The City completed the St. Clair Avenue West Transportation Master Plan (TMP) in August 2019. Following a Part II Order request sent to the Minister of Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP), MECP replied in August 2020 to inform the City that the request was not related to a potentially adverse impact on constitutionally protected Aboriginal or treaty rights and that the request has been terminated.
City Staff are developing an implementation strategy, including timing and completion of detailed engineering designs, property acquisition and timing for construction. Construction timing is dependent on the availability of funding, property acquisition, completion of detailed engineering designs and receipt of planning approvals and permits. The TMP recommendations are expected to be implemented over a period of six to nine years:
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The TMP follows Ontario’s Environmental Assessment (EA) program which promotes good environmental planning by determining and managing the potential effects of a project prior to implementation. The EA program ensures that public concerns are heard, and balances economic, social, cultural and natural environmental needs so that projects benefit Ontario. This is an approved approach to satisfying requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act specifically tailored to municipal infrastructure. The process includes identifying the problem or opportunity to be addressed, developing and evaluating a range of alternative solutions, providing opportunities for public input and identifying a preferred solution.
The TMP used a list of criteria to evaluate solutions and consider: cost, improvements for all modes of travel, impact to the natural, socio-economic and cultural environments, and property impacts. The Project Team completed detailed evaluations of all potential solutions including study of:
The TMP follows the Multi-Use Trail Design Guidelines, the upcoming On-Street Bikeway Design Guidelines, and Complete Streets guidelines with improvements designed for the safety of all road users including people who walk, bicycle, take transit or drive, and people of varying ages and ability.
Following the Council-approved Cycling Network Plan, and planned improvements to the West Toronto Railpath, the TMP recommends:
The City has worked closely with Metrolinx to coordinate SmartTrack station planning, the GO Transit Expansion Program and the TMP recommended improvements. All of the recommended infrastructure improvements have been developed with regard for the future planned St. Clair-Old Weston SmartTrack station and the need to provide improved accessibility to the station from the surrounding transportation network.
The TMP study demonstrates that with the recommended improvements the majority of vehicles will use St. Clair Avenue West between Keele Street and Old Weston Road, as well as the new Gunns Road, Keele Street and Davenport Road extensions. Some nearby local roads will see a small increase in traffic.The City will monitor conditions to help determine whether traffic mitigation is necessary once all the improvements are operational.
During construction road users should expect delays and increased traffic on nearby streets. Efforts will be made to manage traffic in the area for the safety of workers, road users and residents. Some of these efforts may include adding local access signs and revising traffic signal times. In order to complete the work in a safe manner, there may be road and sidewalk restrictions within the construction work zone. Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times. The contractor will notify residents and businesses of any temporary restrictions to driveway access. If a property has two entrances, one entrance will be kept open at all times.
The City has the legal authority to undertake municipal projects on publicly-owned land without paying compensation to adjacent property owners, provided the work is carried out reasonably, prudently and without negligence.
The City used a variety of public consultation activities to share information and invite residents and stakeholder groups to comment during the study. Key points of contact have included the first public meeting held on December 2, 2015, and a second round of public events held in June of 2018. Information on the project was also available at public meetings for the future SmartTrack/GO stations held in February 2016, October 2017 and March 2018. Throughout the TMP the Project Team engaged in regular communications with agencies and Indigenous Communities ensuring all project information was conveyed at key project milestones and that opportunity was provided to discuss feedback, concerns, and potential impacts.
The TMP recommends infrastructure improvements that have the highest impact to improve transportation options and connectivity for all modes of travel in the study area. Construction of all of the recommended infrastructure improvements requires the acquisition of property not owned by the City. Some of the impacts involve the acquisition of only a small portion of a property, while others require the acquisition of an easement that will allow the use of private property during construction or other specific purposes such as maintaining retaining walls. In other cases, it will be necessary to acquire the entire limits of a property to implement the recommended infrastructure. All potentially impacted property owners were sent letters by registered mail. If you received a letter but have not yet met with the City, you are encouraged to contact City staff as soon as possible.
Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Notice of Study Completion Issued: July 4, 2019
This report summarizes Stage 2 public consultation activities and feedback received between April and July 2018.
This report summarizes Stage 1 public consultation activities and feedback received between November to December 2015.
In 2012, City Council directed staff to carry out an Environmental Assessment (EA) Study to investigate solutions to traffic congestion concerns on St Clair Avenue West around Keele Street and Old Weston Road.
A Transportation Master Plan (TMP) study commenced in summer 2015 to meet Environmental Assessment (EA) requirements. A notice of commencement was issued on September 10, 2015.