Item - 2022.TE31.81

Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council prohibit northbound right turns at all times at Oriole Parkway and Imperial Street (bicycles excepted).

2. City Council prohibit westbound left turns at all times at Imperial Street and Oriole Parkway (bicycles excepted).

I am writing to request your support in implementing all-day turn restrictions at Oriole Parkway and Imperial Street at the request of the Oriole Park Association (OPA) and residents of the street following consultations with the wider neighbourhood.  This action stems from periodic working group meetings my office has been holding with the OPA, Oriole Park residents, City staff and other stakeholders to brainstorm ways of addressing traffic infiltration concerns on residential streets in Oriole Park as a result of the ongoing Eglinton Crosstown LRT construction.

After extensive research and empirical analysis undertaken by the OPA in conjunction with residents of Imperial Street, the street was identified as one of the very few streets with no turn restrictions from/to Oriole Parkway, and therefore had a disproportionately high amount of cut-through traffic plying the street even outside of rush-hour times.  My office facilitated a meeting late last year with Traffic Operations staff, and the OPA to assess the proposal and the empirical analysis that was presented by the OPA.

At that meeting, staff agreed with the OPA's findings, pending an analysis of counts the former had ordered in order to provide an expert opinion.  We were expecting staff's expert opinion earlier this month; however, unexpectedly, staff advised of a technological glitch at the data collection agency contracted to provide the analysis that led to the counts being lost, thereby delaying the analysis indefinitely.  Without any timeline for when the counts and the analysis will be completed, my office had further consultations with staff, and we are proceeding to implement the restrictions on a pilot basis, pending the completion of the said counts and subsequent analysis.

Finally, my office has confirmed with staff that residents and other motorists (who need to access Imperial) have multiple alternatives of doing so should the changes be implemented.  For instance, for the northbound right turn prohibition, motorists can turn right on Chaplin Crescent (which is an arterial road and has traffic lights, turning lanes and even advanced signals, all designed to facilitate the movement of traffic) and turn northbound on Lascelles Boulevard to get onto Imperial Street.  For the westbound left turns, motorists can connect onto Lascelles Boulevard from Imperial and go southbound onto Chaplin Crescent, and head west towards Oriole Parkway.