Our local bike lanes are becoming increasingly popular with bicycles and now, e-bikes, e-scooters and e-mopeds. Each are very different in size, weight, and speed. The latter three each pose an opportunity for transportation and exercise, but also issues for pedestrians and other non-powered cyclists. And regulation has not caught up. This Global and Mail article neatly sums up the story.
The City of Toronto has implemented the following changes for short-term rental operators like Airbnb and booking.com, effective June 30 of this year:
Changes coming into effect in September 2024 will reportedly strengthen the principal residence requirements, authorize annual inspections and introduce a limit of one registration per dwelling unit. Starting January 2025, the operator registration fees will increase and operators will be required to choose between registering as either an entire-unit operator (i.e. short-term renting entire home) or as a partial-unit operator (i.e. short-term renting only rooms in the home) for the duration of their registration period.
More information on the bylaw changes and an updated Good Operator Guide are available at toronto.ca/ShortTermRentals. For any questions regarding the new rules, please email ShortTermRentals@toronto.ca.
Completed just this past week is a study on the recent effects of new bike lanes established along Bloor Street West in our neighbourhood. In short, the volume of bikes using the lanes has increased together with a reduction of bikes using our sidewalks. To read more and see the full stats, click here. As summer gets underway, the BWVA is very encouraged by these results.
blogTO put together a neat history of our neighbourhood, from its beginnings in the mid 1800’s. Did you know that Runnymede Road was originally a “driveway” to an estate owned by John Scarlett? Or that parts of our neighbourhood had prohibition from 1904 until very recently, in 1997? You can read about these stories and more, here.
Relief on the horizon for those who transfer to the UP Express at Dundas West Station. Learn more here.
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:
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:
Highlights of the proposed design at the South Kingsway intersection include the following:
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.
