Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension

Project Update: Installation of Phase 1, Runnymede Road to Aberfoyle Crescent

The following documents are the final roll plans for Phase 1 of the Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension. The legend for the roll plans can be found below.

Please note that the roll plans are large files and may take time to load. In addition, the roll plans are not accessibility compliant – if you require assistance please contact us.

• Segment A: Runnymede Road to Jane Street 
• Segment B: South Kingsway to Brule Terrace 
• Segment C: Riverside Drive to Old Mill Terrace 
• Segment D: Old Mill Terrace to Kings Lynn Road 
• Segment E: Prince Edward Drive to Royal York Road 
• Segment F: Cliveden Avenue to Lothian Avenue 

Legend: 

Monitoring and Evaluation

The City monitors and reports on its Complete Street projects in ways that are specific to each project context and users. Additionally, it takes time for people to adjust their travel habits to the changes along the Bloor Street West corridor.

For the Bloor West Complete Street Extension, and within the first year following the installation, the City will:

• Observe new travel behaviour along the corridor;
• Conduct new traffic, speeding and travel time counts on Bloor Street West;
• Monitor traffic volumes on nearby streets, including, but not limited to: Beresford Avenue, Colbeck Street, Edgemore Drive, Glenroy Avenue, Greenview Boulevard, Jackson Avenue, King Georges Road, Leland Avenue, Meadowvale Drive, Morningside Avenue, Riverside Drive, The Kingsway, Traymore Crescent, Wendover Road and Willingdon Boulevard;
• Work with partners to report on any changes in emergency response times;
• Conduct counts of people cycling;
• Proceed with upgrades and adjustment such as traffic signal infrastructure and signal timing; changing pavement markings, curbs and bollards; and rebuilding some sidewalks and curb extensions to better meet project goals; and,
• Continue to collect, record and respond to public feedback.

After the first year of installation, City staff will analyze the monitoring data; a monitoring and evaluation update will be posted to the project webpage when data analysis is complete.

Traffic Study

The traffic study summarizes the vehicular traffic analysis; however, traffic studies are only one type of analysis that informs the design of Complete Street projects. Complete Street projects aim to balance the needs of different types of road users and to promote the safety of vulnerable road users, including people cycling and pedestrians.

In addition to vehicular traffic, other transportation modes are monitored in the traffic study. Monitoring data also includes information about the volume of pedestrians and people cycling.

• Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension Traffic Study Summary 2023

The purpose of the traffic study is to:

• Improve traffic operations and road user safety within the context of Complete Street objectives; and,
• Optimize traffic signal timing, including left/right turn arrows, green time, and improving flow from one traffic light to another.

Major considerations in the traffic study include:

• Reducing conflicts between drivers and vulnerable road users;
• Prioritizing the movement of TTC vehicles and reducing their delay entering and exiting stations; and,
• Balancing east-west travel demand with north-south travel demand to serve all road users as efficiently as possible.

Project Update: Installation of Phase 1, Runnymede Road to Aberfoyle Crescent

The City of Toronto is planning for installation of Phase 1 of the Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension between Runnymede Road and Aberfoyle Crescent to begin the week of September 11, 2023 (previously scheduled for August 21, 2023).

The initial installation will take several weeks, and involve a reconfiguration of roadway space. Residents and businesses can expect new pavement markings, the addition of physically separated cycle tracks, and signage denoting adjusted parking and loading limits as well as a speed limit reduction to 40 km/h. Over the coming months, additional changes to traffic signals, traffic signal timing and sidewalk improvements are planned.

• August 2023 Phase 1 Installation Notice 

Project Update: What was Changed in the Proposal After Consultation

In winter 2023, public and stakeholder consultation on the Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension project began to introduce the project and identify the different priorities and needs of businesses, members of the public, and other key stakeholders. This round of consultation identified a contrast between community members who are highly supportive of a complete streets approach and the proposed cycling facilities, and community members who have concerns about traffic congestion impacts with the proposed changes.

The project team has reviewed comments and identified actionable comments that can be incorporated into design or operational changes for this project. The following document provides a summary of comments that have been incorporated and provides information on the changes from what has previously been presented.

• June 2023 Project Update

Public Drop-In Events

Two public drop-in events were scheduled for this project. The same materials was available at both events. The Public Drop-In Events provided an opportunity to view the project information panels, speak with members of the project team one-on-one and provide feedback.

Materials

Project Panels:

• Bloor Street West Complete Street Public Drop-in Event Panels

Roll Plans:

Please note that the following roll plans are large files and may take time to load. In addition, the roll plans are not accessibility compliant – if you require assistance please contact us.

• Segments 1 and 2: Runnymede Road to Jane Street
• Segment 3: Please find details on the South Kingsway intersection on panels 27-30 of the Bloor Street West Complete Street Public Drop-in Event Panels
• Segment 4: Old Mill Drive to Riverside Drive 
• Segment 5: Riverside Drive to Old Mill Trail (Humber Creek Bridge)
• Segment 6 and 7: Old Mill Trail to Prince Edward Drive
• Segment 8: Prince Edward Drive to Royal York Road
• Segment 9: Royal York Road to Aberfoyle Crescent

Consultation Report:

• Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension Consultation Report 

Public Drop-in Event 1

Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Time: 6 – 8 p.m.
Location: Swansea Public School Gymnasium
Address: 207 Windermere Ave., M6S 3J9

Public Drop-in Event 2

Date: Thursday, April 13, 2023
Time: 6 – 8 p.m.
Location: Etobicoke Collegiate Institute Cafeteria
Address: 86 Montgomery Road, M9A 3N5

Business Deliveries Survey

To help inform the design of the project, the City is looking to understand the loading demands and requirements of businesses and buildings located on Bloor Street West within the project area (Runnymede Road to Resurrection Road). The City recognizes that spaces for loading and deliveries are critical for the operation of businesses and organizations.

Contact us to request a link or printed copy of the survey.

The following stop modifications were identified alongside TTC stakeholders, with consideration for the TTC surface stop spacing guidelines.

TTC bus routes 66 – Prince Edward and 300 – Bloor-Danforth Night Bus will be impacted by these changes.

The table below summarizes changes, including the removal of, relocation of, shifting of, or new stops, made to TTC bus stops along this section of Bloor Street West. All other stop locations will be maintained.

TTC Bus Stop Modifications:

Map of Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension project corridor. Phase 1, Runnymede Road to Aberfoyle Crescent, is planned to be installed in 2023 and Phase 2, Aberfoyle Crescent to Resurrection Road, is planned to be installed in 2024.

Summary of Changes: Runnymede Road to Aberfoyle Crescent

The following road safety improvements and complete street elements will be installed along Bloor Street West from Runnymede Road to Aberfoyle Crescent as part of phase 1. Phase 1 is planned to be installed in 2023.

• New cycle tracks with physical separation on both sides.
• One motor vehicle lane removed in each direction.
• Centre median maintained between Kingscourt Drive and Royal York Road, and a new painted median over the Humber River and the Mimico Creek bridges.
• Existing turn lanes at major intersections maintained between Prince Edward Drive and Aberfoyle Crescent.
• Centre lane or median converted to new, centre left-turn lane from Armadale Avenue to South Kingsway; Old Mill Drive to Riverside Drive; Old Mill Trail and Kingscourt Drive; and Royal York Road and Aberfoyle Crescent.
• Westbound bus lane and right-turn lane on the north side of Bloor Street West from Armadale Avenue to Jane Street.
• On-street parking retained on both sides of the street from Runnymede Road to Armadale Avenue, and in existing parking lay-bys from Armadale Avenue to Aberfoyle Crescent. In the summer, on-street parking can become cafés beside the sidewalk as part of the CaféTO program.
• One painted pedestrian lane on the south side between Kingscourt Drive and Prince Edward Drive to address the existing sidewalk gap before a permanent sidewalk can be built.

Summary of Changes: South Kingsway Intersection

The intersection of Bloor Street West, South Kingsway, Riverview Gardens and Mossom Road has been reviewed for ways to improve safety and optimize traffic flow. Phase 1, including these intersection improvements, is planned to be installed in 2023. As part of this phase of work, the following will be installed to increase safety:

• New cycle tracks and removal of one motor vehicle lane per direction on Bloor Street West.
• Close the eastern entrance of Mossom Road. Mossom Road would be converted to two-way travel to provide residential access. A new left-turn lane would be provided at Riverside Drive and the existing left-turn restriction from Bloor Street West would be removed.
• Extend the left-turn lanes for drivers turning from Bloor Street West onto South Kingsway and/or Jane Street.
• Add more green signal time for the busiest motor vehicle movements.

Summary of Proposed Changes: Aberfoyle Crescent to Resurrection Road

The following road safety improvements and complete street elements will be installed along Bloor Street West from Aberfoyle Crescent to Resurrection Road as part of phase 2. Phase 2 is planned to be installed in 2024.

• New cycle tracks with physical separation on both sides.
• One motor vehicle lane removed in the eastbound direction.
• Centre left-turn lane between Aberfoyle Crescent and Green Lanes.

Since 2016, protected bikeways have been installed in phases along Bloor St. In 2016, the Bloor Bike Lanes were installed as a pilot project from Avenue Road to Shaw Street. Following an evaluation of the pilot project, City Council approved a permanent installation of the cycle tracks in 2017. In fall 2019, the City carried out consultation on the Bloor West Bikeway Extension from Shaw Street to Runnymede Avenue. Cycle tracks were installed on this segment of Bloor Street West in 2020 and 2021.

The current Cycling Network Near-Term Implementation Program was adopted for 2022-2024, which includes The Bloor St W Complete Street Extension.