The City of Toronto has officially begun installing priority streetcar lanes on a stretch of Bathurst Street, months after receiving community pushback.
The city and TTC began installing priority lanes on Wednesday which will cover a 3.4 kilometre stretch of Bathurst from Bathurst Station to Lakeshore West Boulevard.
The project was approved by council in July, along with priority lanes on a stretch of Dufferin Street between Dufferin Station and King Street West. The lanes will be painted red to help drivers clearly identify the priority lanes.
According to the city, work will take place overnight from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., and take place during the day during off-peak hours to limit traffic disruptions.
The city says efforts will be made to complete the noisiest work before 11:00 p.m.
Parking and standing will not be allowed in the installation area beginning at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The city says vehicles parked in the zone will be relocated at no cost to the owner.
TTC vehicles will continue to operate and access Bathurst station. However, the 511 Bathurst streetcars will be replaced by buses between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. to accommodate overnight red paint installation.
Regular streetcar service will resume each morning at 5:30 a.m according to the city.
As a result of the installation, the city will be removing all one-hour, unsigned and Green P parking from Bathurst Station to Dundas Street West and Dundas Street West to Lake Shore Boulevard West.
Earlier this year the City of Toronto and TTC received pushback from communities and business owners along Bathurst and Dufferin, with many fearing the removal of parking will lead to less foot traffic in stores and more traffic in side-streets.
Read More
As a result, some business owners began displaying signs in store fronts warning pedestrians of potential outcomes.
Despite this, the city moved forward with the project, which is being carried out in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches with six games being hosted at BMO field.
According to the City of Toronto’s website, installation of priority transit lanes on Dufferin will begin this month. However, a date has yet to be revealed.
