As part of the High Park Movement Strategy, the City is moving forward with design and construction projects to rebalance park roads and support all forms of mobility. Approved by City Council in May 2023, the Strategy’s first changes were introduced in August 2023, including weekend and holiday road closures and adjustments to park roads to enhance walking and cycling. Ongoing work and community engagement focuses on implementing permanent road design improvements on Colborne Lodge Drive, West Road and parts of Centre Road. These improvements are guided by the Strategy’s long-term vision and will be informed by a community engagement process on proposed designs.
The City will monitor progress and report back to City Council by 2027. Visit High Park for the most up-to-date information on how to get around the park.
This section will provide information on how to participate in the community engagement process for the design of permanent improvements to Colborne Lodge Drive, West Road, and parts of Centre Road.
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Share your thoughts on an interactive map to give feedback on High Park’s Colborne Lodge Drive, West Road and some sections of Centre Road. Highlight what is working well, what is not and share ideas for improvement.
A summary of the feedback will be shared on this page.
The road design project has been classified as an Involve project based on the International Association for Public Participation Spectrum. This means the City will engage with the public on the design options, and use that information to inform the selection of the preferred design.
The following is the project timeline for the road design and construction.
The timeline is subject to change. Construction will be phased to facilitate access and use of the park.
This section shares updates on projects being implemented through the High Park Movement Strategy.
The City has started work to re-align curbs and extend park uses in to closed parking spaces along Colborne Lodge Drive and West Road. Temporary barriers have been put in place, and permanent roadworks will be underway in the fall.
The City launched CampTO Plus: Cycling for children in High Park. This fun and educational camp used the separated cycling route in the park to teach cycling skills and safety.
In 2024, the City led community engagement on the launch of a Recreational Cycling Pilot in High Park. Through that engagement, the City heard concerns from groups operating in the park that the proposed Recreational Cycling Pilot could affect animals moving through the park. The Recreational Cycling Pilot was put on hold while staff and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority completed a road ecology study to monitor animal movements across roads in High Park. The new road design will consider the needs of all cyclists who travel through the park and how design can also support movements of animals like turtle hatchlings across park roads.
Community engagement in 2025-2026 is focused on the park road design.
During this phase, the City will gather feedback from community members and local Indigenous groups about their experiences on Colborne Lodge Drive, West Road and some sections of Centre Road. This input will be shared with the road design consultant to inform the draft road designs.
The community engagement activities anticipated in this phase include:
In April and July, the City conducted a public life study to gather valuable observations on how people are using High Park to support the implementation of the Strategy. The public life study will report real patterns of activity in High Park and will be shared through this website.
Community engagement in 2025-2026 is focused on the park road design.
During this phase, the City will share the feedback collected in Community Engagement Phase 1 (2025), which will help inform the development of a preferred design.
The community engagement activities anticipated in this phase include:
Community engagement in 2025-2026 is focused on the park road design.
During this phase, the City will share the preferred design, communicate the timelines for construction and share construction management plans.
The High Park Movement Strategy includes the implementation of a year-round shuttle service to help visitors get around the park. Providing a reliable and accessible transportation option for people without personal vehicles will help enhance the visitor experience and improve access to important locations within High Park. The City went through a competitive process to select a shuttle service provider. Operation of the shuttle will begin in spring 2026.
In May 2023, City Council approved the High Park Movement Strategy, which takes a phased approach to improving how park visitors access and move around High Park, with a long-term goal of moving toward full road closures at all times within the park by 2027.
The Strategy focuses on mobility and the travel network within the park, including existing roads, driveways and parking lots. The study evaluated the impacts and benefits of road closures, as well as other important mobility matters such as reducing conflicts between road users and encouraging active transportation. The study does not represent a master planning exercise, and other important park-related topics, such as maintenance and operations, conservation efforts, and land use will continue to be addressed through established plans and policies including the Facilities Master Plan, Parkland Strategy and Ravine Strategy.
Since the adoption of the Strategy in 2023, the following changes have been made to major travel routes:
Closure of parking spaces along Colborne Lodge Road and West Road, with some transitioning to parallel parking and others repurposed to extend park uses into these spaces, including picnic tables, bike parking and ping pong tables.
Further improvements will include permanent changes to park roads, including widened sidewalks and dedicated cycling infrastructure. These changes will involve community engagement, detailed design and a plan to minimize disruption to the park during construction. Road design and improvements will align with environmental policies that protect High Park’s ecological integrity.
The following section outlines the community engagement activities that took place between 2021 and 2023 to inform the development of the Strategy.
On April 3, an in-person public open house tool place to share information about the study process and the preferred strategy. The open house was a drop-in format where attendees could review a series of information boards and background materials including the existing conditions reports. Project staff were available to answer questions, support discussion between participants and collect feedback. The preferred strategy was described through text, maps and renderings.
Approximately 280 attendees came to the open house and represented a wide variety of interests.
Approximately 280 attendees came to the open house and represented a wide variety of interests. An open house summary is being prepared and will be posted online.
Download the April 3, 2023 open house summary report.
Download the information boards:
On February 2, a meeting took place with the External Stakeholder Group including representatives from local businesses, residents’ associations, sports leagues, environmental and cultural organizations and other interest groups active in High Park. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss possible changes to the travel network and gather feedback on accommodations that could support mobility needs for these groups. Staff continue to consider the merits of all four draft strategies and final recommendations may incorporate elements from one of more of these options.
A Summer 2022 public engagement report was prepared to summarize the feedback gathered, the consultation events that were held and the park users who were reached through a series of public engagements in the summer of 2022. The findings in this report will not be the sole determinant of study outcomes but will help to inform staff recommendations on the development, evaluation and refinement of a preferred strategy and travel network improvements.
An existing conditions summary report was prepared to present key findings from background analysis, including a park profile and transportation assessment. The findings presented in this summary report will be reviewed and considered alongside feedback collected through the consultation process to inform final recommendations on improvements to the travel network in High Park.
From July 8 to August 19, an online survey gathered 8,000 responses from the community on four possible draft strategies for improving the travel network.
Feedback gathered through this survey will help to inform the evaluation and refinement of a recommended strategy for travel network improvements in High Park.
High Park Pop-ups:
Staff were on-site to speak with park visitors about the four strategies.
On July 27, an online public open house was hosted to provide an update on feedback and findings gathered to date, share information about the draft strategies being considered and to answer questions and gather input from park users.
Download the July 27, 2022 open house presentation.
On May 11, an Interim Report was presented to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee to provide an update on the ongoing Strategy. The report describes the types of travel network changes that will be explored and evaluated as part of the study and summarizes the study process, including information on existing features and facilities, infrastructure and park usage.
On April 13, the project team hosted a virtual meeting for external stakeholders including representatives from local businesses, residents’ associations, sports leagues, environmental and cultural organizations and other interest groups active in High Park. This meeting focused on mobility. Preliminary findings from the background analysis were shared and feedback on potential improvements to the travel network was discussed.
On December 9, the project team hosted an orientation session for external stakeholders including representatives from local Business Improvement Areas, residents’ associations, sports leagues and other special interest groups active in High Park.
On November 9, the project team hosted an orientation session for internal partners and stakeholders to share information on the study objectives, processes and timelines and to gather early feedback from staff in other divisions.
A consultant was hired to support the delivery of the Strategy.
From June 30 to October 12, an online survey gathered information on people’s experiences traveling to, from and within High Park. The survey prompted respondents to consider how the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed their experiences in visiting the park and their priorities for longer term improvements to the travel network.
The survey received 6,717 responses. The feedback will help shape the objectives, scope and outcomes of the Strategy.
Download the Summer/Fall 2021 survey snapshot for results.