Item - 2019.TE9.84

City Council reopened Item TE7.123 in order to permit amendments to traffic regulations at Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West.

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommended that:

1. City Council prohibit the southbound right-turn movement for vehicles from Bathurst Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West, with TTC Vehicles Excepted, as part of the implementation of safety improvements to the Bathurst Street / Fleet Street / Lake Shore Boulevard West intersection previously authorized by City Council on July 16, 17 and 18, 2019 (Item TE7.123).

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to prioritize and expedite the implementation of these safety improvements, given the documented safety concern and collision history at this location.

3. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services, with support from other divisions as needed, to plan for future phases of safety improvements to the Bathurst Street / Fleet Street / Lake Shore Boulevard West intersection, which may include relocation of the eastbound left turn lane from Fleet Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West, wider and safer pedestrian infrastructure, facilities to allow TTC service to be faster and more reliable, and ultimately the implementation of the full reconfiguration of the intersection included in the approved Waterfront Transit Network Plan previously adopted by City Council on January 31 and February 1, 2018 (Item EX30.1). 

The massive five-arm intersection of Bathurst, Lake Shore, and Fleet doesn't work well for anyone. It is a danger and a barrier for pedestrians, it is confusing for drivers and has a high rate of vehicle collisions, and it delays two streetcar lines. This intersection should tie together the three adjacent neighbourhoods – Bathurst Quay, Fort York, and CityPlace – but instead it separates them from one another.

Going back to at least as far as 2004, before the Fort York and CityPlace neighbourhoods were constructed, the City of Toronto has made plans for reconfiguring this intersection. Concern about this intersection was one of the most common themes I heard from community members throughout the consultations for the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan in 2014 and 2015. On several occasions in recent years, staff reports and City Council directions have re-affirmed the intention and necessity of fixing this intersection.

I brought a motion to Community Council in May 2019 requesting that City staff report back on what it would finally take to see meaningful action on safety improvements here. Transportation Services reported to City Council in July with a recommendation to authorize the permanent closure of westbound Fleet Street, between Bathurst Street and Iannuzzi Street, as the first and most expeditious way to start implementing improvements. City Council approved this work and the City staff report anticipated implementation before the end of summer.

It is now October and progress is long overdue. I recognize that any change to a busy and complex intersection requires a great deal of advance planning, design work, and coordination. And I appreciate the sincere dedication and effort that many City staff have already brought to bear on this specific location. But if we as a City and Council are truly serious about actually achieving the Vision Zero goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on our street, we must prioritize this kind of hard work and allocate adequate staff time and funding to overcome these challenges quickly.

In response to the delayed action, I have had a number of urgent meetings and discussions with senior Transportation Services staff to find ways to accelerate implementation. One outcome of this work is that I am recommending that City Council authorize prohibiting right turns from southbound Bathurst Street to westbound Lake Shore Boulevard. This simplifies a number of technical matters associated with implementing the closure of Fleet Street as approved in July, and should also eliminate the problem of vehicles taking the turn too sharply and knocking down the handrails of the pedestrian crossing island. Traffic counts demonstrate that a relatively small number of vehicles presently make this turning movement, so alternative routes will easily accommodate the displaced traffic. In the future, once physical safety improvements to the pedestrian crossing island are implemented, City staff may recommend reinstating turns from Bathurst to Lake Shore.

We also need to ramp up our planning for the longer-term vision make further safety and operational improvements to the intersection, leveraging nearby infrastructure work and private development to accelerate implementation. I am recommending that City Council request City staff to formally advance work on these future phases of improvements, even before the initial closure of Fleet Street is in place.