1 June 1999

To:North York Community Council

From:Roberto Stopnicki,

Director, Transportation Services - District 3

Re:Closure of Leona Drive - South of Sheppard Avenue East

North York Centre South

Purpose:

To close a section of Leona Drive temporarily to through traffic in order to reduce the impact on the stable residential area from traffic associated with the detours implemented for the Sheppard Subway construction.

Funding Sources:

All costs are to be borne by the Toronto Transit Commission-Sheppard Subway project.

Recommendations:

1.By enactment of a confirmatory By-law adopting this report, Leona Drive, at a point 20 metres south of Sheppard Avenue East, be temporarily closed to through traffic for a 40 month period beginning July 12, 1999;

2.During the temporary closure, there shall be no use of the closed road for vehicle traffic except under the authority of a permit issued by the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services; and

3.Staff of the Transportation and Technical Services Divisions of the Works and Emergency Services Department be requested to submit within the temporary closure period a detailed report for the future permanent closure of Leona Drive, as was identified in the Addendum to the Environmental Study Report for the Downtown Plan, South of Sheppard Avenue.

Discussion:

The former City of North York implemented a number of operational changes along Sheppard Avenue West to reduce traffic infiltration to the adjacent residential communities during the construction period of the tail track for the Sheppard Subway. These changes included the temporary closure of the north and south roads which intersected with Sheppard Avenue West and were outside of the North York Centre. In a similar manner, the Toronto Transit Commission has requested the closing of Leona Drive south of Sheppard Avenue East as a sequence of traffic detours are implemented during the construction of the Yonge Station on the Sheppard line.

The actual temporary closure of Leona Drive will occur concurrently with the removal of subway construction equipment on the centre lane of Sheppard Avenue East, to ensure that local access to the community can take place through Bonnington Place.

While the action at this time is to accommodate the Sheppard Subway construction, this temporary closure should be considered the first step of the permanent closure. On November 12, the Minister of the Environment advised the City that he had denied the 'bump-up' requests to the Addendum of the "Environmental Study Report for the Downtown Plan, South of Sheppard Avenue". Consequently, the City was approved to proceed with the permanent road closure as identified in the Addendum to the Environmental Study Report.

The location, design and community consultation of those resident most directly effected with the permanent closure will be the subject of a subsequent report to address the funding.

Contact Name:

Allen Pinkerton, Manager, Traffic Operations - District 3

395-7463 (telephone)

395-7482 (facsimile)

ajpinker@city.north-york.on.ca (e-mail)

Roberto Stopnicki,

Director of Transportation Services - District 3

AJP:bcb

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