Problems, solutions, projects, controversies and other matters that affect pedestrians in Toronto.
Ontario’s Minister of Transportation recently announced plans to allow safety cameras to enforce speed limits in school and safety zones. But speed is an issue for pedestrian safety on all city streets, so Walk Toronto has sent a letter to the Minister urging him to expand the legislation to allow safety cameras on all city streets.
Read the letter (PDF)
Walk Toronto has been working for several years to improve sidewalk snow clearing in Toronto. One of our initiatives was to approach Toronto Public Health about doing a study that brings together the evidence about the impact of slips and falls during the winter.
At the October 14, 2016 Board of Health meeting, Toronto Public Health presented their report “Preventing Injuries from Wintertime Slips and Falls in Toronto,” which was adopted by the Board. The report gathers together statistical evidence from Toronto and studies from other cities to show the serious negative impacts of wintertime slips and falls, both in terms of the health of individuals and the cost to public finances. The report also makes several useful recommendations about how the City of Toronto can improve sidewalk snow clearing and thus reduce the number of wintertime slips and falls.
Walk Toronto’s Dylan Reid gave a deputation in person at the Board of Health meeting, supporting the adoption of the report and encouraging the City to implement its recommendations.
Walk Toronto has written a letter to John Livey, Deputy City Manager, Cluster B at the City of Toronto, about the upcoming hiring of a new General Manager, Transportation Services for the municipal government.
Walk Toronto emphasized the importance of this decision for Toronto’s pedestrians. The letter says, in part:
Walk Toronto feels that it is essential for Toronto to choose someone who is fully in tune with the new reality of North American cities – where walking (along with cycling and transit) is no longer an afterthought but rather a primary focus of transportation policy. Toronto needs someone who has a vision for a sustainable city where walking is fully accessible, safe, and appealing, and who is able and willing to begin a transformation of the City of Toronto’s transportation policy to meet this new reality.
On Tuesday, June 20, 2016, Maureen Coyle, a member of the Walk Toronto steering committee, gave an in-person deputation at City Hall presenting Walk Toronto’s position about the proposed Road Safety Plan to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. Coyle argued that, given the limitations and piecemeal nature of the Plan, which would not come close to achieving a “Vision Zero” goal, the plan should be referred back to staff for further enhancement.
The Road Safety Plan is the blueprint this city will use for the creation of a public realm built for shared use that will be in place for decades – if not for generations – to come. It is arguably the most important Public Works project of this council term, and likely one of the most significant municipal policies of the 21st Century. To approach road safety from the perspective of selected improvements and inconsistently applied policy changes, as the plan before this committee does, is a mistake.
Read Maureen Coyle’s full deputation (PDF).
As well, Daniella Levy-Pinto, also a member of Walk Toronto’s steering committee, gave an in-person deputation from the perspective of someone who is completely blind. She noted that people with disabilities are not mentioned as a key target group for improved safety in the plan, and described some of the key dangers she faces that are not sufficiently addressed in the plan as it currently stands.
We need policies to minimize the consequences of human error, and the funds to implement the necessary infrastructure changes. Please do not settle for a plan that will stop short from keeping all pedestrians like myself safe. As elected officials, you have the opportunity to lead the City in the right direction, and the responsibility to stop preventable deaths in our streets.
Read Daniella Levy-Pinto’s full deputation (PDF)
The Road Safety Plan was passed unanimously by the Committee, but with amendments aimed at enhancing its reach and funding.
Maureen Coyle was quoted in articles about the meeting in The Toronto Star and Metro Toronto.
Walk Toronto has joined with the Toronto Environmental Alliance and Cycle Toronto in calling on the federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Amarjeet Sohi, to include walking and cycling projects in the major infrastructure investments planned for the next four years.
Walking and cycling meet all three of the federal infrastructure plan’s priorities: transportation, environmental improvements, and building communities. There are numerous “shovel-ready” projects that improve walking and cycling awaiting funding in Toronto, including the Eglinton Connects project that would accompany the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and recreational trails that would complete the trail network.
Read the letter to Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Amarjeet Sohi (PDF).
Walk Toronto presented deputations on three separate items at the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC) meeting on November 12, 2015.
Mark Earley, a member of Walk Toronto’s sidewalk snow clearing subcommittee, deputed in person on the item “Clearing of Snow from Sidewalks – Current Processes and Future Considerations“. This staff report discussed how to improve snow clearing where private property owners are required to clear snow from the sidewalk. Walk Toronto’s deputation called for better enforcement, but noted that the ultimate solution is for the City to clear all sidewalks. The staff report was adopted.
Read Mark Earley’s deputation (PDF).
Dylan Reid sent a deputation on behalf of Walk Toronto on the item “Options for Permitting Street or Intersection Murals on Local Streets“. Councillor Cesar Palacio had requested staff to create a process to allow residents to paint murals on their streets, as had been done on a street in his ward. However, staff responded with a report recommending against this proposal. Walk Toronto’s deputation addressed the various issues brought forward by staff and argued in favour of allowing communities to paint street murals. The item was deferred to the January PWIC meeting.
Read Dylan Reid’s deputation (PDF).
Mark Jacobs sent a deputation on behalf of Walk Toronto on the item “Traffic Calming Options Manual“. Councillor and chair of PWIC Jaye Robinson proposed the creation of “easy-to-use traffic calming manual for use by neighbourhood groups.” Walk Toronto supported this idea and identified some options that should be included, and some potential sources of information for the manual. The item was adopted with minor amendments.
The southern portion of Midland Ave. in Scarborough is a collector road that is also part of the Waterfront Trail used by pedestrians, runners and cyclists. As per City of Toronto policy, the City plans to take advantage of work on this road to install sidewalks on both sides. Installing the sidewalk along with other work will greatly reduce the cost.
In response to local opposition to this sidewalk, the local councillor, Gary Crawford, has submitted a motion to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee to stop the installation of this sidewalk. (The motion attempts to muddle the issue by calling for the installation of a sidewalk further north – something the City already plans to do when it gets the opportunity).
Walk Toronto has submitted a detailed deputation to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee in support of the sidewalk installation. It is very important for improving pedestrian safety that the City policy of installing sidewalks on collector roads be consistently implemented, especially when it is part of a designated pedestrian trail. Read all of the reasons for installing a sidewalk on Midland Ave. (PDF) in our deputation.
UPDATE: the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee deferred this motion to their October meeting. At the October meeting, the the Committee voted 4-0 to support the sidewalk. The item did not need to get approved by council, so this decision is final and the sidewalk will go ahead as planned.
Green Communities Canada has published the State Of Walking Advocacy in Canada 2015 which we thought was an infographic worth sharing.
A great win for access and advocacy!
If you enjoy the Lower Don Trail, you know how difficult it can be to access – for people using a mobility device, with children in strollers, on bikes or trikes, pushing a bundle buggy or towing a trailer, etc. That’s about to improve, with an accessible ramp to be built at the Riverdale Park pedestrian/cyclist bridge.
This amazing win is the result of several years’ hard work by cycling and pedestrian advocates who collaborated together, found a champion in a local councillor, and engaged residents and the community. The process started in April 2013, when the City of Toronto held a public consultation on the Lower Don Trail Access, Environment + Art Master Plan project. Advocates attended and provided input, including requesting that ramps, rather than simply staircases, be part of the plan to increase accessibility to the Narrows section of the Lower Don Trail (located halfway between trail entrances at Corktown Common and Pottery Road). When the final plan was released by the City of Toronto and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in September 2013, advocates were disappointed to learn that new staircases proposed for the bridges at Gerrard Street East and Dundas Street East would not include any ramp. That’s when the hard work began – to get an accessible ramp connection, to better serve the many people for whom stairs are still a barrier.
Fortunately, a coalition of local and city-wide advocates, including Walk Toronto, didn’t give up and kept the pressure on staff and politicians to come up with an accessible solution, which the City finally agreed to in the spring of 2015. The ramp, once it is built, will benefit not only local Riverdale residents but also downtowners who are not well provided with large bodies of green space – Torontonians will have three streetcar line options if they wish to get to the ramp using public transit.
Congratulations are in order to Ward 30 Bikes, the official Cycle Toronto advocacy group for Ward 30, which took the initiative on this project. In April 2014, the group, led by Michael Holloway, authored the report “Creating Accessible Connections: Ramps to the Lower Don Trail at Dundas and Gerrard,” which was endorsed by Walk Toronto, Cycle Toronto Trails Working Group, Ward 28 Cycling Advocacy Group and Ward 29 Bikes. Walk Toronto submitted its own “Lower Don Trail Accessibility” report in August 2014 and posted about this issue at that time.
Kudos are also due to Councillor Paula Fletcher for getting a study on the matter, and to Paul Young at South Riverdale Community Health Centre for assisting the advocates. The Riverside BIA, neighbourhood residents, individuals in local walking/hiking groups, and Cycle Toronto members are among the many others who also made known their support for an accessible ramp.
The work isn’t over. Advocates, including Walk Toronto, continue to be involved as the City prepares a Request for Proposal for the design phase in 2015, with construction slated for 2016. Nevertheless, let’s celebrate this victory, and reflect on what it teaches us to do:
Get involved.
Collaborate with others, and engage different communities.
Find a political champion.
Be persistent. Be persistent. Be persistent
Post prepared by Vivien Leong
On June 22, 2015, Walk Toronto deputed at a special meeting of the Toronto and East York Community Council (TEYCC) that considered a motion to reduce speed limits on all local streets in the district to 30 km/hr.
The motion passed unanimously. Councillors emphasized that the vast majority of their constituents were in favour of slower speeds on their streets. 14 of the 15 public deputants were also in favour (although some wanted additional measures).
TEYCC has final authority over this issue, so this is now policy. However, funding for changing speed signs still has to be finalized.
