Toronto Mayor John Tory announced Tuesday that major weekend road closures aligned with ActiveTO programming will continue into October.
Initially planned to finish this past weekend -- the last of September -- the popular weekend closures have provided space for thousands of people to be physically active, physically distance from one another, and contribute to the overall wellbeing of Torontonians.
The closure routes run adjacent to some of Toronto’s busiest and most popular trails where people can walk, run and bike, and, the city says, the programming has helped to reduce virus spread over the summer months. Last week, the City announced data that showed an average of approximately 18,000 cyclists used the Lake Shore West closure on warm summer days.
Considerations that went into extending the program include recent changes in public health advice to limit contact and remain six feet, as much as possible, from those in a different household, as well as forecasted warm weather for the early part of October.
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This coming weekend, closures will be in place from 6 am on Saturday, October 3 to 11 pm on Sunday, October 4. The following roads will be impacted:
• Lake Shore Boulevard West (eastbound lanes only) from Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road. As a result, the eastbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp to Lake Shore Boulevard West (exit #146) will also be closed.
• Lake Shore Boulevard East (eastbound lanes only) from Leslie Street to Woodbine Avenue
• Bayview Avenue from Front Street East to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue
Residents planning to use those roads should access them by bike, or as a pedestrian; nearby parking is limited and there is no onsite parking available. The parking lots at Sunnyside Park, Budapest Park and Sir Casimir Gzowski Park -- along Lake Shore Boulevard West -- will be closed during ActiveTO closures. Overnight parking is not permitted in these lots, so any vehicles should be moved before midnight on Friday.
Finally, residents should note, ActiveTO weekend closure locations are subject to change based on nearby road restrictions and closures and other considerations.
From May to September, the City of Toronto delivered at least one ActiveTO major road closure location on approximately 20 consecutive weekends. In January, officials will report back on lessons learned from the programming, including the impacts on traffic, and in consultation with residents and businesses, recommendations will be made for modifications to the program for 2021.
