Starting on Monday, the City of Toronto will begin the first phase of improvements to how visitors can access and travel around High Park.
These changes are part of the High Park Movement Strategy and won’t be in effect until Saturday, Aug. 5.
The changes include:
- The West Road and parts of Colborne Lodge Drive, south of Grenadier Café, will be car-free at all times
- The main vehicle entrance will be at Parkside Drive and High Park Boulevard and will be open Monday to Friday and closed on weekends and holidays. Visitor vehicles will not be permitted to enter at Bloor Street West
- Visitor vehicle access will be provided to the Children’s Garden, Colborne Lodge Drive and the Spring Road Parking lot at all times
- Public parking spaces within High Park will be reduced. Designated pick-up/drop-off spaces will be added near main destinations
- Dedicated bike lanes will be added to Centre Road and Colborne Lodge Drive
- Improved pavement markings and signage will be added to pedestrian crossing areas
The west-end park spans across 399 acres, bounded by Bloor St. W. to the north, Parkside Dr. to the east, the Queensway to the south, and Ellis Ave./Ellis Park Rd. to the west.
The city’s largest park has been closed to visitor vehicles on weekends and holidays since March 2020. However, city council endorsed the continued closure of the park at its last meeting, and a long-term strategy to close the entire park to vehicles.
The movement strategy for High Park was launched in 2021 with the goal to improve safety, accessibility and the park’s natural environment, according to the city.
“Recommendations were informed by extensive research and analysis, including traffic and parking studies and feedback gathered through a multi-phase engagement process that reached more than 10,000 participants,” city staff said in a news release on Friday.
More details about the strategy can be found here.
