June 2023 Update: City Council has approved the installation of the Sheppard Avenue East Complete Street, including road safety improvements, cycle tracks, and public realm upgrades on Sheppard Avenue East between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street. A copy of the staff report is available at IE4.3.
The City of Toronto is planning changes to Sheppard Avenue East from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street. These changes aim to improve safety for people driving, cycling, walking, and taking transit.
In June 2023, the City of Toronto notified residents of planned resurfacing of Sheppard Avenue East from Bonnington Place to Bayview Avenue, along with installing cycle tracks on both sides of Sheppard Avenue East, which will require the removal of the centre turn lane between Kenneth Avenue and Wilfred Avenue.
Due to delays encountered with the tender and award process, this project has been deferred to Spring 2024.
The second phase of consultation focused on opportunities associated with road reconstruction on Sheppard Avenue East from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street as part of the Sheppard Avenue East Complete Street.
A Public Drop-In Event was held on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall.
The first phase of consultation took place from November 2021 to January 2022 to collect public feedback on preferred designs.
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.
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The City of Toronto is planning changes on this section of Sheppard Avenue East because:
The following changes are planned along Sheppard Avenue East from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street:
Planned changes in this segment include:
Planned changes in this segment include:
Planned changes in this segment include:
Planned changes in this segment include:
City Council approved the installation of the Sheppard Avenue East Complete Street, including road safety improvements, cycle tracks, and public realm upgrades on Sheppard Avenue East between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street, in June 2023. Road reconstruction is planned for 2024-2025.
The project area for the first phase of consultation was 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:
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.
In November 2022, the City extended the existing Willowdale Avenue cycle tracks, which are located between Bishop Avenue to Empress Avenue, further south to just north of Sheppard Avenue East.
The changes include:
The cycling, pedestrian and road safety upgrades on Willowdale Avenue are coordinated with Sheppard Avenue East Road Resurfacing.
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
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 planned 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.
City Council authorized the installation of Sheppard-Willowdale Road Resurfacing Opportunities in April 2022. A copy of the staff report is available under Infrastructure and Environment Committee (IEC) agenda item IE28.7.
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