Item - 2025.EX21.4

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the implementation of priority bus lanes on the following roadway sections:

a. Southbound Parliament Street from Lake Shore Boulevard to Small Street;

b. Westbound Queens Quay East from Small Street to Bay Street;

c. Eastbound Queens Quay East from Lower Jarvis Street to Bonnycastle Street; and

d. Eastbound Front Street West from a point 50 metres east of Bay Street to Yonge Street.

2. City Council authorize the alteration of the intersection of Queens Quay East at Lower Jarvis Street to include a westbound right-turn lane and a westbound priority bus lane generally as shown in Attachment 3 to the revised report (March 19, 2025) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

3. City Council authorize the alteration of the intersection of Dockside Drive (west leg) at Queens Quay East to include a northbound left-turn prohibition from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. generally as shown in Attachment 3 to the revised report (March 19, 2025) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.  

4. City Council enact the amendments to traffic and parking regulations associated with Recommendation 1 above, and generally as described in Attachment 1 to the revised report (March 19, 2025) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

5. City Council delegate, despite any City of Toronto By-law to the contrary, to the General Manager, Transportation Services, until December 18, 2025, for the purposes of implementing and then addressing operational and safety issues that may arise in relation to the projects identified above, the authority to implement changes and process and submit directly to City Council, any necessary Bills for by-law amendments to the schedules, to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapters on the streets and within the parameters found in Attachment 2 to the revised report (March 19, 2025) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

On December 17, 2024, City Council directed Transportation Services to work with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to report back on interim priority bus lane implementation along Queens Quay East between Bay Street and Parliament Street, in advance of the Waterfront East Light Rail Transit (WELRT) project. On February 24, 2025, the TTC Board received and endorsed the proposed transit priority measures on Queens Quay East and Front Street West. The interim priority bus lanes are intended to provide immediate improvements to approximately 4,000 daily customers prior to the implementation of WELRT.

This report seeks Council authority to install priority bus lanes to improve travel times and reliability for transit customers on the following street segments:

-Southbound Parliament Street from Lake Shore Boulevard to Small Street,

-Westbound Queens Quay East from Small Street to Bay Street,

-Eastbound Queens Quay East from Lower Jarvis Street to Bonnycastle Street, and

-Eastbound Front Street West from a point 50 metres east of Bay Street to Yonge Street.

No motor vehicle traffic lanes are proposed to be removed, and all existing traffic capacity would be maintained by optimizing the existing curb-to-curb space on the Queens Quay East, Parliament Street, and Front Street rights-of-way. Local access and right-turns would be maintained, and a left-turn prohibition at Dockside Drive (east leg) at Queens Quay East is proposed in the peak periods.

In addition to the interim painted bus lanes on Queens Quay East, the removal of approximately eight (8) on-street parking spaces on Front Street West, between Bay Street and Yonge Street, is proposed to provide a dedicated layover area for buses. This would facilitate better service reliability for customers, allow buses laying over to keep clear from general traffic, and simplify the customer experience for TTC bus transfers at Union Station.

Interim priority bus lanes will provide immediate improvements to the three bus routes operating on Queens Quay East and may be further utilized by other bus routes for future diversion routing, during construction of the various infrastructure and development projects in the surrounding area. The City, TTC, and Waterfront Toronto are continuing work to advance the Waterfront East Light Rail Transit (WELRT) project design, which would replace the proposed interim priority bus lanes in the future.