July 2024 Update: On June 27, City Council approved the installation of complete street features on Avenue Road, including cycle tracks from Bloor Street West to Davenport Road (Item 2024-IE14.4), and site-specific pedestrian safety improvements from Davenport Road to Dupont Street (Item 2024-TE14.38). Installation of changes from Bloor Street West to Davenport Road will begin in mid-July (Installation Notice). The remainder of the changes are expected to be installed in fall 2024 and a separate notice will be mailed in advance.
The Avenue Road Study is identifying opportunities to improve safety, mobility, and streetscape to better serve all road users on the street segment between Bloor Street West and St. Clair Avenue West.
The Study is taking into consideration the impact of potential changes on the city-wide road network and adjacent local streets.
Full reconstruction of Avenue Road is currently forecasted to take place more than ten years from now. In consultation with the community, the Study is determining what interim improvements can be made.
At its June 26-28th meeting, City Council approved, with amendments, the installation of road safety improvements on Avenue Road between Bloor Street West and Dupont Street. You can review the staff reports and final decisions below:
Between Bloor Street West and Davenport Road, changes include:
Between Davenport Road and Dupont Street, changes include:
City Council did not approve the recommended physical median on Avenue Road between Roxborough Street West and Dupont Street. The median will not be installed.
Installation Timelines
At City Council, staff were granted delegated authority to make minor adjustments to by-laws for up to 18 months after installation. The streamlined process enables Transportation Services to make minor adjustments to constructed conditions without delay. Minor adjustments to Avenue Road would only be considered if they respond to Councillor and public feedback or improve safety conditions. For example, the streamlined process would allow Transportation Services to alter the extents of the parking areas to improve sight-lines, add loading areas to facilitate business activities, or implement street-level pedestrian spaces where parking is no longer required. This process supports Transportation Services’ ability to be responsive to community feedback and implement minor changes in a timely manner.
Monitoring
Following implementation, staff will monitor travel patterns and traffic behaviours on Avenue Road and surrounding neighbourhood streets. The one-year update would share findings from the monitoring plan. City Council requested staff to conduct traffic counts and observations on local streets, identify and recommend actions to mitigate neighbourhood traffic infiltration, where appropriate, and publish data and updates on the project webpage.
Next Steps
A final Avenue Road Study report will be presented at a future meeting of Infrastructure and Environment Committee to provide recommendations on the long-term vision for Avenue Road and near-term plan for the segment between Dupont Street and St. Clair Avenue West.
City Council directed staff to undertake the Avenue Road Study to identify opportunities to improve safety, mobility and streetscape to better serve all road users.
The current conditions of Avenue Road:
The Study advances the goals of Toronto’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, TransformTO, Complete Streets Guidelines, and Road to Health: Healthy Toronto by Design.
The Study is premised on the understanding that full reconstruction of Avenue Road is not scheduled in the City’s Ten-Year Capital Plan for major roadwork. Full road reconstructions typically only take place every 50 years. The study identified feasible actions that could be delivered in advance of full reconstruction, in the near-term (the next 1-5 years). Additionally, the study will identify a vision for the future of the roadway that can guide reconstruction, when it is scheduled. The use of near-term, ‘quick-build’ measures will also allow staff to observe the impact on travel times, motor vehicle speeds and overall safety and make improvements to the design where necessary.
Sidewalk reconstruction is typically bundled with road reconstruction work for efficiency and to reduce impacts to residents. Widening sidewalks on Avenue Road would require moving the curbs and would impact the underground infrastructure and utilities. For this reason, the City would explore sidewalk widening when Avenue Road is scheduled to undergo a full reconstruction. Avenue Road is not scheduled for reconstruction within the next ten years.
The study identified near-term actions that could be implemented in the next 1-5 years to increase space, comfort and protection for pedestrians and encourage compliance with the speed limit. This includes provision of pedestrian space in the existing curb lanes where feasible.
The long-term scenarios for Avenue Road would involve widening sidewalks to meet or exceed the City standard of 2.1 metres.
Avenue Road’s current road design reflects legacy standards, including narrow sidewalks widths, no designated cycling facilities and a wide roadway that encourages speeding.
The current configuration predates the Complete Streets Guidelines which aim to design streets for people, place-making and prosperity and serve many roles, functions, and users. The Avenue Road Study recommends a lane reduction from six to four, and additional turning lanes at intersections, where feasible.
Reallocating road space to other uses would improve safety conditions for all road users, specifically pedestrians and people cycling, and would encourage compliance with the regulatory speed limit. Lane reduction could be completed in advance of road reconstruction.
A feasibility assessment was undertaken to study the operational impacts of reallocating road space to accommodate complete street design elements that improve mobility options and road user safety. Network modeling and intersection testing was conducted in the study area to support the feasibility assessment and identify potential mitigation measures. Traffic studies collected between 2021 and 2023 were used as a baseline for vehicle volume modelling.
Network modeling compared the existing conditions on Avenue Road (six lanes) and Yonge Street (two lanes) and speed limit of 50 km/h against an alternative scenario for reducing the number of motor vehicle lanes on Avenue Road to four, and speed limit of 40 km/h.
Network modelling indicated:
Intersection testing was completed using the Synchro modelling software. This allowed Transportation Services to understand block-by-block operational needs and constraints along the length of Avenue Road and inform designs that aim to reduce traffic infiltration on local streets. Intersection testing indicated an acceptable level of service for motor vehicle traffic.
The Complete Streets Guidelines aim to design streets for people, place-making and prosperity and to serve a multitude of roles, functions and users. Complete streets elements, like those proposed and approved on Avenue Road, improve the experience for vulnerable road users like pedestrians.
Pedestrian Space: designated pedestrian facilities at road level
Cycle Tracks: bikeways that are separated from vehicle traffic by concrete curbs, planter boxes, bollards, or parked cars
Curb Extensions: localized road narrowings for short sections where pavement width is reduced by extending the curb into the roadway
Loading/Buffer Zones: designated space for loading and unloading activities
Staff are developing a monitoring plan to track travel patterns and traffic behaviours on Avenue Road and surrounding neighbourhood streets. City Council requested staff to conduct traffic counts and observations on local streets, identify and recommend actions to mitigate neighbourhood traffic infiltration, where appropriate, and publish data and updates on the project webpage.
Through the monitoring plan staff will track:
Feedback gathered through the two phases of consultation and meetings with community groups, along with technical considerations and City policies and guidelines, have informed the proposed design. Key design changes based on public and community feedback include:
Complete street features, including a cycle track between Bloor Street West and Davenport Road, will be installed in July 2024. Localized pedestrian safety improvements between Davenport Road and Dupont Street are targeted for installation in fall 2024.
The study area is Avenue Road from Bloor Street West on the south to St. Clair Avenue West on the north.
A complete street redesign for Avenue Road from Bloor Street West to Davenport Road is being implemented based on traffic analysis, corridor conditions, and public feedback to improve comfort and safety for all road users, particularly for pedestrians and people cycling. The protected cycle tracks on Avenue Road will provide an alternative north-south cycling connection during expected TTC construction of a new subway station at Bloor/Yonge, and provides connections to existing bikeways on Davenport Road, Bloor Street West and Queen’s Park/University Avenue.
Key changes are summarized below.
Need assistance? While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this page. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings, or any other content, please contact us at 416-392-9510 or AvenueRoadStudy@toronto.ca
Key changes:
City Council did not approve the recommended physical median on Avenue Road between Roxborough Street West and Dupont Street. The median will not be installed.
This segment is now proceeding to a detailed design phase, with installation targeted for fall 2024. A detailed map of forthcoming changes will be shared as designs progress.
At City Council, staff were granted delegated authority to make minor adjustments to by-laws for up to 18 months after installation. The streamlined process enables Transportation Services to make minor adjustments to constructed conditions without delay. Minor adjustments to Avenue Road would only be considered if they respond to Councillor and public feedback or improve safety conditions. For example, the streamlined process would allow Transportation Services to alter the extents of the parking areas to improve sight-lines, add loading areas to facilitate business activities, or implement street-level pedestrian spaces where parking is no longer required. This process supports Transportation Services’ ability to be responsive to community feedback and implement minor changes in a timely manner.
A final Avenue Road Study report will be presented at a future Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting to provide recommendations on the long-term vision, and near-term plan for the segment of Avenue Road between Dupont Street and St. Clair Avenue West. A range of options are being considered to improve safety, mobility choices and streetscape.
Review background material and section-by-section maps with detailed information about initial proposed actions:
All proposed improvements were assessed through an evaluation process that considered the extent to which each solution addresses safety concerns, advances the City’s goals and policies, impacts the neighbourhood and the road network, as well as availability of resources.
Need assistance? While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this page. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings, or any other content, please contact us at 416-392-9510 or AvenueRoadStudy@toronto.ca
Phase Two of consultation on the Avenue Road Study took place in fall 2023. This phase of consultation asked for road user and community member input on the potential near-term actions and long-term vision for Avenue Road.
A survey was available from October 5 to November 2, 2023. A stakeholder meeting was held on September 18, 2023 for groups representing organizations and businesses along the study corridor. A public drop-in event was held on Thursday, October 19, 2023 from 4 to 8 pm at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church at 230 St. Clair Avenue West. Participants could review study materials and leave feedback with staff.
Following consultation, a summary of what was heard was shared as part of the consultation report to support an assessment of all potential actions. The Study will conclude with staff reports to City Council for final decisions. Next steps on implementation will be determined by availability of funding, resources, and the City’s competing priorities.
Phase One of public consultation took place in spring 2022. The purpose of Phase One was to verify concerns and priorities previously raised for Avenue Road from St Clair Avenue to Bloor Street, and to identify concerns and priorities not previously captured. Phase One involved gathering public input for the study area through an online survey. Responses from the survey will inform the development of potential improvement options for Avenue Road that best serve all road users with the space available. The Phase One Public Consultation Report summarizes public feedback received during the consultation period.
The most common concerns identified by survey respondents are the high speed of traffic, insufficient space on sidewalks, lack of bikeways, and the insufficient buffer space between pedestrians and vehicles, indicating an overall concern for safety. The most frequently identified changes that survey respondents would like to see are increased sidewalk widths, reduced vehicle speed limits, and the introduction of cycling facilities.
Other frequently mentioned concerns and priorities for the corridor include noise levels related to speeding, the need to maintain traffic flow to and from the downtown core, and concerns about impacts to the corridor and the neighbourhood if changes are implemented on both Avenue Road and Yonge Street.
Over the years, Councillors and City staff have heard concerns from local residents about road user safety, the speed of motor vehicle traffic, lack of space for pedestrians, and lack of bikeways along Avenue Road. In 2019, City Council directed staff to undertake the Avenue Road Study to address safety and mobility concerns. (Item 2019.TE5.81)
In 2020, City Council authorized an acceleration of new cycling projects as a pandemic response. Avenue Road between Bloor Street and Davenport Road was considered and recommended to be implemented after a construction work zone on the east side north of Cumberland Street had been removed. In 2021, City Council included Avenue Road as a corridor under study for bikeways in the 2022-2024 Cycling Network Plan.
Council motions related to this study include:
If you are interested in being notified of project milestones and public consultation opportunities, sign up for the email list by contacting AvenueRoadStudy@toronto.ca.