Danforth Avenue Complete Street and Planning Study
The City of Toronto is undertaking a Complete Street and Planning Study of Danforth Avenue, one of the most recognizable and major avenues in the City.
The full study area will span a six kilometre stretch of Danforth Ave. between Broadview Avenue and Victoria Park Ave. Within that stretch, there will be three types of studies undertaken including:
- Complete street study (Broadview Avenue to Victoria Park Ave.) to examine the roadway width and review options for a complete street design and the potential for on-street protected bike lanes in order to improve road safety.
- Economic and retail study (Broadview Avenue to Victoria Park Ave.) to provide an understanding of the economic environment of the area and issues faced by retailers along Danforth Ave in order to support and promote economic vitality.
- Planning study (Broadview Avenue to Coxwell Avenue) to identify future city-building opportunities, guide new development, and enhance the public realm and quality of place.
The Danforth Study is bringing together a complete street study, an economic and retail study and a planning study through a comprehensive and coordinated public engagement process. An important part of our process includes obtaining feedback from the community in order to ensure that all voices are heard and all ideas and recommendations are considered.
All of our Community Meetings (unless otherwise indicated) will be held at Monarch Park Collegiate Institute, 1 Hanson Street.
Meeting Dates
Open House (Community Meeting #2) – Monday, January 27th, 2020
Drop by our open house to provide your input on Complete Streets, the Planning Study and the Economic Analysis and Retail Study. Drop-in any time between 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Community Meeting #1 – Thursday, November 7, 2019
The public open house will include a brief presentation about the study followed by interactive group discussion. Feedback from the community will help to shape the scope of this study.
The Complete Street Study will be undertaken within the entire study area from the Broadview to Victoria Park Avenue. It will involve a detailed examination of the right-of-way and a feasibility design study to review traffic, parking, and other impacts specific to determining a complete streets design, including the potential for on-street cycling facilities along Danforth Avenue.
An economic and retail study will be undertaken to provide an understanding of the economic environment and issues faced by retailers along the Danforth, along with an origin and destination survey.
The second segment of the Planning Study will be undertaken within the area between the Broadview and Coxwell Avenue in order to conduct a planning review and analysis to inform the development of the planning framework that identifies future city-building opportunities, guides new development, and enhances the public realm and quality of place.
Study Purpose
The Danforth Study will bring together the following elements through a comprehensive and coordinated process.
- A complete street study, the examination of the roadway width and curbside uses (i.e. parking and loading/unloading) and review options for a complete street design and the potential for on-street protected bike lanes.
- An economic and retail study to provide an understanding of the economic environment and issues faced by retailers along the Danforth.
- A planning study to identify future city-building opportunities, guide new development, and enhance the public realm and quality of place.
This is a joint initiative between three City divisions – Transportation Services, Economic Development and Culture, and City Planning.
The study area comprises of Danforth Avenue and the properties fronting onto the street between Broadview Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue. Danforth Avenue is a key east-west thoroughfare and primarily characterized by low-rise (two to three storey) mixed-use buildings. The street passes through active commercial and mixed use areas and consists of two travel lanes on each direction. Danforth Avenue is identified as an Avenue in the Toronto Official Plan and is designated as a Major Arterial in the City of Toronto Road Classification System.
Coxwell Avenue to Victoria Park Avenue – City-Initiated Official Plan Amendment – Final Report
City Council directed the General Manager, Transportation Services and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in cooperation with Economic Development and Culture, to initiate a Comprehensive Complete Street Study of the Danforth corridor in 2019 with a focus on Danforth Avenue as a “complete street” with a vibrant commercial sector, and include a consultation process that involves a broad range of stakeholders such as Business Improvement Areas, resident and cycling groups, and include any necessary resources in the Transportation Services Division 2019 budget submission for consideration in the 2019 budget process.
Final Report – 2359 Danforth Avenue – Zoning Amendment Application
On July 8, 2014, City Council adopted a motion to request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to undertake a planning study of Danforth Avenue (the Study) in two segments, from the Don River to Coxwell Avenue and from Coxwell Avenue to Victoria Park Avenue.
The first segment of this study (phase 1) examined Danforth Avenue from Coxwell Avenue to Victoria Park Avenue and was completed by Council’s adoption of the Official Plan Amendment and associated Urban Design Guidelines, in July 2018 and July 2019, respectively.
The second segment of this study will examine Danforth Avenue from the Don River to Coxwell Avenue, and is an inter-divisional initiative by City Planning, Transportation Services and Economic Development & Culture. The study involves an assessment of the existing character, heritage resources and character-defining features of Danforth Avenue, built form, public realm, traffic conditions, retail vitality, community services and facilities with the context of various surrounding neighbourhoods.
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