Today, Mayor John Tory announced that major weekend road closures, as part of the popular ActiveTO suite of programs, will be extended into October.
The popular weekend closures have provided space for thousands of people to be physically active, respect physical distancing and contributed to the overall wellbeing of residents. The routes run adjacent to some of Toronto’s busiest and most popular trails where people can walk, run and bike and have helped to reduce virus spread over the summer months.
There were a number of considerations that went into extending the program including recent changes in public health advice to limit contact and keep at least six feet apart from people you don’t live with, as much as possible as well as forecasted warm weather for the early part of month that encourages people to be outside more.
For this weekend, closures will be in place from Saturday, October 3 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, October 4 at 11 p.m.:
Parking lots at Sunnyside Park, Budapest Park and Sir Casimir Gzowski Park, along Lake Shore Boulevard West, 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.
Last week, the City announced data that showed an average of approximately 18,000 cyclists used the Lake Shore West closure on warm summer days.
Residents planning to use those roads should access them by bike or as a pedestrian because nearby parking is limited and there is no onsite parking available. ActiveTO weekend closure locations are subject to change based on nearby road restrictions and closures and other considerations.
The City of Toronto delivered at least one ActiveTO major road closure location on approximately 20 consecutive weekends from May to September.
City staff will report back in January 2021 on lessons learned from this year’s ActiveTO programs, including the impacts on traffic, and in consultation with residents and businesses, recommendations for modifications to the program for 2021.
More about ActiveTO, including Major Weekend Road Closures, is at toronto.ca/activeTO.
Major weekend road closure data from the summer was announced last week.
Quotes:
“Over the past few months, ActiveTO has given residents more space outside to walk, cycle and run along streets across the city. The program was such a success that we extended it past Labour Day and now we’ve worked with City staff to find a way to continue the program into October. I encourage residents to get outside and enjoy the ActiveTO routes again this weekend.”
– Mayor John Tory
“ActiveTO is a transformative initiative that has helped our city through the pandemic and beyond. It aligns with many city policies such as micro-mobility, addressing climate change, and keeping people safe. With this success in mind, it is prudent and responsible for the City to extend the program while looking at areas for improvement.”
– Councillor James Pasternak, York Centre (Ward 6), Chair of the Infrastructure & Environment Committee
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