Leaside Neighbourhood Transportation Plan

November 2023: Status Report Adopted by NYCC

On November 29, 2022, North York Community Council (NYCC) considered and adopted the Leaside Neighbourhood Transportation Plan status report. A copy of the staff report is available under NYCC agenda item NY1.9.

July 2022: Project Update

The City is performing traffic counts in Leaside to study the local traffic patterns and deepen the understanding of travel behaviours. Traffic counts will provide detailed information on vehicle volumes, speeds and preferred travel routes.

The City is also tracking feedback from the public through comments provided to 311, email, the public meeting and the local Councillor’s office. The traffic data and public input will inform the near- and long-term interventions to mitigate traffic issues.

Digital Mapping Tool

From July 18, 2022, to September 3, 2022, members of the public were able to locate areas of interest and concern using a digital mapping tool. A total of 257 unique respondents submitted 458 comments.

The most frequently identified concern was high motor vehicle volumes, followed by safety concerns at intersections and poor compliance to traffic controls.

Overall, the comments provided through the digital mapping tool identified:

• heavy congestion during peak travel hours
• aggressive driving and failure to obey speed limits, stop signs, turn restrictions and other bylaws
• the curving road design and presence of on-street parking and/other visual obstructions contribute poor sightlines, causing people driving and cycling to make wide turns with compromised visibility and/or risky merges into oncoming traffic
• need for better infrastructure for vulnerable road users, like sidewalks and bike lanes
• concerns related to the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown
• concerns related to residential development in the area and the impact on traffic and on-street parking conditions
• confusing and inconsistent parking bylaws

Materials

• View the comments
• Read the consultation report

Virtual Public Information Session

A public information session was held on February 9, 2022, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and attended by 189 participants.

The information session included a presentation on the LNTP objectives, challenges and opportunities, toolbox of strategies and study process. It was followed by an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on locations that would benefit from safety improvements for all road users.

Materials

• View the presentation
• Review the meeting report

Project Description

In response to a Community Council request (2019.NY9.12), staff have initiated a transportation study of Leaside.

Over the years, members of the Leaside community have expressed concerns about transportation conditions and road user behaviour to their local Councillor and City staff, including:

• cut-through traffic patterns
• speeding by motor vehicles
• the volume of motor vehicles on local roads
• non-compliance with traffic regulations
• road user safety
• atypical geometric design of intersections and road curves

Recent Improvements

Alongside the LNTP initiative, safety measures have recently been implemented in the Leaside area to improve conditions for road users, with a focus on those that are vulnerable:

• Speed limit reductions were implemented on all arterial, collector and local roads in the area.
• Four (4) School Safety Zones and six (6) Community Safety Zones have been designated to help reduce aggressive driving and speeding in areas where vulnerable road users are likely to be present.
• Pedestrian head start signals, also known as leading pedestrian intervals, have been added to five signalized intersections in the area.
• A curb radius reduction was implemented at the intersection of Bessborough Drive, Craig Crescent and Divadale Drive to increase visibility between all road users, reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians and reduce vehicle turning speeds.

Challenges & Opportunities

The LNTP study area has been impacted by changes associated with transit projects, development applications and planning studies. These projects and initiatives impact existing travel behaviours and will reshape the future conditions of the neighbourhood:

• the Eglinton Crosstown
• bikeway installation on Eglinton Avenue East and Millwood Road Safety Improvements (as identified in the Cycling Network Plan’s Near-Term Implementation Program)
• planning directions of the Ontario Line
• the Laird in Focus planning area
• proposed and potential development sites

Policies & Guidelines

The LNTP’s near-term and long-term plans must contribute to the City’s overarching transportation goals and Council directives. The LNTP will support the goals outlined in:

• Corporate Strategic Plan
• Official Plan
• Long-Term Vision, Plans & Strategies (i.e. Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, Complete Streets Guidelines, Green Streets Implementation Strategy and TransformTO)

Council Decisions

• November 29, 2022: Leaside Neighbourhood Transportation Plan Status Update (2023.NY1.9)
• June 28, 2022: Request for a Status Report on the Leaside Neighbourhood Transportation Plan (2022.NY33.61)
• October 10, 2019: Leaside Traffic Management Plan and Speed Limit Reduction (2019.NY9.12)
• August 12, 2014: Report Request – Proposed 30 km/h Road Speed Limit Throughout Leaside (2014.NY34.103)

Project Approach

The LNTP is using an evidence-based approach to identify potential improvements:

• Speed, volume and collision data are being analyzed to better understand areas of concern and opportunities for safety improvements.
• Site visits and observations are being completed by the project team to assess transportation infrastructure conditions (i.e. sightlines at intersections and pavement marking quality) and identify deficiencies.
• Public consultation is a key element of the project approach; engagement with area residents and stakeholders is being facilitated continuously throughout both phases of the project.

About the Leaside Neighbourhood Transportation Plan

Near-Term Plan (2023+)

The near-term plan is currently underway and is being informed by traffic data and public input.

Interventions that will be considered include:

• traffic calming (e.g. speed humps)
• traffic controls (e.g. all-way stops and pedestrian crosswalks)
• by-law changes (e.g. parking regulations)
• upgraded pavement markings (e.g. stop bars at intersections)

The next round of consultation for the near-term plan is targeted to take place in early 2023, with staff reporting to NYCC on the near-term recommendations in mid-2023.

Subject to NYCC approval, implementation of near-term improvements will be rolled out in phases. The timing of installation will be dependent on the availability of materials, funding and competing priorities.

Long-Term Plan (Future)

The long-term planning phase is contingent on the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown and bikeway installation on Eglinton Avenue East and will begin when these works are completed, and new travel patterns and neighbourhood conditions can be assessed.

Interventions that may be considered include:

• traffic diversions
• bikeways
• road narrowing
• other interventions typically delivered as part of road reconstruction