Bloor Street West Reconstruction – Avenue Road to Spadina Avenue

Road reconstruction, including cycling and sidewalk upgrades, began in Spring/Summer 2023 and were completed in Fall 2024 between Spadina Avenue and Avenue Road.

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Public Information Event

The City held a virtual Public Information Event on May 5, 2022 to present an update on the project and provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions.

Event Notice 

Presentation 

Approved Changes: Spadina Avenue to Avenue Road

• Reconstruction of the road, including removal and replacement of the concrete road base and asphalt surface
• Installation of permanent raised cycle tracks, which included:
  • Barrier curbs between the vehicle curb lane/parking lane and raised cycle track, where feasible, on the north side of Bloor Street West.
  • Beveled (rolled) curb between cycle track and sidewalk to provide separation while still allowing access across the cycle track for people using mobility devices.
  • Precast concrete medians at the ends of parking sections.
• Protected intersection at Bloor St. W. and St. George Street
• Sidewalk repairs
• Replacement of TTC bus stops with accessible raised bus stop platforms at specific locations
  • Transit stops at Madison Avenue and Bedford Road were upgraded to accommodate the new cycle track and meet current standards for accessibility. Existing bus stops were replaced with 30 metre-long raised platforms to allow buses to provide service alongside the cycle track. People cycling should yield to people boarding and exiting buses.
• Green infrastructure enhancements, which included:
  • Enlarging existing tree pit openings to improve overall health of trees by increasing oxygen, water filtration and biological activity.
  • Replacing existing non-porous paving between trees with permeable pavers to provide passive irrigation via rain runoff within the tree root zones.
  • Upgrading existing small precast planters with slightly larger ones to increase soil volume of each tree.
  • Constructing bioretention planters on the north side of Bloor St West in front of Exhibit Condo and at TTC platform locations at St George Street and Madison Avenue. These also provide traffic calming, increases planting biodiversity and offers aesthetic benefits.
  • Installing permeable asphalt at key TTC platform locations that allow stormwater to filter into the ground, reducing the volume and speed of runoff into the City’s storm sewer system. Permeable asphalt is also beneficial at TTC platforms with utility and grading challenges.
• Watermain replacement, road resurfacing and intersection realignment on Bedford Road
• Protected intersection at Bloor St. W. and St. George Street. Benefits of protected intersections include:
  • Separating people cycling from motor vehicle traffic, providing a high degree of comfort and safety. Pedestrians also benefit because it shortens the crossing and the tight curb radii slows down motor vehicle traffic.
  • Reducing the likelihood of high speed vehicle turns.
  • Improving sightlines between all road users.
  • Reducing the distance and time during which people cycling and walking are exposed to conflicts with vehicles.

Cycle tracks were installed between Avenue Road and Shaw Street as part of the Bloor Street Bike Lanes Pilot Project, which was approved by City Council in May 2016. The original design featured pre-cast concrete curbs and flexible posts as separation between the cycle tracks and roadway. In 2017, following evaluation of the pilot, City Council approved the recommendation to make the separated bike lanes permanent. (Item 2017.PW24.9)

In 2018, City Council approved the recommendation to direct staff to improve corridor safety along the Bloor Street West bike lane route, including corridor intersections, accelerate plans to improve the separation between the bikeway and roadway, and to include in the permanent design protected intersections and recommendations for physical roadway modifications to enhance the safety of turning movements, along with through movements on the corridor. (Item 2018.MM43.4)

In 2021, the City completed Phase 1 of work on Bloor Street from Avenue Road to Spadina Avenue by replacing the watermain. Phase 2 began in 2023 and included improvements to the existing bikeways and sidewalks, and construction of a protected intersection at Bloor Street West and St. George Street.