In early November, the City will extend the existing cycle tracks on Willowdale Avenue further south to Maplehurst Avenue. See Willowdale Avenue Cycle Tracks for more details.
The project area is Sheppard Avenue East, from Bonnington Place to Leslie Street, and Willowdale Avenue, from Empress Avenue to Sheppard Avenue.
Improvements will be implemented in three stages:
Sheppard Avenue East is in need of road resurfacing and reconstruction due to the poor condition of the road. In Toronto, roads are resurfaced every 25 to 35 years and reconstructed every 50-100 years presenting a unique once-in-a-generation or lifetime opportunity for the City to improve the design of the street with consideration to updated policies and design guidelines, as well as future needs of the community.
The primary focus of road resurfacing and reconstruction is to repair or replace damaged sections of the road, curb, and sidewalk which have deteriorated over time. This project includes options to improve safety and operations at intersections, install new cycle tracks, widen sidewalks, and where possible include new trees and green infrastructure. The extension of the Willowdale Avenue cycle track will be combined with this work. The City is focused on improving the transportation experience for people walking, cycling, taking transit and driving, and meeting the City’s road safety and climate targets.
The proposed road safety and cycling improvements on Sheppard Avenue East and Willowdale Avenue are informed by the following policies and guidelines:
The Cycling Network Plan identifies the entire length of Sheppard Avenue as a designated Major City-Wide Cycling Route. Major City-Wide Cycling Routes are significant corridors that cross Toronto from east to west and north to south, where high-quality bikeways are planned to create a connected network.
The part of a street that is not used for vehicle travel, and is between the roadway and the sidewalk.
The strip of land between the lanes of opposing traffic on a divided roadway.
The location of transit stops is generally guided by the safety and comfort of transit users, spacing between stops and nearby intersections and land uses.
Reduced curb radii reduce pedestrian crossing distances and encourage lower motor vehicle speeds.
These allow large vehicles to navigate the curb without striking fixed objects or other road users, while creating slower turns for smaller vehicles.
Vertically separated from motor vehicle traffic, and may be at the level of the adjacent sidewalk or combined with a parking lane or other barrier from the roadway.
Cycle tracks are physically separated from motor vehicle traffic by curbs or bollards, but at the same level as the road.
A protected intersection is a design where the bikeway remains separated, where enhanced measures mitigate the conflict between people cycling, people walking and drivers turning
Green infrastructure allows for runoff water from the street to be naturally filtered and slowed down before entering the sewer system
The City is resurfacing the road on Sheppard Avenue East, from Bonnington Place to Bayview Avenue. The resurfacing involves replacing the asphalt surface within existing curbs and provides an opportunity to improve safety and operations.
Updated project schedule: 2023
What you can expect:
The proposed design was discussed at the Infrastructure and Environment Committee (IEC) on April 6 and 7, 2022. A copy of the approved projects can be viewed under IEC agenda item IE28.7.
The City is scheduled to reconstruct the road on Sheppard Avenue East, from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street, in 2023-2024. Road reconstruction involves removing and replacing both the asphalt surface of the road and the concrete road base, as well as curb and sidewalk where they exist. Reconstruction provides additional opportunities to implement safety and operation improvements.
What you can expect:
In early November 2022, the City will extend the existing Willowdale Avenue cycle tracks, which are located between Bishop Avenue to Empress Avenue, further south to just north of Sheppard Avenue East. Residents can expect new pavement markings and changes to parking on Willowdale Avenue and on some side streets.
The changes will include:
The cycling, pedestrian and road safety upgrades on Willowdale Avenue are coordinated with Sheppard Avenue East Road Resurfacing.
During installation, the City’s contractors will complete the following work:
Precast curbs and flexible posts (bollards) will be added to the painted buffers at a later date.
Parking in the active work zone is not permitted due to space requirements for construction equipment and materials. If your parked vehicle affects installation, it will be relocated at no charge to the owner. If your vehicle is moved, please contact parking control for its location at 416-808-2222. Changes to the parking by-laws will be signed.
Noisy work will be limited to daytime hours as much as possible. Weekday work will take place mostly in the off-peak hours/evenings to limit traffic disruptions.
In order to complete the work in a safe manner, there will be temporary partial lane closures within the installation work zone.
The contractor will notify you of any temporary restrictions to your driveway access. If your property has two entrances, one entrance will be kept open at all times.
Turns through the work zone will be restricted and signed.
Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times.
TTC buses will continue to operate.
If travelling on Willowdale Avenue, please share the traffic lane in the active work zones.
In an effort to reduce ticketing due to construction, the City encourages communities with construction to be patient as neighbours may need to temporarily relocate vehicles. If enforcement is called, enforcement must issue a yellow parking violation notice (ticket). If you receive a yellow notice during this construction work, do the following within 15 days of the notice date:
Please follow your normal routine. If required, the contractor will move bins to an appropriate location and return them. Please ensure that you label your bins with your address.
The City’s contractor must ensure safe and accessible walkways and entryways are maintained for everyone during installation. Any temporary access disruptions will be communicated as soon as possible. If you experience a disruption, have a specific access need or related accommodation request, please inform David Dunn, Project Manager, at Dave.Dunn@toronto.ca or 416-392-8985.
During construction, the contractor is responsible for the Health & Safety on site under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and is expected to implement COVID-19 mitigation practices. For more information on the City’s response to COVID-19 please visit toronto.ca/covid-19.
There are times when contractors need to communicate with homeowners about what is happening on-site. This could be about driveway access or site restoration work. The contractor’s staff will be identifiable by their high-visibility clothing and will follow relevant COVID protocols. If you need to speak with staff on site, please ask for the Site Inspector and respect public health directions for reducing the spread of COVID-19.
During Phase 1 consultation, feedback was received on three project segments:
A Virtual Public Meeting was held on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Information was shared on all three project segments, followed by an opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions.
Phase 2 public consultation for road reconstruction, Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street, is expected in 2023.
During Phase 2 consultation, the City will present the preferred designs for Sheppard Avenue East, from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street, based on feedback received during phase one consultation, and a review of City policies and engineering technical requirements.
There will be an opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the preferred designs measured against project goals and objectives, well as provide open comments.
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