In December 2021, City Council adopted the Cycling Network Plan and the associated 2022-2024 Near-Term Implementation Plan, which seeks to build on the existing network of cycling routes to Connect gaps in the current network, Grow the network into new parts of the city, and Renew existing parts of the network to improve safety. This report provides an update on the progress of the Cycling Network Near-Term Implementation Program (2022 to 2024) including an outline of three major projects planned for 2023. The main focus of this report is an update on the 2021 ActiveTO Cycling Network Expansion pilot projects on Midtown Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue south of River Street, summarizing additional data collected, and recommendations that both pilot projects be made permanent based on the performance data collected and alignment with City Council approved policies. The ActiveTO Cycling Network Expansion program dedicated road space on a temporary basis to facilitate cycling for essential trips and physical activity in order to support the city during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The program was highlighted in the City of Toronto's Office of Recovery and Rebuild's COVID-19: Impacts and Opportunities Report, which indicated that transportation infrastructure and programs will be critical for Toronto's recovery to build back better. Seven of the temporary ActiveTO Cycling Network Expansion projects installed in 2020 were made permanent in December 2021. The bikeways on Yonge Street from Davisville Avenue to Bloor Street and Bayview Avenue from River Street to Front Street East were installed in July 2021. In April 2022, Council extended the pilots provisionally until January 2023 subject to additional data collection, operational adjustments, further stakeholder consultation, monitoring and evaluation. The ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Pilot on Yonge Street included cafés, cycle tracks and other streetscape elements. The expanded CaféTO program provided urgent support to local restaurants, while the ActiveTO bikeways provided a new safe connection that mirrored the Line 1 subway line. In April 2022, City Council authorized the provisional continuation of the temporary ActiveTO 2021 Cycling Network Expansion projects on Bayview Avenue and Yonge Street until January 2023. Since April 2022, Transportation Services has implemented a number of adjustments to improve safety and operations. After 18 months of installation, the data demonstrates increases (ranging between 57 percent and 250 percent) in cycling trips and increases in pedestrian trips (ranging between 59 percent and 145 percent) on the corridor, as well as support for local business including an increase from 10 CaféTO patios in 2020 to 21 patios on the corridor in 2022. Motor vehicle travel times in both directions on Midtown Yonge Street during most times of the day are now less than a minute higher than the pre-pandemic baseline (Fall 2019). After various adjustments to the pilot, travel times have increased by less than 70 seconds (down from 90 seconds in AM/PM peak periods and 150 seconds midday observed Fall 2021). Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Paramedic Services have also provided updates on the impacts to their service in this report. Prior to the complete street changes, TTC had on-going maintenance projects impacting Line 1 to improve reliability, increase capacity, and improve system accessibility. The need for regular and predictable shuttle bus service has been closely monitored during the pilot period. The TTC has provided updated data for Line 1 replacement shuttle buses in this report. The most recent data from the TTC indicates that through operational adjustments to mitigate variability, the customer experience for those that use the Line 1 shuttle buses is now comparable to pre-pilot conditions. Further, the TTC maintenance projects requiring planned shuttle bus service on Line 1 are now largely complete. Community consultation has taken place, both before and during the pilot, with local businesses, four Business Improvement Areas, several neighbourhood associations and area residents through various online meetings and in-person site walks. Feedback for the ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Pilot ranged from support for the project citing improved safety and experience for people walking and cycling because of the cycle tracks and complete street design, to requests to remove the cycle tracks due to concerns about motor vehicle congestion and increased travel time. Following additional data collection, operational improvements and consultation, and based on the performance data collected, as well as alignment with City Council approved policies such as the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and TransformTO Climate Action Strategy, Transportation Services recommends the pilot project on Yonge Street from 150 metres north of Davisville Avenue to 100 metres south of Bloor Street (cycle tracks, Ward 11 and 12) be made permanent. If the pilot is made permanent, it would provide the opportunity to transform temporary curb extensions and buffers into permanent planted and/or concrete islands, incorporate upgrades into redevelopment site streetscape frontages, and incorporate other upgrades as part of major road resurfacing planned in upcoming years. The ActiveTO pilot on Bayview Avenue was implemented between Front Street East and River Street to provide a safe and direct detour to the Lower Don Trail closures. While Waterfront Toronto has moved forward with closures of the trail south of Corktown Commons until at least 2024, the planned Parks, Forestry and Recreation project which was expected to close the trail in 2021 to widen and improve the trail between Riverdale Park and Corktown Commons has experienced a delay due to contractor issues and Metrolinx permitting. Construction of the Lower Don Trail project is now expected to start in 2023. While the work is currently planned to be complete in December 2023, there is potential for construction to carry through to April 2024. While the ActiveTO Bayview pilot project was initially conceived as a temporary detour route for the Lower Don Trail, it has now been in operation in tandem with the trail. Cycling volumes grew on Bayview Avenue, while the Lower Don Trail cycling volumes remained consistent. The ActiveTO Bayview pilot is providing new connectivity to the cycling network not previously served, such as The Esplanade-Mill Street bi-directional cycle track, the River Street cycle tracks and the Rosedale Valley Road Multi-use trail. Further, there has been minimal impacts to the broader transportation network, as northbound motor vehicle demand has been accommodated on parallel corridors including River Street and Parliament Street. As such, Transportation Services recommends the pilot project on Bayview Avenue between River Street and Front Street East (multi-use trail, Ward 13) be made permanent. Finally, this report seeks to make minor housekeeping amendments to existing bikeways and their associated traffic and parking by-laws on the following streets: · Adelaide Street (traffic and parking, Ward 10 and 13) · College Street (parking for persons with disabilities, Ward 11) · Douro Street and Wellington Street (traffic and parking, Ward 10) · Shuter Street and Sumach Street (traffic and parking, Ward 13) · The Esplanade-Mill Street Cycling Connections Project (traffic and parking, Ward 10 and 13)
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