerging transportation technologies such as low and zero emission vehicles and other commercially viable opportunities.

The BTP has assisted in the purchase of about 70 light-duty natural gas vehicles for the City of Toronto's fleet.

More information is available by visiting the Energy Efficiency Office.

Better Transportation Expo
The Better Transportation Expo was a free public exhibition showcasing low emissions vehicles, technologies and related information. The intent was to raise public awareness and influence decisions on purchases of private and fleet vehicles to help reduce harmful emissions that contribute to climate change and smog.

The most recent Better Transportation Expo was held in the centre of Toronto's financial district.

The City's Energy Efficiency Office can provide more information.

Clean Roads to Clean Air Program
Road dust is a major source of fine particulate matter in the air. The City of Toronto intends to replace worn-out street sweepers with more advanced street sweepers capable of removing and containing more than 90 per cent of the fine road dust from road surfaces.

In addition to benefiting air quality in the vicinity of city streets, the new equipment will reduce the amount of fine road dust washed down catch-basins into the sewer system.

More information about the Clean Roads to Clean Air Program is available from Transportation Services.

Reducing Road Salt
Transportation Services created a Salt Management Plan to manage the use of salt on roads for safety purposes in winter conditions. The result is a significant reduction in the amount of salt used on city roads and sidewalks.

A recent innovation involves the mixing of salt with water to create a salt brine solution that is applied to roads either as a liquid or mixed with granular salt. The City's use of salt brine returns the roadway to normal driving conditions quickly and is better for the environment than solid salt because it uses less salt.

In addition, the City has upgraded its equipment, improved its use of weather forecasting information, and provided more training for staff who manage salt resources.

Further information is available from Transportation Services.