Toronto street to be completely transformed despite Ontario’s bike lane ban

Plans are in motion to totally redesign a Toronto street, transforming it from a car-centric thoroughfare into a modernized roadway designed to better serve pedestrians and cyclists without significant impacts on vehicle traffic.

The City of Toronto is seeking to transform the portion of Ellesmere Road spanning from between Orton Park Road and Kingston Road into a “complete street” serving all modes of transit, to be carried out in conjunction with upcoming road work along the thoroughfare.

A major reconstruction of this stretch is planned to begin in 2026, which will entail a full repaving of this approximately 5.3-kilometre stretch of Ellesmere, as well as the replacement of damaged curbs and sidewalks.

Route of the project along Ellesmere Road.

The City is using this reconstruction work as a perfect opportunity to upgrade the major street, planning to introduce cycle tracks, multi-use trails, safety and accessibility improvements, and other design elements.

The upcoming Ellesmere Complete Street project is one of the many plans now in motion that will collectively fulfill City policies, including Toronto’s Cycling Network Plan, Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, and the TransformTO Net Zero Climate Action Strategy.

Improvements aim to address current shortcomings with Ellesmere’s design. Of particular concern, a City report from early 2024 notes that “there is no existing cycling infrastructure, so cyclists are seen using sidewalks instead,” and adds that “the existing painted buffer is not wide enough to provide comfort or safety to people cycling.”

Planned configuration for one of the several segments included in the project.

Among the planned solutions are a combination of multi-use paths and cycle-specific tracks that would be constructed without the removal of traffic lanes, a key point that will likely decide the fate of this and many similar projects in the province for years to come.

Some configurations include separated cycle tracks with others routing cycle traffic onto a multi-use trail.

Planning for the project is advancing amid a particularly tumultuous time for cycling infrastructure. However, the project is just one of several plans to implement new bike lanes in Toronto that are proceeding despite the province’s efforts to eliminate cycling infrastructure that involves the removal of vehicle lanes.

The Ontario government’s Bill 212: Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, which passed at Queen’s Park in late November, gives the Province veto power over new cycling infrastructure from being constructed when vehicle lanes are removed.

However, the City stresses that its project “does not involve motor vehicle lane removals,” meaning that these new bike lanes would theoretically be exempt from Bill 212’s reach.

The project recently entered into its second phase of public consultation, where area residents can learn about and weigh in on the plan.

The City will be hosting a public drop-in event in the gymnasium of Cardinal Léger Catholic School at 600 Morrish Rd. on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.