Renewing Overlea Boulevard: What’s Proposed

Project Wide Changes

• Sidewalks are proposed to be widened to 2.1 meters, to make it easier to walk together, and to allow people with mobility devices to pass each other safely.
• New bikeways such as cycle tracks or multi-use trails are proposed to connect existing cycling routes in the area.
• Traffic signals would be coordinated and timed to enhance safety for everyone, while minimizing delay to buses, people driving, emergency vehicles and trucks.

Don Mills Road, Overlea Road and Gateway Boulevard Intersection

The City is looking at two options at the intersection of Don Mills Road & Overlea Road/Gateway Boulevard. The following changes are being proposed:

• Cycle tracks would be added with dedicated space for people cycling to cross and wait, with physical separation continued to the intersection
• Multi-use trail would be added southward along Don Mills Road to connect to the Lower Don Access Trail
• Safety enhancements would be added to all intersections, such as renewed pavement markings, prohibited vehicle turns, and signal timing that separates the movements of vulnerable road users from vehicles.

It is important to keep buses, trucks, car commuters and emergency services moving. There are two feasible options for moving vehicles through the intersection. Both options would maintain the same number of eastbound, northbound, and westbound lanes as exists today.

Option 1 – Southbound left turn maintained

Option 2 – Preferred – No southbound left movement

Options Summary

	Option 1 – Southbound left turn maintained	Option 2 – Southbound left turn replaced with other benefits
Safety	More conflicts between turning vehicles and vulnerable road users than Option 2	Fewer conflicts between turning vehicles and vulnerable road users than Option 1
Transit	More delay to eastbound TTC buses	Less delay to eastbound TTC buses than Option 1
Traffic	Worse vehicle operations overall than Option 2	Better vehicle operations overall than Option 1, but a new restriction banning southbound left turns would be added
Vehicle access to Gateway Blvd	Similar to today	Drivers from the north would be delayed by about 1 min by accessing the north intersection of Gateway Blvd and Don Mills Rd
Trees	Fewer trees planted; same number of trees preserved and removed than Option 2	More trees planted; same number of trees preserved and removed than Option 1

The City is recommending Option 2 because of safety, transit and overall traffic performance.

To learn more about what’s being proposed on Don Mills Road, Overlea Road and Gateway Boulevard intersection, watch the following video. Please note the video has closed captions in Urdu, Farsi, Tagalog, Gujarati and Arabic.

Overlea Bridge

Potential Signal on Overlea Boulevard, east of the bridge

A new traffic signal is being considered at the school driveways east of the Overlea Bridge. This involves reviewing counts of traffic and pedestrian crossings at this location, assessing traffic impacts, and receiving public feedback. A new signal could make it safer and easier for people walking and cycling to cross Overlea Boulevard. It could also make it easier and safer for people driving to enter and exit the school driveways.

Overlea Bridge Deck

With the planned replacement of the bridge deck, some widening of the bridge is possible. A total bridge width of 24.8 meters is proposed, maintaining the vehicle lanes, adding cycle tracks, and widening the sidewalks by 1 meter.

Two design options for the cycle track and sidewalk are being considered.

Options Summary 

	Option 1 – Buffer separation	Option 2 – Curb separation
Cycle track and sidewalk	At the same level	On different levels
Physical separation	Buffer	Curb
Feeling of the space for walking & cycling	Less constrained	More constrained
Space definition between people walking and cycling	Less	More
Sidewalk and cycle track width	Narrower	Wider

 

The City is recommending Option 2 because it would provide a more defined separation between the uses, slightly wider sidewalks and cycle tracks.

To learn more about what’s being proposed on Overlea Bridge, watch the following video. Please note the video has closed captions in Urdu, Farsi, Tagalog, Gujarati and Arabic.

West of Overlea Bridge to Thorncliffe Park Drive

In this section of Overlea Boulevard, both options will have the sidewalks widened and cycle tracks would connect to those on the bridge. Bus stops would be maintained and integrated into the boulevard.

Option 1 – Two rows of trees

Option 2 – Preferred – Three rows of trees

Options Summary 

	Option 1 – two rows of trees	Option 2 – three rows of trees
Green space	Two rows of trees and less total green space; less boulevard green space	Three rows of trees and more total green space; more boulevard green space
Median	Narrowed slightly	Narrowed significantly
Pedestrian comfort	Narrower buffer between pedestrians and vehicles	Wider buffer between pedestrians and vehicles
Cycling comfort	Less comfortable; slightly narrower; less space for turns at William Morgan Dr	More comfortable; slightly wider; more space for turns at William Morgan Dr
Bus stops	Small waiting area; smaller shelters	Larger waiting area; regular shelters
Cost and complexity	Higher	Lower

The City is recommending Option 2 because it would provide more overall green space, larger bus stops and provide greater comfort for people walking and cycling. Option 2 would also have lower cost and complexity of construction.

To learn more about what’s being proposed West of Overlea Bridge to Thorncliffe Park Drive, watch the following video. Please note the video has closed captions in Urdu, Farsi, Tagalog, Gujarati and Arabic.

Thorncliffe Park Drive East & Overlea Boulevard Intersection

In both options, all existing vehicle lanes would be maintained. Sidewalks would be widened. Cycle tracks would be included on all four legs. Right turns on red would be prohibited to improve the safety of people walking and cycling.

Option 1 – Similar corners to today

Option 2 – Safer corner design

A similar corner design, in Ottawa ON

Options Summary

	Option 1 –  Minor improvements to corner	Option 2 – Safer corner design
Safety	People walking and cycling would be more exposed to turning vehicles	People walking and cycling would be less exposed to turning vehicles
Vehicles	Worse operations than Option 2, especially for buses	Better operations for TTC buses and commuters than Option 1
Sidewalks	Less waiting space at the corner than Option 2	More waiting space at the corner than Option 1
Bus stops	Similar to Option 2	Similar to Option 1, but a larger bus stop and waiting area
Trees	Similar to Option 2, for the number of trees preserved, removed and planted	Similar to Option 1, for the number of trees preserved, removed and planted

The City is recommending Option 2 because of enhanced safety and, it would allow for larger bus stops and area for people walking and cycling, while maintaining the number of lanes for motor vehicles than Option 1.

To learn more about what’s being proposed on Thorncliffe Park Drive east & Overlea Boulevard intersection, watch the following video. Please note the video has closed captions in Urdu, Farsi, Tagalog, Gujarati and Arabic.