Item - 2024.TE11.31

The Toronto East York Community Council:

1.  Directed the General Director, Transportation Services to convert Shaftesbury Avenue to one-way westbound traffic operations between a point 54 metres east of Yonge Street and Tacoma Avenue, until December 31, 2025 or completion of the Toronto Transit Commission Easier Access Project at Summerhill Station, whichever comes first.

2.  Authorized the closure of the north sidewalk on Shaftesbury Avenue, between Yonge Street and a point 70 metres east, from January 25, 2024 to December 31, 2024.

3.  Direct the General Director, Transportation Services to temporarily reduce the speed limit on Shaftesbury Avenue to 20 kilometres per hour between Yonge Street and Shaftesbury Place, until December 31, 2025 or completion of the Toronto Transit Commission Easier Access Project at Summerhill Station, whichever comes first.

4.  Authorized the closure of the westbound lane on Shaftesbury Avenue, between Yonge Street and Tacoma Avenue, from January 25, 2024 to December 31, 2024.

5.  Rescinded the existing no parking regulation in effect all times on the south side of Shaftesbury Avenue, between Yonge Street and a point 52 metres east.

6.  Rescinded the existing permit parking regulation in effect from 1:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily, on the odd (south) side of Shaftesbury Avenue, from a point 52 metres east of Yonge Street to a point 25.4 metres further east.

7.  Rescinded the existing commercial loading zone in effect all times on the south side of Shaftesbury Avenue, between a point 77.4 metres east of Yonge Street and a point 15 metres further.

8. Rescinded the existing permit parking regulation in effect from 1:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily, on the odd (south) side of Shaftesbury Avenue, from a point 92.4 metres east of Yonge Street to a point 19 metres further east.

9.  Prohibited stopping at all times on the south side of Shaftesbury Avenue, from Yonge Street to a point 111.4 metres further east.

10.  Rescinded the designated existing taxi stand for two taxis operating at all times on the north side of Shaftesbury Avenue, between a point 63.5 metres east of Yonge Street and a point 14 metres further.

11.  Rescinded the existing no parking regulation in effect all times on the north side of Shaftesbury Avenue, between Yonge Street and Tacoma Avenue.

12.  Rescinded the existing maximum one-hour parking regulation in effect from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday on the north side of Shaftesbury Avenue between a point 91.4 metres east of Yonge Street and Tacoma Avenue.

13.  Prohibited stopping at all times on the north side of Shaftesbury Avenue, between Yonge Street and Tacoma Avenue.

14.  Authorized the temporary installation of a Level 2 Type B Pedestrian Crossover on Shaftesbury Avenue, at a point approximately 90 metres east of Yonge Street, to be in operation from December 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024, which the issuance of the construction staging permit must be conditional on the Pedestrian Crossover being operational.

15. Directed that Shaftesbury Avenue be returned to its pre-construction traffic and parking regulations when the project is complete.

16. Directed the General Director, Transportation Services to temporarily install a Pedestrian Crossover Level II B on Shaftesbury Avenue, approximately 90 meters east of Yonge Street, to be in operation until December 31, 2025 or completion of the Toronto Transit Commission Easier Access Project at Summerhill Station, whichever comes first, on the following conditions:

a. a deposit will be required to be submitted to "The Treasurer, City of Toronto", in advance of the permit being issued; the deposit is required to cover costs incurred by the City, in the event the contractor does not provide a service that it must, as stipulated in the permit agreement conditions below; and upon completion of the construction project and return to normal operation, the unused portion of the deposit will be returned to the Toronto Transit Commission;

b. the contractor will be responsible for the installation, maintenance and removal of the Pedestrian Crossover by one of the electrical contractors pre-approved by the City's Traffic Systems Construction and Maintenance Unit; maintenance levels specified by the City's Traffic Systems Construction and Maintenance Unit must be followed, to be in accordance with those followed by the City's Electrical Maintenance Contractor for the maintenance of the City's other Pedestrian Crossovers; and

c. the Toronto Transit Commission must provide to Transportation Services a 7 day/24 hour contact name, phone number and email address, for the City's dispatchers to forward operational malfunction/complaints to; if the City's dispatcher is not able to reach the contact by phone to provide details of a malfunction/complaint, then the City's Electrical Maintenance Contractor will be dispatched to investigate and complete repairs and the City's dispatcher will send an email to document the malfunction call and their inability to reach the contact; and the response and repair costs will be deducted from the deposit provided to the City.

In 2022, the TTC blocked off one lane westbound lane of Shaftesbury Avenue in order to install elevators at the subway station. Transportation services marked the remaining (south) lane as eastbound only. As a result, Summerhill area residents have extreme difficulty exiting their neighborhood. They have no road access in any direction, except by accessing Yonge Street. Due to heavy bike and vehicle traffic on Yonge Street, it is very difficult for them to turn onto or to cross Yonge Street without a traffic light. The only traffic light serving the immediate neighbourhood is at Shaftesbury Avenue. The eastbound lane restriction makes this traffic light inaccessible to the residents and others attempting to leave the neighbourhood by car.

Transportation services advises that it is unsafe to make the remaining (south) lane two way. TTC advises that it cannot return the blocked (north) lane for community use, even though the lane is typically used only to park a small amount of equipment, and the project is expected to drag on for several more years.

In these circumstances, the Summerhill Residents’ Association requests that the city make the remaining (south) lane of Shaftesbury Avenue westbound in the area where the TTC is occupying the north lane, and install a stop sign where it reaches the eastern edge of the construction site.

The letter of request from the Summerhill Residents’ Association is attachment 1.