Toronto city staff scale back proposal for priority transit lanes on Dufferin, Bathurst streets
If council approves decision, construction would begin fall 2025
Toronto city staff are curtailing proposed plans for dedicated public transit lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin streets north of Bloor, according to a report to be considered by council's executive committee later this month.
The report, which will be discussed on July 16, recommends bus-only lanes be installed on Dufferin Street from King Street W. up to Bloor Street W. Originally, staff had proposed that the lanes extend up to Eglinton Avenue W.
It similarly recommends streetcar-only lanes be installed on Bathurst Street from Lake Shore Boulevard W. north to Bathurst station, except for a stretch between Nassau Street and Dundas Street W., where construction is ongoing at the Toronto Western Hospital. Originally, staff had proposed priority bus lanes from Bathurst station to Eglinton Avenue W.
At the committee meeting, city staff will suggest that they report back after Toronto hosts six FIFA World Cup games next year. Staff could make recommendations then on whether or not to extend the priority transit lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin from Bloor Street W. to Eglinton Avenue W.
City staff have said the priority lanes would help meet the city's needs during the games, with both Bathurst and Dufferin serving as "critical routes to get people to and from the games."
Both proposals sparked mixed reaction from residents in the spring, who raised concerns at virtual town halls over the loss of parking spaces and impact on local businesses.
Potential loss of parking caused concern, councillor says
Coun. Dianne Saxe, who represents University-Rosedale, said constituents have told her that they would like to see significant improvements in bus service on Bathurst Street north of Bloor Street W. but also they want to preserve local businesses.
"There's about, variously 50, 60 well-loved local businesses, a lot of them owned by people who also live in the immediate vicinity. And they have been really frightened about the prospects for their businesses if people can't park anywhere," Saxe said.
Saxe said there is a big problem with the northbound bus in the later afternoon but not with the southbound bus.
"We don't have a problem with the bus 24/7. We have a huge problem with the bus, the northbound bus, in the afternoons from about two until seven. Those are five very important hours, but they're not 24 hours," Saxe said.
Saxe said she will move a motion at a city council committee meeting in September that the city needs to "unblock the bus" when it is stuck.
She said one potential solution is to expand the hours that parking is not permitted on the street to match the hours of heavy traffic.
Transit riders 'deserve to have priority,' TTCriders says
Andrew Pulsifer, executive director of transit advocacy group TTC Riders, said the group is "really disappointed" that the priority transit lanes will not go all the way to Eglinton Avenue W. Bathurst and Dufferin streets both need dedicated bus lanes north of Bloor, he said.
"Well, 35,000 people use the Bathurst line every day, 40,000 use the Dufferin line every day and and they deserve to have priority," he said.
Pulsifer said the city has an opportunity to fix the problems but they are not acting on that opportunity. Making dedicated transit lanes will make transit more reliable and make the streets less congested, he added.
According to the city staff report, the priority lanes would see 75 parking spaces removed along Dufferin Street and 277 parking spaces on Bathurst Street.
Installing priority transit lanes would require an estimated $8 million in capital funding, the city staff report says.
If approved by the executive committee, the proposal for the lanes would go before city council. If approved by city council, the report suggests construction on both projects would begin this fall with an estimated completion in the spring of 2026.
With files from Tyler Cheese