Item - 2019.TE8.85

Toronto and East York Community Council:

1. Directed Transportation Services staff, to work with the Regent Park community to evaluate their traffic concerns and to develop a Traffic Safety Plan that improves traffic flow and safety for both pedestrians and vehicles, and to report back to the December 3, 2019 meeting of Toronto and East York Community Council.

The Regent Park Neighbourhood refers to the area bordered by River Street to the east, Shuter Street to the south, Gerrard Street to the north, and Parliament Street to the west.  

Regent Park is primarily comprised of local and minor arterial roads, with a major arterial road, Dundas Street East, running through the center of the neighbourhood. The land is primarily residential, with a few schools, parks/green space, a community centre, and an aquatic centre.

Over the last sixteen years, Regent Park has been undergoing a Revitalization project. Once the project is fully completed, the Regent Park revitalization will have built: 2,083 replacement rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units, 448 new affordable rental units, and 5,400 new market condominium units. This will nearly quadruple the 2,083 units that were initially on the footprint.  As a result of the significant increase in population, there have been growing community concerns around traffic and traffic safety.

On June 20th, a pedestrian was fatally struck while waiting to cross Regent Park Boulevard at Dundas Street East. Following this tragic incident, a number of residents and community groups have voiced their concerns regarding cut-through traffic, speed, and volume of vehicles.

Recognizing that Regent Park is currently undergoing development, transportation staff should in consultation with the community to determine current opportunities for enhanced traffic safety measures. This should include traffic calming measures including all-way stop location, speed humps, and other options that will address vehicle speed and volume.

To consult the community, staff should attend public meetings coordinated through the Councillor's office and the local resident association.