Item - 2025.IE24.3

The General Manager, Transportation Services recommends that:

1. City Council receive this report for information and not proceed with the installation of a Pedestrian Priority Phase at the intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue.

This report is prepared in response to a request from the Infrastructure and Environment Committee regarding the feasibility of implementing a Pedestrian Priority Phase (PPP), also known as a ‘Pedestrian Scramble’, at the intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue following the commencement of the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit operations.

Transportation Services staff conducted an analysis and reviewed the feasibility of implementing a Pedestrian Priority Phase at this location with the goal of reducing pedestrian delay and eliminating conflicts between pedestrians and turning vehicles, thereby enhancing safety and comfort for vulnerable road users. The investigation determined that a Pedestrian Priority Phase at this location is warranted, as the intersection observed over 5,000 pedestrians per hour in November 2024, making this one of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the City based on the past five years of data collection. Field observations confirmed pedestrian crowding at the street corners, further emphasizing the need for the City to implement a strategy that minimizes delay for pedestrians at this location.

Although the intersection exceeds the first numerical warrant criteria of more than 3,000 pedestrians crossing per hour, a further analysis found that implementing a Pedestrian Priority Phase at this location would not result in significant benefits to pedestrians when compared to the existing operation. In fact, implementing a Pedestrian Priority Phase was shown to increase pedestrian delays, rather than reduce them, given the need to add additional signal time for other modes of travel to clear. Furthermore, the existing vehicle turn-restrictions at this intersection already eliminate pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, meaning a Pedestrian Priority Phase would not provide any additional safety benefits.

It is also important to note that when the Eglinton Crosstown opens, there will be additional pedestrian crossing capacity available for transit riders transferring between transit lines underground. This will reduce some of the pedestrian demands at the intersection as well.

For these reasons, while the numerical warrant was met, Transportation Services staff do not recommend implementing a Pedestrian Priority Phase at this location and advise that the City should maintain the existing signal operation even after the Eglinton Crosstown is in operation.

The adoption of this report’s recommendation is not anticipated to result in any financial impact to the City.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial implications as contained in the Financial Impact Section.