Item - 2023.TE1.29

The Toronto and East York Community Council:

1. Directed the General Manager, Transportation Services to establish a comprehensive neighbourhood streets plan for the Wychwood-Bracondale neighbourhood, bounded by Christie Street, St. Clair Avenue West, Bathurst Street and Davenport Road, that reviews all turn restrictions and parking regulations, explores signal timing changes, identifies the appropriate traffic calming measures toward addressing traffic infiltration concerns and speeding, and also identifies creative design solutions to enhance cycling and pedestrian safety, and to initiate consultations with the Ward Councillor by the first quarter of 2023.

I am writing to respectfully seek your support on this request for a comprehensive plan for neighbourhood streets in the Wychwood-Bracondale area bounded by Christie Street, St. Clair Avenue West, Bathurst Street and Davenport Road.   

Residents in this area have expressed concerns about traffic infiltration, congestion, speeding, and other forms of reckless driver behaviour.  They have further recommended that a number of measures and actions be undertaken to address same—namely, new turn restrictions and the review of the existing ones.  Other changes they would like to see are staggered parking, installation of planters, speed humps, refreshing of stop bars, pedestrian crossing lines, and other safety markings, potential changes in road direction and signal timing changes where applicable.

For instance, on Ellsworth Ave, residents have specifically complained about speeding and significant cut-through traffic, impacting their quality of life, especially during the morning rush hour periods.  While there are exiting turn restrictions during the evening rush hour, I understand that traffic patterns have since changed and reviewing the timing of the restriction may make it more impactful.  My office has received reports that the speed humps on the street are not as effective in deterring speeding.  In addition to this, they have been installed in a way that makes it easy for drivers to try to avoid them by driving in the direction of sidewalks, putting pedestrians in grave danger.  Similar concerns have been raised on Benson Ave, between Christie Street and Wychwood Ave, which also has turn restrictions and speed humps.  Residents are looking for a review of the restrictions and additional traffic calming measures like collapsible bollards/traffic posts (used to narrow the width of traffic lanes) and traffic-calming road surfaces, such as cobblestones and paving bricks.

Other residents have complained that the turn restrictions at the intersections of Christie Street and a number of neighbourhood streets that were implemented more than a decade ago are unfair.  While those restrictions assist with traffic infiltration concerns on those specific neighbourhood streets, they seem to be unfair to the general neighbourhood as residents experience longer travel times in order to get to their respective homes.  They spend several minutes in traffic jams on Bathurst Street and St. Clair Ave West.  They are seeking an opportunity to review the timing of the restrictions in such a way that while infiltration concerns are addressed, other residents in the neighbourhood are not inconvenienced. 

The weekly Wychwood Barns Farmers' market on Saturdays attracts a lot of pedestrian and vehicular traffic into the neighbourhood.  The neighbourhood has complained about congestion on streets due to visitors taking up parking spaces and would like to see a review of the parking regulations to address this.  Also, with the very vibrant Wychwood Barns Park with a playground that attracts several families with young kids, it is imperative that a complete review of the adjacent road conditions toward enhancing safety be undertaken.