Prohibition of Standing and/or Stopping - Bremner Boulevard,
Between Rees Street and Lower Simcoe Street (Downtown)
The Toronto Community Council recommends the adoption of the following report
(March 3, 1998) from the Director, Infrastructure Planning and Transportation, City
Works Services:
Purpose:
This proposal is intended to deter unlawful parking and/or stopping on this section of the street
while maintaining an area where motorists or buses may load/unload passengers, consistent with
the development approval conditions for Phase 1 of the CN Tower expansion project.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
Not applicable
Recommendations:
(1) That the parking prohibition on both sides of Bremner Boulevard from Rees Street to
York Street be adjusted to apply from Lower Simcoe Street to York Street;
(2) That stopping be prohibited at anytime:
(i) on the north side of Bremner Boulevard from Rees Street to a point 130.0 metres
east;
(ii) on the north side of Bremner Boulevard from a point 208.0 metres east of Rees
Street to Lower Simcoe Street;
(iii) on the south side of Bremner Boulevard from Rees Street to Lower Simcoe Street;
(3) That standing be prohibited at anytime on the north side of Bremner Boulevard from a
point 130.0 metres east of Rees Street to a point 78.0 metres further east; and
(4) That the appropriate City Officials be requested to take whatever action is necessary to
give effect to the foregoing, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that are
required.
Comments:
Following from the former City Council's approval at its meeting of September 23 and 24, 1997
of CN Tower's development application to expand the uses at the base of the Tower (Clause 2 in
Land Use Committee Report No. 14), project consultants for CN Tower have contacted staff of
City Works Services with a request to delineate an interim area on the north side of Bremner
Boulevard near the entrance to CN Tower where tour buses may legally stop to pick-up and
drop-off passengers. Implementation of the consultant's request would, in effect, create an
interim bus drop-off/pick-up facility for the initial stage of the expansion, consistent with
elements of the CN Tower Phase 1 Agreement, Section 3.3, Charter Bus Management Strategy,
secured in conjunction with the approval process (It is noted that Phase 2 of the Tower base
expansion includes construction of an on-site bus loading/unloading facility, at which time the
proposed on-street operation would be removed).
In conjunction with the proposal to implement an interim bus drop-off/pick-up area on Bremner
Boulevard, the Charter Bus Management Strategy also requires the owner to, among other things,
ensure bus activity to/from the Tower is pre-scheduled and confirmed, designate a staff member
to co-ordinate charter bus activities, implement a communications system between the Tower
and off-site bus parking areas, and monitor and report on these measures between 6 and 12
months following the opening of the Phase 1 development. Provision of these measures is
intended to ensure that the proposed on-street bus activity occurs in a safe and efficient manner.
Parking is currently prohibited at anytime on both sides of Bremner Boulevard between Rees
Street and York Street. However, several site inspections over the past six months have revealed
that motor coaches, private automobiles and taxicabs frequently park on both sides of this street
disregarding the signed parking prohibition. This situation is exacerbated when events occur
nearby at SkyDome and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC).
Lay-bys located on the north side of Bremner Boulevard in front of the Skydome and a horseshoe
driveway at the MTCC resolve many loading issues at these venues. Nevertheless, the illegal
parking situation on Bremner Boulevard and the loading/unloading requirements at the CN
Tower, could be addressed by rescinding the current parking prohibition on both sides of
Bremner Boulevard between Rees Street and Lower Simcoe Street and replacing it with a more
stringent stopping prohibition on the south side of the street and segmented stopping and
standing prohibitions on the north side of the street as noted in my recommendations above.
Under the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act, if this proposal is implemented, vehicles would
be permitted to stop momentarily while actually engaged in boarding or discharging passengers
in the area prohibited to standing (about 78 metres in length) but no vehicle would be permitted
to park or stand while waiting for passengers in this area. In conjunction with the installation of
official "No Standing Anytime" signs, tabs would be added to each sign indicating "Passenger
Pick-up/Drop-off Only" and markings would be applied to the road surface and to the curb to
enhance motorists' compliance with this regulation. As noted, this operation is intended to
address an interim condition for the Tower, and should be removed when on-site bus facilities
are constructed as part of the Phase 2 expansion.
Ward Councillors Olivia Chow and Kyle Rae have been advised of this matter.
Contact Name and Telephone Number:
Ron Hamilton, 392-1806.