News Release
November 25, 2022
Today, the City of Toronto released the most recent data from the ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Pilot, which saw the installation of cafés, bikeways and other streetscape improvements on Yonge Street, between Bloor Street and Davisville Avenue.
The pilot provides support for local businesses and surrounding communities by expanding outdoor patio areas, improving safety and comfort for all road users, and providing a safe and protected bike lane along the Line 1 subway.
The ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Pilot data released today shows that:
- Vehicle travel times during the weekday p.m. peak period in September were 70 seconds longer for northbound traffic compared to pre-pandemic travel times in the fall of 2019. This brings the average travel time on Yonge Street, between Bloor Street and Davisville Avenue, to 9.8 minutes for northbound traffic during the p.m. peak period. Average weekday travel time changes across all other times of day were less than one minute (plus/minus) when compared to pre-pandemic travel.
- Vehicle travel times during the midday weekend period were 78 seconds longer for northbound traffic and 11 seconds longer for southbound traffic in September compared to pre-pandemic levels.
- No spillover travel time impacts have been observed on the parallel corridors of Avenue and Mount Pleasant Roads.
- Daily vehicle volumes on Yonge Street have changed by plus/minus eight per cent in August compared to May 2021 before the Complete Street Pilot was installed. Vehicle volumes along Yonge Street in August ranged from 7,200 vehicles at Bloor Street to 17,200 vehicles at Davisville Avenue.
- Daily cycling volumes on Yonge Street were between 45 and 162 per cent higher in August compared to daily cycling volumes observed pre-pilot in May 2021, when adjusting for weather and seasonality. At the busiest part of the pilot corridor at Macpherson/Rowanwood Avenues, the number of people cycling increased from 600 in May 2021 to 1,570 in August.
- Daily pedestrian volumes on Yonge Street were between 34 and 142 per cent higher in August compared to daily pedestrian volumes observed pre-pilot in May 2021. This increase is largely impacted by seasonal changes in pedestrian activity, in addition to pedestrian behaviour shifts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
- While city-wide Toronto Fire Services emergency response travel times increased by 43 seconds in 2022 compared to the same period in 2019, the increase in the pilot area during that same period was 48 seconds, five seconds more than the city-wide increase.
- While city-wide Toronto Paramedic Services emergency response travel times increased by 113 seconds in 2022 compared to the same period in 2019, due to increased Paramedic in-hospital times, the increase in emergency response travel times in the pilot area was 38 seconds less than the city-wide increase.
- The City will continue to monitor multi-modal volumes and vehicle travel times throughout the pilot and will identify and implement opportunities for improvements, where possible.
This set of data is available on the ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street dashboard.
Toronto City Council approved the installation of the temporary ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Pilot in April 2021, as part of the City’s Pandemic Mobility Recovery Strategy. In April of this year, City Council approved extending the pilot on a provisional basis to enable further monitoring, consultation, and evaluation. The City’s Transportation Services division is expected to report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee and City Council on additional data, evaluation and future recommendations.
Community consultation has taken place before and during the pilot, with local businesses, four Business Improvements Areas, several neighbourhood associations and area residents. Community feedback will be considered before making a recommendation to City Council on whether the pilot should be made permanent.
More information is available on the ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Pilot webpage.
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