Category: Latest Issues

Walk Toronto has written to the City of Toronto’s Executive Committee to support the “CaféTO” plan to encourage restaurant patios in curb lanes and retail plaza parking lots.

Walk Toronto noted that its primary concern is to ensure that the pedestrian clearway on sidewalks – an accessible 2.1 metres of open space where pedestrians can pass each other safely – is maintained. The CaféTO guidelines emphasize this issue but encroachment is always a danger and the City will need to be vigilant to ensure it is maintained.

Walk Toronto also reminded the City about the need for continuous sidewalk extensions on main streets with narrow sidewalks. Continuous extensions would be much more effective than the piecemeal extensions currently in place.

• Read Walk Toronto’s letter (PDF)
• See the agenda item “CaféTO – Increasing Outdoor Dining Space for Toronto Restaurants and Bars“

Walk Toronto has written to Mayor John Tory to support implementing safe physical distancing measures on Toronto’s streets, echoing calls for temporary pedestrian and cycling infrastructure endorsed by Ryerson University professors and epidemiologists Anne Harris and Linda Rothman, among others. The measures would involve opening curb lanes on main streets for use by pedestrians, by closing them to vehicle use, in order to enable pedestrians to keep 2 metres distance from each other where sidewalks are narrow or obstructed. The letter was written by Walk Toronto steering committee member Sean Marshall.

• Read Walk Toronto’s letter to Mayor Tory (PDF)

Walk Toronto has submitted a letter to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee supporting councillor Mike Layton’s request to reduce the number of intersections where vehicle right turns are allowed on red lights.

The letter was drafted by Walk Toronto’s Daniella Levy-Pinto. Sean Marshall spoke to the item at the committee meeting.

“Walk Toronto supports reducing the number of intersections that allow right turns on red. However, we see this as just the first step. If Toronto Council is truly committed to the principles of Vision Zero — and if it is serious about following the example of peer cities such as Montreal and New York — then it will enact a city-wide, blanket prohibition of right turns on red.“

• See the IEC agenda item, “Right-turns-on-red in Toronto”
• Read Walk Toronto’s letter (PDF)
• Watch Sean Marshall give his deputation, and read his thoughts about the experience

Walk Toronto’s Sean Marshall gave at deputation at the Toronto Police Services Board on Nov. 21, 2019 about about the lack of enforcement of traffic laws in Toronto and the proposal to reinstate a small traffic enforcement team.

Sean writes, “I spoke to express our disappointment of how the TPS completely failed vulnerable road users by not engaging in meaningful traffic enforcement and calling for a return to making this a priority.”

Read Sean Marshall’s thoughts and his full deputation.

Watch Sean Marshall’s deputation on YouTube.

Walk Toronto submitted written comments on two items at the October 17 meeting of the City of Toronto’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee (IEC).

The first communication, written by Daniella Levy-Pinto with contributions from Michael Black, addressed the Winter Maintenance Program Review, which was commissioned in response to the lack of sidewalk snow plowing and other issues brought to light during the winter months of 2019.

While the Review promises some useful first steps in expanding sidewalk snow clearing to areas where it is currently lacking, Walk Toronto’s letter emphasizes the need for stronger steps that lead to comprehensive, harmonized levels of service for sidewalk snow clearing in all parts of the city.

• Read Walk Toronto’s submission regarding the Winter Maintenance Program Review (PDF)

The second communication, written by Dylan Reid, addressed the staff Update on Council Requested Road Safety Initiatives, specifically the staff response to Walk Toronto’s recommendation, adopted for study by the IEC at an earlier meeting, that the City adopt a policy that there should be a safe road crossing at all TTC stops.

The staff report (PDF, pp. 4-6), while noting that there are an astonishing 2,700 TTC transit stops at locations without traffic control, rejects this policy proposal and largely claims that existing measures are sufficient to address safety needs. Walk Toronto argues to the contrary that “In a city that claims to be committed to Vision Zero, identifying this large number of dangerous stops is surely a call to action, not an excuse for inaction.”

• Read Walk Toronto’s submission regarding safe access to TTC stops (PDF)

In response to a call from the Government of Ontario for comments regarding kick-style electric scooters (e-scooters), Walk Toronto submitted comments to the Province regarding this issue, prepared by Walk Toronto steering committee member Judith Kidd.

Walk Toronto’s recommendations were concerned with ensuring safety for pedestrians:

1. Prohibit e-scooters on sidewalks;
2. Reduce the power from 500W motors, the speed from 32km/h, and the weight from 45 kg. Speeds should be restricted to 25 km/hr or lower to make their speed more comparable with bicycles and other devices that use bike lanes;
3. Require devices to be audible when ridden so that others sharing the road are aware of their presence;
4. Minimum operating age should be 18, in line with other jurisdictions that permit e-scooters;
5. Ensure that e-scooters cannot be left loose on the sidewalk, but rather are required to have designated docking stations. We are opposed to any system where riders can leave a scooter in any location. It is dangerous for people who are visually impaired or blind.
6. Explore the need for liability insurance in the case of collisions with cyclists or pedestrians.
7. Explore the addition of regulations regarding distracted operation of e-scooters .

Read the full submission here (PDF)