The Esplanade and Mill Street Connection

A winter break for construction is scheduled from December 13 to March 1, 2025. See the latest Construction Update Notice for more details.

The Esplanade and Mill Street Connection project aims to make travel on the street safer and more inviting for people walking, cycling and taking transit, while maintaining access to local and citywide destinations. A final recommendation for the project was approved at Infrastructure and Environment Committee and City Council (IE22.11) in spring of 2021.

Phase 1

Phase 1, which includes the installation of a bikeway on The Esplanade from Bayview Avenue to Lower Sherbourne Street, was installed in the fall 2021. Phase 2a, which includes the installation of a bikeway from Lower Sherbourne Street to Lower Jarvis Street, was installed in the spring 2022.

Phase 1 Information Booklet (December 2021) 

Phase 2 and 2b

Starting in April 2024, the City will be installing Phase 2b which includes a bikeway from west of George Street to west of Scott Street. The work in Phase 2b is bundled with watermain replacement and sanitary sewer replacement occurring on the street.

Phase 2 Information Booklet (May 2022) 
Download construction notice

Phase 3

The installation of Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 2b uses quick-build materials. This allows the City to collect data and understand how these changes affect traffic patterns. In Phase 3, which is planned for 2025 – 2026, the City will be upgrading upgrading the bikeways from west of George Street to Berkeley Street to more seamlessly integrate with the streetscape. This work will be done in conjunction with the David Crombie Park Revitalization. This work will include:

    • Raising the bikeway to sidewalk level
    • Raised pedestrian and bicycle crossings of local streets
    • Intersection upgrades at Lower Jarvis Street and Lower Sherbourne Street.

Community feedback continues to shape the refinement of the installation as opportunities arise.

Walking, cycling and transit make up nearly three-quarters of the trips in the St. Lawrence and Distillery District neighbourhood, yet, before the project was installed, there were more than 340 collisions on this corridor in the last five years; 10 per cent involving pedestrians or people cycling, and one per cent leading to serious injury or death.

Phase 1

Phase 1 installation notice (September 2021)
Phase 1 Information booklet

  • Public consultation for the project began in 2019 and included a series of interest group meetings and public events in the winter of 2021
  • Changes to all segments from Bayview Avenue to Yonge Street were approved at Infrastructure and Environment Committee and City Council (11) in the spring of 2021
  • Phase 1 was installed in fall 2021, which included:
  • Two-way cycle tracks added to the south side of The Esplanade (east of Sherbourne Street) using quick-build materials
  • Safety enhancements added to intersections, including renewed pavement markings, prohibited vehicle turns, and signal timing that separates the movements of vulnerable road users from vehicles
  • The speed limit reduced from 40km/h to 30km/h
  • Two-way cycle tracks added to the south side of Mill Street in addition to one block of Bayview Avenue to Front Street East.
  • Mill Street converted to one-way westbound between Cherry Street and Parliament Street and between Bayview Avenue and Tannery Road
  • Bayview Avenue converted to one-way southbound between Front Street East and Mill Street
  • Curbside activity accommodated on one side for most blocks

Phase 2 and 2b

Phase 2 installation notice (April 2022)
Phase 2 information booklet

  • Phase 2a was installed in spring 2022, which included:
    • Two-way cycle tracks added to the south side of The Esplanade (east of Lower Jarvis Street) using quick-build materials
    • Safety enhancements added to intersections, including renewed pavement markings, prohibited vehicle turns, and signal timing that separates the movements of vulnerable road users from vehicles
    • The speed limit reduced from 40km/h to 30km/h
    • The Esplanade converted to one-way westbound from Church Street to Scott Street, from Jarvis Street to Market Street, and from Princess Street to Berkeley Street
    • The Esplanade converted to one-way eastbound from George Street South to Frederick Street
    • Through traffic prohibited in both directions between Sherbourne Street and Princess Street
    • George Street South between The Esplanade and Wilton Street converted one-way southbound to prevent Wilton Street from becoming a bypass and to reduce traffic near St. Michael School
    • The north half of Farquhars Lane is one way northbound to reduce local traffic infiltration and the traffic volume across the busy Front Street sidewalk.
  • Compliance with the new traffic conditions has improved over time, and the number of people cycling has doubled compared to pre-installation counts.

Phase 2b installation notice (March 2024)

  • Phase 2b is planned for installation in 2024 and will extend to Yonge Street. Once complete, the project will connect to planned and existing bikeways on Yonge Street, Lower Sherbourne Street, Cherry Street, Bayview Avenue, and the Don Valley trails network. The completion of Phase 2 is intended to create a safe and continuous east-west cycling route in the eastern part of downtown.

The City monitors cycling projects after installation to better understand how they are performing and how they can be further tailored to suit the community. We know that there is usually an adjustment period when changes are made to a street while people update their travel patterns.

Changes in Bicycle Volumes on the Esplanade 

Preliminary data shows that daily bicycle volumes have approximately doubled on The Esplanade since installation of the two-way bikeway on the south side of the corridor.

Changes in Motor Vehicle Volumes 

Traffic volumes on The Esplanade and Mill Street were reduced by approximately 75% and 58%, respectively. Several segments are below the maximum vehicle volume threshold for Neighbourhood Greenway projects, while some segments are slightly above. As the remaining phases are implemented, staff will monitor motor vehicle volumes to ensure they remain at or below Neighbourhood Greenway threshold levels.

Download Phase 1 and 2A Data Analysis and Project Update

Public Consultation took place from October 2019 to March 2021 to introduce the project to the community and identify overall needs and priorities. The consultation reports linked below provide a detailed summary of all activities that took place and feedback received.

Consultation Materials