Thistletown Streets Plan

Project Area

The project area is located between Kipling Avenue to the west, and bounded by Humber River to the north, south and east.

Public Consultation

Public and interest group opinions, along with technical and policy considerations, are used to inform City staff recommendations and decisions to be made by City Council. Public Consultation took place over two phases.

• Phase 1 (April to June 2025): presented background information and consulted the community on issues commonly experienced in the neighbourhood and ideas for actions and changes.
• Phase 2 (March to April 2026): consulted the community on proposed short-term actions (one to two years) which can be made using temporary, flexible materials like signs, paint, and bollards, and will identify longer-term changes which can be accomplished alongside future programmed road work.

Phase 2:

View the public consultation materials and Public Consultation Report summarizing all activities and feedback received:

• Consultation Summary Report
• Information Panels
• Roll Plan, Panorama Court
• Roll Plan, Rowntree Road, Option 1
• Roll Plan, Rowntree Road, Option 2

Phase 1: Complete

View the public event materials and Public Consultation Report summarizing all activities and feedback received:

• Public Consultation Report
• Information Panels

While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this page. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings or any other content, please contact us at 416-808-2300 or email thistletownstreets@toronto.ca.

Background

Neighbourhood Streets Plans (NSPs) service neighbourhoods where traffic and travel patterns challenge the safety and mobility of people using the streets. Through the NSP process, a team of City staff work with communities to identify local issues and opportunities, prioritize the greatest needs, and recommend changes to traffic operations and street designs. NSPs consider the needs of all road users and emphasize the safety of vulnerable road users such as seniors, school children, and people walking and cycling.

Each year dozens of nominations are received and five neighbourhoods are prioritized to participate in the program.

Thistletown was nominated for a Neighbourhood Streets Plan (NSP) by the Ward 1 Councillor in the 2024 NSP program cycle. Details of the nomination process can be found on the Neighbourhood Streets Plan web page.

Process

NSPs follow several steps outlined below, and public consultation takes place in two stages.

• Step 1: Public consultation on local issues & ideas
• Step 2: Develop actions & changes to address issues
• Step 3: Public consultation on proposed actions & changes
• Step 4: Finalize plan for approval by Community Council
• Step 5: Implement short-term actions *we are here*
• Step 6: Monitor, evaluate, and update community on future changes

Neighbourhood Streets Plans result in short-term actions which can be made using temporary, flexible materials like signs, asphalt, paint, and bollards, and identify longer term changes which can be accomplished alongside future programmed road work.

The outcomes of each NSP are different based on local conditions and the needs of each neighbourhood. Generally, NSPs recommend actions related to motor vehicle speed and volume management, and traffic safety conflicts on local streets. NSP recommendations are informed by the City’s Traffic Calming Guide, Vision Zero Action Plan, and Complete Streets Guidelines.

Approved Changes: Excessive Speeding

Etobicoke York Community Council has approved installation of speed humps to address excessive speeding at the following locations:

• Alhart Drive, between Calstock Drive and Thistle Down Boulevard
• Amaron Avenue, between Taysham Crescent and Monterrey Drive
• Bankfield Drive, between Albion Road and Calstock Drive
• Barkwin Drive, between Islington Avenue and Thistle Down Boulevard
• Benstrow Avenue, between Albion Road and Amaron Avenue
• Calstock Drive, between Albion Road and Alhart Drive
• Felan Crescent, near 44 Felan Crescent and Sangan Road
• Gibson Avenue, between Barker Avenue and Sanderson Road
• Harlow Crescent, entire street
• Lakeland Drive, between Kipling Avenue and Lightwood Drive
• Monterrey Drive, between Taysham Crescent and Beaumonde Heights Drive (east connection)
• Panorama Court, entire street
• Riverdale Drive, between Albion Road and Barker Avenue
• Taysham Crescent, near 118 Taysham Crescent and Beaumonde Heights Drive
• Wardlaw Crescent, between Islington Avenue and Barkwin Drive

Etobicoke York Community Council has approved installation of a raised intersection to improve safety for people accessing Albion Garden Park by increasing visibility for pedestrians and encouraging drivers to approach and travel through the intersection at lower speeds, at:

• Intersection of Barkwin Drive and Batawa Crescent

Approved Changes: Safety Near Schools

Etobicoke York Community Council has approved the following changes to address safety near schools:

• U-turn prohibition to improve safety for students on Monterrey Drive

• Curb Extensions at existing pedestrian crossings: to enhance visibility of pedestrians at or approaching the crossing and shorten crossing distances for pedestrians​, at:
  • Intersection of Thistle Down Boulevard and Monterrey Drive
  • Intersection of Thistle Down Boulevard and Judhaven Road

Additionally, speed humps have been approved for Calstock Drive and Monterrey Drive to respond to excessive speeding. See the section on Excessive Speeding for more details.

Approved Changes: Improvements to Active Transportation

Etobicoke York Community Council has approved the following changes to active transportation:

• New crosswalk markings at intersections with all-way stop signs to improve pedestrian safety, at:
  • Amaron Avenue and Benstrow Avenue
  • Monterrey Drive and Taysham Crescent
  • Monterrey Drive and Waltham Drive
  • Barkwin Drive and Batawa Crescent
  • Barker Avenue and Riverdale Drive
• Relocation of the TTC bus stop at the intersection of Islington Avenue and Finch Avenue West from south to north corner of Finch Avenue West to improve accessibility for transit users

Approved Changes: Safety Improvements and New Bikeways on Panorama Court and Rowntree Road

City Council has approved the following improvemetns to active transportation on Panorama Court and Rowntree Road:

Panorama Court

• Road design that discourages speeding (including speed humps and reducing lane widths to City’s standard)
• New two-way bikeway on north side of street, physically separated from the motor vehicle lane with a concrete barrier
• Consolidate parking onto south side of street with a total of 38 spaces​.
• Potential removal of 6 to 8 small trees, that would be replaced with three times as many new ones
• No change to number of motor vehicle lanes

Rowntree Road

• Convert the northeast side of the median to the two-way bikeway with new plantings that support stormwater management
• Move both motor vehicle lanes on the southwest side of the median​
• Road design that discourages speeding (such as reducing lane widths to City’s standard)
• Potential removal of 6 to 8 small trees, that would be replaced with three times as many new ones
• No change to number of motor vehicle lanes

Approved Change: All-way Stop Control

Etobicoke York Community Council has approved the installation of an all-way compulsory stop control at:

• Intersection of Bankfield Drive and Alhart Drive

Islington Avenue and Albion Road Intersection Improvements

Residents have raised concerns about safety at and around the intersection of Islington Avenue and Albion Road.

The City is planning road resurfacing projects on both Islington Avenue and Albion Road in the next 5+ years. Public feedback shared in Phase 1 of Thistletown Streets Plan will help inform this work and potential changes could include removing right turn channels, installing mountable curbs, and tightening the curb radii.