City of Toronto: Get involved

This site was last updated on December 28, 2012

Update – December 28, 2012
The John Street Corridor Environmental Assessment Study has been approved by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Detailed design will be proceeding in 2013, based on the recommended concept illustrated in the final report. An implementation schedule has not yet been developed.

Update – May 8, 2012
Notice of Completion has been published and the Environmental Study Report is now available for a 30-day public review period ending June 11, 2012. See notice and complete report below

Update – February 6, 2012
The John Street study has been completed and resulted in the following Recommended Design:

The narrowing of the road pavement in order to provide significantly wider sidewalks and boulevard areas as follows:
- From four to three lanes between Front Street and Wellington Street;
- From four to two lanes between Wellington Street and Adelaide Street;
- From three lanes to two lanes between Adelaide Street and Queen Street;
Exclusive right turning lanes northbound at Adelaide Street West and at Wellington Street West and a southbound left turn lane at Wellington Street West in order to maintain an adequate level of traffic service;
A continuous "mountable" curb on both sides of the street to enable a seamless transition into a pedestrian-only space for events, for vehicles to mount the flexible boulevard for deliveries or drop-offs, and to accommodate additional vehicular and cycling manoeuvring on either side of the road in emergencies;
The widening of the east side boulevard between Front Street West and Stephanie Street to provide a 2.5 metre wide flexible space (defined by bollards) to accommodate deliveries and, when not used for vehicular loading/unloading, for pedestrians; and
The provision of urban design elements which consist of a double row of trees where feasible, removable bollards, infrastructure to support special events and distinctive paving materials and patterns.

The City of Toronto’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC) will be considering the outcome of the study at its February 15, 2012 meeting. Members of the public are welcome to attend the PWIC meeting and address the Committee by making a deputation (Have Your Say!)

Update – July, 2011
Memo summarizing cycling data for John Street (PDF).

To be kept up to date on this project, please sign up for the project's e-mail list.

The Purpose
The Scope
Map
Construction
Heritage
Institutions
Policies and Other Projects
Get Involved
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Us

John Street runs between Front Street West and Stephanie Street. It is an important destination for residents and visitors alike. The street and its extended corridor (from Grange Park to the Waterfront) links many of Toronto’s cultural landmarks. The area has been identified as a Cultural Corridor by the City, and is seen as the centrepiece of the Entertainment District.

The “public realm” of John Street itself – between the property lines or building faces on each side – does not have a unique and inviting character that a Cultural Corridor needs now and in the future.

photos

Improvements to the public realm are currently being evaluated through a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) processs. The City of Toronto, in partnership with the Entertainment District Bushiness Improvement Area, is leading this exciting revitalization.

Notice of Commencement (PDF)

Purpose
TThe purpose of this project is to evaluate potential improvements to the public realm along the John Street Corridor consistent with concepts outlined in the Toronto Entertainment District Master Plan, and to recommend which improvements will best meet the needs of the street now and in the future.

photos

Scope
The EA will consider public realm improvements and reconfigurations of John Street from Front to Stephanie. The first step will be to evaluate and decide what type of street would best meet the needs of the corridor. Should the street accommodate all modes of transportation, or focus on one or two? How wide should the street be? Is a conventional street best in this case, or would a more unique pedestrian mall or shared street be better?

Once a preferred street cross-section alternative is identified and confirmed, the next steps will be to develop and evaluate options for accommodating streetscape improvements to the public realm within the preferred cross-section.

Public engagement is an important part of this project. Input from local businesses and residents will help the project team to evaluate which type of street would be best and will also inform the design team that will work on the more detailed elements. See the Get Involved section below for more information about how to participate.

Map

View John Streetscape in a larger map

Construction
While construction on John Street has not been considered in the City’s capital works plan, John Street Corridor improvements have been identified as a priority by City Council.

Heritage
John Street has been an important destination for Torontonians for over 200 years. In the early part of the 19th Century, John Street was already home to major institutions and upper class residences. Industries and manufacturing dotted the area throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, aided by the proximity to major rail lines. More recently, historic buildings and vacant land alike have been redeveloped and a vibrant mixed-use community has developed with a focus on entertainment and media.

photos

Institutions
Many cultural institutions and attractions line the John Street Corridor. Some of these are:

Policies and Other Projects

Get Involved

Second Public Open House
The second public meeting for the project was held on June 16, 2011. This meeting gave the public the chance to review the evaluation of various alternative designs for John Street and provide feedback on them.

Notice (PDF)

Materials presented:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Comment Sheet

All comments received by July 7 will be considered by the Project Team in finalizing the project's recommendations and Environmental Study Report. You may use the comment sheet above, or put your answers and comments into an e-mail and send it to JohnSt@toronto.ca.

First Public Open House
The first public meeting for the John Street Corridor Improvements EA was held on June 17, 2010. It was a chance for the public to see how John Street may be transformed into various street types. All comments received by June 30 have been considered by the project team.

Notice (PDF)

Materials presented:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (PDF)
Comment Sheet (PDF)

If you'd like to be notified directly of these and other opportunities for getting involved, please sign up for the project's e-mail list.

Frequently Asked Questions
A list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions has been prepared and is available here.

Notice of Completion
March 5, 2012, City Council authorized staff to issue a Notice of Completion and to file the Environmental Study Report (ESR) for the John Street Corridor Improvements Class Environmental Assessment Study. In accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment the Notice of Completion was issued in the Metro News on May 9 and 11, 2012.

View the Notice of Completion

The ESR is available for public review and formal comment starting May 9, 2012and ending June 11, 2012.You are invited to download the ESR files below or view a printed version of the documents in one of two locations:

Toronto Entertainment District BIA Office
100 Simcoe St., Suite 110,
Tel.: 416-926-1337
City Clerk's Office
City Hall, 12th fl., West tower
100 Queen Street West
Tel: 416-392-8016

Please call to confirm hours of operation.

Environmental Study Report (ESR)
The Environmental Study Report (ESR) documents the planning and decision making process followed in this study, including consultation practices, which has been followed to arrive at the preferred solution. The ESR also sets out the mitigating measures proposed to avoid or minimize environmental impacts.

Below are PDF copies of the complete ESR. Please note, some files are large in size (e.g. 6 MB) and may take a few minutes to download, depending on your Internet connection.

Copies of display materials from the two open houses are available above in the "Get Involved" section.

Contact Us
If you have any comments or concerns regarding this study, please contact:

Jason Diceman
Senior Public Consultation Coordinator
JohnSt@toronto.ca
Tel: 416.338-2830
Fax: 416.392-2974

All Media enquiries should be directed to:

Steve Johnston
Senior Communications Coordinator
Email: sjohnsto@toronto.ca
Tel: 416-392-4391