City of Toronto launching next round of public consultation on the High Park Movement Strategy

High Park Movement Strategy

The City of Toronto is undertaking a second round of public consultation on improving travel within High Park as part of the High Park Movement Strategy (HPMS). The goal of the strategy is to improve mobility within the park, while prioritizing safety, accessibility and the park’s ecological integrity. The HPMS will focus the existing travel network including roads, driveways, parking lots and paved trails.

Four draft travel network strategies have been developed based on feedback gathered from initial rounds of community consultation as well as technical studies of traffic conditions and infrastructure in High Park.

The four strategies are:
• Strategy 1: No visitor vehicles allowed within High Park
• Strategy 2: No visitor vehicles allowed at scheduled times
• Strategy 3: No visitor vehicles allowed on certain roads within High Park
• Strategy 4: Visitor vehicles allowed in High Park

Each strategy presents a different approach for managing travel behaviours in High Park, but all strategies include measures to improve safety, reduce vehicle speeds and minimize conflicts between road users.

The City will be hosting a series of online and in-person engagement events in July and August to gather feedback from park users on possible travel network improvements:
• Online Survey: An online survey will run from Friday, July 8 to Friday, August 19. The survey is available through the City’s online portal: https://s.cotsurvey.chkmkt.com/?e=278611&h=14FEFAA13352DE8&l=en
• Talk to the Project Team in High Park: The project team will be in High Park to answer questions and learn about park users’ priorities and preferences for travel network changes. Staff will be located at a project information station on West Road, just south of Bloor Street West (https://goo.gl/maps/aUMKidiQaBrhoE43A) today, Thursday, July 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, July 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Dates are weather permitting and additional dates may be scheduled.
• Online Open House: An online open house will be held on Wednesday, July 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. The project team will present feedback, findings and gather feedback on possible improvements. The online open house is available via WebEx: https://toronto.webex.com/webappng/sites/toronto/meeting/register/eb9f2b2e0a5142fd862a442389ca73c9?ticket=4832534b000000051818778912e0ea72f3260e7bce3bda049e58d24b22bbaddf5a621721053a391e&timestamp=1657654477130.

Details on upcoming engagement events including a link to take the online survey and register for the online open house are available on the project webpage: www.toronto.ca/HighParkMove. Questions can also be directed to the HPMS project team at highparkmove@toronto.ca.

Results from this round of consultations and the preferred option, will be incorporated into a 2023 report with recommendations for Council’s consideration.

More than 6,000 people participated in an online survey in the first round of consultation in 2021. A snapshot of what we heard from those who shared their experiences and feedback is available on the project webpage: www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/94e2-high-park-movement-strategy-survey-snapshot-2021.pdf.

TTC and Wheel Trans Service
The TTC is resuming service of the 30B High Park Bus. The 30B bus will operate on weekends and holidays over the summer until September 3 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. with service approximately every 20 minutes. High Park remains closed to visitor vehicles on weekends. Transit stops are located on West Road and Colborne Lodge Road. Wheel-Trans service is also available on this schedule and route. For more information, please visit www.ttc.ca.

Quotes:
“Torontonians love High Park and value its many trails, paths and amenities, which are available to everyone, every day. It’s my hope that all High Park visitors and local residents will share their thoughts and join the public consultations, whether in-person at the High Park pop-ups, during the online open house and via the online survey.”
– Mayor John Tory

“High Park is a heavily used park that is well-loved by Torontonians. It has something for everyone including off leash trails, wooded areas, sports fields, a splash pad and an outdoor pool, and picnic areas at Grenadier Pond. We are looking forward to receiving feedback from everyone who uses the park as well as from those in the neighbourhood.”
– Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chair of the Infrastructure & Environment Committee

“Public consultation is key so that we can design a park that everyone can enjoy. We are working on how to reimagine our park, and how we can best serve the people moving through it. It is also important to recognize and serve visitors that have different mobility needs and preferences.”
– Councillor Gord Perks (Parkdale-High Park)

SOURCE City of Toronto

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