Traffic, Transit and Transportation

23 Parking Spaces on St. Helens Avenue [ADV]

Residents have contacted our office requesting we review a loading zone on St. Helens Avenue. Following these requests, I issued a review of the street, to identify new spaces for residents to park. The result of this study was that by switching parking to the west side of the street, we could secure 23additional parking spaces.

Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras [AM]

Speed limits are not a suggestion, they are the law, and it is far too common to see drivers risk their lives and the lives of others by speeding on our streets. To help change this culture, the City has received provincial approval to use Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras in community safety zones near schools. The City has been utilizing 50 cameras across the City (two per Ward), choosing locations based on traffic and speeding data. During their first two weeks of operation, ASEs around Toronto issued over 7,600 tickets. This is an important new program that I hope we can expand throughout the ward and city to create safer streets. In October, we will see the Ward 9 ASEs relocated to Laughton Avenue near Talbot Street and Ruskin Avenue west of Perth Avenue.

You can learn more about this program at Toronto.ca/ASE.

Bike Share 2020 Expansion [AM]
Bike Share has conducted their annual expansion, branching further north in our Ward and providing more stations in the highest use communities. In Ward 9, we have 9 new stations:

Bloor West Bikeway Expansion [AM]
The expansion of the Bloor West Bikeway is an important cycling route, connecting people from Runnymede Road into the heart of the city. While this project was originally scheduled for 2022, I worked with the City's cycling staff and my Councillor colleagues along the route to expedite the construction. This project is nearing completion and creates a safe, connected and separated bikeway. I want to thank the community and local businesses for their input through the extensive consultation processes to make sure local needs were taken into account.

Dovercourt Road Reconstruction [ES]
Work has begun on the reconstruction of Dovercourt Road, including the replacement of substandard watermains. This work is being completed in two phases, first from College Street to Dundas Street, then from Dundas Street to Queen Street. This work will be followed by road reconstruction including beautification and the installation of speed humps for traffic calming, as requested by the community during consultations last year. More information on this project can be found at Toronto.ca/Dovercourt.

Wallace Emerson Traffic Management Committee [ADV]
In 2019, I began discussions with residents in the Wallace Emerson community about traffic concernswhich had been expressed. In order to address these concerns, we created the Wallace Emerson Traffic Management Committee, which included local residents, Traffic Operations staff from the City and my office. Together, we looked at a wide range of options to make this community safer, including changing parking regulations, changing street directions and installing speed bumps. When we brought these ideas back to the community for their input, they received overwhelming support. With that support, I brought these recommendations forward at Toronto City Hall for approval in March. These improvements include:

These improvements are scheduled for implementation in Spring 2021.

Oakwood Cycling Connection [AM]
Having safe, connected and convenient cycling routes in the city is important, but it is equally as important that we properly consult with the local communities. Due to COVID-19, we have been unable to adequately consult on this project to move forward for the 2020 year. There have been a number of concerns raised by the community that we need to address before construction. We will be reaching out to the community again about consultation soon.

Peel Gladstone Reconstruction [ES]
After numerous public consultations, the final design for this reconstruction has been completed. This project will include pedestrian and cycling improvements, as well as numerous green street features. I want to thank everyone who participated in the consultations and helped to move this project forward.
The work is scheduled to begin in 2021, and the City will be delivering construction notices in advance.

In July 2016, City Council approved a SmartTrack/RER integration scenario option that includes six new stations on the Kitchener, Lakeshore East and Stouffville GO Rail Corridors and agreed to the locations of two new stations along the Barrie GO Rail Corridor.

In November 2016, City Council committed to funding preliminary planning and design for SmartTrack. This work is currently underway; City staff are working in partnership with Metrolinx and TTC to plan eight new SmartTrack/GO stations within the city of Toronto.

Six new SmartTrack stations are being planned along the Kitchener, Lakeshore East and Stouffville Rail Corridors at the following locations:

• Finch Avenue East, between Kennedy Road and Midland Avenue
• Lawrence Avenue East, between Kennedy Road and Midland Avenue
• Gerrard Street East at Carlaw Avenue
• East Harbour (between Eastern Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard East, east of the Don River)
• King Street West, at Liberty Village
• St. Clair Avenue West, between Weston Road and Old Weston Road

In addition, Metrolinx is planning two new GO stations in Toronto along the Barrie Rail Corridor at the following locations:

• Spadina Avenue at Front Street
• Bloor Street West, between Lansdowne Avenue and Symington Avenue

The new stations are illustrated on the map below.

Subject to Council direction, the City and Metrolinx will be undertaking a Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) under Ontario Regulation 231/08 to assess the potential environmental effects of each of the new stations.

• Public and stakeholder consultation will be an important component of this process.
• Existing environmental conditions will be determined and the significance of specific features will be evaluated.
• Potential impacts of the project on these features will be identified and documented.
• Appropriate mitigation measures, monitoring strategies and future studies will be recommended.

In October, we will be hosting public meetings across the city to provide information about the new SmartTrack/GO stations and to get public feedback. The purpose of these meetings will be to provide an update on station planning and design work, and receive feedback about local context, challenges and opportunities. The following public information sessions are planned:

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10
Scarborough Civic Centre
150 Borough Drive
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Presentation begins at 7 pm 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11
Riverdale Collegiate Institute
1094 Gerrard Street East
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Presentation begins at 7 pm

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12
Bloor Street Collegiate Institute
1141 Bloor Street West
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Presentation begins at 7 pm

The feedback from the public consultations will inform the staff report going to Executive Committee on October 24,2017.

The City of Toronto in 2016 will be coordinating its infrastructure and road improvements works to reduce the impact to residents, businesses and traffic in Toronto. The planned projects in 2016 include $263 million for roads, bridges and expressways, $227 million for sewer and watermain projects, and $71 million for basement flooding protection work. 

Efforts to minimize traffic and congestion include extended work hours (including 24/7 work where feasible), traffic signal timing changes on alternate routes and bundling projects where work can be combined. Through these efforts, the City aims to reduce the length of work and ensure collaboration and efficiency to reduce impacts to residents, businesses and traffic.

Major projects for this year include:

• Completing the west deck replacement of the Gardiner Expressway from Jameson Avenue to Spadina Avenue
• Road resurfacing on Bayview Avenue from just south of Highway 401 to Steeles Avenue
• Road resurfacing on Warden Avenue from Sheppard Avenue to Steeles Avenue
• Road resurfacing on Martin Grove Road, from Vulcan Street (north of Highway 409) to Finch  Avenue
• Watermain replacement and road work on Gerrard Street from Yonge Street to Sherbourne Street
• Road resurfacing on Don Mills Road from Lawrence Avenue to York Mills Road
• TTC track replacement, and road and sidewalk repairs on College Street at Bathurst Street and Lansdowne Avenue
• Watermain replacement, TTC track replacement and road resurfacing on Richmond Street from Church Street to York Street
• Watermain replacement on Queen Street from Bathurst Street to Spadina Avenue
• Trunk sewer replacement on Lake Shore Boulevard from Dwight Avenue to Superior Avenue
• Watermain replacement on Finch Avenue at Highway 27. 

The City has repaired 64,000 potholes this year and residents are asked to report issues to www.toronto.ca/311 to facilitate their timely repair.

To plan their routes and avoid delays, residents are encouraged to visit www.toronto.ca/roadrestrictions for a live map of road restrictions and travel conditions. Residents can also consult www.toronto.ca/inview for further information and maps of construction activities happening across the city. 

As part of the TTC's ongoing roll out of the PRESTO fare card across the transit system, Dufferin and Lansdowne subway stations will be receiving modern fare gates compatible with the new payment system. Lansdowne and Dufferin stations will be among the first 10 stations upgraded. Overnight work at both stations will take place in order to minimize the disruption to customers. To reduce the project length, fare gates will be assembled offsite and installed once the turnstiles are removed.

Dufferin Station

Stating April 21, 2016, the old turnstiles will be removed and replaced with new PRESTO-enabled fare gates. This work will be completed by the end of June 2016. Access to Russet Avenue will be closed for the eastbound platform exit from May 5th to June 6 and the westbound platform exit from April 28 to May 30. 

Once complete, customers will be able to access the station through the Russet Avenue entrance using either a PRESTO card or Metropass. The main station entrance on Dufferin Street will remain open during the upgrade. 

Lansdowne Station

Starting April 29, 2016, the old turnstiles will be removed and replaced with new PRESTO-enabled fare gates. This work will be completed by the end of May 2016. The Automatic Entrance located on Emerson Avenue will be closed from May 13 at 7pm to May 17 at 6am to safely remove the old fare gates. Construction work at the automatic entrance will continue through June 2016 but it will remain open.

Once complete, customers accessing the station through Emerson Avenue must use a PRESTO card or Metropass. Customers using tokens and cash will be able to access the station through the collector booth lane at the main entrance. Customer travel trough the station will remain unimpeded throughout the construction period.

To learn more about how PRESTO will work on the TTC, please visit http://getpres.to/.

Last week, City Council approved the 2015 City budget, demonstrating a clear focus on investment in the priorities I heard from Ward 18 residents; including transit, roads, poverty reduction and housing.

In 2015, we have set the tone for investment.



This budget makes important new investments in services and infrastructure, while keeping the residential budget tax increase at 2.25%

• $39 million in transit service improvements including the child fare elimination (two to 12 years of age), 50 new buses to implement new express routes and reduce overcrowding, improved subway services and expanded overnight bus and streetcar service 
• $25 million for poverty reduction including new shelter beds, increases to the student nutrition program, additional funding for childcare subsidies, enhanced shelter warming centres during weather events and expansion of priority centres 
• Capital funding to purchase 60 new subway cars, 810 new 40-foot diesel buses and 195 low-car accessible light rail vehicles for the TTC fleet 
• Creation of 181 new shelter spaces for our City's most vulnerable. 

Central to this budget process was the participation and constant communication with you, and fellow Ward 18 residents. Hundreds of active citizens invested time and care into this budget by attending my Ward 18 Budget Town Hall, calling my office, sending emails and giving deputations at committee meetings. I wish to re-iterate my thanks to everyone who participated and ask for your continued active engagement as the work to achieve the necessary levels of investment in key areas continues.

Our continued active engagement on these issues will be necessary to address the major challenges we still face, and the only way to continue this trend of investment is to promote a discussion about how to pay for it. While my message from this budget is that Toronto City Council is ready to make these necessary investments, we must not shy away from the challenging discussion and decisions in the months and years ahead. We will always continue to look for savings and smart efficiencies. This must go hand in hand with technological innovation, better customer service and community engagement. Similarly, we need to continue to look for opportunities to better manage our assets and be open to explore other revenue sources for the city.

With the 2015 budget passed, now is the time to grow this discussion and I look forward to engaging you through this process leading up to the 2016 budget. I encourage you to share your thoughts with me on the issues that matter most to you and your family. It is through our continued dialogue and shared participation in these important City processes that we will produce the best possible outcomes for our community and build the kind of city we want to live in, now and for generations to come.

Dear Neighbour,

Late last week, Council voted to approve the 2014 City Operating and Capital Budgets. I strongly believe that at the core of any successful budget process is community consultation and I was pleased to organize numerous engagement opportunities with neighbourhood residents to gain feedback on budget priorities.

Whether contacting me through the Feedback Form in my mailed newsletter, filling out my online budget survey, participating in the budget telephone townhall or attending the public budget meeting at Bloor Collegiate, I appreciate the hundreds of residents who took the time to participate and share their thoughts on how to improve both our neighbourhoods and our city.

This budget was also a chance to demonstrate the vision that we have for our city; as a city where every Toronto resident has the dignity and support to pursue opportunities and enjoy a high quality of life. We discussed not only how we should be moving forward, but the services and principles on which we want our City to be built.

During these consultations, you told me that transit and childcare were two major issues of concern. You highlighted the importance of social services such as libraries, recreation programming, tenant protection and the Student Nutrition Program. You shared concerns about keeping the City affordable, especially for our fixed-income neighbours, and the need to provide additional support to keep our small businesses healthy and vibrant. We spoke about Montreal and Vancouver in the context of per-capita arts funding and you reinforced the importance of additional arts support in Toronto – a sector on which many Ward 18 residents make their living. Overwhelmingly, residents felt that Toronto should receive additional support from Federal and Provincial governments to help with systematic challenges such as Transit, Childcare and Housing.

This community feedback was the bedrock of my deliberations at Council.

Despite the lack of leadership at City Hall by our Mayor, Council was able to work together on these important issues and address City challenges collaboratively. In particular, I was able to work with my Council colleagues to increase library hours, expand the Student Nutrition program to 27 new locations and secure funding to restore Toronto's tree canopy.

We also worked together to increase our City's per-capita funding for the arts, add new funding for the TTC to alleviate rush-hour crowding and increase the budget for community grants through the Community Partnership and Investment Program – a vitally important resource that supports many local Ward 18 community services.

Regarding the major concerns of Ward 18 residents I was also pleased to join Council in allocating $20 million in provincial funding for childcare, including 668 new subsidized spaces, a well-deserved portion of which will be in Ward 18. I likewise voted for additional funding to the Tenant Defense Fund, a program whose important work has directly benefited Ward 18 tenants and which protects the nearly 50% of Toronto residents who live in rental housing.

We also successfully passed a motion calling on the development of an intergovernmental campaign to advocate for a return to the Provincial operating subsidy for the TTC. As Toronto continues to receive the lowest transit subsidy of any major city in North America, it is critical we continue to make the case to Provincial and Federal partners about sustainable, long-term transit funding.

Also included in the 2014 City Budget is:

- 2 additional bylaw officers to deal with tenant repair issues in apartments

- Funds to restore Toronto's tree canopy

- Additional funding to hire new paramedics

- 16 recreation centres to get priority centre status (free recreation)

- Arts funding on track to get to $25 per capita

- $1 million Hardship Fund restored to budget

- Additional funding for recreation swim programs and Swim to Survive program

- Full funding for year 2 expansion of the student nutrition program

- $300,000 for new high priority community programs in underserved areas

- Brand new 30-bed women's shelter

- $1.98 million for fire services

- Expanded library hours

Residents also contacted me with concern about the Housing Stabilization Fund, an important program which offers assistance to low-income and vulnerable Torontonians. Through collaboration with other Councillors, we successful passed a motion that will require a report back on improvements to this program and supplementary funding as required.

Together, the tax increase for the 2014 city budget resulted in a residential property tax increase of 2.71%, which includes the 0.5% increase for the Scarborough Subway.

Since being elected in 2010, I have worked hard on Council to restore responsible budgeting practises and keep our City affordable. We have made tremendous progress to nearly eliminate our dependence on one-time surplus monies to balance our City budget. This has put our City onto a much stronger financial footing, enabling us to take on larger City-building projects with confidence. Likewise, critical programs, such as our community grants and library hours, no longer need to wonder whether reduced revenue projections will result in funding cuts.

Despite this significant advancement towards stabilizing our City finances, major pressures continue to exist for Toronto's 2015 budget. Especially in light of the extreme weather events of July's flooding and the ice storm in December, increasing TTC ridership, and growing cuts to affordable housing from other levels of government, we must continue the important work we have begun: finding innovative solutions locally, maximizing revenue opportunities, and encouraging additional support from our Provincial and Federal governments.

Thank you again to the hundreds of residents who participated in the budget consultations leading up to Council's budget meeting. Your support and feedback are extremely important to me and I invite you to contact me at anytime through my City Hall office ([email protected], 416-392-7012) or visit me in person every Saturday, from 10am-12pm, during my Community Office Hours at Dufferin Mall.

 

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3

In March 2011, Toronto and East York Community Council requested City Planning to conduct a review of lands abutting the CN railway, which form the western boundary of Ward 18. The Study did not look at land use as this was being considered through the Municipal Comprehensive Review, but focused on opportunities to improve this area and better connect it to the surrounding neighbourhood. The result will help the City to proactively respond to any development proposals in the area and plan for the long-term investment and revitalization of these lands. The Study responds to a unique combination of factors including relatively large industrial sites lacking local infrastructure immediately bounded by stable neighbourhoods. In addition, the area is under increasing development pressures. 

City staff, and I worked with members of the community to develop a vision for new development and direct infrastructure investment within the Study Area. In addition, an inter-divisional staff team worked on the project and were involved in developing the recommendations. The Study outlines short-term and long-term recommendations pertaining to parks, the transportation network (including new roads, bikeways, parking and walkways), heritage buildings, urban design and community services and facilities.

 

Few issues are as important as transit in our city and the most critical aspect of an effective transit system is integration. To better serve our residents and transit users we need a transit system that networks our city together and integrates with regional destinations.

As we know in Ward 18, rush hour service on the Bloor Subway line, as well as the Dundas, College and Queen Streetcar lines, need urgent relief and it's time to put customers first by looking at creative solutions to these issues.

For this reason, I have been working with TTC staff and the TTC Chair, Karen Stintz, to explore opportunities to use the Georgetown GO line to benefit our community. Recently this work, along with Councillor Layton, brought forward a motion entitled "Putting the Customer First" which requested TTC and Metrolinx staff to engage in a pilot project to integrate GO and TTC fares through Presto card technology at Bloor GO Station and Exhibition Go Station.

This motion received unanimous approval at the October Commission meeting and will report back with an update at the upcoming November Commission meeting.

But we need your support. By signing this petition you join your voice with other community members in asking for relief to local transit pressures through fare integration.

I will continue to work on behalf of our community for effective transit planning and welcome you to share your thoughts and ideas.

Sincerely,

Major road re-construction work is under way on Dufferin Street between Dundas and Peel and the Dufferin Bridge was recently closed. As a result the 29 Dufferin bus has been temporarily re-routed to Brock Avenue.

For these reasons, I hosted a public meeting to deal with Dufferin Street Transportation Issues on July 10^th, 2013 at McCormick Community Centre