ActiveTO Major Road Closures this weekend
Toronto weekend road closures make room for thousands of people to enjoy physical activity
TORONTO, ON, June 18, 2020 — Mayor John Tory announced that data shows ActiveTO major road closures are making room for people to be physically active along Toronto’s busiest and most popular trails. Each weekend, these closures make space for residents to be outside, physically active and practise physical distancing while enhancing their overall wellbeing.
The following ActiveTO Major Road closures that will be in place this weekend, from Saturday, June 20 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, June 21 at 11 p.m. include:
- Lake Shore Boulevard West (eastbound lanes only) from Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road. As a result, the eastbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp to Lake Shore Boulevard West (exit #146) will also be closed
- Lake Shore Boulevard East (eastbound lanes only) from Leslie Street to just south of Woodbine Avenue (Kew Beach Avenue)
- Bayview Avenue from Front Street East to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue
Motorists should note that this weekend, from 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5:59 a.m., Monday, June 22, there will also be a partial intersection closure of Lake Shore Boulevard East and Sherbourne Street for construction so crews can safely remove and replace sections of the Gardiner Expressway above as part of the work to rehabilitate the Gardiner Expressway from Jarvis Street to Cherry Street. During this work, there will be no access to northbound Sherbourne Street from eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard East or southbound Sherbourne Street from westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East.
ActiveTO major road closures are installed adjacent to City trails to make space for people, alleviate weekend crowding, and ensure there is room to be physically active and support physical distancing.
The ActiveTO program has proven to be an overwhelming success based on verified data collected by City staff from Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24, the first weekend that all of the closures (Lake Shore Boulevard West and East, as well as Bayview Avenue) were put in place. The data confirmed that the routes are a very popular option for people walking, running and on bikes who need space along Toronto’s busiest trails.
The peak counts from Saturday, May 23 are below.
- 21,000 people on bikes and 4,400 pedestrians on Lake Shore Boulevard West at Ontario Drive
- 5,000 people on bikes and 5,400 pedestrians on Lake Shore Boulevard East, east of Coxwell Avenue
- 4,700 people on bikes and 1,000 pedestrians on Bayview Avenue, north of River Street. Plus 3,400 people on bikes and 750 pedestrians on the adjacent Don Valley Trail
These counts were completed over eight hours (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) on both days of the weekend. On this particular weekend, counts on Sunday, May 24 were slightly lower and came in about 75 per cent of Saturday counts.
The numbers for both Lake Shore Boulevard West and East include the roadway closure, as well as the adjacent Martin Goodman Trail and/or boardwalk:
In terms of this weekend’s closures, as usual, vehicle access on these sections of major roads will not be permitted to allow for walking, running and cycling. These closures will continue on a trial basis and will be adjusted as required. The City actively manages traffic during these closures through signal timing adjustments on adjacent routes and roadway signage to alert drivers. Motorists who normally travel these roads on weekends should plan alternate routes. Those expecting to use the major road closures to walk, run or cycle should access them as a pedestrian or by bike, since nearby parking is limited and site parking is not provided.
Toronto has a robust trail and cycling network, near and around neighbourhoods throughout the city, that residents are encouraged to use every day to be physically active while respecting physical distancing.
A cycling network map, including multi-use trails, is available at toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation/cycling-in-toronto/cycling-google-map/.
Walking and hiking trails are available at toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/recreation/walking-hiking/trails/.
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