Author: Walk Toronto

Walk Toronto has long been advocating for improving access to Toronto’s parks during winter, through more clearing of snow on park trails and through more all-season washrooms.

Walk Toronto is therefore pleased that the City of Toronto is proposing to make some modest improvements along these lines this winter. Walk Toronto has written to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee to support the “Improving Winter Access to Toronto’s Parks for 2021-22” proposal, which includes plowing more park trails and winterizing 5 additional park washrooms.

As Walk Toronto’s letter states, “these measures will have the potential to play a substantial role in improving the physical and psychological health and safety of Toronto’s residents, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is entering a second stressful winter period.”

However, Walk Toronto is concerned that, at the moment, these measures are only supported in the short term. Walk Toronto recommends that the City work to establish these improvements permanently.

• See Walk Toronto’s communication (PDF)
• See the agenda item, IE25.11, “Improving Winter Access to Toronto’s Parks for 2021-22”

Walk Toronto has written to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee to support a motion by Councillor Paul Ainslie (Ward 24, Scarborough-Guildwood) calling on staff to “develop a long-term plan for [a] comprehensive pedestrian cycling network for Scarborough.”

While “Scarborough currently has the worst rate of pedestrian fatalities among Toronto’s four districts,” says the letter, ” the district “also provides opportunities for a much safer and more attractive pedestrian realm.” However,  “no change will be possible without a conscious and determined strategy to transform Scarborough into a community where walking is safe, convenient, accessible, and appealing.”

The motion was inspired by the report “The Scarborough Opportunity: A Comprehensive Walking and Cycling Network,” prepared by Prof. Andre Sorensen and five of his students at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. Walk Toronto’s Dylan Reid served as an advisor and editor for the report.

• Read Walk Toronto’s communication regarding the motion (PDF)
• See the agenda item

“Vehicles for hire managed by private transportation companies like Uber have become a significant presence on Toronto’s streets. Drivers of such vehicles often work long hours and are under considerable time pressure, which can lead to dangerous situations. Given their outsized presence on Toronto’s streets, it is important that they receive additional, targeted training to contribute to the safety of Toronto’s streets, among other goals.”

Walk Toronto has written to the General Government and Licensing Committee to support a motion to ensure vehicle-for-hire driver training.

• See the agenda item, “Back-to-School – Vehicle-for-Hire Driver Training”
• Read Walk Toronto’s communication (PDF)

Walk Toronto is pleased to endorse a new report, The Scarborough Opportunity: A Comprehensive Walking and Cycling Network. The report provides a roadmap for developing a comprehensive active transportation network for Scarborough at the scale necessary to achieve existing City of Toronto policy targets, including having 75% of trips less than 5 km made by walking or cycling.

The report was prepared by Prof. Andre Sorensen and five students from his class “Planning and Building Public Spaces in Toronto” at the Department of Human Geography at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. Walk Toronto’s Dylan Reid was a member of the advisory committee for the project.

• Find out more about the report
• Read the report (PDF)

Last week, without any kind of significant notification, the southern stretch of Bayview Avenue was removed from the ActiveTO program, which closes streets to motor vehicles on the weekend so that it can be used by walkers, runners, wheelchair users, and cyclists. The excuse is that part of the street has now become a separated multi-use trail.

Walk Toronto’s Adam Cohoon, who moves in a motorized wheelchair and lives near the south end of Bayview, has written to Transportation Services and councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam about the impact of this decision on him.

ACTIVETO Bayview Closure

I am a wheelchair user that lives near Corktown Common and use the Bayview Avenue weekend activity closure to get some fresh air. So I’m disappointed to hear that those closures won’t be happening. With the new temporary multi-use tracks along Bayview, the city believes that the weekend closure is no longer needed.

Well, I’m here to tell you that it will be very disappointing for families and other people when they realize the joy of a wide-open Bayview  extension is taken away. The only people who will have any freedom are the cyclists, and expert joggers who will put up with the cyclists on the weekend. Maybe I can use the multi-use trail on Monday or Tuesday, but I know I will not feel safe using them any weekend with cyclists and other high-speed users using those trails.

I was looking for a gentle ride I have become accustomed to on my weekends during this pandemic. They were a highlight of my pandemic summer last year. I was hoping to get that same enjoyment this year, but I will be having that same enjoyment to no avail. I am asking city staff to reconsider and reenact the closure of Bayview on the weekends until the pandemic lifts.

I would appreciate a conversation on why, even with the new multi-use tracks, with ActiveTO why the opportunity to close the Bayview extension to give the community the extra pavement and extra activity space was abandoned. At least south of the River street ramp it was not utilized on weekends.

Thank you.

 

Thank you.

Adam Cohoon

Since our foundation in 2013, Walk Toronto has been working hard to expand sidewalk snow clearing to the older parts of Toronto where it’s not currently provided. We’ve met with staff multiple times, made deputations (PDF), and prepared reports advocating for universal sidewalk snow clearing.

We’re very pleased that, now, our hard work and that of many other advocates and community groups looks like it is finally coming to fruition. A staff report going to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends a plan to expand sidewalk snow clearing to every sidewalk in the city. Walk Toronto has written to the committee to strongly endorse this proposal:

This snow clearing program will make a huge difference to pedestrians of all ages – children walking to school, commuters getting to their transit stop on foot, dog-owners walking their dogs, runners getting in shape, seniors walking for daily exercise, and everyone walking to the park, to a store, to a local restaurant, or just for pleasure.

The inequity of not providing this service for the many people who live or work in the older parts of the city has been one of the most prominent obstacles to walking in Toronto for many years. We urge the Committee, and City Council, to seize this opportunity to make Toronto a better city for walking.

• Read Walk Toronto’s submission to the committee (PDF)
• See the agenda item on the City of Toronto website

Addendum

The staff report was adopted by City Council with only one vote against. Several councillors thoughtfully gave a shout-out to Walk Toronto’s long-standing advocacy on this file during the debate on the item.

• See the City Hall press release
• Watch the City Council debate on the issue (YouTube). Councillors Paula Fletcher, Josh Matlow and Jennifer McKelvie all thoughtfully thank Walk Toronto, among others, for our work on this issue.
• Read a history of the sidewalk snow-clearing issue by Dylan Reid (Spacing)

Walk Toronto has submitted comments to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee regarding the “E-scooters – Accessibility and Insurance Issues” item that will be discussed at the committee’s meeting this week.

A sub-committee of Walk Toronto focused on accessibility has been working on this issue for many months, and prepared a report for the City of Toronto’s Accessibility Advisory Committee earlier this year on the issue.

We are pleased to see that many of our concerns have been taken on board in the staff report presented to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee. In our communication, we state:

Walk Toronto strongly supports the City staff recommendation that Toronto decline the option to participate in the Ontario e-scooter pilot, known officially as O.Reg 389/19 – Pilot Project – Electric Kick-Scooters. As the staff report notes, accessibility barriers, safety concerns and insurance issues remain unresolved. Walk Toronto is also concerned about impacts on active transportation, costs to the City, business, equity and inclusion issues, environmental considerations, and challenges for enforcement.

• Read Walk Toronto’s communication to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee (PDF)
• See the agenda item,  IE21.7 E-scooters – Accessibility and Insurance Issues
• Read Walk Toronto’s full report to the Accessibility Advisory Committee