Reduced speed limits part of Tory's 'master plan' to improve road safety

Mayor John Tory plans to spend $68 million over the next five years to improve road safety as part of a "master plan" that will include lowering speed limits on some of Toronto's deadliest streets.

Speaking at a news conference at Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West on Monday, Tory unveiled the plan alongside the city's public works committee chair Jaye Robinson and general manager of transportation services Steven Buckley.

"For the first time as the mayor has indicated we have a master plan that we can really bring to fruition across the entire city by targeting right out of the gate the most critical corridors and intersections ...," Robinson said. 

The proposal will be debated next week at the public works and infrastructure committee. 

"There are going to be a number of speed limit reductions in place as a result of this plan," Tory told reporters, calling road safety an "urgent issue facing our city."

Toronto has already seen 35 traffic-related fatalities this year, including 16 pedestrians, Tory said. Last year's total was 65 total deaths, including 39 pedestrians and four cyclists.

Over 70 per cent of those were seniors, Robinson said. 

The plan identifies 25 "pedestrian corridors" that would would see advanced green lights for pedestrians, more zebra-stripes to increase visibility of crossing areas and proposed no right-turns on red lights at specific times. It also includes proposed speed reductions and signal retiming in "hotspots" identified by the city.

The plan also includes an audit of 14 intersections for possible safety measures including Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue West, Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East. 

Pedestrians, cyclists, seniors, school zones, aggressive and distracted driving are the key targets of the plan, with the aim of eliminating fatalities entirely, Tory said.

"The goal has always been zero. How could it be anything else?" he said.