City Council has approved the installation of cycling facilities on Scarborough Golf Club Road between Ellesmere Road and Kingston Road. A copy of the staff report is available at IE 3.8

In 2024-2025, Scarborough Golf Club Road from Ellesmere Road to Lawrence Avenue is planned to be reconstructed due to the poor condition of the road. Road reconstructions only happen every 50-100 years, so this is an important opportunity to make changes to the design of the road to improve operations and safety.

As part of this project, the City of Toronto is proposing to implement cycling and other road safety features on Scarborough Golf Club Road between Lawrence Avenue and Kingston Road.

Proposed changes would:

  • Improve safety for all road users
  • Form new cycling connections
  • Implement green infrastructure and improve the pedestrian realm

Project Location

Map of study area on Scarborough Golf Club Road from Ellesmere Road to Lawrence Avenue East. If you require more information and/or clarifications, please call Dominic Cobran at 416-338-2986.

The project area is divided into three segments. Different changes are proposed for each segment:

A. Ellesmere Road to Lawrence Avenue East- Road reconstruction is planned for this segment between 2024-2025, using a complete street  approach.

B. Lawrence Avenue East to Confederation Drive– Improvements are proposed for this segment using a ‘quick-build’ method. Quick build projects involve making changes to the design of a road through the installation of new pavement markings and pre-fabricated materials, rather than road reconstruction.

C. Confederation Drive to Kingston Road– Improvements are proposed for this segment using a ‘quick-build’ method.

The proposed changes and design features are being employed through a complete street lens and include intersection  improvements for safety and accessibility for all users, new cycle tracks and addition of green infrastructure. Many of these features were discussed and supported by the public in phase 1 of consultations.

Segment A- Ellesmere Road to Lawrence Avenue East  

Road reconstruction is planned for this segment. Proposed changes include:

  • Corner radii reductions to reduce vehicle turning speed and improve safety for pedestrians and people cycling
  • New pedestrian crossings
  • Posted speed reduction
  • New green infrastructure to capture water and increase green space
  • Accessible transit stops
  • One-way cycle tracks on both sides of the road
  • Protected intersections
  • Reducing the number of motor vehicle lanes so that the road is generally one motor vehicle lane in each direction. Existing left turn lanes will be maintained.
  • Providing one side of street parking, rather than allowing parking on both sides of the street.

Additional changes under consideration are:

  • Raised intersections at cross streets
  • Protected intersections at major intersections, including Ellesmere Road, Brimorton Drive and Lawrence Avenue East

The photo shows the two prospective changes being considered. The first image proposes changes to the roadway without parking and the second proposes changes to include parking

 

Segment B- Lawrence Avenue East to Confederation Drive

Proposed changes to Segment B include:

  • Painted corner radii reductions to reduce vehicle turning speed and improve safety for pedestrians and people cycling
  • One-way cycle tracks on both sides of the road with painted buffers and precast curb stones with bollards
  • Reducing the number of motor vehicle lanes in some sections so that the road is consistently one motor vehicle lane in each direction
  • Providing one side of street parking, rather than allowing parking on both sides of the street.

the photo shows the proposed change to the roadway, including parking on one side.

 

Segment C- Confederation Drive to Kingston Road

Bike facilities are proposed to be installed in this segment to provide a safer option for people cycling and reduce conflicts with all road users. There are two design options being considered:

Option 1: Painted one-way bike lanes installed at street-level on both sides of the street

Option 2: A protected/separated two-way cycle track installed on the west side of the street

Both options would involve the removal of street parking from this segment of the road.

The photo highlights two proposed options for the roadway in segment c, including painted one-way bike lanes or protected two-way cycle tracks

The City of Toronto is consulting with the public on Scarborough Golf Club Road and proposing changes to ensure the road reconstruction incorporates public feedback and aligns with City adopt policies.

There are a number of City policies that support making changes to the street including TransformTO, the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and the Cycling Network Plan.

Toronto’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan is a comprehensive action plan focused on reducing traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto’s streets. The Plan prioritizes the safety of our most vulnerable road users across seven emphasis areas through a range of extensive, proactive, targeted and data driven initiatives.

Since 2010, 15 people have been killed or seriously injured along Scarborough Golf Club Road:

  • While using Scarborough Golf Club Road between Ellesmere Ave and Lawrence Avenue
    • 2 pedestrians were seriously injured
    • 6 people driving were seriously injured
    • 1 person driving was killed
  • Between Lawrence Avenue East and Kingston Road
    • 2 pedestrians were killed
    • 1 pedestrian was seriously injured
    • 3 people driving were seriously injured

Travel speeds along the corridor pose significant safety concerns:

  • 70-80+% of people driving exceed the posted speed of 40 km/h to 50 km/h
  • 1 in 6 people driving are travelling 60-65+ km/h
  • 1 in 20 people driving are travelling 70-75+ km/h

The City’s Cycling Network Plan’s goals are to connect gaps in the city’s current cycling network, to grow the cycling network by providing cycling opportunities in new areas of the city and to renew existing cycling network routes where quality can be improved.

The City is proposing the addition of cycle tracks on Scarborough Golf Club Road, as proposed in the Cycling Network Plan, as they would connect to several existing unlinked bikeways and trails, including:

  • Brimorton Bike Lanes: existing cycle lanes run from Scarborough Golf Club Road in the west to Brimley Road.
  • Ellesmere Road Multi-Use Trail: an existing trail connects to Scarborough Golf Club Road at its northern end, and another bikeway will be added to a section of this trail heading east.
  • Gatineau Trail: an existing multi-use trail within the Gatineau Hydro Corridor, connects to Scarborough Golf Club Road just south of Ellesmere Road and then running north to Ellesmere Road.

Consultation Report Complete

The comment period for this consultation has closed. The Public Consultation Report summarizes feedback received.

Public Drop-In Event

The Public Drop-In Event was held on February 6, 2023 at the Golf Road Junior Public School to provide an opportunity to view project information panels and speak with members of the project team one-on-one.

Feedback

  • (Update: the survey is now closed)  project survey

Consultation Materials

Phase 1 Consultation

In Phase 1 the public and stakeholders were invited to provide feedback on priorities for safety on Scarborough Golf Club Road. A virtual public meeting was held on February 10, 2022, and an online feedback survey was used to gather comments.

Decisions on changes to Scarborough Golf Club Road will be made by considering public input, City policies and programs, and technical requirements.

Following public and stakeholder consultation, and subject to approval from City Council, installation is proposed to begin in 2024-2025*

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