Traffic, cycling & pedestrians

GO DEEPER · POLICY & PRIORITIES · What will you do?

P04 · question 4 of 10

How would you balance cars, bikes, pedestrians, streetcars and buses when improving one mode makes another less convenient? Give us one concrete Ward 14 example.

Quick version: S04 · On a street too narrow for everyone, who comes first: cars, bikes, pedestrians or transit?

Approach & proposed action

Susan Chapelle

Start with safety and access, then look at how the street actually works throughout the day. A person walking with a mobility aid, a tradesperson unloading tools and someone catching a streetcar all need a workable route. Street design should account for those needs together. My concrete example is the Danforth. I support improving its bike lane design while keeping a connected, protected route. I would ask Transportation Services to review locations where deliveries, accessible passenger pickup and turning movements conflict with walking and biking. I would seek better loading bays, timed deliveries and safer crossings on the Danforth. On Queen and Gerrard, reliable streetcar movement also matters. Signal timing and preventing blocked tracks may help more than a sweeping redesign. Changes should be tested against safety, travel times and access, including effects on nearby residential streets. I would meet businesses and residents on the street, include people with disabilities and work from observed conditions. Some parking or turning convenience may need to change. I would explain why and show the alternatives. I want streets where people can reach shops, make deliveries and travel safely, with decisions based on results rather than arguments between modes.

Jason Stevens

keep existing bike lanes! im a member of cycle Toronto

Maria Voutsinas

First, I am not convinced that improving one mode of transit makes others less convenient. We need to have multi-modal transit so that every resident can choose whether they want to drive a car, ride a bike, walk or take public transit. Their transit options should be safe and that might include barriers along bike lanes and more traffic enforcement to reduce pedestrian and bike accidents. As a society we made the decision to have speed limits because it was more important to keep pedestrians safe than to allow vehicles to go as fast as they wanted wherever they were going. Limitations continue to be important. That being said, a careful review of bike lane placement should be made to ensure that bike lanes in places like Danforth Ave. have been smartly planned. One of the biggest problems with those bike lanes however is the use of them by e-bikes driven by delivery drivers. It is possible that this is another area where there needs to be increased enforcement so that only the e-bikes that fit within the by-law for bike lane use are travelling along those bike lanes.

Cost & funding

Susan Chapelle

Begin with a costed review of problem locations rather than propose rebuilding every street. Signs, pavement markings and loading changes can be included in transportation operating work; signals, accessible curbs and substantial street changes require capital funding. Where possible, I would coordinate improvements with scheduled road or utility work to avoid rebuilding twice. BIA contributions could support agreed streetscape enhancements, but basic safety remains a public responsibility. I would seek eligible funding from other governments and publish project costs. Losing parking revenue or adding maintenance affects the budget and must be included when evaluating options and their benefits.

Trade-offs & affected groups

Susan Chapelle

A safer Danforth must work for people walking, riding bikes, taking transit, driving and running businesses. Protected bike lanes reduce injury risks, but shops still need deliveries, tradespeople need somewhere to unload and people with disabilities need accessible pickup spaces. The trade-off is space. Adding a loading zone may mean removing parking. Giving buses priority may mean drivers wait longer. Giving pedestrians more time to cross may increase traffic delays. I would prioritize safety and accessibility, preserve practical business access and check whether changes push traffic onto residential streets.

Authority & feasibility

Susan Chapelle

The municipality manages most local streets, with Transportation Services developing designs and Council approving policies and budgets. TTC involvement is needed where changes affect buses or streetcars. Provincial requirements can constrain some changes, so staff should identify those limits early. A councillor can request reviews, secure funding and build support, but cannot personally redesign a road. Targeted changes to loading, crossings and signals are more achievable than promising a complete reconstruction within months. I would seek options with costs, accessibility assessments and implementation schedules, then pursue approvals. Trial measures should be evaluated before becoming permanent, with results available to residents.

Deliverable & timeline

Susan Chapelle

Within six months, I would identify priority conflict locations on the Danforth with businesses, residents and accessibility advocates, then request a Transportation Services assessment. The assessment should distinguish quick adjustments from work requiring capital funding. Within two years, I would seek delivery of approved loading, crossing or signal improvements at priority locations, subject to budget and legal requirements. I would publish the original problem, the change and before-and-after observations. Measures would include blocked access, transit delays, delivery conflicts and safety concerns.

Supporting sources

Susan Chapelle

Danforth Avenue Complete Street and Planning Study, City of Toronto, on street design and curbside uses. Danforth Complete Streets Study Summary Report, 2022, on loading, accessibility and evaluation. Toronto RapidTO Example Priority Solutions, on signal priority and transit movement. TTC service standards and transit planning framework, on service evaluation.

Responded, but not to this question

Denise Walcott

No response yet

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