City council votes to keep High Park closed to cars on weekends

Toronto city councillors voted Thursday to keep High Park closed to cars on weekends and statutory holidays while positioning full road closures at all times as the long-term goal for the park. 

The vote on the motion, which included both decisions, passed 18-7. It came after a heated debate between councillors who said keeping cars out of the park would make it safer for users, as well as others who criticized the decision as making the park less accessible to parents with children, seniors and people with disabilities. 

Before full road closures can happen, city staff said a plan for accessible, affordable shuttles in the park needs to be determined, as well as a gating plan to make sure the park can stay open to emergency vehicles. 

"Parks are for people to walk, to cycle, to have picnics and feel safe in, not for vehicle access," said Coun. Chris Moise, who represents Toronto Centre, in support of the motion. 

Meanwhile Coun. Stephen Holyday, who represents Etobicoke Centre, called the exclusion of cars "absolute rubbish.

"It'll just be another reason for the citizens that I represent in Etobicoke not to bother crossing the Humber River anymore. Just yet another barrier," he said.

Impact on people with disabilities, families debated

Coun. James Pasternak, who represents York Centre, spoke against the motion and cited a report from the consulting firm WSP prepared for the city's High Park Movement Strategy.

The firm wrote that full road closures in the park and a lack of motorized transit would notably impact visitors with varying mobility needs and young children.

"This approach of closing roads into High Park would be a barrier for young families, for the disabled, for urbanites," Pasternak said.

Coun. Gord Perks, who put forward the motion and represents Parkdale-High Park, said consultation has taken place with advocates for people with disabilities. 

"If you have a sight impairment, if you have a mobility limitation that puts you in a scooter, you are not driving to High Park," he said. "You are, however, concerned when you're going through High Park at the number of cars."

What's needed to keep cars out at all times

Perks said the part of his motion positioning the city's long term goal for the park now directs staff to go and see how a full closure to cars could be achieved. 

A key portion of that request will be determining how to implement an accessible shuttle service within the park, which would run to all key locations during all the hours the park is open and in all seasons, he said. 

"The direction here is to solve for accessibility rather than [maintain] the status quo, which isn't working for any user," he said.

Part of the process will be determining how to allow emergency vehicles and Wheel-Trans service into the park in a way that doesn't permit every vehicle into the park, he added.

Another problem that staff are now directed to solve through the motion, Perks said, is the conflict between pedestrians and high-speed cyclists who use the park. 

One of the recommendations, he said, is to establish times during the week when high-speed cyclists can have access to the park. This would be early in the morning, he added, so those activities aren't happening while parents with strollers are using the park.