Relief on the horizon for those who transfer to the UP Express at Dundas West Station. Learn more here.
Author: Michael
The Noise Bylaw (Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 591) provides standards for noise, and applies to all properties in Toronto. It must balance the desires of all residents to enjoy their homes and environments, and at the same time recognize that in a City as large and vibrant as Toronto, certain levels of noise are reasonable and reflect life in a densely populated area.
The 2023 Implementation Review of the Noise Bylaw will assess
amendments made to the Bylaw in 2019 and consider potential refinements.
There will be six (6) consultation meetings to seek feedback on the public’s experience with the amended Noise Bylaw and the refinements under consideration. Each consultation will focus on one particular area related to the Noise Bylaw, as listed below. There will be a combination of in-person and virtual meetings. Note that there will be two identical meetings held for Amplified Sound and General Noise, one virtual and one in-person.
If you’re interested in attending, please register using this link and select the meeting(s) that most align with your interest(s). You are welcome to attend multiple sessions. Links to the virtual meetings are available on the dedicated registration pages.
Beginning Saturday, August 5:
- 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
THIS HAS BEEN APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL
The public consultation process is complete and you can review the Public Consultation Report as well as other project information at Toronto.ca/BloorWest.
Transportation Services is seeking City Council authority to install the proposed complete street elements on Bloor Street West from Runnymede Road to Resurrection Road as well as accompanying changes to the South Kingsway intersection. If approved, phase 1 from Runnymede Road to Aberfoyle Crescent would be installed in summer of 2023. Changes to Bloor Street West would be made with materials that can be installed quickly, such as bollards, roadway paint, planters and signage. No major road reconstruction is planned.
Highlights of the proposed design on Bloor Street West include the following:
- Reducing the speed limit to 40km/hr between Runnymede Road and Kipling Avenue;
- New cycle tracks with physical separation on both sides;
- One motor vehicle lane removed in each direction between Runnymede Road and Aberfoyle Crescent;
- One motor vehicle lane removed in the eastbound direction between Aberfoyle Crescent and Resurrection Road (due to the wider right-of-way and motor vehicle volumes, it is proposed to maintain two westbound motor vehicle lanes in this segment);
- Centre median maintained between Kingscourt Drive and Royal York Road, and a new painted median over the Humber River and the Mimico Creek bridges;
- Centre left-turn lane between Aberfoyle Crescent and Green Lanes;
- Centre lane or median converted to new, centre left-turn lane from Armadale Avenue to South Kingsway; Old Mill Drive to Riverside Drive; Old Mill Trail and Kingscourt Drive; and Royal York Road and Aberfoyle Crescent;
- Existing turn lanes at major intersections maintained between Prince Edward Drive and Aberfoyle Crescent;
- Westbound bus lane and right-turn lane on the north side of Bloor Street West from Armadale Avenue to Jane Street;
- On-street parking retained on both sides of the street from Runnymede Road to Armadale Avenue, and in existing parking lay-bys from Armadale Avenue to Aberfoyle Crescent (in the summer, on-street parking can become cafés beside the sidewalk as part of the CaféTO program); and
- One painted pedestrian lane on the south side between Kingscourt Drive and Prince Edward Drive to address the existing sidewalk gap adjacent to the cemetery before a permanent sidewalk can be built.
Highlights of the proposed design at the South Kingsway intersection include the following:
- New cycle tracks and removal of one motor vehicle lane per direction on Bloor Street West;
- Close the eastern entrance of Mossom Road to southbound vehicles in order to improve safety and predictability of motor vehicle movements at the intersection. The majority of pedestrian collisions have occurred with drivers turning across the South Kingsway crosswalk with pedestrians having the right-of-way. Two irregular driving manoeuvers would no longer be allowed with the proposed closure to the eastern entrance. Mossom Road would be converted to two-way travel for part of its length to provide residential access. A new left-turn lane would be provided at Riverside Drive and the existing left-turn restriction from Bloor Street West would be removed;
- Extend the length of left-turn lanes for drivers turning from Bloor Street West onto South Kingsway and Jane Street; and
- Add more green signal time for the busiest motor vehicle movements.
City magazine Toronto Life is looking for people with interesting real estate/housing stories (buying, selling, renovations, etc) or a strong point of view about a housing issue in the city that they are personally affected by who are willing to tell their stories. If you have an opinion or story to tell, please reach out to Maddy Mahoney, Digital Producer, Toronto Life at maighdlin.mahoney@stjoseph.com.
Toronto Nature Stewards (TNS) is a volunteer based organization working to restore the health and beauty of Toronto’s many ravines. Two of their sites are very close to Bloor West Village: South Kingsway (8 South Kingsway) and Magwood Park (2 Pasadena Gardens).
Their focus is the removal of invasive plants with fully trained Lead Stewards providing direction so volunteers are never on their own. Events are usually on a weekly basis, but no time commitment is required. Volunteers must be registered to participate.
To learn more, check out torontonaturestewards.org and if you would like to give it a try, click on “Get Involved”.
The Toronto Star recently profiled our neighbourhood in this piece, explaining the virtues of a place we know so well.
Sewer work in and around Old Mill Drive has been plagued by issues of late, including an expensive, stuck machine deep underground. Read here to learn more including when things should return to normal.
Building on the broad public consultations conducted in 2022, the City wants to reconnect with you to hear your opinions on making the UrbanHensTO pilot program permanent and city-wide. Take an online survey to share your thoughts and any additional comments on issues related to the program, such as nuisance, public health, food security, veterinarian care and animal welfare in Toronto. The deadline to submit comments is February 7.
Your feedback from the survey will update the City’s understanding about the program, help staff gauge the extent to which the public support making the program permanent, and inform the final staff report expected at the April 2023 meeting of the Economic and Community Development Committee.
Learn more at toronto.ca/UrbanHensTO.
This time of year can often be variable: cold days, mild days, cold days… It will eventually be much colder, longer, so consider these tips to ensure your home’s plumbing is safe:
Locate your main water shut-off valve inside your home and add a tag or label to it, so it is easy to locate and turn off quickly if pipes burst in your home
Seal air leaks in your home and garage to stop cold air from getting in. Check around windows and doors, electrical wiring, dryer vents and pipes
Insulate pipes in your home most prone to freezing including near outside walls, in the basement, or in a garage with an outside water supply. Use foam pipe covers available from building supply or home improvement stores
Keep the house warm even if you’re away to prevent indoor plumbing from freezing, especially in the area near the water meter
When temperatures are below -15C for a few days, you can choose to keep the water moving in your pipes by running a pencil-thin stream of cold water from a tap in the lowest point of the house e.g. a sink or tub in the basement. Ensure the drain is kept clear of debris to prevent overflowing or flooding. However, if you choose to take this step, you will be charged for the water you use.
More tips including a video on ways to avoid frozen pipes available at toronto.ca/frozenpipes
Rentola, a popular rental housing portal, released a study this week comparing 140 neighbourhoods in Toronto. Our neighbourhood ranked #3 with other west end locales making the top 10. Factors included in the study included crime, environment, education, housing, jobs, the local economy and health.
To view the complete report and methodology, click here.