Over the long weekend, the City opened up a number of its roadways to make room for cyclists and pedestrians as part of its ActiveTO plan. This was done in an effort to keep residents in COVID lockdown healthy and active while also allowing appropriate space for physical socially distancing.
Through ActiveTO, the City is installing 57 kilometres of ‘quiet streets’ in different neighbourhoods where traffic calming measures, including signage and temporary barricades, will be erected to encourage drivers to slow down and create a roadway that “welcomes people who walk, run and bike.”
READ: City Opening Over 50 KM of ‘Quiet Streets’ Across Toronto
The City started installing quiet streets Thursday in Kensington Market, Shaughnessy Boulevard, and Havenbrook Boulevard. And over the weekend all eastbound lanes on Lake Shore Boulevard West between Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road; Bayview Avenue from Mill Street to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue were open to people on foot and wheels.
From videos and photos shared on social media, people walked, ran, rollerbladed, skateboarded, and cycled along the various car-free roads, taking full advantage of the open space.
In case you weren’t apart of the groups of people socially distancing while enjoying the city streets this weekend, here’s a look at how some of the ActiveTO routes looked like.
Some pictures from cycling the Bayview and Lake Shore Blvd W #ActiveTO routes. #biketo pic.twitter.com/VwZAE17gua
— Chris Drew (@chrisjamesdrew) May 17, 2020
what an amazing initiative. Thank you Mayor Tory @JohnTory for this amazing idea. #ActiveTO pic.twitter.com/KLGJYjDkJK
— Saeed Zeinali (@saeed_zeinali) May 17, 2020
Just did a quick count and there were something like three cars versus 40 cyclists, runners, and pedestrians in one stretch of #ActiveTO Lakeshore. pic.twitter.com/MbMDJulEfE
— Howie Chong (@howiechong) May 17, 2020
Such a buzz riding along the Lakeshore closed to car traffic yesterday! #ActiveTO pic.twitter.com/6Ta5R06G3a
— Linda Rothman (@RothmanLinda) May 17, 2020
Lakeshore Blvd eastbound open for bikes! Part of the #ActiveTO plan to make more space for pedestrians and cyclists and ease congestion on the busy Martin Goodman Trail. It’s working! Yay! #BikeTO pic.twitter.com/KwNS0Z1kzd
— Bromptoning (@BromptoningLove) May 16, 2020
The Lakeshore Boulevard Activeway is real, and it’s spectacular. #ActiveTO #BikeTO pic.twitter.com/LVTP4hNH25
— Richard Brynj ó l f s s o n (@sillygwailo) May 16, 2020
Lakeshore Blvd this morning before 10 a.m. People looked really happy 👍 #ActiveTO pic.twitter.com/HYcRY01iqn
— Bratzla (@bri_ratz) May 16, 2020
#ActiveTO ride between Windermere and Stadium on Lake Shore Blvd. West. pic.twitter.com/UYVrxuXTlS
— AmpuTO 🇨🇦🦿🦿 (@ampu_to) May 17, 2020
7m40s time lapse: Left, 66 CARS. Right, 293 PEOPLE.
Thousands of Torontonians were able to experience pure BLISS during this first weekend of #ActiveTO on Lakeshore & Bayview. A citywide network of safe #bikeTO lanes would be enjoyed by millions. Toronto needs this. https://t.co/9B43UHiyN9 pic.twitter.com/hGb43w62XV
— Kevin Rupasinghe (@RupasingheKevin) May 18, 2020
#ActiveTO is here. Lakeshore W closed to cars. Space to walk and ride and roll. Hey Toronto, can we keep it (and more bike lanes pls)?? #bikeTO pic.twitter.com/O07u2Lzdxk
— Midweek Cycling (@midweekcycling) May 17, 2020
Yesssssss! I will take all of this you got
This is an #ActiveTO pic.twitter.com/S2duH3H4KT
— Dave 🚲__⬅️2m➡️__🚲 Edwards (@DaveLikesBikes) May 16, 2020
I bet there were hundreds of people biking down Lakeshore today! Goes to show how much Torontonians appreciate more space. #ActiveTO pic.twitter.com/3jEyBjIoGm
— Hannah Matthews (@hannahelisema) May 17, 2020
I rode on Lakeshore today and it was an amazing experience. I look forward to future #activeTO initiatives. Thank you for this @cityoftoronto, @JohnTory and everyone who made this possible. #cyclingtoronto #cyclingTO pic.twitter.com/fIXhHhIrEe
— Agnieszka Gorgon (@Libraraga) May 17, 2020
