Planned work on Danforth Avenue between Main and Victoria Park raises concerns about traffic and safety

By MATTHEW STEPHENS

As the City of Toronto delves into a construction project to restore dilapidated pipes on Danforth Avenue between Main Street and Victoria Park Avenue, some local residents have expressed concerns regarding increased traffic congestion, student and pedestrian safety, and economic impact on businesses in the area.

“With the expected timeframes it will be important to look at things like spill-over traffic into local residential roads to ensure that safety measures are in place. There are a lot of parks and schools north and south of the Danforth and we want to make sure there aren’t things we can do in advance of these disruptions to help ease the potential issues,” said resident Melody Gaukel in an email to Beach Metro Community News.

“The small businesses and the big businesses in that stretch of the Danforth are busy – all day and night! Taking away sidewalks and reducing lanes of traffic for such an extended period of time will have real consequences. We hope that the city planners are keeping this in mind.”

Replacement of the old pipes is part of the city’s plan to make improvements to the area’s watermain, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer systems, as well as other improvements to Danforth Avenue’s above-ground infrastructure, including additional parking and loading areas, upgraded cycling lanes, curb extensions, crossings, and bus stops.

According to the City of Toronto’s website, improvements to the strip of Danforth Avenue’s underground infrastructure comes as a “once in a 25-50-year opportunity to make upgrades to the road,” and that the construction project will make roads in the area safer for pedestrians, drivers, public transit users, and cyclists.

A public information meeting was held on Tuesday, April 22, to provide details regarding the development project.

Construction at the site is expected to span one year, starting this fall and ending as early as fall of 2026. The city said the project end date is subject to change.

Plans for the project will see the strip of Danforth Avenue limited to one lane of traffic in each direction during the watermain and sewer replacement work.

Details from the city’s public information page mentions that work to improve Danforth Avenue’s above-ground infrastructure “may not be feasible to maintain one lane of traffic in each direction at all times.”

According to the city’s information: “Portions of concrete work will limit traffic to one direction, require two-way control by a traffic control person, or be done with block-by-block full closure with local access maintained.”

Though traffic mitigation is detailed in the city’s plans, Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford said he intends to maintain Danforth Avenue’s current configuration of one-lane traffic on each side, and that the Traffic Management Plans will need to be developed and approved by city staff before construction begins.

“In this specific area, the current configuration of one lane on both sides of Danforth Avenue will be maintained. Traffic Management Plans are also required for this sort of work, and will be developed by the contractors and approved by city staff before any work begins,” said Bradford in an email to Beach Metro Community News.

Although pedestrian access to the street will be maintained at all times during above-ground redevelopment, cyclists will have to share the road with motor vehicles.

In order to lessen traffic congestion, the city plans to install portable variable message and advisory signs, deploy paid duty officers at key intersections, assign traffic agents to support traffic flow through busy areas, and provide public notifications regarding traffic impacts in advance.

Bradford said he has worked as a councillor to improve traffic mitigation and “minimize impacts on the community” during construction projects such as these, and that he won’t tolerate a deadline that exceeds the expected completion date for the Danforth Avenue project.

“Construction in Toronto is always a headache, and ensuring road safety and coordination of the right-of-way around this project is of utmost importance to me. In 2023, I passed a motion at (Toronto) Council creating a Construction Hub in this area to ensure the city takes a proactive and coordinated approach to construction management while minimizing impacts on the community and ensuring it remains updated with real-time information,” said Bradford.

“I have made it crystal clear to senior city staff that I will not tolerate any schedule overruns on this project.”

He said the area is in “desperate” need of improvements both above and below ground, and that projected increases in population density within the surrounding area as a result of residential development was a contributing factor to the urgency of the project.

“Development or not, this area is in desperate need of infrastructure upgrades, but the urgency for these improvements has increased due to the amount of building happening in the area. The completion of this project is critical before these other projects begin,” said Bradford.

He also said that he will continue to work with both the community and city staff to ensure the project is completed in a timely and effective manner.

“In addition to the meetings I have already held with staff and community members, my office will continue holding regular meetings with city staff to ensure they remain accountable to the project’s timeline,” said Bradford.

“I will be keeping an eye on this project to ensure it is completed in a timely, safe, and effective manner.”