GUIDELINES

TORONTO 

COMPLETE 

STREETS 

GUIDELINES 

MAKING STREETS FOR PEOPLE, PLACEMAKING AND PROSPERITY.

STREETS ARE VITAL 

PLACES IN TORONTO. 

HOW OUR STREETS ARE 

DESIGNED SHOULD 

IMPROVE SAFETY AND 

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL.

Toronto has over 5,300km of streets, comprising more than 

25% of the city’s total land area. On a typical weekday, these 

streets accommodate over 5 million trips, moving people 

and goods safely and efficiently. But beyond mobility, streets 

are also important public spaces where people meet, 

socialize and share experiences. Toronto’s streets play a vital 

role in creating a sense of place, a safer and more 

universally-accessible city, healthy and active travel choices, 

green infrastructure and economic prosperity. 

We are pleased to share Toronto’s 

Complete Streets Guidelines, a 

primer that presents a coordinated 

vision, goals and design guidance for 

Toronto’s streets. 

The Guidelines build upon the vision 

for streets outlined in the City’s 

Official Plan and are guided by three 

high-level city-building objectives: 

designing streets for people, 

designing streets for placemaking 

and designing streets for economic 

prosperity. 

This collaborative, multi-disciplinary 

approach to street design considers 

the needs of all people using streets 

– pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, 

and drivers. It’s an approach that also 

prioritizes the safety of the most 

vulnerable – children, seniors, and 

people with disabilities. By seeking 

innovative ways to make Toronto’s 

streets work for all uses and users, we 

can achieve the benefits of road 

safety, expanded mobility choices, 

social and environmental health and 

a more attractive public realm. 

Toronto’s Complete Streets 

Guidelines represent some of the 

latest best practices that guide how 

the City and other jurisdictions 

approach complete streets. This 

document has been developed with 

extensive public and stakeholder 

engagement. We would like to thank 

the many Toronto residents, 

Councillors, representatives from 

various organizations, and City staff 

from all Divisions, Agencies, Boards 

and Commissions who have provided 

input and feedback during the 

production of these Guidelines. 

The Guidelines will help decisionmakers, 

practitioners and 

communities make more informed 

choices when prioritizing the 

competing demands for space on 

city streets. 

We are excited about Toronto’s 

Complete Streets Guidelines and 

look forward to continuing to design 

great streets in our great city. 

Barbara Gray 

General Manager 

Transportation 

Services 

Ashley Curtis 

Deputy General 

Manager 

Transportation 

Services 

Jennifer Keesmaat 

Chief Planner and 

Executive Director 

City Planning 

Michael D’Andrea 

Executive Director 

Engineering and 

Construction 

Services 

Lou Di Gironimo 

General Manager 

Toronto Water

c. Steven Mrcic

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Toronto’s Complete Streets Guidelines 

represent a collaborative effort from policy 

makers, City and agency staff, community 

groups and residents, advocates, 

researchers, and professionals. 

In 2013, Toronto City Council 

requested staff to report back on an 

approach to developing Complete 

Streets Guidelines. Since that time, 

participants have been involved in 

workshops, public meetings, online 

surveys, photo contests, walkshops 

and bike tours, to examine 

international best practices, assess 

current strengths and gaps in 

Toronto’s street design approach, 

evaluate recent projects, and explore 

innovative street design practices. 

These Guidelines are the product of 

this collaboration and hard work. 

CITY OF TORONTO STAFF 

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES 

• Steve Buckley 

• Elyse Parker 

• Fiona Chapman 

• Janet Lo 

• Adam Popper 

• Christina Bouchard 

• David Kuperman 

• Marko Oinonen 

CITY PLANNING 

• Harold Madi 

• Alka Lukatela 

• James Perttula 

• Kristina Reinders 

• David Hunter 

• Leo Desorcy 

• Sheila Boudreau 

TORONTO URBAN FELLOWS 

Emma Feltes, Jeremy Kloet, Samira 

Behrooz, Laura Pfeifer, Tamara 

Augsten, Victoria Wood, Claire 

Nelischer 

ENGINEERING AND 

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES 

Shirley Wilson 

Penelope Palmer

TECHNICAL ADVISORY 

COMMITTEE (DIVISION & 

AGENCY LEADS) 

• Build Toronto – Carlo Bonanni & 

Aaron Cameron 

• City Planning – representatives from 

all Districts and Sections 

• Economic Development and Culture 

– Rajashree Kumar & Antonella 

Nicaso 

• Engineering and Construction 

Services – Charlyne Elep & Robert 

Klimas 

• Environment and Energy – Mark 

Bekkering 

• Equity, Diversity & Human Rights – 

Nicole Cormier 

• Fire Services – Colin Booth 

• Metrolinx – Elana Horowitz & Naren 

Garg 

• Municipal Licencing and Standards – 

Carleton Grant 

• Parks, Forestry and Recreation – 

Brian L. Mercer and Carol Walker 

• Solid Waste Management Services – 

Rob Orpin 

• Toronto Hydro – Elias Lyberogiannis 

• Toronto Paramedic Services – Dawn 

Ainsworth 

• Toronto Parking Authority – Ann 

Marie Chung & Ian Maher 

• Toronto Police – Brett Moore 

• Toronto Public Health – Monica 

Campbell & Carol Mee 

• Toronto Transit Commission – Mary- 

Ann George & Rob Gillard 

• Toronto Water – Patrick Cheung & 

Weng Yau Liang 

• Transportation Services – 

representatives from all Districts and 

Sections 

This list is not exhaustive as space 

does not permit including many 

others who participated in 

developing the Guidelines. 

STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY GROUP 

• Alliance for Equality for Blind 

Canadians – Ruth Brown 

• Building, Industry, and Land 

Development – Danielle Chin 

• Canadian Automobile Association – 

Raymond Chan 

• Code Red TO – Rishi Lukka 

• CNIB – Yin Brown 

• Cycle Toronto – Jared Kolb 

• David Suzuki Foundation – 

Kara Garcia 

• Green Communities Canada – 

Kate Hall 

• Harbord Village Residents 

Association – Carolee Ormee & 

Gord Brown 

• METRAC – Linda Frempong 

• North American Native Plant Society 

– Harold Smith 

• Ontario Association of Landscape 

Architects – Victor Ford & Raj 

Mohabeer 

• Park People – Jake Tobin Garrett 

• Public Space Workshop – Paul Young 

• Smart Commute (Metrolinx) – 

Jennifer McGowan 

• The Laneway Project – Michelle 

Senaya 

• Toronto Association of BIAs – 

John Kiru 

• Toronto Centre for Active 

Transportation – Nancy Smith Lea 

• Toronto Electric Riders Association – 

Doug Beatty 

• Toronto and Region Conservation 

Authority Tim Van Seters, Rehana 

Rajabali, & Cameron Richardson 

• Toronto Skateboarding Committee – 

Ariel Stagni 

• Toronto Women’s City Alliance – 

Reggie Modlich 

• TTC Riders – Dane Grgas 

• Urban+Digital – Gabe Sawnhey 

• Walk Toronto – Dylan Reid 

Over 80 organizations were invited to 

participate in the Stakeholder 

Advisory Group. The list above 

represents the most active 

participants. 

CONSULTANTS & CONTRIBUTORS 

DTAH, Nelson\Nygaard, and 

WSP/MMM Group 

Document template designed by 

HM&E Inc. Layout and graphics by 

DTAH, except where noted. 

Stakeholder and public engagement 

support provided by Swerhun 

Facilitation and Decision Support 

and the City’s Public Consultation 

Unit. 

OFFICIAL REFERENCE / CITATION 

Toronto Complete Streets Guidelines 

Edition 1. Volume 1. 2017 

All photographs are property of the 

City of Toronto, except where noted. 

Document Typeface: Avenir

CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 1 

INTRODUCTION, VISION AND 

GOALS 

02 1.1 Overview 

03 1.2 Applicability of Guidelines 

04 1.3 Structure of the Guide 

06 1.4 Vision for Complete Streets 

10 1.5 Goals 

CHAPTER 2 

STREET TYPES 

20 2.1 Understanding Street Type 

22 2.2 Use of Overlays 

23 2.3 Toronto Street Types 

CHAPTER 3 

STEPS TO STREET DESIGN 

60 3.1 Steps to Street Design 

70 3.2 Performance Measurement 

71 3.3 Exceptions 

CHAPTER 4 

STREET DESIGN FOR 

PEDESTRIANS 

74 4.1 Pedestrian Design 

Principles 

76 4.2 Sidewalk Zones 

78 4.3 Importance of the 

Pedestrian Clearway Zone 

80 4.4 Accessibility and 

Universal Design Features 

82 4.5 Pedestrian Crossings 

84 4.6 Public Realm and 

Placemaking 

87 4.7 Utilities, Maintenance and 

Operations 

CHAPTER 5 

STREET DESIGN FOR CYCLING 

90 5.1 Cycling Design Principles 

92 5.2 Context Sensitive 

Cycling Facilities 

96 5.3 Key Cycling Elements 

CHAPTER 6 

STREET DESIGN FOR TRANSIT 

102 6.1 Transit Design Principles 

104 6.2 Key Transit Street Elements 


Transit Design 

CHAPTER 7 

STREET DESIGN FOR GREEN 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

110 7.1 Green Infrastructure 

Design Principles 


Green Streets 

114 7.3 Key Green Street Elements 

CHAPTER 8 

STREET DESIGN FOR ROADWAYS 

120 8.1 Roadway Design Principles 

122 8.2 Design for a Multi-Modal 

Transportation System 

124 8.3 Design for Safety of 

Vulnerable Users 

126 8.4 Design Using a Target 

Speed for the Street 

Context 

128 8.5 Design to Support Place- 

Making and Street Context 

130 8.6 Rightsizing & Repurposing 

Roadway as Complete 

Streets 

132 8.7 Traffic Calming 

134 8.8 Roadway Zones 

CHAPTER 9 


INTERSECTIONS 

144 9.1 Intersection Design 

Principles 

146 9.2 Key Needs and 

Perspectives of 

Each Road User 

148 9.3 Accessibility and Universal 

Design of Intersections 

150 9.4 Context-Sensitive 

Intersection Design 

154 9.5 Intersection Elements And 

Geometric Design 

160 9.6 Intersection Signals and 

Other Traffic Controls 

CONCLUSION 

166 C.1 Project Delivery Process 

168 C.2 Conclusion


c. Nicola Betts 

00


02 1.1 Overview 

03 1.2 Applicability of Guidelines 

04 1.3 Structure of the Guide 

06 1.4 Vision for Complete Streets 

10 1.5 Goals 


Guidelines help implement the 

City’s Official Plan vision for 

complete streets and other city 

building objectives. 

This chapter outlines that vision for 

streets, its supporting goals and 

how these guidelines should be 

applied. 

1.0 

INTRODUCTION, VISION 

AND GOALS 

01


Introduction, Vision and Goals 

Overview 

1.1 

1.1 

OVERVIEW 

Streets are vital places in Toronto. They are the common space where 

our city comes together. Streets are where children learn to ride 

bicycles, neighbours meet and couples stroll. Streets are the front 

door of our businesses, homes, parks and institutions. They reflect 

the values of our city and, at their best, are a source of pride for the 

residents and visitors alike. Streets also form essential networks that 

move people and goods safely and efficiently in our growing city. 

How our streets are designed reflect 

our city’s values. How our streets 

look, feel and function should 

demonstrate how we want our city to 

be shaped. 

This document outlines a refined 

approach for street design—a 

‘complete streets’ approach which 

considers different and competing 

roles. This ‘complete streets’ 

approach reinforces that streets 

should safely accommodate all users 

– pedestrians, cyclists, transit services 

and motor vehicles – and also 

support and enhance local 

neighbourhood context and 

character. It’s about making streets 

that are safe, beautiful and vibrant 

places with efficient links in a multimodal 

transportation network. 

LIABILITY STATEMENT 


Guidelines are based on recent 

experiences designing and 

constructing streets and extensive 

consultation with City divisions, 

Agencies, Board and Commissions, 

the public, Councillors, industry and 

community stakeholders, as well as 

best practices from local, provincial, 

national and international sources. It 

integrates and builds upon the latest 

available City policies, standards and 

guidelines. It is consistent with other 

provincial, federal and nongovernmental 

organizations, including the 

Ontario Traffic Council (OTC), 

Transportation Association of Canada 

(TAC), Institute of Transportation 

Engineers (ITE), National Association 

of City Transportation Officials 

(NACTO) and other sources. These 

Guidelines also work within existing 

Provincial and Federal legislation 

pertaining the street design and 

operations, such as the Ontario 

Highway Traffic Act and Accessibility 

for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. 

The Guidelines are based on the 

principle that all streets are different, 

and that no single design solution 

exists. A street’s design will be 

tailored for the particular needs and 

opportunities created by local 

context, existing and future uses and 

users and dimensions of each street. 

Street design is an evolving practice. 

In the coming years, design 

strategies used elsewhere, and 

technologies that do not yet readily 

exist in Toronto, will affect how we 

design our streets. Street designers 

should stay up-to-date on the latest 

best practices. 

TORONTO’S COMPLETE 

STREETS GUIDELINES 

• Assist in implementing the vision for 

Toronto’s streets set out in the City’s 

Official Plan. 

• Provide a clear street design process 

that enhances collaboration on city 

street projects. 

• Encourage the use of every 

opportunity to apply the Complete 

Streets Guidelines. 

• Integrate adopted City policies, 

standards and bylaws as they relate 

to street design. 

• Provide City and agency staff, 

consultants, private developers and 

community groups with information 

on how to design streets that meet 

city-wide objectives. 

02

Toronto Complete Streets Guidelines Introduction 

1.2 

Applicability of Guidelines 

1.2 

APPLICABILITY OF GUIDELINES 

Toronto’s Complete Streets Guidelines should be considered in 

all street design projects in the City of Toronto. They are most 

applicable in the planning and preliminary design project phases, 

though they may be useful to later phases in some street design 

projects. 

The City of Toronto carries out a wide 

range of street projects. Large 

projects, like full street 

reconstructions or the construction of 

new streets, tend to have higher 

budgets, broader scopes and longer 

timelines. Smaller projects, 

resurfacing or utility cut repairs have 

lower budgets, more constrained 

scopes and often shorter timelines. 

Large and small projects – and all in 

between – offer different 

opportunities to make streets more 

complete. In each instance, 

practitioners are encouraged to 

apply their best professional design 

judgement and to work 

collaboratively to develop suitable 

and creative designs. They should 

endeavour to make all streets as 

complete as possible within the 

boundaries of budget, scope, 

timelines and maintenance 

considerations. The range of street 

projects includes: 

PLANS 

• Area Plans, Secondary Plans, Precinct 

Plans, Context Plans, Transportation 

Master Plans 

• Avenue and Corridor Studies 

MAJOR STREET PROJECTS 

• New construction 

• Reconstruction or revitalization, 

major resurfacing 

• Environmental Assessments for new 

and existing streets 

• Business Improvement Area projects 

• Highway interchanges and grade 

separated crossings 

MEDIUM TO SMALLER SCALE 

PROJECTS 

• Development applications 

• New sidewalks or other pedestrian 

links 

• New bicycle infrastructure or facilities 

• Transportation Safety and Local 

Improvement Projects (TSLIP) 

• Streetscape improvements (such as: 

trees, landscaping, street furniture, 

beautification, public art, wayfinding) 

• Short-term or temporary 

interventions for evaluation 

• Signs, signal installations, lighting 

• Utility cut repairs (where it affects a 

street segment) 

03



Structure of the Guide 

1.3 

1.3 

STRUCTURE OF THE GUIDE 

The Guidelines document is organized in ten chapters that relate 

to the various steps of the street design and development process. 

Although the Guidelines document informs the entire process, it 

provides a particular focus on the planning and design phases where 

the majority of critical decisions take place. 

Chapter 1: Introduction, Vision and 

Goals provides an overview of 

complete streets for Toronto and the 

use of this guide, and outlines 

Toronto’s vision and goals for 

complete streets. These provide the 

lens through which project design 

should proceed. 

Chapter 2: Street Types describes 

the various types of streets in the city, 

the type of place they aspire to 

become and the transportation 

function they must serve. 

Chapter 3: Steps to Street Design 

and Decision Making outlines the 

steps to designing streets and the 

decision-making framework. 

Chapters 4 through 9 provide an 

overview of design principles and 

considerations for the six key 

components and functions on the 

street. Links to further resources are 

also provided. 

• Chapter 4: Street Design for 

Pedestrians 

• Chapter 5: Street Design for Cycling 

• Chapter 6: Street Design for Transit 

• Chapter 7: Street Design for Green 

Infrastructure 


Roadways 


Intersections 

The Conclusion summarizes the 

overall process to deliver street 

projects. 

04



Structure of the Guide 

1.3 

PROJECT 

INITIATION 

CONTEXT 

ANALYSIS 

PRELIMINARY 

DESIGN 

+ 

DECISION 

MAKING 

CONSTRUCTION 

DESIGN 

CONSTRUCTION 

ADMINISTRATION 

OPERATIONS + 

MAINTENANCE 

1. PLAN 2. DESIGN 

3. BUILD + MANAGE 

Chapters in the Guidelines and Relationship to Project Delivery Process 

1: Introduction 

2: Street Types 

3:Steps to Street Design and Decision Making 

4 through 9: Street Components 

10: Conclusion 

Coordination and Engagement 

Figure 1-1: Toronto Complete Streets Guidelines Structure 

05



Vision for Complete Streets 

1.4 

1.4 

VISION FOR COMPLETE STREETS 

Toronto’s vision for complete streets is built on the vision for streets 

in the City’s Official Plan. There is a deep interdependence between 

how we design our streets and the people of the city, the health of 

our communities and the strength of our economy. Toronto’s streets 

must serve a multitude of roles, functions and users. Complete 

streets should be designed for people, for placemaking and for 

prosperity. 

TORONTO COMPLETE STREETS 

STREETS FOR 

PEOPLE 

STREETS FOR 

PLACEMAKING 

STREETS FOR 

PROSPERITY 

Complete Streets for Toronto will help to satisfy several goals 

06

Toronto Complete Streets Guidelines Introduction, Vision and Goals 

1.4 


STREETS FOR PEOPLE 

Safe, Accessible, Choices, 

Transportation, Networks, 

Connectivity, Healthy, Resilient 

Safety for all road users is a key 

priority and Toronto is committed to 

minimizing traffic injuries and 

fatalities. Streets are places where 

everyone should feel safe, 

comfortable and connected. 

Streets should enhance human and 

environmental health by providing a 

range of safe, inviting and attractive 

choices for mobility and integrate all 

modes into a seamless network. 

Streets should provide accessible 

sidewalk facilities that include clear, 

direct, unobstructed and continuous 

paths of context-sensitive width for 

all road users—regardless of physical 

ability or age. 

STREETS FOR PLACEMAKING 

Vibrant, Beautiful, Context Sensitive, 

Sustainable 

Streets are more than just corridors 

for movement, they are also 

important public spaces, occupying 

more than a quarter of the city’s land 

area. Streets are places where people 

meet, linger and socialize, creating 

communities and shaping people’s 

experiences of their city. This 

important placemaking role for 

streets should be considered in 

tandem with their transportation 

roles. 

Streets should reflect the existing 

and planned function, scale and 

character of the neighbourhoods and 

communities that surround them, 

responding and respecting the local 

context and character, as well as their 

civic role in the city. 

Streets should also help minimize 

impacts on climate and the 

environment, such as by providing a 

generous tree canopy, and should 

strive to incorporate innovative 

stormwater management features. 

STREETS FOR PROSPERITY 

Economic Vitality, Social Equity, 

Flexible, Cost Effective 

Streets are vital to the economy and 

our shared prosperity. People use 

streets to access their jobs, schools 

and places to shop for goods and 

services. Streets are the front door to 

many businesses that use streets to 

help deliver their goods and services. 

The quality of a street’s environment 

can affect its economic vitality. 

Toronto’s streets must also be 

inclusive—people of all incomes, 

races, ages, genders and abilities 

should be able to safely access and 

benefit from functions provided by 

our streets. 

Streets should also be flexible and 

have the ability to change over time, 

adapting to needs, preferences and 

technologies. Streets are not static, 

and should be cost effective to build, 

operate and maintain in all seasons. 

07




1.4 

Official Plan Sidebar: The 

‘Complete Streets’ approach 

recognizes that there is no single 

way in which to make a street 

‘complete’. It depends on 

numerous factors whose relative 

importance varies according to 

the character and context of 

each particular street. While it 

may not be viable or appropriate 

to accommodate every type of 

user or use on every street, the 

overall objective is to create a 

well-functioning street network 

that is planned and designed to 

provide safe access and efficient 

operation for all street activities 

and functions. Guidelines for 

applying the ‘Complete Streets’ 

approach will be developed to 

assist in resolving and balancing 

the competing demands placed 

upon the use of street rights-ofway 

and applied when streets are 

constructed, reconstructed, or 

otherwise improved. 

CITY OF TORONTO OFFICIAL 

PLAN COMPLETE STREETS 

POLICY 

In August 2014, City Council 

adopted a ‘complete streets’ Official 

Plan policy that recognized that 

although streets may have varying 

priorities, all new and existing streets 

should accommodate a variety of 

modes of transportation in a way that 

is safe and inviting for people of all 

ages and abilities. The policy 

emphasized that streets are for more 

than just transportation and required 

that they also be designed as unique 

public spaces that reflect community 

identity and support social and 

economic activity. Finally the policies 

required that while streets must 

efficiently serve their role in linking 

places, they must also be recognized 

as distinct places themselves. 


Guidelines align with and integrate 

adopted City policies, standards and 

bylaws as they relate to street design. 

City of Toronto Official Plan Policy 

3.1.1(5): 

“City streets are significant public 

open spaces which connect people 

and places and support the 

development of sustainable, 

economically vibrant and complete 

communities. New and existing City 

streets will incorporate a ‘Complete 

Streets’ approach and be designed 

to perform their diverse roles by: 

a) balancing the needs and priorities 

of the various users and uses within 

the right-of-way, including provision 

for: 

i. the safe and efficient movement of 

pedestrians of all ages and abilities, 

cyclists, transit vehicles and users, 

goods and services vehicles, 

emergency vehicles, and motorists 

across the network; and 

ii. space for other street elements, 

such as utilities and services, trees 

and landscaping, green 

infrastructure, snow and stormwater 

management, wayfinding, boulevard 

cafés, marketing and vending, and 

street furniture; 

iii. ensuring the safety of vulnerable 

groups such as women, children, 

seniors and people with disabilities 

by implementing the Toronto Safer 

City Guidelines, or an updated 

version thereof. 

b) improving the quality and 

convenience of active transportation 

options within all communities by 

giving full consideration to the needs 

of pedestrians, cyclists, and public 

transit users; 

c) reflecting differences in local 

context and character; 

d) providing building access and 

address, as well as amenities such as 

view corridors, sky view, and sunlight; 

and 

e) serving community destinations 

and public gathering places.” 

08




1.4 

OFFICIAL 

PLAN 

Toronto’s health, 

environment, equity, 

diversity & human rights, 

social and economic goals 

COMPLETE STREETS 

Vision, Goals, and 

Design Guidance 

DESIGN DETAILS 

By Area or Topic 

By Area 

Network plans, community 

improvement plans, secondary 

plans, business improvement area 

master plans or streetscape plans, 

area master plans, etc. 

By Topic 

Guidelines: geometric design, green 

streets technical (including street tree 

details), bicycle design, streetscape 

manual, urban design, street furniture 

placement, outdoor café, transit 

specific; road classification, 

construction and utility standards and 

specs; operations and maintenance 

plans, etc. 

Figure 1-2: Toronto Complete Streets Policy Context 

09



Goals 

1.5 

1.5 

GOALS 

The goals for Toronto’s Complete Streets Guidelines reflect, reinforce 

and build on the vision for streets in the City’s Official Plan. These 

goals are used throughout this document to inform the complete 

street design approach as the overall organizing framework for 

setting priorities, making decisions and evaluating alternative 

designs for Toronto street projects. 

10


1.5 

Goals 

OUR DESIGN GOALS HAVE CHANGED 

Centre Line Out 

Outside In 

THEN 

Auto-Mobility 

Automobile Safety 

NOW 

Multi-modal Mobility + Access 

Public Health/Safety 

Economic Development 

Environmental Quality 

Livability/Quality of Life 

Equity 

c: Tom McGuire, NYC DOT/SFMTA; adapted from 

Boston Complete Streets Guidelines 

11



Goals 

1.5.1 

1.5.1 

STREETS FOR PEOPLE 

Cities are built by and for people. Complete streets are safe and 

inviting, provide a range of attractive choices for mobility and 

integrate all modes into a seamless network. Complete streets 

enhance human and environmental health by providing an 

environment that enables and encourages active transportation. 

Complete streets are places where people feel comfortable and 

connected. 

IMPROVE SAFETY & 

ACCESSIBILITY 

Streets should be safe and accessible 

for people of all ages, genders and 

abilities, especially the most 

vulnerable—children, older adults 

and people with disabilities. 

Key design objectives: 

• Prioritize vulnerable users 

• Design for desired target vehicle 

travel speed 

• Minimize exposure risk for 

pedestrians 

• Provide visible, predictable design 

• Consider Crime Prevention Through 

Environmental Design (CPTED) 

strategies 

• Research, pilot and evaluate 

innovative safety treatments, 

especially those successfully adopted 

in other cities 

GIVE PEOPLE CHOICES & 

CONNECTED NETWORKS 

Streets should be designed to create 

connected networks for a variety of 

travel modes and give people 

choices for how they move around 

the city, whether on food, bicycle, on 

transit or in a motor vehicle. 


• Design and allocate space to move 

people more efficiently and enhance 

connectivity 

• Design for person-throughput and 

mobility 

• Understand and accommodate 

“desire lines” (typical paths to 

destinations for pedestrians and 

cyclists) 

• Serve key community destinations 

and public gathering places 

• Engage with stakeholders and 

advocates to help identify network 

priorities 

• Accommodate emergency vehicles 

PROMOTE HEALTHY AND ACTIVE 

LIVING 

Streets should help promote healthy 

and active lifestyles by making 

streets more comfortable and inviting 

people to walk and bicycle and be 

physically active. 


• Design to encourage people to walk 

and cycle, as well as other active 

modes 

• Design for people to be active on 

streets in all seasons 

• Design streets to be inviting to all 

ages and to encourage social 

interaction 

12



Goals 

1.5.1 

Improve Safety and Accessibility 

c: DTAH 

Give People Choices and 

Connected Networks 

Promote Healthy and 

Active Living 

13



Goals 

1.5.2 

1.5.2 

STREETS FOR PLACEMAKING 

Streets are more than just corridors for movement. They shape 

the experience and memory of a city and they are, themselves, 

unique places in which to linger and enjoy. Streets should respect 

and respond to their existing and planned local context, physical 

characteristics and civic role in the city as a whole. They should be 

designed to encourage people to linger. Streets should help support 

objectives for an environmentally sustainable and resilient city. 

RESPECT LOCAL CONTEXT 

Streets should respond to the local 

area context, current and future land 

uses and relationships with adjacent 

buildings. There is no one-size-fits-all 

design approach. Streets should fit 

comfortably within the built and 

natural environment and reflect local 

identity and priorities. 


• Respect and respond to existing and 

planned land uses, scale of buildings 

and setbacks 

• Support a range of desired activities 

• Help define and support adjacent 

buildings 

• Serve key community destinations 

and public gathering places 

• Engage with residents and 

community groups to understand the 

neighbourhood and its priorities 

• Support and emphasize BIA identity 

CREATE VIBRANT & ATTRACTIVE 

PUBLIC SPACES 

Streets should strive to be vibrant 

and attractive public spaces where 

people want to spend time engaging 

in social, civic and recreational 

activities. Streets should be beautiful, 

attractive and inviting spaces that 

encourage investment and promote 

a sense of civic pride. Streets should 

help create a setting for daily city life 

and also accommodate special 

events. Streets should be well 

designed, with attention to landscaping, 

materials and maintenance 

so they remain attractive over time 

and in all seasons. 


• Design streets for public uses 

• Design to encourage gathering and 

social interaction 

• Design for all-day 24/7 use 

• Use attractive, durable materials 

• Include space for street furniture 

• Design green infrastructure to create 

aesthetically pleasing environments 

that also perform ecological and 

hydrological functions 

IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL 

SUSTAINABILITY 

Streets should improve the city’s 

environmental sustainability by 

enhancing the tree canopy and 

landscaping, reducing urban heat 

island effects, reducing stormwater 

runoff, reducing energy consumption 

and reducing greenhouse gas 

emissions. 


• Identify space for street trees or 

landscaping 

• Minimize impermeable hard surfaces 

• Prioritize sustainable transportation 

modes to reduce auto-dependency 

and improve air quality 

• Design streets to complement 

adjacent parks, ravines and 

naturalized areas 

• Design streets to use rainwater as a 

resource 

• Protect and enhance natural heritage 

and environmentally sensitive areas 

14


1.5.2 

Goals 

Respect Local Context 

Create Vibrant and Attractive 

Public Spaces 

c: http://www.sfbetterstreets.org c: DTAH 

Improve Environmental 

Sustainability 

15



Goals 

1.5.3 

1.5.3 

STREETS FOR PROSPERITY 

Streets are places of economic and social exchange. They are 

where we shop and work, meet friends and family and interact with 

other residents and visitors. To ensure a prosperous city, streets 

should support the local and regional economy, be equitable to 

all people and designed in a flexible and cost-effective manner to 

accommodate change over time. 

SUPPORT ECONOMIC VITALITY 

Streets should support the city’s 

economic vitality by helping move 

people and goods efficiently and by 

supporting local shopping areas. The 

quality and vitality of a street 

influences and reflects the quality 

and vitality of economic activity 

along it. Design streets to invite 

patrons to retail and shopping 

districts. Streets should create 

environments that attract and 

leverage public and private 

investment. Streets should provide a 

range of transportation options to 

provide access for employees, 

residents and tourists as well as 

goods movement. 


• Design to support retail and 

shopping 

• Accommodate goods movement, 

delivery and loading 

• Engage and partner with local 

businesses and BIAs 

• Leverage public and private 

investment 

• Accommodate space for utilities 

ENHANCE SOCIAL EQUITY 

Streets should be developed to 

remove barriers to people of all 

incomes, races, ages, genders and 

abilities can safely use and benefits 

from Toronto’s streets. Toronto’s 

streets should be inclusive for 

everyone and help provide people 

with opportunities to thrive. 


• Design inclusive streets for people 

who walk, cycle or take transit 

• Create connected and safe routes to 

support travel to employment and 

community services 

• Engage and partner with local 

community and social service 

agencies to better understand social 

equity issues 

• Incorporate neighbourhood socioeconomic 

context, issues and 

priorities 

BE FLEXIBLE & COST EFFECTIVE 

Streets should be able to adapt to 

the city’s changing needs and 

priorities over time. The design of 

complete streets should consider 

economic, social and environmental 

benefits and costs, as well as 

construction, operations and 

maintenance. Complete streets 

should be designed with the full 

lifetime of the street in mind. 

Complete streets recognize seasonal 

variations, accommodating the need 

for snow clearance and storage, 

dramatic temperature variations and 

the increasing incidence of major 

climatic events. Complete streets 

build resiliency in their networks, 

materials and the modes of travel 

they accommodate. 


• Allow for incremental change over 

time, phasing and interim conditions 

• Understand and account for the total 

lifetime cost 

• Design streets to be resilient to 

extreme weather events 

• Select durable materials 

16


1.5.3 

Goals 

Support Economic Vitality 

Enhance Social Equity 

c: http://completestreetsforcanada.ca c: Katherine Childs 

Be Flexible and Cost Effective 

17


18


20 2.1 Understanding Street Type 

22 2.2 Use of Overlays 

23 2.3 Toronto Street Types 

Understanding the roles and 

relationships of a street with its 

surrounding context is a critical step 

in the complete streets design 

approach. This chapter identifies a 

range of aspirational street types for 

Toronto, some key steps in 

determining street types, and some 

early design objectives for each that 

will help set priorities and guide 

decision making. 

Street types should be used to 

establish a starting point in the 

complete streets design approach. The 

street type and its key objectives 

should be referenced when 

documenting how and why street 

design decisions are made. These 

street types can also help communities 

and other groups better identify and 

understand the variety of types of 

streets in the city, and can offer 

inspiration for how these streets could 

be improved. 

Not every street will fit neatly within a 

specific Street Type. Some streets 

could be combinations of two or more 

Street Types. A street’s type may 

change along its length, as different 

segments have different land uses and 

contexts. And a street’s type may 

evolve over time. 

2.0 

STREET TYPES 

19


Street Types 

Understanding Street Type 

2.1 

2.1 

UNDERSTANDING STREET TYPE 

Streets have many different roles, characters, and functions that 

depend on their context – whether in a busy, dense downtown 

environment, in a quiet low-rise residential neighbourhood, a retail 

shopping area, near parkland, or in an industrial area. Streets type 

is determined by examining the two most fundamental roles of the 

streets: movement and placemaking. A street’s design objectives 

begin to emerge from a greater understanding and analysis of these 

roles. 

Streets have a role in placemaking. 

c: Taxiarchos228 c. DTAH 

1. Understanding a street’s placemaking 

role: 

To understand the placemaking role 

of a street, it is important to consider: 

• The current and future context from a 

physical and social perspective, the 

City’s official plan, the role of the 

street in the city’s urban structure, 

which identifies where growth and 

what kind of growth should be 

directed (e.g., Downtown and 

Centres, Avenues and Employment 

Areas), as well as which areas should 

remain more stable (e.g., 

Neighbourhoods and Green Space 

System) in the Official Plan’s chapters 

2, 3 and Map 2 – Urban Structure. 

• Adjacent land uses along the street, 

such as whether housing, stores, 

offices and industry or a mix of uses 

is desired based on the Official Plan’s 

chapter 4 and land use designations 

in its maps. 

• The physical built environment and 

public space, that people on the 

street interact with and that enable 

social and civic life, such as 

employees eating lunch outside, 

community festivals and parades. 

City policies about the public realm 

include the Official Plan chapter 3, 

Streetscape Manual, Vibrant Streets 

Guidelines and Walking Strategy. 

• The potential of the street to 

accommodate green infrastructure, 

including stormwater control 

measures. The Green Streets 

Technical Guidelines (anticipated 

2017) will help to assess the 

feasibility of green infrastructure. 

Streets have a movement role. 

20


Street Types 

Understanding Street Type 

2.1 

Official Plan 

Major Streets 

Streetscape 

Manual 

Official Plan 

Surface Transit Priority 

Relationship with Adjacent 

Parks, Ravines, and Green Spaces 

Existing and 

Planned Land Uses 

MOVEMENT 

TORONTO 

STREET TYPE 

PLACEMAKING 

Existing and 


Road 

Classification 

System 

Official Plan 

Urban Structure 

Relationship with 

Adjacent Buildings 

Official Plan 


Figure 2-1: Many factors inform the 

understanding and identification of street 

type(s). 

2. Understanding a street’s 

movement role: 

Several factors inform the 

transportation roles of the street. The 

City’s Official Plan outlines the 

foundation of Toronto’s street 

network, including the planned rightof-way 

widths (Map 3, and Schedules 

1 and 2) that should be protected. 

The Official Plan also identifies 

networks of rapid transit and surface 

transit priority routes (Maps 4 and 5). 

The City’s Road Classification System 

is an important road management 

tool that identifies various existing 

operational characteristics for each 

street in the city, but is not intended 

as a tool for aspirational planning. 

The City’s Cycling Network Plan 

provides important information 

about which streets in the city have 

been identified and prioritized as 

part of the cycling network. 

In addition to network information, it 

is important to take into account 

other data, or overlays, to develop a 

profile of the transportation role of a 

street (see next page). These overlays 

include existing and forecasted 

growth in pedestrians, cyclists, transit 

riders, and major vehicles, as well as 

trip generators, demographics and 

safety data and analysis. 

21


Street Types 

Use of Overlays 

2.2 

2.2 

USE OF OVERLAYS 

Overlay is a term for information or data that may be considered on 

its own, or in relation to other data. Often, overlays are geographical 

information provided in a map that can be layered on top of one 

another, such as combining several maps into one composite map. 

These layers of information help provide a full picture of the context 

for a street. 

Movement Overlays 

Placemaking Overlays 

Additional Contexts 

Street Types 

Figure 2-2: Relationship of Overlays to 

Street Types 

Overlays may provide information on 

existing context (such as historical 

collisions or counts for pedestrians, 

cyclists, transit ridership, and 

motorized vehicles), or future 

conditions (such as planned land 

uses and infrastructure networks). 

Overlays may have been developed 

using extensive analysis such as the 

feasibility analysis that went into the 

Ten-Year Cycling Network Plan. 

Overlays may be special designations 

– such as streets identified as 

Business Improvement Areas or 

Heritage Conservation Districts. 

Examples of overlays (data in a map) 

include: 

• Lines – such as the Cycling Network, 

Surface Transit Priority Network or 

truck routes; 

• Areas – such as Heritage 

Conservation Districts or Character 

Areas; or 

• Points – such as historical collisions, 

school zones, parks or transit stops. 

The use of overlays can be applied at 

many stages of the street design and 

decision-making process. Overlays 

can provide information that helps 

inform a street’s placemaking and 

movement roles and informs the 

project’s objectives and priorities. 

Applying overlays may also help 

suggest which stakeholders should 

be invited to participate in the 

project. Different stakeholders will 

highlight the importance of their 

overlays, issues and feedback, so it is 

important to be familiar with this 

information when engaging them. 

22


Street Types 

Toronto Street Types 

2.3 

2.3 

TORONTO STREET TYPES 

The Complete Streets Guidelines present a series of distinct street 

types that attempt to best reflect a range of existing and planned 

contexts in Toronto. They are based on recent experiences designing 

and constructing streets in Toronto. This is not an exhaustive list 

of every type of possible street that could exist in Toronto, but is 

intended as a starting point in the complete streets design approach. 

Each street type includes a brief description, a series of key design 

objectives, and an aspirational example rendering to help illustrate 

what such a street could look like. It is important to remember that 

the renderings show one visual illustration of how a street of this type 

could be designed. The renderings do not depict exactly how every 

street of that type must be designed. 

2.3.1 Civic Street 

2.3.2 Downtown & Centres 

Main Street 

2.3.3 Avenue & Neighbourhood 

Main Street 

2.3.4 Downtown & Centres 

Residential Street 

2.3.5 Apartment Neighbourhood 


2.3.6 Neighbourhood 


2.3.7 Mixed Use Connector Street 

2.3.8 Residential Connector Street 

2.3.9 Scenic Street 

2.3.10 Park Street 

2.3.11 Employment Street 

2.3.12 Mixed Use Access Street 

2.3.13 Mixed Use Shared Street 

2.3.14 Residential Shared Street 

2.3.15 Mixed Use Lane 

2.3.16 Residential Lane 

23


Street Types 

Civic Street 

2.3.1 

2.3.1 

CIVIC STREET 

Civic Streets are streets with symbolic, cultural or ceremonial 

importance in Toronto, often distinguished by their landmark quality, 

and unique role in the civic life and identity of the city. These streets 

are destinations typically lined with clusters of civic, institutional, 

government, cultural buildings, significant open spaces or other 

public landmarks. 

Some Civic Streets have wayfinding 

totems. 

Civic Streets are typically found in the 

older historic parts of the city, such as 

University Avenue in the Downtown, 

where they are often used for special 

city-wide events, parades, and public 

demonstrations. 

Civic Streets can also be found in 

local neighbourhoods, lined with 

important neighbourhood civic 

buildings and destinations, including 

schools, libraries, and community 

centers, as well as neighbourhood 

public parks and open spaces. 

On-street parking is sometimes 

provided on Civic Streets. 

While they share many similar design 

objectives, ‘local neighbourhood’ 

Civic Streets are different from more 

‘city-wide’ Civic Streets. They have 

fewer visitors from outside the city 

and other neighbourhoods, host 

fewer special events, and have a less 

distinctive quality of materials and 

furnishings. 

c: Marcus Mitanis 

Some Civic Streets have planters and 

unit paving. 

24


Street Types 

Civic Street 

2.3.1 

DESIGN OBJECTIVES 

• Seek ways to enhance the views, 

connectivity and experiences of 

adjacent civic buildings and public 

spaces like plazas and green space. 

• Provide wide sidewalks and 

boulevards to attract and support 

high levels of pedestrian activity and 

special events. 

• Provide pedestrian amenities such as 

benches/seating, lighting, and 

wayfinding. 

• Provide convenient and attractive 

transit options to access important 

destinations. 

• Provide convenient and attractive 

bikeway design options and bicycle 

parking. 

• Seek ways to integrate green 

infrastructure, including tree 

plantings and other landscaping 

treatments, to meet environmental 

objectives. 

• Use high-quality and distinctive 

materials, furnishings and public art 

to create a sense of character and 

identity, especially for Civic Streets of 

city-wide importance. 

• Consider ways to reduce sidewalk 

obstacles and clutter such as by 

using building setbacks and burying 

overhead utilities. 

• Provide appropriately located offstreet 

parking and access such as 

side streets parking lots, garages, 

lanes and parking at the back of 

buildings to augment parking supply, 

accommodate loading and minimize 

driveways, curb cuts and conflicts 

especially where space is constrained 

on the street itself. Time-of-day 

parking restrictions may be used for 

on-street parking. 

25


Street Types 

Downtown & Centres Main Street 

2.3.2 

2.3.2 

DOWNTOWN & CENTRES MAIN STREET 

Downtown & Centres Main Streets are vibrant mixed-use streets 

located in the city’s higher-density growth areas. They support a 

wide range of land uses, activities, and are often home to prominent 

commercial, retail and mixed-use buildings. These streets are often 

surface transit priority routes in the City’s Official Plan and in the 

Downtown, and many have busy streetcar routes. 

Downtown and Centres Main Streets 

have sidewalks to accommodate many 

people walking, like this one in North 

York. 

A busy sidewalk with pedestrians and 

window shoppers on a Downtown and 

Centres Main Street. 

Downtown & Centres Main Streets 

are often routes that lead directly to 

rapid transit stations. These streets 

are often lined with taller buildings 

with wide frontages and active 

ground-floor uses. Sidewalks are 

typically adjacent to the curb with 

existing buildings at or near the 

street right-of-way. These streets are 

often supported by a Business 

Improvement Area. 

Downtown & Centres Main Streets 

are typically major streets in the 

transportation network with a large 

number of competing demands on 

available street space, especially on 

the narrower rights-of-way in the 

Downtown. They typically connect 

significant regional and city-wide 

attractions and destinations and 

serve a wide variety of different 

people from across, and even outside 

the city: residents, workers, shoppers 

and visitors. 


• Provide wide sidewalks and 

boulevards with high-quality 

pedestrian-scale streetscapes and 

amenities to encourage walking, 

lingering, dining and shopping. 

• Use building setbacks, curb 

extensions or parklets to expand the 

space for adequate sidewalks, 

outdoor seating, cafés patios, 

plantings, trees and street 

furnishings. 

• Prioritize safe movement of 

pedestrians, cyclists, and surface 

transit and design for slower but 

consistent, motor vehicle travel 

speeds. 

• Provide frequent and safe 

opportunities for pedestrians to cross 

the street, with wide and prominent 

pavement markings at intersections. 

Also, explore using curb extensions 

on side streets to expand the 

pedestrian realm along the Main 

Street, shorten crossing distances, 

and reduce motor vehicle turning 

speeds. 

26


Street Types 

Downtown & Centres Main Street 

2.3.2 

• Provide generous amounts of public 

bicycle parking that should be 

coordinated with bicycle parking 

provided by any adjacent public 

spaces and buildings. 

• Support healthy street tree growth 

on streets where sufficient space 

exists to achieve required pedestrian 

clearways and where growing 

conditions can be optimized. Where 

space is constrained, consider 

covered tree pits with Silva Cells and 

adequate soil volumes to ensure 

growth. 

• Consider creative ways to optimize 

and manage curb-side space for 

integrating a variety of uses, e.g., 

parklets, on-street bicycle parking, 

loading areas, and accessible vehicle 

boarding. 

• Provide appropriately located offstreet 

parking and access such as 

side streets, parking lots, garages, 

lanes and parking at the back of 

buildings to augment parking supply, 

accommodate loading and minimize 

driveways, curb cuts and conflicts, 

especially where space is constrained 

on the street itself. 

• Work with local Business 

Improvement Areas and 

neighbourhood groups on ways to 

support placemaking, local economic 

development, and neighbourhood 

identity. 

• To reduce clutter, consider burying 

overhead utilities if possible or 

coordinate with other infrastructure, 

like sharing hydro and streetcar 

poles, for example. 

27


Street Types 

Avenue & Neighbourhood Main Street 

2.3.3 

2.3.3 

AVENUE & NEIGHBOURHOOD MAIN STREET 

Avenue & Neighbourhood Main Streets are vibrant streets that serve 

as a local focus for Toronto’s many neighbourhoods. These Main 

Streets typically follow busy surface transit routes with a mix of uses 

and especially retail at street level. 

Straight and direct sidewalk on an 

Avenue and Neighbourhood Main Street 

in Etobicoke-York. 

Avenue and Neighbourhood Main Streets 

sidewalks often have greening, trees, 

transit, cafes, sidewalks and more. 

Many of these streets have an 

Avenue designation in the Official 

Plan, which means they are important 

corridors where incremental change, 

and often growth, is intended to 

occur. These streets are often lined 

with mid-rise or low-rise buildings of 

a more modest scale than the tall 

buildings found on Downtown & 

Centres Main Streets. In some parts 

of the city, the street right-of-way is 

often wider that those in the 

Downtown or Centres. 

Avenue & Neighbourhood Main 

Streets are important places in the 

local community, helping support 

local businesses and services that 

serve the immediate neighbourhood, 

but can also attract visitors from 

outside the area. These streets are 

often supported by a local Business 

Improvement Area. These Main 

Streets typically include cafés, street 

trees and other plantings as 

important pedestrian amenities that 

make the street a vibrant, 

comfortable, and appealing place. 

Sidewalks are typically adjacent to 

the curb or separated from the 

roadway by a boulevard, and 

buildings are sometimes set back 

from the street to help provide more 

sidewalk space. 

Avenue & Neighbourhood Main 

Streets are major streets in the 

transportation network for several 

different travel modes, often all 

competing for space and 

prioritization in the street. They are 

important for the delivery of transit 

service and for goods delivery to 

businesses and shops. 


• Provide wide sidewalk and boulevard 

space to support high to moderate 

levels of pedestrian movement. 

• Encourage people to linger with 

active ground floor uses, quality 

pedestrian-scale streetscapes and 

amenities like greening/trees, 

benches, parklets and café patios. 

28


Street Types 

Avenue & Neighbourhood Main Street 

2.3.3 

• Prioritize safe movement of 

pedestrians, cyclists and surface 

transit and design for moderate 

motor vehicle travel speeds. 

• Provide frequent and safe 

opportunities for pedestrians to cross 

the streets. Also explore using curb 

extensions on side streets to expand 

the pedestrian realm along the Main 

Street, shorten crossing distances, 

and reduce motor vehicle turning 

speeds. 

• Provide adequate and safe bicycle 

facilities and generous bicycle 

parking to encourage cycling trips. 

• Locate vehicle driveways, goods 

deliveries and loading on side streets 

or rear lanes where possible to 

minimize curb cuts and areas of 

conflict along the street. On some 

Main Streets, on-street parking can 

be provided, but look for suitable 

replacement parking at off-street 

locations to minimize on-street 

conflicts. 

• Work with local Business 

Improvement Areas and 

neighbourhood groups to help 

emphasize neighbourhood identity. 

• Support healthy street tree growth 

with open tree pits and planters on 

streets where sufficient space exists 

to achieve pedestrian clearway 

requirements. Where space is 

constrained, consider covered tree 

pits. 

• To reduce clutter and visual impacts, 

consider burying utilities if possible 

or coordinate with other 

infrastructure, and in consultation 

with the BIA. 

29


Street Types 

Downtown and Centres Residential Street 

2.3.4 

2.3.4 

DOWNTOWN & CENTRES RESIDENTIAL STREET 

These streets are found in the Downtown and Centres and support 

primarily higher-density residential neighbourhood uses, with taller 

buildings and higher levels of pedestrian activity than the other 

residential streets. 

New buildings are often set back on 

Downtown and Centres Residential 

Streets to provide adequate sidewalk and 

amenity space. 

Buildings on these streets typically 

range from mid-rise to tall – either 

independently or as part of a larger 

building complex – and are 

sometimes set back a small distance 

from the street right-of-way, with tree 

plantings or landscaping. Ground 

level retail, office, grade related 

apartments or amenities are 

sometimes located within the base of 

the buildings. 


Streets are important links in the 

city’s transportation network, with 

high levels of pedestrian and cycling 

activity and moderate levels of 

vehicular traffic. 

There are typically little to no transit 

services provided on these streets, 

although significant transit services 

are usually found close by. Sidewalks 

are often located next to the curb, 

though ideally separated by a buffer 

from moving traffic. 


Streets have a moderate number of 

competing demands on available 

street space, especially on the 

narrower rights-of-way in the 

Downtown. 


Streets often have wider sidewalks than 

other residential streets due to the 

volume of pedestrians they carry. 

30


Street Types 

Downtown and Centres Residential Street 

2.3.4 


• Accommodate a high level of 

pedestrian activity with wide 

sidewalks. New buildings should be 

set back to create sidewalk and 

amenity space. 

• Prioritize the safe movement of 

pedestrians and cyclists and design 

for modest motor vehicle volumes 

and speeds. 

• Provide ample bicycle parking for 

visitors and residents to encourage 

cycling. 

• Plant street trees in the frontage zone 

if boulevard space is limited. 

• Manage speed by rightsizing lanes 

and corners, and providing chicanes, 

mid-block crossings and on-street 

parking. 

• Provide driveways and servicing 

through shared access lanes and on 

side streets to minimize conflicts on 

busy residential streets. 

• On-street vehicle parking may 

sometimes be provided on at least 

one side of the street. 

• Minimize freight transport that is not 

servicing local properties. 

31


Street Types 

Apartment Neighbourhood Residential Street 

2.3.5 

2.3.5 

APARTMENT NEIGHBOURHOOD RESIDENTIAL STREET 

Apartment Neighbourhood Residential Streets are found throughout 

the city and are typically lined with a range of residential buildings: 

townhouses, walkups, mid-rise buildings, and tall buildings. 

Apartment Neighbourhood Residential 

Streets have sidewalks that connect to 

buildings. 

Example of an Apartment 

Neighbourhood Residential Streets with 

a bike parking shelter. 

Traditional Apartment 

Neighbourhood streets have a range 

of scales of apartments with shallow 

front yards and entrances organized 

like a house. Mid-century ‘tower-inthe-park’ 

apartment complexes, 

found in all parts of the city, have 

large lots with few public streets and 

large buildings placed in the middle 

of the lot. They are typically set back 

from the front property line and 

landscaped. Street frontages on 

larger lots include auto drop-offs and 

parking entrances and may have 

private short term parking. 

Apartment Neighbourhood 

Residential Streets may sometimes 

play a major role in the city-wide 

transportation network, especially 

where they act as key transit routes. 

Because of their higher density, they 

often have higher levels of 

pedestrian use than on 

Neighbourhood Streets. 

Apartment Neighbourhood 

Residential Streets are typically 

located on or near transit and many 

trips are accomplished by walking, 

cycling or taking transit. Moderate 

levels of vehicular traffic are typical, 

and some may have surface transit 

routes present. 

Some Apartment Neighbourhood 

Residential Streets are strong 

candidates to introduce stormwater 

management features. This is 

because Apartment Neighbourhood 

Residential Streets typically have 

available space due to large building 

setbacks, few driveways and low 

on-street parking demand. 

32


Street Types 

Apartment Neighbourhood Residential Street 

2.3.5 


• Provide wide sidewalks that connect 

buildings to the pedestrian network 

to support a high level of pedestrian 

activity. 

• Promote socializing, interaction and 

activities along the street, including 

community events, such as street 

parties, yard sales, or children 

playing. 

• Enhance safety and comfort of transit 

waiting areas, and transit operations 

priority where transit service is 

provided. 

• Adequate bicycle parking should be 

provided outside residential 

buildings to supplement bicycle 

parking provided inside buildings. 

• Maintain low motor vehicle speeds to 

help ensure the street is safe for 

everyone, and inviting for novice 

bicyclists and more vulnerable 

pedestrians. Consider complete 

streets elements, such as mid-block 

curb extensions or chicanes to 

reduce speeds. 

• Provide green space such as a 

continuous canopy of trees, and 

stormwater management in curb 

extensions. 

• Minimize conflict between motor 

vehicles and cyclists and pedestrians, 

especially at driveways and vehicular 

drop-off areas in front of buildings. 

• Include lighting that illuminates 

street and sidewalk but prevents light 

pollution into the sky and adjacent 

residences. 

33


Street Types 

Neighbourhood Residential Street 

2.3.6 

2.3.6 

NEIGHBOURHOOD RESIDENTIAL STREET 

Neighbourhood Residential Streets are found throughout Toronto 

in areas designated as ‘Neighbourhoods’ in the City’s Official Plan, 

which are generally considered as physically stable areas. A range 

of building types under four storeys in height are permitted in 

Neighbourhoods, including single family residential and multi-family 

residential properties. 

Neighbourhood Residential Streets 

sidewalks often have parents walking with 

children to school. 


provide access for buildings and 

usually provide people with direct 

pedestrian access to their front door. 

These streets provide the setting for 

a range of local neighbourhood 

gatherings and informal interactions, 

such as yard sales, festivals and block 

parties. They are streets where 

children often play after school or on 

weekends. They primarily serve local 

movement needs and have relatively 

low volumes of motor vehicle traffic. 

Pedestrian and cyclist safety is a high 

priority. Transit service is less often 

provided on this type of street. All 


should have sidewalks. 


are not intended to play a major role 

in serving city-wide traffic movement. 


have potential to introduce 

pedestrian improvements, such as 

intersection curb extensions, as well 

as greening, landscaping, and 

stormwater management features. 

There are generally two different subtypes 

of Neighbourhood Residential 

Streets in Toronto, distinguished by 

the era they were originally planned 

or developed: pre-1950s 

construction and post-1950s 

construction (see pages 36 and 37). 


commonly have multiple users, trees, and 

low vehicle speeds. 

34


Street Types 

Neighbourhood Residential Street 

2.3.6 


• Emphasize safety and connectivity 

for pedestrians and cyclists of all 

ages and abilities. 

• Provide green space and landscaping 

and promote a robust canopy of 

trees. Consider the opportunity to 

manage stormwater at source as 

much as possible to reduce stress on 

sewers and promote natural water 

infiltration. 

• Promote social and community 

interaction and activities, both across 

and along the street, including 

accommodating community events, 

such as street parties, yard sales, or 

children playing. 

• Maintain low motor vehicle speeds to 

help ensure street is safe for 

everyone, and inviting for novice 

bicyclists and more vulnerable 

pedestrians. 

• Accommodate neighbourhood 

vehicle access and circulation needs 

while deterring through traffic. 

• Provide driveway access to private 

properties, accommodating curb cuts 

as necessary, but design to prioritize 

pedestrians where driveways meet 

the sidewalk and street. 

• Provide connectivity to local 

destinations particularly for 

pedestrian access. 

• Include lighting that illuminates 

street and sidewalk but prevents light 

pollution into the sky and adjacent 

residences. 

35


Street Types 

Sub-type: Neighbourhood Residential Street 

(built circa pre-1950s) 

2.3.4 

SUB-TYPE: NEIGHBOURHOOD RESIDENTIAL STREET 

(BUILT CIRCA PRE-1950 s) 

Neighbourhood Residential Streets built 

before 1950 typically have sidewalks 

against the curb. 


may include features to encourage 

pedestrians and cyclists by reducing 

vehicles speeds and volumes. 

These Neighbourhood Residential 

Streets were typically built prior to 

1950, in the period before the 

automobile became a primary 

consideration in neighbourhood 

planning and street design. These 

neighbourhood streets are usually 

arranged in a grid pattern, typically 

with right-of-way widths of 20m or 

less. 

Sidewalks are typically on both sides 

of the street, usually located next to 

the curb, with a boulevard between 

the sidewalk and property line. There 

is sometimes a planting zone 

between the sidewalk and the curb. 

These streets tend to have shallow 

building setbacks and porches at or 

near the property line. 

Driveways and curb cuts are 

uncommon on pre-1950s 

Neighbourhood Residential Streets, 

and motor vehicle access and 

parking is sometimes accommodated 

through rear lanes. On-street parking 

is often permitted and some streets 

have also allowed curb cuts for front 

yard parking. These streets are often 

one-way for motor vehicle traffic and 

have narrower pavement widths. 

Some of these streets also have 

traffic calming and diversions. There 

exists a moderate opportunity for 

implementing green infrastructure. 

ADDITIONAL DESIGN 

OBJECTIVES 

• Trees or landscaping should be 

provided between the sidewalk and 

buildings. 

• Allow for on-street parking on at 

least one side of the street where 

space permits. 

• Consider designated routes for 

cyclists of all ages and abilities. 

• Front-yard parking pads are 

discouraged to reduce impermeable 

surfaces and to provide parking 

on-street. 

• Avoid unnecessarily widening the 

street in reconstructions. 

36


Street Types 

Sub-type: Neighbourhoods Residential Street 

(built circa post-1950’s) 

2.3.4 

SUB-TYPE: NEIGHBOURHOODS RESIDENTIAL STREET 

(BUILT CIRCA POST-1950 s) 

Neighbourhood Residential Streets built 

after 1950 typically have buildings set 

back from the street and landscape strips 

between the curb and sidewalk. 

Curb extensions may including 

landscaping or green infrastructure on 

Neighbourhood Residential Streets. 

c: Brandon Quigley 

Primarily planned and constructed 

during or after the 1950s, these 


were designed mainly to facilitate car 

movement, but based on principles 

that discouraged through traffic. 

They were often designed to 

promote local walking and cycling 

toward the centre of a 

neighbourhood, where parks and 

schools were located. 

Cul-de-sacs, loop crescents, and a 

curvilinear street network were 

created instead of the traditional 

grid-style street network present in 

pre-1950s Toronto. Typically, the 

post-1950’s Neighbourhood 

Residential Street includes buildings 

that are set farther back from the 

property line and have driveways 

with curb cuts. Long-term curbside 

parking is usually not permitted and 

rear lanes are rare. 

Sidewalks are often separated from 

the curb by grass or treed areas, but 

sometimes there are no sidewalks at 

all. A significant opportunity for 

green infrastructure exists in this type 

of Neighbourhood Residential Street. 

ADDITIONAL DESIGN 

OBJECTIVES 

• Rightsize the street through on-street 

parking, and curb extensions or 

chicanes. 

• Provide a sidewalk on at least one 

side of the street for universal 

accessibility and pedestrian safety. 

• Integrate streetscapes with 

landscaping through setbacks and 

open space. 

• Integrate stormwater control 

measures to improve the natural and 

aesthetic environment. 

37


Street Types 

Mixed Use Connector Street 

2.3.7 

2.3.7 

MIXED-USE CONNECTOR STREET 

Mixed Use Connector Streets are found throughout the city, but 

more often outside of the downtown and central neighbourhoods. 

These streets are often longer and more continuous, providing direct 

travel routes for people and goods that span and connect several 

neighbouring communities and areas. 

Some Mixed-Use Connector Streets have 

trees in a median. 

Pedestrians and transit are common on 

Mixed Use Connector Streets. 

These streets typically have a mix of 

different land uses and building 

types along them with a variety of 

physical configurations and 

relationships with the street: 

sometimes buildings are located 

further away from the street with 

landscaping or a parking lot in 

between, while other times buildings 

are much closer, with their front 

entrances at the street. 

Mixed-Use Connectors play a 

significant role in the City’s 

transportation network. They are 

important travel routes for all modes, 

but often have higher volumes of 

motor vehicles and lower volumes of 

pedestrians and cyclists. Given the 

higher motor vehicle speeds and 

volumes, separated bicycle facilities 

are recommended. These streets also 

often have important city-wide transit 

routes and should be designed to 

give transit priority, where applicable. 

They are also usually important 

streets for moving goods. 

While Mixed Use Connectors play a 

role in enabling longer-distance 

travel and movement in the city, it is 

important that these streets be 

gradually and incrementally 

improved to help create a more safe 

and inviting street for people walking 

and cycling. These streets are often 

found in areas of the city with longer 

distances between signalized 

intersections and higher motor 

vehicle speeds, so additional care is 

needed to ensure streets and 

intersections are designed to be safe 

for the most vulnerable people 

walking and cycling. While efficient 

motor vehicle travel is a priority on 

these streets, ensuring safety for 

people walking is critical, with 

sidewalks sized for a medium volume 

of pedestrians and intersections 

designed with clear and well-marked 

crossing features. 

Wide landscape strips with trees 

should be provided on boulevards, 

as well as transit shelters and other 

street furniture at stops. Buildings 

should be set back to enhance street 

character and increase comfort for 

pedestrians. These streets are 


control measures in the planting zone 

38


Street Types 

Mixed Use Connector Street 

2.3.7 

between curb and sidewalk, and 

where applicable, in the frontage 

zone. Mixed Use Connectors typically 

do not have on-street parking. 


• Emphasize movement between 

destinations via a variety of modes 

and support commercial activity. 

• Provide sidewalks and safe, 

controlled crossings to connect 

destinations and especially to transit 

stops or stations. 

• Enhance transit amenities (e.g., 

benches/shelters) and transit 

operations priority where transit 

service is provided. 

• Provide dedicated cycling facilities if 


• Improve safety and visibility at 

intersections and crossings for 

pedestrians and cyclists. 

• Use shared access management to 

reduce the frequency of access 

points and conflicts to help manage 

traffic flow and safety. 

• Facilitate the efficient movement of 

larger volumes of motor vehicle 

traffic, especially freight and service 

vehicles. 

• Include a wide planting zone, 

especially using frontage zones, to 

support a continuous tree canopy 

and to integrate stormwater control 

measures. 

39


Street Types 

Residential Connector Street 

2.3.8 

2.3.8 

RESIDENTIAL CONNECTOR STREET 

Residential Connector Streets are similar to Mixed Use Connector 

Streets – their primarily role is to facilitate transportation for all 

modes – but they provide travel routes and connectivity within and 

through mainly residential areas of the city. 

Residential Connector Streets often have 

a sidewalk between a row of trees and 

the curb, and sometimes run along the 

back of properties. 

Residential Connector Streets may have 

transit shelters and cycling infrastructure 

between the curb and buildings. 

Residential Connectors are typically 

lined with a variety of residential 

buildings that face the street, often 

set back with well-established front 

yards, gardens, and driveways. 

Sometimes there are occasional 

businesses or stretches of rear-facing 

residential lots and backyard fences 

along the street. 

While Residential Connectors play a 

role in enabling longer-distance 

travel and movement in the city, it is 

important that these streets be 

gradually and incrementally 

improved to help create a safer and 

more inviting street for people 

walking and cycling. Residential 

Connectors are often found in areas 

of the city with longer distances 

between signalized intersections and 

higher motor vehicle speeds, so 

additional care is needed to ensure 

streets and intersections are 

designed to be safe for the most 

vulnerable people walking and 

cycling. Although safe and efficient 

motor vehicle travel is a priority on 

these streets, safety for people 

walking is critical, with sidewalks 

sized for low to medium volumes of 

pedestrians and intersections 

designed with clear and well-marked 

crossing features. 

Wide landscape strips with trees 

should be provided on boulevards, 

as well as transit shelters and other 

street furniture at stops. Buildings 

should be set back to enhance street 

character and increase comfort for 

pedestrians. Residential Connectors 

can sometimes have some on-street 

parking. Residential Connectors are 


control measures in the planting zone 

between curb and sidewalk, and 

where applicable, in the frontage 

zone. 

40


Street Types 

Residential Connector Street 

2.3.8 


• Emphasize movement between 

destinations via a variety of modes. 

• Improve safety and visibility at 

intersections and crossings for 


• Provide sidewalks and safe controlled 

crossings to connect destinations, 

especially to transit stops or stations 

and major neighbourhood 

destinations. 

• Enhance amenities (e.g., benches/ 

shelters) and transit operations 

priority where transit service is 

present. 

• Provide dedicated cycling facilities if 


• Include a wide planting zone, 

especially using the frontage zone, to 

support a continuous tree canopy 

and to integrate stormwater control 

measures. 

41


Street Types 

Scenic Street 

2.3.9 

2.3.9 

SCENIC STREET 

Scenic Streets are found throughout the city where there is a strong 

relationship with natural features like ravines and the waterfront, or 

with significant parks and green spaces. 

Scenic Streets often run along parks or 

natural features. 

Scenic Streets often have separated 

paths for pedestrians and cyclists. 

c: Kenn Chaplin 

Scenic Streets are primarily 

characterized by their ‘park-like’ 

setting and adjacency with nature. 

Scenic Streets are also often 

meandering or winding, following 

the city’s natural topography. 

Scenic Streets can play a variety of 

roles in the transportation network. 

Demand for walking or cycling is 

often high, as these streets follow, or 

are adjacent to, areas of high 

demands for recreational use. Motor 

vehicle volumes can be high during 

peak hours, but much lower at other 

times of the day. While separating 

pedestrians and cyclists is always 

preferred in areas with higher 

recreational use, shared-use paths 

may be considered in lieu of 

sidewalks to separate pedestrians 

and bicyclists from other traffic. 

Scenic Streets may also be surface 

transit routes. There are usually few 

crossings on these streets but, where 

present, they must be carefully 

designed to safely allow connectivity 

and crossings for recreational path 

users. There is typically no on-street 

parking on Scenic Streets. 

Scenic Streets often have large and 

healthy trees that together create a 

substantial canopy. The adjacent 

open spaces present many 

opportunities to introduce storm 

water control measures. 

42


Street Types 

Scenic Street 

2.3.9 


• Emphasize and highlight natural 

landscape character and features. 

• Preserve and protect scenic views 

and vistas. 

• Enhance environmental quality by 

protecting and enhancing tree 

canopy and incorporating naturalized 

stormwater control measures. 

• Support medium to high volumes of 

pedestrian and bicycle activity for 

both recreation and transportation. 

• Enhance transit operations priority 

where transit service is provided. 

• Provide sidewalk on both sides and 

separated bicycle facilities on at least 

one side of the street where 

appropriate. Ensure adequate space 

for pedestrians and cyclists with a 

physical delineator between 

pedestrians and cyclists for safety 

and universal accessibility. 

• Integrate street and boulevard 

design with adjacent areas such as 

landscapes. 

• Design to accommodate both 

weekday rush hour commuter activity 

as well as off-peak (e.g. weekend) 

recreational use. 

43


Street Types 

Park Street 

2.3.10 

2.3.10 

PARK STREET 

Park Streets are streets found within, adjacent to, or leading to city 

parks. They provide local neighbourhood connections and access 

to park facilities. Park Streets are primarily intended to support and 

complement parks and recreation uses. 

Park Streets are often lined with trees and 

separated walkways. 

Park Streets should be designed 

to accommodate different types of 


These streets typically play a minor 

transportation role for motor vehicles 

and transit, but a significant role for 

pedestrians and cyclists. Street 

design,landscaping and features 

should help create an environment 

that naturally encourages lower 

vehicle speeds and provides park-like 

experiences on foot or on a bicycle. 

Cycling and walking is prevalent, and 

should be welcomed, prioritized and 

safe, especially for the most 

vulnerable. Cyclists may have a 

separate facility such as a lane or 

path, but may also mix in the general 

use of the street. In areas with higher 

recreational use, cyclists and 

pedestrians should be separated to 

improve safety, accessibility and 

enjoyment. Bus transit may be 

provided within larger parks during 

park hours but are generally not 

high-frequency routes. There is 

sometimes on-street parking 

provided. Park Streets within parks 

are sometimes closed during the 

evenings with the same hours of 

access as the park itself, and some 

may even be gated. 

Given they are in parks, adjacent to, 

or leading to parks, these streets 

should have large and healthy trees 

that together create a substantial 

canopy to complement and add to 

the tree canopy in the park itself. 

These streets present many 

opportunities to introduce 


Streets adjacent to parks, or that lead 

to and connect with parks can extend 

the park amenity and character into 

the surrounding neighbourhoods, 

providing improved access to parks 

for pedestrians, cyclists and wildlife. 

44


Street Types 

Park Street 

2.3.10 


• Complement and enhance the park’s 

environmental and natural qualities. 

• Provide attractive walking and 

cycling routes between the park and 

the local neighbourhoods and 

between destinations within the park. 

• Provide facilities for a wide range of 

cycling skill levels, but provide 

separate facilities for pedestrians and 

cyclists in locations of heavy 

recreational use, often on multi-use 

trails or sidewalks on at least one 

side of the street. 

• Enhance and augment existing tree 

canopy and incorporate naturalized 


• Provide local vehicle access and 

circulation to parks, and within some 

parks, and target low vehicle speeds. 

• Accommodate park service and 

maintenance vehicle needs. 

• Provide continuity in the landscape 

design and streetscape between the 

public spaces on adjacent streets, 

and the routes within the park for a 

connected network. 

45


Street Types 

Employment Street 

2.3.11 

2.3.11 

EMPLOYMENT STREET 

Employment Streets are typically found outside of the Downtown 

and support mainly industrial or commercial uses inside Employment 

Areas or Districts. Buildings usually range from multi-storey 

commercial offices, to lower-rise wholesale or large-format retail, 

warehouse, and manufacturing buildings. Buildings are often set 

back from the property line with parking or landscaping between the 

building and street. 

Employment Streets often have 

driveways and crosswalks to facilitate 

access. 

Employment Streets typically have bus 

stops to provide mobility options for 

workers and visitors. 

c: Michael Poos 

Employment Streets serving 

warehouse or manufacturing uses 

often need to accommodate larger 

trucks turning, as well as loading and 

unloading activities. Employment 

Streets dominated by more 

commercial or retail uses may have 

less large truck activity. 

Employment Streets are important 

links in the goods movement 

network, but typically of lower 

importance in the overall city-wide 

transportation networks. A significant 

number of users of these streets 

arrive by car, but this is not the only 

mode of access. Many who work on 

Employment Streets rely on transit, 

walking and cycling. Employment 

streets should be designed to 

encourage walking, cycling and 

transit use, especially where they 

serve as a link between adjacent 

neighbourhoods and Main Streets. 

Employment Streets generally have 

rights of way that enable the 

provision of sidewalks on both sides 

and complete connections in the 

pedestrian network. Safe pedestrian 

and bicycle accommodation, 

especially at intersections where 

trucks are turning, is essential. Truck 

traffic may be significant on 

Employment Streets. Vehicle traffic is 

generally moderate, but can be 

substantial during peak hours. 

Parking on street is usually not 

desired due to large truck turning 

radii. Long term bicycle parking, such 

as sheltered bicycle corrals, should 

be provided. 

Some Employment Streets have 

grassy boulevards with significant 

tree planting. Many are candidates to 

improve street tree planting and 

introduce stormwater control 

measures in the planting zone 

between curb and sidewalk (where 

present). 

46


Street Types 

Employment Street 

2.3.11 


• Provide attractive mobility options 

for workers, especially to support 

reliable and convenient transit to 

reduce motor vehicle congestion 

(e.g., transit priority, transit shelters). 

• Enhance transit service and access to 

employment via transit. 

• Create a street environment that is 

safe and comfortable for pedestrians 

and cyclists especially to connect to 

transit stops or stations. 

• Encourage creating a sense of place 

using streetscape improvements to 

add value and attract additional 

investment and employment 

expansion. 

• Facilitate movement to and through 

the area, sometimes with significant 

vehicle volumes. 

• Accommodate access, loading, and 

circulation by large vehicle types on 

routes frequented by trucks such as 

industrial employment areas. 

• Make space for street trees and 

landscape strips where possible for 

stormwater management and 

greening. 

• Encourage employers to participate 

in transportation demand 

management programs such as 

Smart Commute that promote ridesharing, 

transit pass programs, 

flexible work hours and bicycle 

parking, lockers and showers. 

47


Street Types 

Mixed Use Access Street 

2.3.12 

2.3.12 

MIXED-USE ACCESS STREET 

Mixed Use Access Streets are found mostly within the Downtown 

and the Centres. Mixed Use Access Streets primarily provide ‘rear’ 

service and access functions to adjacent commercial and residential 

properties, which often have their front doors on other nearby Main 

Streets. 

Mixed-Use Access Streets provide truck 

loading access for large buildings. 

Mixed Use Access Streets generally 

have narrower rights-of-way, but are 

larger than a lane. 

Mixed Use Access Streets are 

typically not major streets in the 


usually limited in length and do not 

support long-distance travel. 

Driveways, service entrances and 

loading docks are common on these 

streets, which introduce conflicts with 

pedestrians, cyclists and other 

vehicles that must be managed. 

While cars and service vehicles are 

often the dominant users, these 

streets should also provide a safe 

environment for pedestrians and 

cyclists. Surface transit is very 

uncommon on Mixed Use Access 

Streets. Many will have low or 

moderate pedestrian and cyclist 

volumes, with low volumes of mostly 

larger vehicles, like garbage or 

delivery trucks. 

Mixed-Use Access Streets accommodate 

pedestrians, delivery on foot, and often 

have on- or off-street parking. 

48


Street Types 

Mixed Use Access Street 

2.3.12 


• Facilitate deliveries, loading, and 

service access for adjacent residential 

and commercial buildings. 

• Provide access to secondary 

pedestrian entrances to buildings. 

• Safely accommodate pedestrians and 

cyclists, and encourage low motor 

vehicle speeds. 

• Consider ways to create an attractive 

environment that complements 

adjacent Main or Civic Streets. 

• Provide an adequate furnishing zone 

for key elements like light poles, 

waste/recycling receptacles and 

bicycle parking, and consider 

landscaping and street trees where 

possible. 

• Some on-street parking may be 

provided if space is available. 

• Provide wayfinding signage to assist 

drivers with finding building access 

and entrances to loading areas and 

parking garages. 

49


Street Types 

Shared Street 

2.3.13 

2.3.13 

MIXED-USE SHARED STREET 

Shared Streets are most often found in areas supported by a 

high level of pedestrian activity, usually in mixed-use areas in 

the Downtowns and Centres but can also be found in residential 

neighbourhoods. Shared Streets are streets that blend and blur the 

spaces and zones of the street – sometimes designed without curbs. 

Different modes share the space together, but pedestrians typically 

have the highest priority. 

Seasonal or permanent bike corrals are 

common on Shared Streets. 

Shared Streets must maintain a 

delineated pedestrian clearway zone 

to ensure the street is universally 

accessible. The remaining street 

space is shared between several 

different modes or users, but 

pedestrians typically have the highest 

priority. Shared Streets can have a 

flexible design to accommodate 

different uses and seasons. All modes 

of travel may be permitted on Shared 

Streets, but motor vehicle volumes 

and speeds are extremely low. All 

modes are expected to travel no 

faster than walking speed. Some 

Shared Streets may prohibit motor 

vehicle access and parking entirely, 

except for emergency, utility, and 

delivery vehicles during specific 

times of day, days of week, or entire 

seasons. 

In the Downtown or Centres, 

buildings are typically more mixeduse 

and located close to the 

property line, clearly defining the 

street edges. Shared Streets can 

support a variety of uses, including 

shopping, entertainment, cafés, 

dining, and residences. 

Trench drain and bollards on Shared 

Streets provide for curbless and flexible 

streets. 

50


Street Types 

Shared Street 

2.3.13 


• Create street conditions for very low 

motor vehicle volumes and very slow 

travel speeds to facilitate shared use 

of the street by pedestrians, cyclists 

and motor vehicles. 

• For universal accessibility provide a 

direct and unobstructed walking path 

of adequate width, delineated by 

pavers and/or bollards with adequate 

contrast and detectability. 

• Create a slow zone “feel” for the 

public space using design treatments 

(e.g., rightsized space, pavers, 

plantings, street furniture). 

• In mixed-use settings, support 

commercial activity (such as 

occasional pedestrian-only streets for 

events/markets) or neighbourhood 

gathering, recreation and leisure 

depending on context. 

• In mixed-use settings, support 

flexible use of the street right-of-way 

through all seasons including 

incorporating café seating in spring/ 

summer/fall, and short-term parking 

or drop-off in winter. 

• In mixed-use settings, accommodate 

high volumes of pedestrians and/or 

pedestrian lingering, socializing. 

• In mixed-use settings, prioritize, 

enable and emphasize pedestrian 

activities while also accommodating 

motor vehicle access by service and 

delivery vehicles during non-peak 

hours. 

51


Street Types 

Residential Shared Street 

2.3.13 

RESIDENTIAL SHARED STREET 

Residential Shared Streets are streets in primarily residential areas 

that mix all modes together to blend and blur the spaces and zones 

of the streets. All modes are expected to travel no faster than walking 

speed. 

Residential Shared Streets are typically 

slow zones that include space for people, 

trees and parking. 

Shared Streets in residential areas 

provide space for informal 

neighbourhood gatherings and 

activities, like socializing and children 

playing. In residential areas, where 

they are referred to as ‘woonerfs’ or 

‘home zone’ streets, Shared Streets 

may also permit some on-street 

parking. Shared Streets are good 

locations for higher amounts of 

bicycle parking to help serve the 

needs of the surrounding area. 

Shared Streets should be narrow to 

help slow vehicle traffic and 

emphasize pedestrian priority. 

Shared Streets are primarily 

hardscape, but the low vehicle 

volumes make them prime 

candidates for pavers, permeable 

pavement and other infiltration 

strategies. Limited plantings and 

planters soften the environment and 

provide additional opportunities for 

greening and stormwater 

management. 

Some Residential Shared Streets, like this 

one in Toronto, have planters and brick 

pavers. 

52


Street Types 

Residential Shared Street 

2.3.13 


• Create street conditions for very low 

motor vehicle volumes and very slow 

travel speeds to facilitate shared use 

of the street by pedestrians, cyclists 

and motor vehicles. 

• For universal accessibility provide a 

direct and unobstructed walking path 

of adequate width, delineated by 

pavers and/or bollards with adequate 

contrast and detectability. 

• Create a slow zone “feel” for the 

public space using design treatments 

(e.g., rightsized space, pavers, 

plantings). 

• In residential settings, shared streets 

can function as a public space for 

recreation and socializing. 

53


Street Types 

Mixed Use Lane 

2.3.14 

2.3.14 

MIXED-USE LANE 

Mixed Use Lanes are found in the Downtown, Centres and Avenues, 

and other mixed use areas in the city. These lanes support vehicle 

and pedestrian access to buildings of various uses. They are typically 

narrow access routes flanked by the rear or side faces of abutting 

properties. 

Mixed-Use Lanes, like this one in Toronto, 

may facilitate waste removal as well as 

act as pedestrian cut-throughs. 

Mixed-Use Lanes provide access for 

deliveries, waste disposal and 

pickup, and parking garage 

entrances, as well as informal local 

cyclist and pedestrian routes. They 

help to restrict or minimize driveway 

access and loading on Civic and Main 

Streets to support efficient 

movement of people and to reduce 

conflicts among modes. Mixed Use 

Lanes are typically significantly 

narrower than Mixed Use Access 

Streets and much shorter – 

commonly just one block long. 

In a busy Downtown environment, 

Mixed-Use Lanes can also offer 

unique opportunities to create active 

spaces for retail or other commercial 

users, and become part of a vibrant 

pedestrian network. 

Although space for tree planting is 

limited, and some servicing 

requirements can present challenges, 

Mixed-Use Lanes do provide some 

opportunities to introduce 


Mixed-Use Lanes are very minor links 

in the overall transportation network. 

Although their primary role is for 

motor vehicle service and access, 

these lanes are often used as quieter, 

informal routes for pedestrians and 

bicyclists. 

Laneways in Toronto provide space for 

murals, and pedestrian and/or vehicle 

access to properties. 

54


Street Types 

Mixed Use Lane 

2.3.14 


• Support adjacent commercial and 

residential uses by providing access 

to the rear of buildings for service, 

delivery, loading, and parking garage 

access needs. 

• Minimize cut-through motor vehicle 

traffic and design for slow vehicle 

speeds. 

• Anticipate and accommodate 

through-access by pedestrians and 

cyclists and use of lanes as informal 

public spaces. 

• Durable street materials for heavier 

vehicles, like garbage and delivery 

trucks. 

• Provide adequate lighting for 

personal security. 

55


Street Types 

Residential Lane 

2.3.15 

2.3.15 

RESIDENTIAL LANE 

Residential Lanes are found throughout the city and typically provide 

rear access for pedestrians and vehicles to garages, parking, and rear 

entrances of single family homes and low-rise residential buildings. 

They are often narrow access routes flanked by fences or garages at 

the rear of properties. 

Residential Lanes have the opportunity to become attractive public 

spaces that support informal play and social interaction. 

Residential Lanes are often used by 


Motor vehicle volumes are low and 

slow on residential lanes, and they do 

not play a large role in the overall 


often used for pedestrian and bicycle 

connections within the 

neighbourhood, and should be 

designed for walking speed to 

emphasize and encourage pedestrian 

use. They are often used for local 

recreational activities. 

Although space for tree planting is 

limited, Residential Lanes do provide 

opportunities to introduce green 

street design elements and planting 

to create more inviting and useful 

spaces. 

Residential Lanes typically provide 

garage and vehicle parking access at the 

rear of properties. 

56


Street Types 

Residential Lane 

2.3.15 


• Provide access to rear of residential 

properties and encourage informal 

spaces for playing and social 

interaction through speed 

management (e.g., rightsizing of 

space). 

• By providing the residential lane, this 

reduces or removes the need for 

driveways and motor vehiclepedestrian 

conflicts from the parallel 

residential street. 

• Minimize cut-through motor vehicle 

traffic, enhance local access, and 

design to slow motor vehicle speeds. 

• Anticipate and accommodate 

through-access by pedestrians and 

cyclists. 

• Provide adequate lighting for 


57


c. DTAH 

58


60 3.1 Steps to Street Design 

70 3.2 Performance Measurement 

71 3.3 Exceptions 

Chapter 3 describes the five 

general steps in the street design 

process. Not all projects follow 

these steps, as the number of steps 

and time spent on each one often 

depend on the type, scale, scope 

and resources of a project. 

Making decisions about street 

design is a collaborative process 

with many different voices at the 

table, including City staff, 

stakeholders, and members of the 

public. It is important to identify 

these voices early on and involve 

them throughout the process. It is 

also important to document key 

decisions to ensure the rationale 

and design process are transparent 

and defensible. 

3.0 

STEPS TO 

STREET DESIGN 

59


Steps to Street Design 


3.1 

3.1 

STEPS TO STREET DESIGN 

The five general steps to street design are illustrated in Figure 3-1 

and described in more detail on the following pages. This process is 

best suited to large projects such as major reconstructions and 

Environmental Assessment studies, but adaptable to many different 

project types. 

Step 1: Identify Context & Street Type 

Step 2: Establish Design Priorities & Objectives 

Step 3: Develop Decision-Making Framework & Metrics 

Step 4: Assemble, Evaluate, Refine & Repeat 

Step 5: Finalize Design & Document 

c. DTAH 

60




3.1 

PROJECT 

INITIATION 

CONTEXT 

ANALYSIS 

PRELIMINARY 

DESIGN 

+ 

DECISION 

MAKING 

CONSTRUCTION 

DESIGN 

CONSTRUCTION 


OPERATIONS + 

MAINTENANCE 

PLAN 

DESIGN 

BUILD + MANAGE 

1. Identify 

Context 

2. Establish 

Design Priorities 

3. Develop 

Decision-Making 

Framework + 

Metrics 

4. Assemble/ 

Evaluate/ 

Refine 

5. Finalize 

Preliminary 

Design + 

Document 

Repeat if 

Necessary 

COLLABORATION WITH CITY STAFF, STAKEHOLDERS AND PUBLIC 

Transportation Services 

• Beautiful Streets, Pedestrian 

Projects, and Street Furniture 

• Cycling Infrastructure & Programs 

• Traffic Operations 

• Traffic Safety 

• Traffic Signals (installation & 

maintenance) 

• Traffic Planning & Right-of-Way 

Management 

• Infrastructure Asset Management & 

Programming 

• Road Operations 

Toronto Transit Commission 

• Strategy & Service Planning 

Emergency Access – Divisions 

• Fire Services, Paramedic Services 

and Police 

Operational Access – Divisions 

• Waste Management 

• Parks 

City Planning 

• Community Planning 

• Transportation Planning 

• Urban Design 

• Heritage 

• Environment 

Parks, Forestry & Recreation 

• Urban Forestry 

Economic Development & Culture 

• BIA Office 

• Film Office 

Municipal Licensing & Standards 

• Business Licensing & Regulatory 

Services 

Utilities 

• E.g., Toronto Hydro, Toronto Water, 

others including Major Capital 

Infrastructure Coordination 

Councillors and their staff 

Local residents, businesses, and 

institutions (schools, hospitals, 

seniors facilities, business 

improvement areas, etc.) 

Community organizations, 

advocacy groups and other 

industries 

• Pedestrians and transit riders 

• Disabilities groups (e.g., for vision, 

mobility, hearing and cognitive) 

• Cycling groups 

• Drivers, motorcyclists, and goods 

deliveries (e.g., couriers and 

logistics) 

• Parks, conservation authorities, 

environmental groups 

• Arts, cultural groups, and film 

industry 

• Taxi, car-sharing, and tourism 

• Developers and property managers 

Figure 3-1: Steps to Street Design 

61




3.1.1 

3.1.1 

STEP 1: IDENTIFY CONTEXT & STREET TYPE 

Understanding the variety of roles and relationships of a street with 

its surrounding context is a critical step in the street design process. 

Using the approach outlined in Chapter 2, undertake a 

comprehensive review of available information to create a thorough 

and holistic understanding of the different aspects of a street’s 

context. When gathering and reviewing policies, plans, and other 

data, also identify strategies to address significant information gaps 

or deficiencies. Using the analysis of information gathered, select one 

of the Street Types outlined in Chapter 2 as a starting point for 

setting design priorities and objectives. 

Official Plan 

Major Streets 

Streetscape 

Manual 

Official Plan 

Surface Transit Priority 

Relationship with Adjacent 

Parks, Ravines, and Green Spaces 

Existing and 


MOVEMENT 

TORONTO 

STREET TYPE 

PLACEMAKING 

Existing and 


Road 

Classification 

System 

Official Plan 


Relationship with 

Adjacent Buildings 

Official Plan 


Figure 3- 2: Many factors inform the understanding and 

identification of street types 

62




3.1.1 

STEP 1: CHECKLISTS 

Identify the street’s “placemaking” 

context: 

Consult Official Plan policies and 

maps (eg, urban structure, land 

use designations, secondary 

plans or other area plans, 

heritage conservation plans, etc) 

Consult public realm and 

streetscape policies (e.g, 

Streetscape Manual, Vibrant 

Streets Guidelines, urban design 

guidelines, etc) 

Consult the Green Streets 

Technical Guidelines including 

policies, maps and the Low- 

Impact Design feature selection 

tool (eg, planting conditions, 

stormwater plans, tree canopy, 

etc). Identify grades, drainage, 

stormwater flow, catch basin 

locations, etc.) 

Is the street located in a Business 

Improvement Area (BIA) and are 

there streetscape or master 

plans? 

What are the street’s trip 

generators and destinations, 

e.g., schools, institutions, parks, 

etc.? 

Identify the past, present and 

future characteristics of the place 

and users of the street (e.g, 

cultural heritage, social history 

and new development). 

Research and identify any 

encroachment or easement 

agreements on the street 

segment. 

Identify the street’s “movement” 

context: 

Consult Official Plan policies, 

network plans and maps (e.g, 

rapid transit network, surface 

transit priority network, planned 

right-of-way widths, etc) 

Align with the City’s pedestrianrelated 

policies and obtain data, 

(e.g. existing and future volumes, 

trip generators, safety heat 

maps, walking conditions, OTM 

Book 15, etc.). 

Consult the Cycling Network 

Plan, OTM Book 18, and obtain 

data, e.g, existing and future 

volumes, trip generators, and 

safety conditions. 

Collect and review data (e.g. 

collisions, existing and future 

volumes, truck volumes, speed, 

and travel times) 

Identify curbside and operational 

uses (e.g. parking (on- and offstreet 

supply), deliveries, taxi 

stands, food trucks, bike parking, 

Bike Share stations, snow 

storage, etc). 

Review multimodal demand and 

connectivity. Consult Road 

Classification System. 

Identify existing street right-ofway 

widths and allocation of 

space. 

Identify profile of street users: 

Conduct site assessments and 

gather observational data 

What are the current and future 

demographics (e.g. seniors)? 

Who uses the street? Consider 

people of all ages, abilities and 

genders, and universal design. 

Identify activities and any permit 

holders (e.g, cafés, marketing 

displays, street vendors, food 

trucks, boulevard parking, 

filming, etc.). 

Consider all times of the day, 

different days of the week, and 

times of the year (all seasons) 

Consider anticipated routes for 

different users, and their desire 

lines (typical paths and 

destinations) 

Consider emergency services, 

operations and maintenance, 

and utilities (year-round, all times 

of day) 

Consider utilities and their 

location and placement, both 

above and below ground 

What consultation (e.g., public 

and stakeholder input and 

feedback) has been conducted 

on the above roles and users of 

the street, and the potential 

street type(s) that contribute to 

the street project’s objectives? 

Identify potential funders and 

maintenance partners. 

Identify street type(s): 

Which street type(s) are most 

similar to the aspirational role of 

the street (i.e., vision and goals)? 

63



Step 2: Establish Design Priorities & Objectives 

3.1.2 

3.1.2 

STEP 2: ESTABLISH DESIGN PRIORITIES & OBJECTIVES 

Develop the design priorities and objectives through a collaborative 

process—agreed upon as much as possible by the parties involved, 

and reviewed later in the process to evaluate how they are being 

met. They should align with the City’s Official Plan and other city 

policies, as well as the complete streets vision, goals, and guidance 

outlined in this document. In some cases, previous policy or guidance 

(such as Secondary Plan, EA Terms of Reference, BIA Public Realm 

Plan, etc) may exist to inform design objectives for a street or area. 

Design priorities and objectives should reflect the most recent 

context information developed through Step 1. On larger projects, 

review and revise objectives as the design proceeds, with changes 

and decisions documented for transparency. 


Confirm that project objectives 

align with the City’s policies and 

plans and bylaws: 

Alignment with Official Plan’s 

city-building vision and goals 

Alignment with Toronto’s 

Complete Streets vision, goals, 

and design guidance 

Align with network plans and 

local area studies or plans that 

exist or are underway 

Consult appropriate bylaws in 

Toronto Municipal Code (e.g., 

streets and sidewalks, street 

vending, etc.) 

Confirm that the project objectives 

are informed by design objectives 

for the selected Street Type in 

Step 2: 

Design objectives for moving 

pedestrians, cyclists, transit, and 

motorized vehicles 

Design objectives for placemaking, 

green infrastructure, and 

users of the street 

Compare project objectives with 

the street type(s) design 

objectives 

Confirm that project objectives 

have received input and feedback 

through consultation and 

engagement: 

Internal consultations of key 

stakeholders (all relevant 

Divisions, Agencies, 

Commissions and units) have 

informed the project’s objectives 

(think of all modes and users) 

External consultations with key 

stakeholders have informed the 

project’s objectives (think of all 

modes and users) 

What are the funding sources for 

the project? 

Internal and external discussions 

on funding capital, operations 

and maintenance. 

64




3.1.3 

3.1.3 

STEP 3: DEVELOP DECISION-MAKING 

FRAMEWORK & METRICS 

An evidence-based decision-making framework and a set of metrics 

are essential to evaluate street design options and make difficult 

choices and trade-offs. Organize the decision-making framework and 

metrics according to the design priorities and objectives established 

in Step 2. Develop both qualitative and quantitative metrics for each 

of the priorities or objectives to assess how they can be achieved. 

Involve a variety of interdisciplinary professionals to provide specific 

advice in their area of expertise. Consultation and stakeholder 

engagement will also help inform the decision-making framework. 

Collect “before” and “after” data to provide a baseline set of metrics 

to track and monitor impacts and progress over time. It is important 

to document how decisions are being made. 


Establish an evidence-based 

decision-making framework: 

Review the decision-making 

framework template (Figures 

3-2a and 3-2b) 

Incorporate priorities and 

objectives resulting from Step 2 

into the framework 

Conduct internal and external 

stakeholder consultation for 

input on the framework 

Identify qualitative and 

quantitative measures for the 

evaluation criteria 

Collect any data required to 

produce the qualitative and 

quantitative analysis including 

consulting multidisciplinary and 

subject matter experts for advice. 

Ideally, “before” data is collected 

at this stage to provide a baseline 

against which “after” data can be 

compared once the project has 

been completed to track impacts 

over time. 

65




3.1.3 

TEMPLATE FOR DEVELOPING 

DECISION MAKING FRAMEWORK 

STREETS FOR 

PEOPLE 

STREETS FOR 

PLACEMAKING 

STREETS FOR 

PROSPERITY 

Vision: 

Improve Safety and 

Accessiblity 

Create Beautiful and 

Vibrant Public Space 

Support Economic Vitality 

Goal(s): 

Shorter Crossing Distance 

at Intersections 

Wide Pedestrian Clearway 

and Furnishing/Planting 

Zone 

Adequate On- and 

Off-Street Parking and 

Loading; Wider Sidewalks 

and Setbacks for Outdoor 

Cafes 

Priority and/or Objective(s): 

Give People Choices and 

Connected Networks 

Respond to 

Local Area Context 

Enhance Social Equity 

Length (km) of Missing 

Links for Pedestrians and 

Cyclists 

Alignment with Area and 

Community Plans 

Increased Transit Access 

(5-10 Minute Walk) to 

Low-Income Households; 

Expanded Bicycle 

Network to Transit 

Stops/Stations 

Criteria and/or Metric(s): 

Promote Healthy and 

Active Living 

Improve Environmental 

Sustainability 

Balance Flexibility and 

Cost Effectiveness 

Safety Features for All 

Road Users (i.e. Rightsize 

Lanes and Curb Radii) 

Number and Type of 

Green Infrastructure 

Added 

High, Medium, Low Costs 

Over The Long Term 

(for Operations and 

Maintenance) 

Figure 3-2a: Sample Decision Making 

Framework Template 

Figure 3-2b: Sample Criteria and Metrics 

66



Step 4: Assemble, Evaluate, Refine, & Repeat 

3.1.4 

3.1.4 

STEP 4: ASSEMBLE, EVALUATE, REFINE, & REPEAT 

Step 4 is an iterative step that is often repeated as trade-offs and 

choices are made to refine the design of a street. Design choices and 

trade-offs should be evaluated and refined through internal and 

external consultation and engagement using the evidence-based 

decision-making framework from Step 3. 

The amount of iteration will depend on the scale, scope and nature 

of the street project. For example, a small scale neighbourhood 

safety and beautification project will likely not involve as many steps 

or iterations as a major streetscape improvement that encompasses a 

whole street segment that involves many external stakeholders. 

Assemble: Design options should be 

prepared using schematic drawings 

of street cross-sections as well as the 

plan view of an entire block or 

intersection. The street type(s) and 

design priorities and objectives 

should be used as a starting point to 

select and help prioritize street 

elements. 

Street types may lead to more than 

one cross-section option for different 

street segments. Designers may also 

not be able to achieve all design 

objectives on a street project due to 

context-sensitive considerations. For 

more information on cross-section 

elements, see Chapters 4 through 9 

which provide an overview of some 

key design objectives for 

pedestrians, cyclists, transit, green 

infrastructure, roadways, and 

intersections. 

Evaluate: Once the options are 

developed, they should be evaluated 

using the evidence-based decisionmaking 

framework and metrics from 

Step 3. This evaluation is important 

because there are often physical 

space allocation choices that need to 

be addressed before proceeding to 

detailed design. Difficult trade-offs 

may need to be made after being 

evaluated and documented using an 

evidence-based approach. 

Evaluating using this approach 

ensures that design priorities and 

objectives for a project are applied in 

a context-sensitive manner, and that 

decisions are explained and 

documented for how they achieve 

the overall complete streets vision 

and goals. 

Refine & Repeat: Street design 

options should be refined through 

collaboration and creative problemsolving, 

as well as the use of various 

design standards and best practices 

Repeated refinement is often 

necessary to better achieve project 

objectives. This is typically an 

iterative step that involves multidisciplinary 

collaboration among key 

stakeholders, as well as external 

consultation and engagement with 

the community and public. 

Refinements to the street design 

should result from a thoughtful and 

collaborative discussion of trade-offs 

between competing uses on the 

street and within the available right 

of way. This discussion requires all 

stakeholders to understand the 

perspectives and needs of others. 

This is a critical step that 

demonstrates transparent and 

accountable decision making. 

67



Step 4: Assemble, Evaluate, Refine, & Repeat 

3.1.4 


Assemble street cross-section(s): 

Review and apply project design 

objectives – prioritizing space 

and attention to design for 

priorities resulting from 

Checklists for steps 1, 2 and 3 

Review and apply key design 

principles and select elements 

using the Chapters on 

Pedestrians, Cycling, Transit, 

Green Infrastructure, Roadways 

and Intersections 

Review and apply additional 

resources including specific 

design guidelines, construction 

standards, and best practices 

(e.g. City’s Lane Width and Curb 

Radii Engineering Guidelines, 

On-Street Bikeway Design 

Guidelines, Green Streets 

Technical Guidelines, 

Streetscape Manual, etc.) 

Coordinate designs with other 

projects in the area (e.g. new 

buildings or developments), and 

permitted activities or businesses 

(e.g, cafés, etc.) 

Assemble street cross-sections 

and plan views using a multidisciplinary, 

collaborative 

approach with key stakeholders 

and produce the schematic 

drawings 

Evaluate options using the 

evidence-based decision-making 

framework from Step 3: 

Review each design option 

against the framework 

(developed from Step 3) and 

document the pros/cons of each 

option, any trade-offs made in 

the option, and any qualitative 

and quantitative measures 

Ensure that all users of the street 

are taken into account, e.g., a 

road user risk assessment for the 

safety of the most vulnerable 

road users 

Collect any data required to 

produce the qualitative and 

quantitative analysis of the 

design options (including 

consulting interdisciplinary and 

subject matter experts for 

advice) 

Conduct internal and external 

stakeholder consultation for 

feedback on the evaluation of 

options including life cycle costs 

Document the evaluation using 

qualitative and quantitative data 

and analysis and feedback 

Refine street design and repeat 

Step 4, if necessary: 

Foster collaborative problemsolving 

among key stakeholders, 

using a multi-disciplinary 

approach, to address issues that 

arise and to refine street design 

options 

Review and apply additional 

resources including specific 

design guidelines, construction 

standards, and best practices 

Refine and produce the preferred 

street designs, including 

schematics and streetscape 

details 

Consult internal and external key 

stakeholders, using a multidisciplinary 

approach to gather 

input and feedback on their 

needs 

Document the rationale for any 

trade-offs made, conflict 

resolution measures and 

innovative solutions to design 

issues including life-cycle costs 

and obtain agreement and 

approvals on operations and 

maintenance (i.e. who will 

maintain the street elements) 

68



Step 5: Finalize Design & Document 

3.1.5 

3.1.5 

STEP 5: FINALIZE DESIGN & DOCUMENT 

The completion of all of the previous steps, including any additional 

public and stakeholder input, should provide enough rationale to 

select the design option that best matches the context and future 

expectations relative to the street project. 

It is important that the design team documents the process that was 

followed, including consultation and engagement activities, so that it 

can inform future similar street projects, and serve as a reference for 

any questions that may arise about why a particular decision was 

made. 


Finalize the preferred 

street design: 

Finalize the preferred street 

design, including cross-sections, 

plan views (of the whole block, 

segments and/or intersections 

and approaches to the 

intersection), and streetscape 

details 

Include documentation of any 

analysis 

Include documentation on 

consultations 

Include documentation on the 

evaluation 

Include documentation on the 

written agreement and approvals 

on operations and maintenance 

for the long term (i.e. who will 

maintain the street elements for 

the long-term) 

Note that, depending on the 

lead division or agency, some 

streetscape elements will require 

a formal agreement with the City. 

(e.g, for maintenance, 

encroachments, or easements). 

Examples of street elements that 

require an agreed-upon and 

approved maintenance owner 

include, but are not limited to: 

Street trees, landscaping and 

planters 

Pavers (e.g. in the furnishing or 

edge zones, sidewalk, or 

roadway) 

Green infrastructure such as 

permeable materials 

Other streetscape details, e.g., 

lighting, street furniture, 

decorative installations 

Others, as needed 

Examples of maintenance owners 

that need to provide agreement 

and approval include, but are not 

limited to: 

Transportation Services 

Toronto Water 

Parks, Forestry and Recreation 

Business Improvement Areas 

(BIAs) 

Property managers (e.g. 

commercial or condominium 

building owners) 

Toronto Hydro 

Others, as needed 

69



Performance Measurement 

3.2 

3.2 

PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT 

This section outlines what project teams should consider in 

assessing how well a project performs in terms of meeting its 

complete streets objectives. 

Queensway: Before 

c: google 

MEASURING STREET PROJECTS 

“Before” and “after” data help to 

assess and communicate the results 

and benefits of street projects. 

Resources for data collection, 

analysis, and communications are 

often not included in budgets. 

Ideally, resources for measuring 

street performance are considered in 

advance and integrated into the 

project budgets, commensurate with 

the scale of the project. 

While the City of Toronto and its 

partners currently collect some data 

related to streets and the 

transportation system, more often 

than not, there would be a need for 

project-specific qualitative and 

quantitative data for “before” and 

“after” monitoring, such as: 

• Volumes of pedestrians, cyclists, 

transit passengers and vehicles (at 

intersections and mid-block) 

• Collision data and observational data 

(e.g. conflict and near misses) for 

motor vehicles, pedestrians and 

cyclists 

• Motor vehicle speeds 

• Transit and motor vehicle travel times 

• Provision of new infrastructure (e.g. 

length and type of new sidewalks, 

bike facilities, transit priority 

measures, street trees or 

landscaping, street furniture, parking 

supply (on- and off-street) 

• Use of public space (e.g. observation 

studies, surveys or safety audits) 

• Socio-economic data (e.g. mix of 

land uses, employment data, café 

permits, vacancy rates, etc.) 

• Environmental and public health 

benefits (e.g. tree cover) 

• Photographs and visuals to 

demonstrate the changes in the 

street design 

Queensway: After 

70



Exceptions 

3.3 

3.3 

EXCEPTIONS 

This section addresses the issue of exceptions and the need for 

professional judgment by practitioners in using the latest best 

practices in their field. 

As noted earlier, implementing 

Toronto’s Complete Streets vision 

and goals is the responsibility of all 

staff involved in street projects. If the 

street design team believes that an 

exception to applying the Complete 

Streets Guidelines is warranted, they 

must document the rationale at each 

stage of project planning and design, 

and where conflicts arise, seek 

approval from senior management. 

Documentation should include: 

• A description and schematic diagram 

of the recommended street design, 

including e.g. right-of-way width, 

proposed cross section and/or plan 

view, and photos of the existing 

conditions and graphics that illustrate 

the desired condition 

• Explanation for the requested 

exception and details on why the 

desired condition is a better solution 

to achieving the City’s objectives and 

outline these stated objectives 

• Description of the street context and 

how the desired condition serves the 

existing and future uses and users of 

the street 

• Description of how the desired 

condition satisfies the City’s plans 

and policies (e.g. Official Plan, 

network plans, master plans, City’s 

design guidelines, etc.) 

71


72


74 4.1 Pedestrian Design Principles 

76 4.2 Sidewalk Zones 

78 4.3 Importance of the 

Pedestrian Clearway Zone 

80 4.4 Additional Accessibility and 

Universal Design Features 

82 4.5 Pedestrian Crossings 

84 4.6 Public Realm and 

Placemaking 

87 4.7 Utilities, Maintenance, and 

Operations 

Everyone is a pedestrian—whether 

you are walking to school or work, 

or to your parked car, transit or 

bicycle. Pedestrians include people 

on foot and/or using an assistive 

device. Pedestrian design should 

be accessible for all people. 

Pedestrians are the safety priority 

in street design as they are the 

most vulnerable and have the 

highest rates of fatalities among 

road users. The safety of 

pedestrians should be prioritized 

over maximizing traffic capacity and 

speeds as the safety benefits can 

be reaped for all road users. 

The pedestrian network—which 

includes sidewalks, crossings, and 

public spaces— is core to the city’s 

transportation network. Space 

should be allocated to protect 

pedestrians, encourage walking, 

and support placemaking—all of 

which enhances Toronto’s economic 

and social vitality. This chapter 

discusses context-sensitive 

pedestrian design, accessibility, and 

the public realm. 

4.0 


PEDESTRIANS 

73


Street Design for Pedestrians 

Sidewalk Design Principles 

4.1 

4.1 

PEDESTRIAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES 

5 

4 

8 

6 

2 

1 

7 

74



Sidewalk Design Principles 

4.1 

3 

1. Accessibility and Mobility. A top 

priority is to provide accessible 

sidewalks and facilities for all users 

regardless of physical abilities or age. 

Ensure clear, direct, unobstructed 

continuous paths of a suitable 

context-sensitive width to serve 

existing and anticipated pedestrian 

flows. Minimize or remove clutter. 

2. Provide a Network of 

Continuous Sidewalks. Places that 

support walking are healthier, more 

vibrant, and resilient. Create a 

network of continuous sidewalks with 

dedicated space for pedestrians 

safely separated from cyclists and 

motorized vehicles. 

3. Design for Safe Crossings. 

Pedestrian-friendly design takes into 

account the frequency of crossing 

opportunities, target speed, street 

width, intersection geometry, 

visibility, signal timing and walk 

speeds for vulnerable pedestrians, 

such as seniors and persons with 

disabilities. See also Chapter 9 on 

Intersections for guidance. 

4. Placemaking. Sidewalks are public 

spaces where people interact. Design 

sidewalks to invite, with seating, 

trees, cafés, public art, lighting, and 

places to gather. Create 

opportunities suited to the street’s 

context. Design to evolve with 

changing demands. Consider current 

and future pedestrians and uses. 

5. Design for Comfort. Provide 

sidewalks of adequate width for the 

context. Design sidewalks and 

boulevards for uses all year long. 

Street trees offer shade and relief 

from sun, rain, wind and snow. 

Carefully arrange street elements to 

support pedestrian activities, and to 

provide a safe buffer between 

pedestrians and moving traffic. 

6. Greening Infrastructure and 

Stormwater Management. 

Incorporate passive stormwater 

measures in boulevards where 

possible. Divert stormwater into rain 

gardens, planting beds, or 

permeable paving in the boulevard 

to reduce potential for ponding. 

Green infrastructure enhances the 

quality of the street environment, 

and contributes to mental and 

psychological health. Consider 

sufficient soil and water for street 

trees to reach maturity. See Chapter 

7 on Green Infrastructure for 

guidance. 

7. Design for Efficient 

Maintenance. Consider materials 

and designs that are durable and 

easier to maintain. Use City Standard 

Materials. Provide adequate access 

to utilities for maintenance. Consider 

snow storage and waste and 

recycling collection. Coordinate 

repairs and upgrades, if feasible, to 

minimize impact to pedestrians. 

8. Coordination with Utilities. The 

location, use, and maintenance of 

utilities needs to be coordinated 

early on in street projects. Ensure 

pedestrian clearway needs are met 

for universal accessibility. Seek ways 

to minimize conflicts among utilities, 

street furnishings, trees, and 

landscaping. 

75



Sidewalk Zones 

4.2 

4.2 

SIDEWALK ZONES 

1 

2 

1. Frontage and Marketing Zone. 

The area adjacent to properties, 

such as building entrances, front 

yards, stoops, window shopping 

area, vending, café seating, and 

building-related utilities. This area 

may be part of the public right-ofway, 

or private, if a building setback 

is present. 

2. Pedestrian Clearway Zone. The 

most important area of the street for 

safe, accessible, and efficient 

movement of pedestrians. The width 

depends on the street context. The 

minimum will be higher on streets 

with greater pedestrian activities. An 

adequate pedestrian clearway is 

most important in sidewalk design. 

76



Sidewalk Zones 

4.2 

3 4 

3. Furnishing and Planting Zone. 

This zone in the boulevard provides 

space for a wide range of street 

elements such as trees, other 

plantings, litter and recycling bins, 

benches, street lights, and bicycle 

racks. 

4. Edge Zone. The space behind the 

curb that acts as a buffer between 

moving/parked vehicles and the other 

sidewalk/boulevard functions. May 

accommodate sign posts, parking 

machines, decorative pavers, garbage 

set out and snow storage. 

77



Importance of the Pedestrian Clearway Zone 

4.3 

4.3 

IMPORTANCE OF THE PEDESTRIAN 

CLEARWAY ZONE 

The Pedestrian Clearway Zone is the area of sidewalk that is free 

and clear of any obstacles so that people of all ages and abilities 

can travel in a direct, continuous path. This zone is dedicated for 

pedestrian movement and the amount of space required will depend 

on the volume and intensity of pedestrian activity on the street. 

CONTEXT-SENSITIVE WIDTHS 

A wider pedestrian clearway is 

required on streets that bring more 

people to the sidewalk, e.g. busy 

shopping or destination areas, busy 

transit routes with many pedestrians, 

or other sites with large volumes of 

pedestrians. Space is needed for 

greater numbers of pedestrians to 

pass each other, window shop, push 

strollers or delivery carts, or support 

someone needing assistance with 

walking(See Figure 4.1 and photos). 

At minimum, two assistive devices 

need to be able to pass each other 

with a buffer. This minimum space 

(2.1 metres) provides a safe, 

universally accessible path for people 

of all abilities. Issues with lack of 

space include having to pass on 

uneven surfaces like sod that could 

tip a wheelchair, or being blocked on 

one side by a retaining wall and not 

having space to safely pass. 

HIGH PRIORITY 

For safety reasons, the pedestrian 

clearway takes priority from other 

parts of the street. In areas with high 

pedestrian volumes and crowding, 

walking will become obstructed and 

overflow if there is inadequate space 

and may result in people walking in 

the roadway. Overall sidewalk width 

should first accommodate the 

preferred pedestrian clearway, 

assigning available space to other 

zones second. 

WHAT IS NOT CLEARWAY 

When measuring the pedestrian 

clearway, do not count the space 

right up to a bench or bicycle post 

and ring, or other element (e.g. door 

opening areas, frontage and 

marketing areas or tree pits), because 

you need to account for how it is 

being used. Think of the users or 

objects taking up space, such as a 

person sitting on a bench, a bicycle 

locked to a post and ring, a person 

standing or lining up for a transit stop 

or food vendor. Ventilation grates 

and covers should be placed outside 

of the clearway. 

DIRECT AND CONTINUOUS 

A direct, continuous clearway is 

especially needed along a block, 

because it is difficult for people with 

low or no vision, or physical mobility 

challenges to maneuver sudden or 

frequent changes in path. Shared 

Streets need a clear path of 

adequate width that is delineated 

with visual contrast and by tactile 

indicators. This provides a dedicated 

path of travel for persons of all ages 

and abilities in an area with a mixing 

of pedestrians and vehicles. 

78



Importance of the Pedestrian Clearway Zone 

4.3 

Person with Mobility Assistive Device 

0.9m 

Two People Walking Space 

1.4m 

Pedestrian + Bags 

0.7m + 0.3m 

Pedestrian Pushing Stroller 

0.9m 

Passive Walking 

0.7m 

Figure 4-1: Examples Of Widths Of Different Types Of Pedestrians 

Wider pedestrian clearways are required on streets with greater pedestrian activities, 

like these examples in Toronto. 

79



Additional Accessibility and Universal Design Features 

4.4 

4.4 

ACCESSIBILITY AND 

UNIVERSAL DESIGN 

Sidewalks are essential. Accessible and universal design for sidewalks 

include: ensuring adequate pedestrian clearway widths, effective 

physical separation between pedestrians and cyclists, materials, 

slopes, and tactile walking surface indicators that provide warnings 

and guidance for people with low or no vision. See Chapter 9 on 

Intersections for accessible and universal design features found 

typically at intersections such as curb ramps, depressed curbs, and 

accessible pedestrian signals. 

Sidewalks should be designed to 

accommodate pedestrians of all ages and 

abilities. 

80



Additional Accessibility and Universal Design Features 

4.4 

Sidewalk should be flat and level, while 

maintaining proper drainage. 

SIDEWALK MATERIALS 

• Sidewalk materials and their 

maintenance impact the experience 

of a street. Safe, smooth, stable and 

slip-resistant sidewalk surfaces are 

important for universal accessibility. 

In general, sidewalks should be 

constructed of concrete, in a manner 

that minimizes gaps, discontinuities, 

rough surfaces, and vibration-causing 

features for mobility device users. 

• Minimize the number of different 

materials across the sidewalk. Nonstandard 

items are strongly 

discouraged for most street types for 

cost, durability, maintenance, 

accessibility and sustainability 

reasons. Unique materials are more 

difficult and costly to maintain, and 

become tripping hazards, unsightly 

and confusing to users especially 

when maintenance lags. 

SLOPES 

• Sidewalks should have a flat, level 

surface for walking, while maintaining 

enough slope for proper drainage so 

rainwater does not accumulate on 

sidewalks. The slope of the sidewalk 

as you walk forward along it (i.e., 

running slope) often depends on the 

slope of the adjacent roadway. 

TACTILE WALKING SURFACE 

INDICATORS & DELINEATORS 

• To provide persons with low or no 

vision with warnings and guidance, 

Tactile Walking Surface Indicators 

(TWSI) are installed at curb ramps or 

depressed curbs where a pedestrian 

may encounter a hazard such as 

moving vehicles. 

• A tactile, colour contrasting and/or 

physical delineator is required 

between the sidewalk and sidewalklevel 

cycle track (e.g., on Sherbourne 

Street), or for a flush street (e.g., 

Market Street), where pedestrians are 

at the same level or grade as cyclists 

and cars. Yellow tactile strips are 

used at transit stop areas. The design 

depends on the context, i.e. speed 

and volumes. 

Curb ramps and accessible 

pedestrian signals are discussed in 

Chapter 9 on Intersections. 

Tactile Walking Surface Indicators are 

in installed at curb ramps or depressed 

curbs. 

Straight and direct sidewalks are required 

for safe and convenient access for people 

of all ages and abilities, especially those 

with low or no vision. 

81



Pedestrian Crossings 

4.5 

4.5 

PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS 

Pedestrian crossings are found at intersections of streets, at midblock 

locations on long blocks, and at key destinations, such as 

schools, transit stops or stations, offices, or shopping plazas, that 

generate pedestrian crossing demand. Pedestrian crossings are 

facilitated by traffic signals, mid-block pedestrian signals, pedestrian 

crossovers (also known as PXOs) and pedestrian crossing islands or 

refuge islands. 

82



Pedestrian Crossings 

4.5 

This mid-block pedestrian crossing 

facilitates children in walking safely to 

school. 

PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS 

Traffic control signals that provide 

pedestrians with a protected crossing 

opportunity at intersections or midblock 

locations by requiring motorists 

to stop at the signal. 

PEDESTRIAN CROSSOVER (PXO) 

Pedestrian crossovers are identified 

by specific signs, pavement 

markings, illuminated overhead 

lights, and pedestrian push buttons. 

Under provincial laws, drivers and 

cyclists must wait until pedestrians 

have completely crossed the road. 

PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ISLAND 

OR REFUGE ISLAND 

An area protected by curbs (i.e., a 

raised concrete island) between two 

directions of traffic, where 

pedestrians can wait for a gap in 

vehicular traffic or rest while crossing 

streets mid-block. 

As discussed in Chapter 8 on 

Roadways, a priority is to look for 

opportunities to rightsize streets to 

reduce pavement widths for safety 

and greening purposes. For example, 

before allocating space to a median 

or crossing island, consider rightsizing 

lanes and the street to reduce 

crossing distances and to support 

preferred widths for the pedestrian 

clearway, planting and furnishing 

zone, and cycling facilities. 

The decision to install any of the 

above devices depends on many 

factors such as pedestrian safety 

(e.g., lack of crossings or gaps in 

traffic), street geometry, number of 

lanes, adjacent land uses and trip 

generators, vehicular volumes, 

speed, and observational data. 

PXOs are common in Toronto. 

c: Katie Wittmann c: Katie Wittmann 

83



Public Realm and Placemaking 

4.6 

4.6 

PUBLIC REALM AND PLACEMAKING 

Beyond providing safe pedestrian movement and access, sidewalk 

zones also serve as vital public spaces that contribute to the city’s 

economic, social and environmental well-being. Various elements 

help create vibrant, attractive, safe, and green streets for people, 

including street furniture, lighting, cafés and marketing, curb and 

sidewalk extensions, wayfinding, green infrastructure, the sensitive 

placement of utilities, and year-round operations and maintenance. 

(Also see Chapter 7 on Green Infrastructure). These street elements 

are important components of placemaking, especially pedestrian 

amenities like benches and seating, which offer places for people to 

sit, rest, and socialize. 

Sidewalks provide vital public space day 

and night. 

c: tracer.ca. https://flic.kr/p/YYbkU 

84




4.6 

Curbside Café 

Parklet Café Small Café Laneway Café 

Curbside/Parklet Café Corner Café Frontage Café 

Figure 4-2 

STREET FURNITURE 

Street furniture includes street trees 

and planters, transit shelters, 

benches, bicycle parking, information 

and wayfinding signs, litter and 

recycling bins, multi-publication 

boxes, poster kiosks poles and 

boards, and automated public toilets. 

Ensure street furniture does not 

obstruct the pedestrian clearway, 

rather locate them in the Furnishing 

and Planting Zone or Edge Zone (for 

narrower elements), or on private 

property using building setbacks and 

easements. 

LIGHTING 

Street lighting supports safety, 

pedestrian activity, sense of place, 

and economic vitality. It includes 

roadway lighting and pedestrianscale 

lighting. Pedestrian-scale 

lighting for sidewalks and crosswalks 

ensures that pedestrians are visible 

to motorists and illuminates potential 

tripping hazards. Where cycling 

facilities are located adjacent to the 

sidewalk, these benefits are also 

extended to cyclists. 

CAFÉS AND MARKETING 

An outdoor café is a seating area 

located on the sidewalk that is 

operated and maintained by an 

adjacent restaurant or café owner. 

Various types of sidewalk café 

configurations are shown in Figure 

4.2. 

Since pedestrians are given the 

highest priority in the Sidewalk Zone, 

outdoor cafés or marketing displays 

must not infringe on the pedestrian 

clearway. Greater clearways are 

required in busier pedestrian areas, 

so people do not spill onto the 

roadway and can comfortably access 

and enjoy café, marketing, and 

vending areas(see section 4.3 on the 

importance of the pedestrian 

clearway). 

PUBLIC ART, CULTURE AND 

HERITAGE 

These elements help to celebrate the 

culture, history, and sense of place 

that makes our communities unique. 

Public art, culture and heritage 

features enhance the sense of 

enjoyment and well-being of people 

using city streets. These elements 

can include street art, sculptures, 

plaques, painted traffic boxes, murals 

and heritage buildings, structures or 

sites. 

ORNAMENTAL PLANTING 

Decorative hanging baskets, planters 

for trees and landscaping, and other 

visually attractive initiatives by local 

businesses and communities help to 

improve the public realm and create 

a sense of place. 

85




4.6 

Placemaking on sidewalks may provide 

transition space between streets and 

destinations for people to gather, linger 

and socialize. 

Wayfinding helps people orient 

themselves and navigate to their 

destinations. 

An enhanced streetscape in 

Scarborough Centre. 

CURB AND SIDEWALK 

EXTENSIONS 

Curb and sidewalk extensions (a.k.a. 

bulb-outs or bump-outs) are 

extensions of the sidewalk area and/ 

or landscaped boulevard that 

protrude past the normal curb 

alignment. They are used for safety, 

greening and placemaking purposes 

as they can help repurpose space in 

the roadway for other much-needed 

uses. Uses include stormwater 

management and greening, 

streetscaping, or multi-unit bicycle 

racks depending on context and 

ensuring clear sightlines. Consider 

curb and sidewalk extensions 

wherever there is a permanent 

parking lane and consider how to 

accommodate cyclists when 

introducing curb extensions. 

PEDESTRIAN WAYFINDING 

Wayfinding systems help people 

orient themselves in physical space 

and navigate from place to place. 

They also help people to identify 

landmarks, explore the city and 

discover new destinations. The 

wayfinding systems are further 

supported through signs, printed 

maps and mobile devices. Toronto’s 

360 Wayfinding Strategy has specific 

guidance for on-street pedestrian, 

TTC, parks and trails and cyclist 

wayfinding systems. 

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE 

Green infrastructure refers to natural 

and human-made elements that 

provide ecological and hydrological 

functions. These environmental 

qualities contribute to the 

enjoyment, care and value of the 

City’s streets and public spaces. Part 

of their social and economic benefits 

include supporting opportunities for 

recreation, leisure and green tourism. 

Green elements include street trees, 

plantings, bioswales, permeable 

materials, and active transportation 

facilities. (see Chapter 7 on Green 

Infrastructure) 

86



Utilities, Maintenance, and Operations 

4.7 

4.7 

UTILITIES, MAINTENANCE, AND 

OPERATIONS 

Create a safe, attractive and functional public realm by coordinating 

early on with staff involved in utilities, maintenance, and operations. 

Various needs include considering the placement of utilities so that 

they can be accessed, upgraded and maintained, while also ensuring 

a safe, universally accessible pedestrian clearway and minimizing 

conflicts with street furnishings, trees and landscaping. Year-round 

maintenance and operations are important to consider upfront to 

enable city services to be provided, while coordinating with other 

complete streets needs. 

PLACEMENT OF UTILITIES 

Utilities play a vital role in the city’s 

infrastructure system and in our daily 

lives. Above ground utilities include 

various electrical and telecommunications 

wires, fire hydrants, traffic 

signal controllers and lighting. 

Underground utilities include various 

electrical and telecommunications 

conduits, water infrastructure and 

natural gas mains. Coordinate the 

safe access, use and maintenance of 

utilities using a complete streets 

approach to ensure safe and efficient 

operation of city streets and the 

utilities. Important considerations 

include ways to reduce clutter above 

ground and minimize negative 

impacts of underground utility repair, 

modification and replacement where 

possible. Early street project coordination 

will maximize opportunities 

for well-designed sidewalks that 

minimize conflicts among utilities, 

street furnishings and landscaping. 

YEAR-ROUND MAINTENANCE 

AND OPERATIONS 

Access to the Furnishing and Planting 

Zone and/or Edge Zone is critical for 

on-going and seasonal city services 

like snow clearing and storage, and 

waste and recycling collection. 

Sidewalk planning and design must 

keep in mind the various needs – 

including sweeping, repairs, snow 

removal and storage, landscaping 

maintenance, and waste 

management 

MORE INFORMATION 

• City of Toronto. Best Practices for 

Effective Lighting. Anticipated 2017. 

• City of Toronto. Accessibility Design 

Guidelines. 2004. 

• City of Toronto. Green Streets 

Technical Guidelines. 2017. 

• City of Toronto. Toronto 360° 

Wayfinding Strategy. 2012. 

• City of Toronto. Toronto Walking 

Strategy. 2009. 

• City of Toronto. Urban Design 

Guidelines. Various dates. 


Streetscape Manual. 2010. 

• City of Toronto. Vibrant Streets: 

Toronto’s Coordinated Street 

Furniture Program. 2012. 

• Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. 

Ontario Traffic Manual Book 12: 

Traffic Signals. 2012. 



Pedestrian Crossing Facilities. 2016. 

• “Street Lighting Construction 

Standards.” Toronto Hydro. Accessed 

October 18, 2016. 

• Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition. 

Shade Guidelines. 2010. 

• Toronto Hydro. Design and 

Construction Guidelines for Street 

Lighting. Anticipated 2017. 

• Toronto Public Health. Green City: 

Why Nature Matters to Health. 2015. 

• “Tree Details & Drawings – Trees & 

Ravines – Parks, Forestry & 

Recreation.” City of Toronto. 

Accessed October 18, 2016. 

87


88


90 5.1 Cycling Design Principles 

92 5.2 Context-sensitive 

Cycling Facilities 

96 5.3 Key Cycling Elements 

Cycling infrastructure provides 

choice in how people are able to 

move around the city. Cyclists are 

vulnerable road users and can be 

seriously injured in even minor 

collisions, so prioritizing the safety of 

cyclists by designing safe streets for 

cycling is critical. Streets that feel 

unsafe for cycling may also 

discourage people from choosing to 

ride. For many people, cycling close 

to fast moving motor vehicles is 

uncomfortable, but well-designed 

streets and cycling facilities can 

reduce conflicts for all road users and 

enhance real and perceived safety. 

It is critical to consider safe and 

comfortable cycling on all Toronto 

streets as part of the street design 

process. This includes mitigating 

exposure to potential conflict 

between cyclists and motor vehicles. 

Toronto’s On-Street Bikeway Design 

Guidelines and Multi-Use Trail Design 

Guidelines provide detailed design 

guidance and should be used in the 

design of cycling facilities. When 

trips are shifted from driving to 

cycling, motor vehicle volumes 

decrease, which in turn reduces 

traffic congestion, as well as air and 

noise pollution. Streets with cycling 

infrastructure also have the potential 

to move more people, at a lower 

cost, and with improved public 

health outcomes. 

5.0 


CYCLING 

89


Street Design for Cycling 

Cycling Design Principles 

5.1 

5.1 

CYCLING DESIGN PRINCIPLES 

3 4 

5 

1 

3 

7 

6 

2 

8 

90



Cycling Design Principles 

5.1 

1. Apply context–appropriate 

designs. Faster, busier streets create 

more risk for cyclists and will need 

greater separation and protection for 

cyclists. Quiet streets with low traffic 

volumes and low speeds may provide 

a comfortable cycling experience 

without a dedicated cycling facility. 

2. Design for both present and 

future users. Cycling ridership 

numbers will grow if a cycling facility 

is provided on a street that was 

previously uncomfortable for cycling. 

Where cyclist volumes are growing, 

consider widening the cycling 

facilities. 

3. Prioritize the most vulnerable 

road users. Vulnerable users can be 

seriously injured or killed in even 

minor collisions. Think of how to 

design facilities for all types of 

cyclists, as well as the protection of 

pedestrians of all ages and abilities. 

Protect pedestrians from cyclists by 

providing cycling facilities that are 

separated from sidewalks using 

design treatments that respond to 

both pedestrian and cycling speeds 

and volumes. Treatments range from 

buffers and physical delineators to 

visual contrast and tactile indicators. 

4. Visible, intuitive cycling 

facilities. Clear delineation of the 

cycling path of travel and wayfinding 

can improve safety for all road users. 

Use pavement markings, signs, grade 

change between users and physical 

design, like buffers, to mitigate 

hazards, such as car doors opening, 

or pedestrians walking into bicycle 

paths. 

5. Intersection safety and mixing 

zones. Continue bicycle lane 

markings through intersections and 

pedestrian crossing markings over 

cycling routes and clearly mark 

conflict areas. Consider providing 

visible, designated space for cyclists 

to wait and make turns. Avoid 

pedestrian and cyclist mixing zones, 

especially at intersections with high 

pedestrian volumes. 

6. Supply adequate bicycle parking 

and Bike Share access. Support and 

encourage cycling through Toronto’s 

bike sharing system - Bike Share 

Toronto, and a convenient and 

adequate supply of bicycle parking, 

including multi-unit corrals especially 

in mixed use, institutional, and 

commercial areas. 

7. Design and maintain bikefriendly 

curbside conditions. Ensure 

catch basin covers are bike-friendly, 

and that debris, water and ice do not 

accumulate where people will be 

cycling. 

8. Surface conditions. Provide 

smooth riding surfaces as much as 

possible by re-paving before adding 

cycling facilities, and regular 

maintenance, such as sweeping and 

snow ploughing. Provide pavement 

markings that guide cyclists safely 

across streetcar tracks. 

91



Context-Sensitive Cycling Facilities 

5.2 

5.2 

CONTEXT-SENSITIVE 

CYCLING FACILITIES 

As part of the street design process, a key step is identifying whether 

the proposed project is part of the existing or planned Cycling 

Network or other area or corridor plans. The Cycling Network Plan 

aims to build and connect higher-order cycling routes across the 

city. A key benefit is to attract and accommodate a wide range of 

cyclists. While the Cycling Network Plan identifies key routes and 

their preferred cycling facility type, there is still opportunity to select 

and design context-sensitive cycling facilities for streets not yet in the 

plan. 

Cycling is a year-round activity in Toronto. 

c: Jun Nogami 

92




5.2 

CONNECTIVITY 

EXISTING CYCLING 

BARRIERS 

CYCLING 

IMPACT 

ANALYSIS 

SHORT TRIPS 

TRIP 

GENERATORS 

COLLISIONS 

COVERAGE 

POPULATION 

& EMPLOYMENT 

DENSITY 

Figure 5-1: Considerations for Cycling 

Impact Analysis. 

For more information on Toronto's 

cycling network, visit toronto.ca/ 

cyclingnetwork 

A good starting point for 

practitioners is to refer to the Ontario 

Traffic Manual (OTM) Book 18, which 

guides facility selection based on 

motor vehicle operating speed and 

average daily traffic volumes. In 

addition, it will be important to apply 

Toronto’s On-Street Bikeway Design 

Guidelines to design for the context 

and local conditions. At the outset of 

a project, design teams should 

consider the: 

• Presence of existing or planned 

Cycling Network Routes. 

• Proximity and potential connections 

to the Cycling Network. 

• Speed and volume of motor vehicles. 

• Street’s proximity to schools, seniors’ 

homes, or similar institutions, as this 

may affect the types of users and the 

interaction with pedestrians of all 


• Existing and potential pedestrian 

volumes, as this may affect the 

suitability of sidewalk-level cycling 

facilities. 

• Presence of transit and taxi stands. 

• Presence of on-street parking (offpeak, 

lay-bys or lanes). 

THE CYCLING NETWORK PLAN – 

A KEY NETWORK OVERLAY 

Toronto’s Ten Year Cycling Network 

Plan (2016) is the result of extensive 

feasibility analyses, together with 

public and stakeholder consultation. 

The following technical factors were 

combined to rate a route’s cycling 

impact and feasibility: 

• Current and potential demand: 

Number of existing and potential 

cycling trips. Number of short trips 

by motorists (less than 5km) with a 

high potential to shift to cycling. 

Areas where cycling volumes have 

high growth. 

• Population and employment 

density: Greater density or new 

developments suggests more cycling 

trips. 

• Network coverage, connectivity, 

and barrier crossings: The presence 

of gaps in the network or barriers 

(e.g. ravines, rail corridors) that a 

route could help overcome. 

• Trip generators and target 

demographics: Assesses whether the 

cycling project would improve access 

to places many people would like to 

access, such as schools, universities, 

and transit stations. It also looks at 

how well the cycling project would 

meet the needs of target 

demographics such as women 

commuting, tourists, and children 

getting to school. 

• Safety: Opportunities to improve 

cycling safety if the street in question 

is known to have a high number of 

collisions, or reported traffic safety 

issues. 

93




5.2 

No Way, No How 

32% 

Strong and Fearless 

1% 

Enthused and 

Confident 

7% 

Interested But 

Concerned 

60% 

Figure 5-2: Designing for Cyclists of All 

Types. 

source: Ontario Traffic Manual Book 18: 

Cycling Facilities (2013). Dill, Jennifer 

and McNeil, Nathan (2012). Four types 

of cyclists? Examining a typology to 

better understand bicycling behavior 

and potential. Geller, R. (2006) Four 

Types of Cyclists, Portland Bureau of 

Transportation. 

“Urban edge lines” in Toronto provide 

safe riding space for cyclists. 

BICYCLE FRIENDLY STREETS 

Even in cases where there are no 

plans for cycling facilities, the City’s 

bicycle friendly streets policies, as set 

out in the Toronto Bike Plan (2001), 

must be observed. These include 

wider curb lane widths, standards for 

the construction of bridges/ 

underpasses, provisions exempting 

bicycles from some traffic regulations 

and maintaining cycling access 

through traffic calming projects, 

catch basin cover standards, and 

bicycle detection at actuated signals. 

Toronto’s Bicycle Friendly Street 

Policies are applicable to all street 

types. 

KEY FACTORS – SPEED AND 

VOLUME OF MOTORIZED 

TRAFFIC 

As mentioned above, the speed and 

volume of motorized traffic are key 

factors influencing the contextsensitive 

design of cycling facilities. 

Detailed guidance is provided in 

OTM Book 18. Figure 5.3 illustrates 

that higher speeds and higher 

volumes lead to higher risk to 

cyclists, thereby needing more 

separation (e.g., wider buffers) and 

protection (e.g., physical buffers) for 

safe and comfortable conditions for 

cyclists of all types (Figure 5.2). 

94




5.2 

0 km/hr 10 

Speed 

(Motorized Vehicles) 

20 30 40 

50 60 70 

Consider Shared 

Roadway 

such as 

Shared Lane Markings, Wide Curb Lanes, 

and Standard Lanes 

Consider Designated 

Cycling Operating Space 

such as 

Exclusive Bicycle Lanes 

(incl. Separated Lanes and Cycle Tracks) 

Consider Separated 

Facility 

such as 

Active Transportation Pathway in Boulevard, 

Separated Lanes, and Cycle Tracks 

0/day 

Volume 

(Motorized Vehicles) 

15,000+/day 

Higher Speed and Volume > Higher Risk > Increase Separation and Protection 

Figure 5-3: The Relationship of Traffic Speed and Volume to Types of Cycling Facilities. 

Source: Adapted from OTM Book 18. 

CYCLIST USER CHARACTERISTICS 

In the street design process, it is 

critical to consider the characteristics 

and needs of existing and potential 

users. This includes cyclists of 

various ages, skill and comfort levels, 

as well as various trip purposes such 

as cycling for recreation, commuting 

to work or school, and other 

utilitarian purposes like shopping or 

visiting friends or making deliveries 

(e.g., cargo bikes). Important 

considerations include the typical 

user characteristics, as a starting 

point for thinking about the minimum 

space needed. The right amount of 

space is determined by examining 

typical cyclists’ dimensions, space 

needed to maneuver, expected 

cyclist volumes, speed, road 

geometry, topography and the 

presence of other users and uses. A 

variety of factors influences the 

dimensions when designing cycling 

facilities. Figure 5.4, adapted from 

OTM Book 18, illustrates the 

minimum typical user characteristics 

for physical space and height. 

Physical 

0.75m 

Edge Line Minimum 

1.2 m 

Bike Lane Minimum 

1.5 m 

Bike Lane Desired 

1.8 m 

Widths 

Handlebar 

Figure 5-4: Cyclists Operating Space Requirements. 

Source: Adapted from OTM Book 18. 

Height of adult 

standing on pedals 

Eye Level 

1.1 m 

1.5 m 

2.5 m 

Heights 

95



Key Cycling Elements 

5.3 

5.3 

KEY CYCLING ELEMENTS 

Cycling facilities, bicycle parking, Bike Share Toronto, and wayfinding 

are key elements that should be considered for complete streets 

improvements. Intersection-related topics are covered in Chapter 9 

on Intersections design. Cycling facilities can be subdivided into two 

categories: those on Fast, Busy Streets and those on Quiet Streets. 

Cycling facilities can be between the 

sidewalk and the property line when 

there are no or few building frontages 

and when it connects with a multi-use 

trail such as this one in Scarborough. 

CYCLING FACILITIES ON FAST, 

BUSY STREETS 

High motor vehicle speeds and 

volumes necessitate dedicated 

cycling facilities. Examples include 

painted and buffered bicycle lanes, 

cycle tracks (separated bicycle lanes 

with bollards, planters, or a row of 

parked cars between cyclists and 

moving traffic), and raised cycling 

facilities (e.g., curb protects cyclists 

from motorized vehicles, cycling 

facility in the boulevard, etc). In any 

of these cycling facilities, it is not 

lawful for motor vehicles to drive, 

stop, stand or park. Exceptions may 

be made for taxi pick-up and dropoff 

and Wheel Trans boarding. 

CYCLING FACILITIES ON 

QUIET STREETS 

Low motor vehicle volumes and 

travel speeds, may provide a 

comfortable cycling experience 

without a formal cycling facility. 

Some Quiet Streets that are part of 

the Cycling Network may have 

dedicated facilities, or a range of 

design features including traffic 

calming measures, shared lane 

pavement markings, and wayfinding. 

If the route is not a designated 

“Quiet Street” in the Cycling 

Network, consider ways to apply the 

City’s Bicycle-Friendly policies. These 

include wider curb lane widths, 

standards for the construction of 

bridges/underpasses, provisions 

exempting bicycles from some traffic 

regulations and maintaining cycling 

access through traffic calming 

projects, catch basin cover standards, 

and bicycle detection at actuated 

signals. 

96




5.3 

Bicycle lanes are only one form of cycling 

infrastructure, such as this example in 

Etobicoke-York. 

Bicycle Lanes Buffered Bicycle Lanes Cycle Tracks Raised Cycling Facilities 

Contraflow Bicycle Lanes Routes - Wayfinding Bicycle Friendly Streets 

97




5.3 

Bicycle parking may be seasonal or 

permanent depending on context and 

demand. 

BICYCLE PARKING AND BIKE 

SHARE 

Travel by bicycle requires an 

adequate and convenient supply of 

Bike Share Toronto bicycles and 

docking stations and bicycle parking 

on both private property and in the 

public right-of-way. Many types of 

bicycle parking exist from ring-andpost, 

to bicycle corrals and parking 

structures, such as secure bicycle 

stations or bicycle lockers. Bicycle 

parking in the right-of-way should be 

considered on every street type, 

except perhaps some 


and Laneways. It is especially 

important on Main Streets and near 

destinations, such as in institutional, 

mixed-use, and commercial areas. 

Consider seasonal changes in 

demand for bicycle parking. 

Bicycle parking, including the parked 

bicycles, must not obstruct the 

pedestrian clearway. Also consider 

the space needed to access bicycles 

while being locked or unlocked. 

Bike Share Toronto requires 

unobstructed space within or 

adjacent to the right-of-way for its 

docking stations. Stations must be 

connected linearly and wired to a 

power source. To optimize station 

balance, Bike Share stations are 

installed along a 300m grid. The 

frequency of stations must be 

maintained to ensure connectivity 

and accessibility. 

98




5.3 

WAYFINDING 

Bicycle wayfinding consists primarily 

of signs and pavement markings that 

are legible to cyclists while they are 

travelling. Directional signs focus on 

routes that are included in the 

Cycling Network. In addition to 

providing information to make travel 

simpler and more convenient, the 

main benefits of wayfinding include 

increased safety by facilitating 

decision making in advance of 

intersections rather than in 

intersections, and greater visibility of 

cycling as a viable travel mode. 


• City of Toronto. City of Toronto Bike 

Plan. 2001. 

• City of Toronto. Toronto Bikeway 

Design Guidelines. Anticipated 2017. 

• City of Toronto. Toronto Cycling 

Network Plan. 2016. 

• City of Toronto. Toronto Cycling 

Wayfinding Strategy. 2015. 

• City of Toronto. Toronto Multi-Use 

Trail Design Guidelines. 2015. 

• CROW-25. Design Manual for Bicycle 

Traffic. 2007. 



Cycling Facilities. 2013. 

• National Association of City 

Transportation Officials. Urban 

Bikeway Design Guide. 2014. 

Bicycle wayfinding provides route 

and distance information to facilitate 

convenient travel. 

99


100


102 6.1 Transit Design Principles 

104 6.2 Key Transit Street Elements 


Transit Design 

As the City of Toronto continues to 

grow, it becomes increasingly 

important to make public transit an 

attractive travel choice for more 

people. Buses, streetcars and light 

rail vehicles consume far less 

roadway space per passenger trip 

than a car, and can help relieve 

congestion, improve air quality and 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The Toronto Transit Commission 

(TTC) has over 7,400 km of 

on-street streetcar and bus routes 

carrying over 1.67 million people 

per weekday. 

Transit on streets has the potential 

to move great numbers of people 

quickly to their destinations, 

making efficient use of very limited 

roadway space. This chapter 

outlines ways to support transit 

operations to make transit more 

convenient, faster and more 

reliable. The combination of various 

street elements outlined on 

following pages and signal 

strategies covered in Chapter 9 on 

Intersections aim to improve the 

quality of surface transit on our 

streets. 

6.0 


TRANSIT 

101


Street Design for Transit 

Transit Design Principles 

6.1 

6.1 

TRANSIT DESIGN PRINCIPLES 

9 

4 

3 

6 

7 

102



Transit Design Principles 

6.1 

1 

2 

8 

5 

1. Enhance transit users’ 

experience. Enhance the reliability, 

frequency and speed for transit by 

prioritizing space for transit and by 

implementing signal priority. 

Consider ways to improve convenience 

and comfort for users through 

amenities such as transit shelters, bus 

stop landing pads, streetcar 

platforms, street furniture, lighting, 

greening, public art and real-time 

travel and route information. 

2. Make connections safe, 

convenient, and seamless. Facilitate 

ease of transfers among different 

transit routes, walking, cycling and 

other modes of transportation, such 

as sidewalks and crossings to transit 

stops, bicycle parking and Bike Share 

Toronto, and wayfinding information. 

3. Visible, safe and convenient 

transit stops. Stops should be 

located at signalized intersections, or 

at controlled crossings (e.g. PXOs), 

as it allows for safe access to stops or 

when making route transfers. Locate 

stops near pedestrian generators. 

move to the front of the queue, 

avoiding significant delays. At stops 

with adjacent on-street parking, 

transit platform bulb-outs can help 

people board or alight faster, and 

they make it easier for transit vehicles 

to pull back into traffic. Remove or 

relocate on-street parking away from 

a transit stop and supplement it with 

traffic signs to ensure the space is 

clear for transit vehicles all the time. 

6. Traffic signal control strategies. 

Traffic signal progression or 

coordination aims to provide a wave 

of “green lights” on corridors with 

on-street transit. Transit signal 

priority is another method to 

enhance transit performance and 

keep transit on schedule. Time-based 

turn restrictions can help prevent 

significant delays to transit and other 

drivers on busy routes. 

7. Transit streets are safe for 

walking and cycling. Create safe 

streets for people to walk and cycle 

and safe crossings – as they are most 

often the customers who use transit. 

4. Universally accessible transit 

stops and facilities. Design for all 

users, with universal accessibility, 

comfort and mobility of passengers 

in mind, such as accessible transit 

shelters that accomodate the 

pedestrian clearway, curb ramps for 

new LRT stops, tactile walking 

surface indicators on platforms and 

at stops delineating raised cycling 

facilities, and accessible pedestrian 

signals. 

5. Curbside design to support 

transit efficiency. Where 

appropriate, queue-jump lanes 

provide opportunities for buses to 

8. Transit streets are linear public 

spaces. Creating streets as places 

will enhance the attractiveness of 

transit and its ability to support the 

city’s social, economic and 

environmental vitality. Repurpose 

underutilized space for parklets, 

plazas and cafés. 

9. Design for growth. As Toronto 

continues to grow and develop, 

streets can be designed to retain 

current riders and attract new riders 

through the coordinated planning of 

transit expansion and new 

development. 

103



Key Transit Street Elements 

6.2 

6.2 

KEY TRANSIT STREET ELEMENTS 

Transit lanes, transit stop and intersection treatments are the three 

types of transit facilities that should be considered for complete 

street improvements. They may be considered on their own, but 

should be combined, while considering their benefits and impacts 

on all road users in the street design process. (For transit design 

considerations at intersections, such as Queue Jump Lanes, see 

Chapter 9 on Intersections.) 

Surface transit may be in dedicated 

lanes (as above), or as part of the shared 

roadway (as below). 

DEDICATED OR EXCLUSIVE 

TRANSIT LANES 

They are marked for transit only 

using pavement markings, signs, and 

sometimes physical design. 

Dedicated transit lanes are typically 

used to move the highest volume of 

passengers and to support the 

highest frequency of transit vehicles. 

Even when physically separated, 

these lanes may accommodate 

emergency vehicles and maintenance 

vehicles, with some exceptions. 

RESERVED LANES OR SHARED 

TRANSIT LANES 

Reserved lanes allow any 

combination of transit vehicles, taxis, 

high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs) and 

bicycles. Reserved lanes can allow for 

greater transit frequency and 

reliability on routes with high 

ridership and congestion. Shared-use 

lanes, where transit moves together 

with mixed traffic, are useful 

alternatives in many places where 

right-of-way space is limited. Transit 

service can be improved on shareduse 

lanes through geometric design, 

signal timing, time of day restrictions, 

as well as parking and turn 

restrictions. In all cases, lane widths 

need to be sufficient to serve transit 

vehicles and passengers. 

104



Key Transit Street Elements 

6.2 

The cycling facility is level with the 

sidewalk for accessible boarding on the 

streetcar on Roncesvalles Ave. 

TRANSIT STOPS 

The location and design of transit 

stops has direct implications for the 

comfort and convenience of transit 

passengers and other users. The 

selection of stop locations is 

generally guided by the safety and 

comfort of transit users, and 

minimizing transit delay. Key 

considerations for locating stops 

include spacing between stops, and 

stop location relative to intersections 

and land uses, including intensifying 

areas. The spacing between stops 

should be between 300m and 400m 

in most locations to balance access 

to transit with travel time for 

passengers, though this may vary 

based on context. Stops should 

generally be at intersections. Stops 

should be clear of clutter and 

unobstructed for boarding and 

alighting. 

Signalized intersections are ideal 

locations to allow for safe pedestrian 

crossings, and the likelihood of 

route-transfers. Mid-block bus stops 

are recommended only near 

significant pedestrian generators, 

and where intersections are far away. 

KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR 

TRANSIT STOP DESIGN 

• Safety: visibility, lighting, geometry, 

reducing conflicts. 

• Accessibility: tactile walking surface 

indications, sign poles, curb cuts; full 

compliance with City Accessibility 

Guidelines and the Accessibility for 

Ontarians with Disabilities Act 

(AODA). 

• Comfort: protection from weather, 

coordinated street furniture for 

waiting passengers, facilitating 

transfers with transit information. 

• Placemaking: transit stops are 

gateways to streets and 

neighbourhoods; they should be 

legible and provide users with 

wayfinding information. 

• Integration with transit vehicle 

design: the number, type and size of 

vehicles that will use the stop may 

affect the size of a stop and landing 

pads, where transit doors open. 

TRANSIT PLATFORM BULB-OUTS 

These are curb extensions that align 

the surface transit stop with the 

parking lane. This lets buses stop and 

board transit riders without having to 

leave and re-enter the travel lane. 

Transit platform bulb-outs help buses 

and streetcars move faster and more 

reliably by eliminating or reducing 

the amount of time lost with traffic 

interactions. They also ensure that 

the pedestrian clearway remains 

unobstructed by transit shelters and 

passengers waiting to board. 

105



Context Sensitive Transit Design 

6.3 

6.3 

CONTEXT-SENSITIVE TRANSIT DESIGN 

A street’s land use and network context will inform the type of transit 

accommodation and priority, whether deciding on travel lanes, stop 

design or intersection treatments. In addition, location-specific 

information will help address issues such as transit user safety, 

comfort, visibility, boarding/disembarking, transfers among routes 

and modes, and coordination of transit with land developments. 

GENERAL CONTEXT-SENSITIVE 

CONSIDERATIONS 

• Official Plan rapid transit and surface 

transit priority routes (OP Maps 4 and 

5) 

• Existing and anticipated transit 

priority routes, ridership volumes and 

vehicle frequency 

• Existing and anticipated transit 

ridership volumes on the route and 

nearby routes under consideration 

• Location of current and proposed 

stops, including boarding and 

alighting volumes 

• Other network priorities along the 

same route and location (e.g. cycling, 

goods movement) 

• Existing and potential cycling and 

pedestrian volumes 

• Transfers between transit routes and 

different modes (such as walking and 

cycling to take transit or passenger 

drop-off/pick-up) 

• Total existing and planned street 

right-of-way widths (OP Map3) 

• Direction of travel: one-way or twoway 

• Number of through and turning 

vehicle lanes, and their usage 

throughout the day 

• Speed and volume of motor vehicles, 

and traffic congestion management 

• Collision data and safety issues 

• Presence of on-street parking, 

driveways and other curbside uses 

• Existing utility infrastructure 

• Presence of trees and other greening 

functions 

• New buildings and developments 

• Demographics of existing and 

potential transit customers (e.g. 

school, college, university, seniors or 

tourists) 

106



Context Sensitive Transit Design 

6.3 

Very high-frequency and high-volume 

routes may require exclusive transit lanes. 

• Access to destinations, especially 

special event venues, and transit 

rider-generating locations of all kinds 

Very high-frequency and very highvolume 

services warrant unique 

considerations. For example, some 

high-volume stops will require 

accommodating many waiting 

passengers as well as people 

boarding and disembarking through 

wider sidewalks, or longer platforms 

and bus bays to accommodate more 

than one bus at a time. Where 

several thousand passengers per 

hour per direction is expected, 

unique and more extensive transit 

priority measures may be required, 

such as corridor-wide turn 

prohibitions, extended stopping 

prohibitions, or exclusive transit 

lanes. The implementation of 

dedicated transit lanes requires 

significant investment and planning, 

and is determined through 

comprehensive feasibility studies. 


• “Accessibility for Ontarians with 

Disabilities Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c. 

11.” e-Laws (Government of 

Ontario). Accessed October 24, 

2016. 



• City of Toronto. Criteria for 

Evaluating Request for Queue-Jump 

Lanes. Updates underway (in use 

internally). 

• City of Toronto. Revised Transit Stop 

Guidelines. In development, 

anticipated 2017. 

• Metrolinx. Mobility Hub Guidelines. 

2011. 


Transit-Supportive Guidelines. 2012. 


Transportation Officials. Transit Street 

Design Guide. 2016. 

Articulated buses are used on some 

of Toronto’s busiest bus routes to 

accommodate high demand. 

Yonge-Eglinton is one of Metrolinx’s 

designated Mobility Hubs, where 

seamless mobility and placemaking are 

key goals. 

c: Public Work 

107


108


110 7.1 Green Infrastructure 

Design Principles 


Green Streets 

114 7.3 Key Green Street 

Elements 

Green infrastructure refers to 

natural and human-made elements 

that provide ecological and 

hydrological functions. In addition 

to these functions, green 

infrastructure contributes to 

making streets more pleasant, 

comfortable and sustainable. 

Components may include natural 

heritage features and systems, park 

lands, stormwater management 

systems, street trees, urban forests, 

natural channels, permeable 

surfaces, green roofs, and active 

and sustainable transportation 

modes. 

Through the Toronto Green 

Standard, TransformTO, Wet 

Weather Flow Management 

Guidelines and Toronto’s Strategic 

Forest Management Plan, the City 

of Toronto has established a wide 

range of environmental goals to 

address climate change, emissions, 

air quality, energy efficiency, 

stormwater quality and runoff, and 

the urban tree canopy. Green 

infrastructure is vital to achieving 

the City’s environmental goals and 

is as integral to the City as other 

infrastructure. 

7.0 



109


Street Design for Green Infrastructure 

Green Infrastructure Design Principles 

7.1 

7.1 


DESIGN PRINCIPLES 

1 

7 

3 

6 

4 

8 

5 

110



Green Infrastructure Design Principles 

7.1 

8 

2 

1. Street trees and landscaping. 

Seek ways to incorporate and 

provide healthy growing conditions 

for trees and/or landscaping to 

improve air quality, mitigate urban 

heat-island effect, enhance 

ecosystem health, and contribute to 

community character. Select planting 

locations, spacing and design details 

(e.g., adequate soil volume, water 

and sun access) so that trees and 

landscaping will flourish. Trees can 

frame and define streets, calm traffic 

by visually narrowing the roadway, 

and add texture, shade and visual 

interest. 

2. Stormwater management. 

Use a variety of “Low Impact 

Development” techniques to 

minimize stormwater load on 

Toronto’s sewer system and improve 

water quality through natural 

filtration. Reduce stormwater runoff 

and potential flooding of streets and 

natural areas. Strategies include 

minimizing impervious surfaces, and 

promoting infiltration of rainwater 

and stormwater runoff. 

3. Visibility and safety. Ensure 

adequate visibility is maintained, 

especially at street corners, traffic 

lights, traffic signs, transit stops and 

driveways. Where there is vegetation, 

ensure maintenance programs 

maintain appropriate sightlines. 

Clear sightlines are important to the 

safety of all road users. 

4. Universal accessibility. Design to 

promote universal accessibility, such 

as through the selection of materials 

and elements, to accommodate 

people of all ages and abilities. Tree 

pits, openings and grates on the 

sidewalk are not considered part of 

the pedestrian clearway. 

5. Operations and maintenance. 

Design for ease of maintenance, such 

as through passive irrigation, 

selecting context-sensitive native 

plant species and planning for safe 

access to maintain green 

infrastructure. Coordinate green 

infrastructure with utilities during 

design, construction and for the long 

term. Seek opportunities to partner 

with BIAs and other local 

stakeholders to assist with the design 

and maintenance of green elements. 

6. Achieving multiple 

environmental objectives. Consider 

ways to combine environmental 

design, such as tree canopy 

expansion, stormwater retention, and 

microclimate moderation into single 

street features like roadside rain 

gardens. 

7. Sustainable energy. Consider 

energy generation, use and 

management by selecting, designing 

and siting street elements such as 

solar lighting, parking machines, Bike 

Share Stations and street furniture to 

contribute to an energy efficient city. 

8. Sustainable transportation. 

Provide greener, healthier mobility 

choices so that more people walk, 

bicycle, take public transit and 

carpool. Reduce vehicular 

congestion, greenhouse gas 

emissions and air pollution. 

111



Context-Sensitive Green Streets 

7.2 

7.2 

CONTEXT-SENSITIVE GREEN STREETS 

The Green Streets Technical Guidelines provide a full range of 

locations for green infrastructure, along with a selection tool to help 

identify the best green infrastructure elements for a given context. 

Green streets are designed with attention to the ecological and 

hydrological functions of the street, and in particular, to the at-source 

treatment of stormwater runoff. 

c: Katie Wittmann 

Green infrastructure may be provided in a 

variety of locations on a street. 

Green streets employ green 

infrastructure solutions to support 

human health and well-being and to 

relieve urban pressures on ecological 

systems, air quality, energy efficiency 

and water resources. Street trees and 

other plantings can provide vital and 

comfortable microclimates for 

humans and habitats for urban 

wildlife and pollinator species. Low 

Impact Development (LID) facilities 

can be designed to replicate the 

functions of a natural drainage 

system by attenuating and infiltrating 

stormwater as close as possible to 

where it lands. A holistic approach 

can reduce or even eliminate the 

need for a conventional stormwater 

management system. 

Street contexts with adequate space 

and limited conflicting demands are 

ideal locations for green 

infrastructure; however it is possible 

to incorporate green infrastructure in 

a variety of places within the public 

right-of-way: 

• Frontage Zone, such as where 

buildings are set-back from the street 

and sidewalk. 

• Planting and Furnishing Zone, 

typically between the pedestrian 

clearway and edge zone or curb, is 

an ideal location for green street 

elements as it provides a buffer 

between pedestrians and vehicles. 

This zone may also make use of 

street poles for hanging planters, 

trellises and solar panels as long as 

adequate visibility and safety are 

maintained. 

• Curbside in the roadway is where 

greening can often be enhanced 

through curb extensions, bioswales, 

rain gardens, permeable paving on 

the curb extension or edge zone, 

cycling facilities or parking laybys 

and other green street elements. 

• Medians or raised islands in the 

roadway can be good places to 

include trees and other landscaping, 

but require special attention to 

ensure visibility and safety for 

travelers and long-term maintenance. 

112



Context-Sensitive Green Streets 

7.2 

Examples of green streets elements in the 

Frontage Zone and in the Planting and 

Furnishing Zone. 

The following contextual factors are 

considered when identifying streets 

(and locations on streets) for green 

street design: 

• Street type – including components 

such as intensity of demand from 

other users and uses 

• Available right-of-way width and 

building setbacks 

• Site physiography (soil permeability, 

topography, depth to water table or 

bedrock, soil contamination) 

• Surface water flow routes 

• Sunlight 

• Open space context – adjacent 

natural heritage systems, open space 

and parks 

• Storm drainage infrastructure 

• Underground transit infrastructure 

• Utilities infrastructure (underground 

and overhead) 

• Proximity to known flooding 

• Urban forest cover 

• Watershed context – erosion 

vulnerability 

• The need and availability of 

operation and maintenance 

• Curbside accommodations for goods 

movement, delivery and loading 

• Sightlines and other safety 

considerations 

• Setbacks from intersections and 

other street infrastructure 

Some green street elements collect 

stormwater from sidewalks and roadways. 

Green street elements are sometimes 

located curbside or combined with speed 

management components. 

113



Key Green Street Elements 

7.3 

7.3 

KEY GREEN STREET ELEMENTS 

A wide variety of Green Street Elements are possible in Toronto 

to support the goals of sustainable street design. The Green 

Streets Technical Guidelines provide a comprehensive list of 

green infrastructure options and factors to select features that are 

appropriate for a given site context. Two of the most common 

options include street trees and landscaping, and Low Impact 

Development (LID) practices for stormwater management. These 

elements should be considered in the street design process. 

South Station Street in Etobicoke- 

York is a City of Toronto green streets 

demonstration site. It features trees, 

landscaping and stormwater retention 

components. 

114




7.3 

Some larger sidewalks are candidates for 

a double row of trees, like this one on The 

Esplanade. 

STREET TREES AND 

LANDSCAPING 

Street trees and landscaping 

comprise a number of elements 

including groupings of trees, single 

trees, shrubs and perennial plants. 

Trees and planting materials are most 

commonly installed in open 

landscape at grade, in planters (that 

may double as seating) or in covered 

tree pits and may be installed in LID 

features such as stormwater tree pits/ 

trenches, bioswales and rain gardens. 

They have numerous benefits related 

to ecology, air quality, temperature 

moderation, safety, microclimate, 

land value, and human well-being. 

Toronto City Council has set a goal to 

reach 40% tree canopy cover over 

the next 40-50 years. 

Street trees form a significant part of 

the City’s urban forest, and are found 

on all types of streets. Consider 

enhanced planting conditions for 

street trees wherever noticeable 

deficiencies or gaps in the tree 

canopy are present. Special 

engineering solutions are required 

for trees in hard boulevard surfaces 

to provide adequate soil volumes 

and optimum growing conditions. 

Urban and drought tolerant plant 

materials and native plant species 

can facilitate ease of maintenance. 

Open planters, tree pits and aboveground 

planters are all possible 

elements to contain trees and 

landscaping on streets, but are not 

considered part of the pedestrian 

clearway. 

Street trees and landscaping are 

ideally located where growing 

conditions are best, where people 

can enjoy them, and where they can 

be efficiently maintained. The two 

most common locations for tree 

plantings are within the Frontage 

Zone, and Planting and Furnishing 

Zone (see the Chapter 4 on 

Pedestrians for the various zones of 

the sidewalk and boulevard). See 

Section 7.2 for other locations in the 

street to include trees and 

landscaping. 

To successfully incorporate plant 

material within a streetscape made of 

so many elements, it is essential that 

the design team consider planting 

conditions and street context as part 

of the street design process for 

projects. Coordination with utilities 

early in the design process is critical. 

Consideration should be given to 

minimizing conflicts between the 

layout of utilities and the planting 

plan at the time of construction and 

with future growth. 

The City of Toronto’s Tree Planting 

Solutions in Hard Boulevard Surfaces 

and Green Streets Technical 

Guidelines provide detailed design 

guidance, and should be consulted 

throughout the street design process. 

115




7.3 

This green street demonstration site 

features a rain garden as part of a new 

parkette, that was derived from excess 

roadway space at Fairford Ave. and 

Coxwell Ave. in East York. 

TORONTO CITY COUNCIL 

ADOPTED AMENDMENTS TO 

TORONTO’S OFFICIAL PLAN TO 

INCLUDE IN ITS VISION: 

• a healthy natural environment, 

including clean air, soil, energy and 

water; 

• infrastructure and socio-economic 

systems that are resilient to 

disruptions and climate change; 

and, 

• a connected system of natural 

features and ecological functions 

that support biodiversity and 

contribute to civic life. 

GREEN STORMWATER 

MANAGEMENT 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

Streets form a vital part of Toronto’s 

stormwater management 

infrastructure. A Green Street in 

Toronto is a right-of-way that through 

a variety of design and operational 

treatments, manages stormwater 

at-source and achieves the broad 

objectives of the Toronto Green 

Standard (2014). Green Streets are 

designed with a particular focus on 

capturing rainfall, and treating runoff 

at the source. This approach is at the 

core of “Low Impact Development”. 

The City of Toronto’s Green Street 

Technical Guidelines (2016) are 

intended as the primary source for 

technical direction on green 

stormwater management. 

Green infrastructure designed to 

capture rainwater is an emerging and 

important part of Toronto’s streets. It 

can help minimize stormwater load 

on the City’s sewer system, which has 

come under increasing pressure with 

the frequency and severity of storms. 

Green Streets can help to reduce 

runoff volumes and manage 

stormwater runoff quality. This may 

lead to other benefits such as 

reduced operating infrastructure 

costs, enhanced water quality and 

water balance in Toronto’s streams, 

rivers and Lake Ontario. Among the 

many health and environmental 

benefits, green streets can also 

provide a more aesthetically pleasing 

street and contribute to placemaking. 

116




7.3 

Trees and grass between the sidewalk and 

curb is a common green street feature in 

Toronto. 

An attempt should be made in the 

street design process to assess ways 

to incorporate green infrastructure in 

appropriate parts of the right-of-way. 

Design options should weigh the 

benefits to other users, the water 

cycle and the overall ecosystem. 

Furthermore, it is important to 

recognize that maintenance is 

required to ensure plants can thrive 

and infrastructure can maintain its 

functionality. Maintenance processes 

and owners are required to be clearly 

identified and agreed upon as part of 

the design process when assessing 

the viability of design options. 

Maintenance responsibility should be 

clear and agreed upon before 

moving onto the detailed design 

phase. 

MORE INFORMATION: 

• City of Toronto. Design Guidelines 

for ‘Greening’ Surface Parking Lots. 

2013. (includes adjacent sidewalk 

zone) 

• City of Toronto. Green Streets 

Technical Guidelines. Anticipated 

2017. 

• City of Toronto. Sustaining & 

Expanding the Urban Forest: 

Toronto’s Strategic Forest 

Management Plan, 2012-2022. 2013. 

• City of Toronto. Toronto Street Trees: 

Guide to Standard Planting Options. 

2010. 

• City of Toronto. Tree Planting 

Solutions in Hard Boulevard Surfaces: 

Best Practices Manual. 2013. 


Streetscape Manual. 2010. 

• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and 

Housing of Ontario. Provincial Policy 

Statement Under the Planning Act. 

2014. (includes direction on green 

infrastructure) 

• Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition. 

Shade Guidelines. 2010. 

• “Toronto Green Standard – 

Developing Toronto – City Planning.” 

City of Toronto. Accessed October 

13, 2016. 

• Transportation Association of 

Canada. Canadian Guide for Greener 

Roads. 2015. 

Before tree planting on Holbrooke Ave. 

in Etobicoke. 

After tree planting. 

117


118


120 8.1 Roadway Design 

Principles 

122 8.2 Design for a Multi-Modal 

Transportation System 

124 8.3 Design for Safety of 

Vulnerable Users 

126 8.4 Design Using a Target 

Speed for the Street Context 

128 8.5 Design to Support Placemaking 

and Street Context 

130 8.6 Rightsizing & Repurposing 

Roadway as Complete Streets 

132 8.7 Traffic Calming 

134 8.8 Roadway Zones 

The design of streets has become 

more complex over time, especially 

given the rapid growth of the city. 

As shown in Chapter 1, the roadway 

is not just about moving motorized 

vehicles – its design affects the 

space adjacent to the roadway, as 

well as multi-modal access and 

mobility, public health, economic 

vitality, environmental sustainability 

and quality of life. 

The roadway (the space between 

the curbs) needs to serve various 

modes of travel and their access in 

an environmentally, socially and 

economically sustainable manner. 

Roadway design should provide 

conditions that foster reliable travel 

and safety for all road users, 

particularly for the most vulnerable. 

This chapter focuses on designing 

mid-block portions of roadways. 

Intersections are dealt with in 

Chapter 9. Topics related to 

pedestrians, cycling, transit and 

green infrastructure are discussed 

in Chapters 4 to 7. 

8.0 


ROADWAYS 

119


Street Design for Roadways 

Roadway Design Principles 

8.1 

8.1 

ROADWAY DESIGN PRINCIPLES 

3 

1 

120



Roadway Design Principles 

8.1 

5 

2 

4 

1. Multi-modal transportation. Give 

reliable, convenient and attractive 

mobility choices to people and 

support more efficient, active and 

healthier forms of travel (by foot, 

bicycle, transit) to reduce vehicular 

congestion. Provide emergency 

access and operations. Support 

goods movement and delivery by 

different modes. Identify and support 

existing and planned priority 

networks for each mode. 

2. Safety. Fully consider road users 

who are particularly vulnerable in a 

crash or in interactions with other 

road users, such as pedestrians 

(especially children, older adults and 

persons with disabilities) and cyclists. 

Seek ways to reduce their exposure 

to risk (e.g., rightsize travel lanes, 

repurpose underused road space and 

separate pedestrians from cyclists). 

Provide visible, clear and predictable 

travel paths for all road users. 

3. Context-sensitive target speed 

and reliable travel. Create a safer 

environment for everyone by using 

design to facilitate the intended 

speed of travel for drivers based on 

the street’s context. Safer speeds and 

driver behaviours result in fewer 

incidents on the roadway that can 

cause delays and vehicular 

congestion, which negatively impact 

emergency access and goods 

movement. Coordinated signals, 

along with target speed, can help 

improve consistency in travel times. 

Peak-hour restrictions for stopping, 

parking and turn movements can 

improve travel times along key 

routes. This helps to manage 

demand and road capacity during 

peak travel times. 

4. Placemaking. Consider existing 

and planned land uses, urban form, 

and the different uses of the street 

(e.g., social and economic activities) 

when making decisions about 

competing demands for space on the 

street. Seek ways to provide space, 

for example, through building 

setbacks and/or repurposing 

underused roadway space for 

streetscaping, street trees, street 

furniture, café or marketing areas, 

parklets, bicycle parking, pedestrian 

lighting, snow storage and removal, 

etc. 

5. Greening and stormwater 

management. Limit the area of 

impervious materials. Seek ways to 

integrate street trees, landscape 

features, as well as water retention 

and treatment strategies and snow 

storage. Promote non-motorized 

modes to reduce greenhouse gas 

emissions and air and noise pollution. 

Use materials that contribute to 

sustainability, life-cycle performance 

and reduce the urban heat island 

effect. See Chapter 7 on Green 

Infrastructure for design guidance. 

121



Design for a Multi-modal Transportation System 

8.2 

8.2 

DESIGN FOR A MULTI-MODAL 

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 

In a growing city like Toronto, limited street space is in high demand. 

Streets become more efficient when the focus is on moving people 

and goods rather than just moving vehicles. 

Transit vehicles carry far more 

passengers than private automobiles 

and should be given priority 

wherever practicable to reduce 

vehicular congestion. Fewer single 

occupant motor vehicles will help 

free up space for other purposes, 

such as urban goods movement or 

placemaking. Design streets to 

encourage and support higher 

volume and more space efficient 

modes like walking, cycling and 

public transit, whenever possible. 

An example of the efficient use of 

space to increase person capacity is 

the improvement to the Richmond- 

Adelaide corridor - converting a 

travel lane to a protected bicycle 

lane led to an increase to overall 

person capacity. Evaluations of such 

projects are important to monitor 

person capacity, traffic operation and 

impacts on emergency response. 

c: TTC 

Figure 8-1: Toronto Version of the famous Munster, Germany graphic illustrating space requirements between autos and transit. 

122



Design for a Multi-modal Transportation System 

8.2 

Figure 8-2: Road space required per 

passenger for various travel modes. 

Street space requirements increase with 

vehicle speeds, as faster vehicles require 

more “shy distance” between them and 

other objects. Space requirements also 

decline with more space efficient modes 

like walking, cycling and taking transit. 

An automobile on an urban arterial 

requires about 20 times as much space 

as a pedestrian or transit passenger, and 

five times as much as a cyclist. 

transit 

1m 2 /second 

walking 

1m 2 /second 

cycling 

4m 2 /second 

single occupant automobile 

19m 2 /second 

source: Adapted from Litman, T. August 

2015. “Evaluating Complete Streets”. 

Assumes typical dimension and travel 

speeds of walking (5km/h), cycling 

(15km/h), transit (25km/h) and auto 

(30km/h), with bus transit occupancy 

at 60% or 30 passengers and 1.2 

passengers per automobile. 

1 person per car 

(typical single 

occupant vehicle) 

50 people per bus 

130 riders per new streetcar 

Figure 8-3: Mode Priority and 

Capacity. For longer trips, transit can 

move far more people and with greater 

efficiency than single occupant motor 

vehicles. 

source: Metrolinx, TTC 

123



Design for Safety of Vulnerable Users 

8.3 

8.3 

DESIGN FOR SAFETY OF 

VULNERABLE USERS 

Vulnerable users such as pedestrians, especially children, the older 

adults and people with disabilities are the priority. Pedestrians are 

more vulnerable to serious injury or death in motor vehicle collisions, 

as well as in interactions with cyclists given the differential in mass, 

speed and momentum. Pedestrians and cyclists are at greater risk of 

injury and mortality during a collision than motor vehicle occupants. 

Reducing speed is a critical aspect to improve safety for the most 

vulnerable. 

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road 

users. 

Street design teams shall consider 

the safety of vulnerable users 

throughout every stage of the street 

project delivery process and design 

strategies that take into account 

street context such as: 

• Lowering speeds to reduce severe 

injuries and deaths in the event of a 

crash. 

• Rightsizing travel lanes to meet 

target speeds for the street’s context. 

• Prioritizing the safety of pedestrians, 

who are the most vulnerable of road 

users, especially children, older 

adults and persons with disabilities 

(e.g. mobility, vision, cognitive, and 

balance issues). Assess risks for the 

most vulnerable users, ensure 

dedicated space and reduce 

exposure to faster modes that may 

harm or injure pedestrians. 

• Shortening crossing distances and 

exposure of vulnerable users to 

vehicles in the roadway. 

• Increasing and ensuring the visibility 

of pedestrians and cyclists to drivers. 

• Curb extensions and rightsizing 

intersection corners to address 

turning speeds. 

• Separation between different users, 

and greater separation with 

increasing speeds. 

• Bicycle facilities designed according 

to context and to make cyclists more 

visible to turning motor vehicles. 

• Placement and design of elements to 

reduce the opportunity for crime and 

fear of crime, such as the principles in 

the Safer City Guidelines and Crime 

Prevention Through Environmental 

Design (CPTED). 

Cyclists are also vulnerable road users 

and have a high risk of injury and 

mortality during a collision with motor 

vehicles. 

124



Design for Safety of Vulnerable Users 

8.3 

Figure 8-4: Mass of Various Street Users. 

The severity of a crash increases as the 

mass and/or the speed increases. The 

lighter of the two objects will always 

sustain the more severe injuries or 

damage. 

Bus/Streetcar 

11,000 - 48,000 kg 

Automobile 

900 kg - 2000 kg 

Cyclist 

70 - 125 kg 

Pedestrian 

10 - 110 kg 

source: Adapted from NACTO Urban 

Street Design Guide. 

VEHICLE SPEED, STOPPING DISTANCE, AND CHANCE OF SURVIVAL 

30 

km/h 

40 

km/h 

50 

km/h 

60 

km/h 

70 

km/h 

21m 9m 

stopping distance*=30m (5 car lengths) 

28m 

17m 


35m 

28m 


42m 


49m 


9 in 10 chance of survival 


43m 

1.5 in 10 chance of survival 

62m 

0.5 in 10 chance of survival 

Figure 8-5: Vehicle Speed, Stopping 

Distance, and Chance of Survival. Higher 

motor vehicle speeds directly correlate 

with slower driver reaction time and 

increased risk of serious injury or death to 

vulnerable users upon collision. 


Thinking distance 

Braking distance 

*Stopping distances during wet conditions. Single car length=5.6m. Based on a 2.5s reaction time, representing 90th percentile of drivers. 

*Stopping distances during wet 

conditions. Single car length=5.6m. 

Based on a 2.5s reaction time, 

representing 90th percentile of drivers. 

source: Adapted from World Health Organization, 2008. Speed management: a road 

safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners. 

Transportation Association of Canada, 2011. Geometric Design Guide for Canadian 

Roads Part 1. 1.2.5.2 - 1.2.5.4. 

source: Adapted from World Health Organization, 2008. Speed management: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners. 

Transportation Association of Canada, 2011. Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads Part 1. 1.2.5.2 - 1.2.5.4. 

125



Design Using a Target Speed for the Street Context 

8.4 

8.4 

DESIGN USING A TARGET SPEED 

FOR THE STREET CONTEXT 

The speed at which vehicles are travelling is a central factor in the 

ability to avoid collisions and the severity of crashes should they 

occur. Target speed is the intended speed of travel for drivers based 

on the street’s context. 

Reduced corner radii help to slow turning 

traffic. 

Lower speeds increase a driver’s field 

of view and decrease their stopping 

distance. For example, safe speeds 

around schools or busy pedestrian 

areas will need to be lower than on 

wide streets with large setbacks or 

land uses that do not generate many 

trips. 

Street design is always more effective 

in shaping behaviour than posted 

speed limits. Incorporate context 

sensitive design feature when 

redesigning streets to achieve the 

intended target (posted) speed for 

the context. More consistent travel 

speeds support reliable and smooth 

traffic flows for all road users, and can 

help reduce incidences on roadways 

which cause delays and traffic 

congestion. 

Examples of mid-block design 

measures to achieve target speed 

based on street context include: 

• Rightsizing lane widths mid-block 

and rightsizing turning radii. 

• Mid-block curb extensions to 

rightsize roadway (e.g., pinch points 

to reduce vehicular speeds). 

• On-street bicycle or motor vehicle 

parking. 

• Trees and other vertical elements 

(“cause visual friction”). 

• Presence of pedestrians and cyclists, 

and facilities that support them. 

• Signals synchronized to target 

(posted) speed. 

Mid-block curb extensions help reduce 

vehicle speeds. 

126

SPEED Toronto Complete + NARROWING Streets Guidelines FIELD OF VISION 


Design Using a Target Speed for the Street Context 

8.4 

Speed 

+ 

+++ 

Field 

of Vision 

22 0 

100 km/h 

30 0 

80 km/h 

++ 

++ 

80 0 

120 0 

30 km/h 

+++ 

+ 

0 km/h 

Figure 8-6: Speed and Field of Vision 

Speed is especially lethal to vulnerable users like people walking or riding a bicycle. The 

Speed risk of severe is especially injury increases lethal to as vulnerable a driver’s field users of like vision people narrows walking and misses or riding potential a bicycle. The risk of severe 

injury hazards. increases Field of as vision a driver’s is the area field a of person vision sees narrows when and their misses eyes are potential fixed in one hazards. position. 

source: base image: mark.watmough flickr: cc.2.0; Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration; DTAH 

source: base image: mark.watmough flickr: cc.2.0; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; DTAH 

CONVENTIONAL 

40 km/h 50 km/h 

POSTED 

DESIGN 

CONTEXT SENSITIVE 

40 km/h 

Figure 8-7: Target Speed 

Conventional street design considers a posted maximum speed as lower than the 

design speed. Context-sensitive design promotes that the street includes elements 

so that both are the same, so that drivers are not comfortable exceeding the intended 

posted speed. 

source: NACTO ; ITE; FHWA; DTAH 

POSTED=DESIGN 

127



Design to Support Placemaking and Street Context 

8.5 

8.5 

DESIGN TO SUPPORT PLACEMAKING 

AND STREET CONTEXT 

Placemaking is the act of creating public spaces that contribute to 

the location’s unique character. It often involves diverse tactics such 

as streetscape improvements and event programming to attract 

social and economic activities to an area like a Main Street. When 

redesigning Toronto streets, respond to the existing and planned 

context— taking into account the land uses, buildings, front yard 

setbacks, activities on the street, and public spaces adjacent to the 

street itself. 

Roadways contribute to placemaking when 

their design responds to an area’s unique 

social and cultural importance. 

128



Design to Support Placemaking and Street Context 

8.5 

Some underutilized roadways in Toronto 

have been repurposed to meet an 

area’s placemaking, mobility and safety 

objectives. 

c: Courtesy of Waterfront Toronto 

Traditional roadway design focused 

on a “centreline-out” approach 

where the basis of street design 

began from the center of the 

roadway, meeting the vehicle needs 

first without an understanding of the 

context that the street exists within. 

A best practice for transportation 

engineering is to take a more holistic 

approach – one that looks at the 

whole street from building face to 

building face. Taking a holistic view 

of streets means applying a “building 

in” perspective that first looks at the 

adjacent land uses and users of the 

street, and then the curb to curb 

portion of the street. Street context 

informs the priority functions and 

uses of the street, as well as details 

such as choice and quality of 

materials, need for furnishings, user 

amenities and greening schemes. 

Local context becomes a critical 

input. Context can range from 

industrial employment areas to 

mixed use areas to residential. Street 

context will inform the priority 

functions and uses of the street, as 

well as details such as choice and 

quality of materials, need for 

placemaking and furnishings and 

user amenities, and greening 

schemes. 

Street projects will account for 

placemaking and context by: 

• Assessing the street from a holistic 

perspective (building face to building 

face), taking into account the 

adjacent land uses, ground floor uses 

and setbacks of a street together 

with designing the roadway or curbto-curb 

portion of the street. 

• Using information in Chapter 2 on 

Street Types and data inputs such as 

maps and overlays to identify and 

understand a project area’s context 

(both existing and planned land uses 

and priority networks, e.g., for 

transit, cycling and goods 

movement). 

• Using consultation and engagement, 

as outlined in Chapter 3 on the steps 

to designing streets to obtain input 

on a project’s street context. 

• Developing a full profile of the 

street’s current and future context, 

uses and various users of the street 

and developing a priority for space 

allocation for the street. 

• Seeking ways to enhance and 

support the unique character, e.g., 

social and cultural aspects of the 

location of a street, such as designing 

public spaces for lingering and 

respite, not just movement. For 

example, curb extensions on side 

streets enable seating and plantings 

to enhance local character. Street 

furniture, pedestrian scale lighting 

and public art will also contribute to 

the identity of a street. 

• Looking at strategies that include use 

of building setbacks and/or 

repurposing underutilized roadway 

space for placemaking objectives for 

a street’s context. 

129



Rightsizing and Repurposing Roadways as Complete Streets 

8.6 

8.6 

RIGHTSIZING & REPURPOSING 

ROADWAYS AS COMPLETE STREETS 

On many streets, a key objective is to observe what space is not 

being used effectively and to rightsize and repurpose the space to 

achieve complete streets goals. 

Curb extensions provide space for green 

infrastructure and street furniture. 

St. George Street lanes were repurposed 

to widen sidewalks, add green 

infrastructure, and improve safety for all. 

Rightsizing and repurposing roadway 

space essentially involves the 

following approach: 

• Observing and thinking critically 

about the required space needed by 

various road users to enable safe 

mobility and access (see Chapters 4 

to 9 on each component related to 

pedestrians, cycling, transit, green 

infrastructure, roadways and 

intersections). 

• Ensuring that excess space is not 

provided for any one mode to the 

detriment of the safety of other 

modes and/or street project 

objectives such as safety and target 

speed, active and sustainable 

transportation options, placemaking, 

greening or universal design and 

accessibility. 

• Gathering all of the relevant 

background information on a street’s 

context and evaluating design 

options against the complete streets 

goals and street project objectives 

developed through the street design 

process outlined in Chapter 3. 

• Developing and evaluating street 

design options, and finalizing the 

reallocation of space in the roadway. 

Rightsizing and repurposing roadway 

space involves redesigning the 

physical space and using geometric 

design to improve safety conditions 

for everyone using the street. Design 

techniques include: 

• Curb extensions mid-block or at 


• Chicanes (or road narrowings) such as 

using on-street parking, or curb 

extensions, that alternate on a street. 

• Reconfiguring four lanes into three, 

with the shared turn lane as the 

middle lane. 

• Reviewing for adequate corner radii 

for truck routes or transit vehicles. 

• Rightsizing vehicular lanes and 

repurposing space to on-street 

parking and/or bicycle lanes and/or 

widened sidewalks and boulevards. 

• Rightsizing pavement and 

repurposing space to add or widen a 

sidewalk and/or boulevard where 

there is none to provide for safe 

space for pedestrians and universal 

accessibility. 

• Repurpose or redesign sidewalks and 

boulevards to ensure that the 

pedestrian clearway is not cluttered 

or obstructed, such as by moving a 

130



Rightsizing and Repurposing Roadways as Complete Streets 

8.6 

transit shelter to the back of a 

sidewalk onto private property 

through an easement or providing 

outdoor café patio seating using a 

parklet. 

Repurposed roadway space to improve 

cycling facilities on Sherbourne Street. 

Potential co-benefits of rightsizing 

and repurposing roadway space 

include opportunities for landscaping 

and stormwater management if the 

features enable greening or the use 

of permeable surfaces. All of the 

above and previously described 

design techniques will also take into 

consideration the accommodation of 

emergency vehicles and year-round 

operations and maintenance. By 

increasing perceptions and 

experiences of safety and 

repurposing space to other uses such 

as placemaking, more people may 

walk and cycle in the neighbourhood 

or frequent local businesses to 

support local economic 

development. 

131



Traffic Calming 

8.7 

8.7 

TRAFFIC CALMING 

In Toronto, traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps or 

diverters may only be used on local and collector roads. The City’s 

Traffic Calming Policy (2010) defines traffic calming measures as well 

as the criteria and process for applying them to streets. The purpose 

of traffic calming devices is to alter drivers’ behaviour and to improve 

road safety. The need for these devices is often an indication that 

the street is not well-designed to achieve its desired target speed for 

vehicles. The better approach is to seek opportunities through street 

redesign projects to rightsize and repurpose street space to achieve 

complete streets objectives. When implementing traffic calming, 

treatments intended to curtail motor vehicles should exempt 

cyclists, not be located on transit routes and should accommodate 

emergency vehicles and winter maintenance requirements. 

Traffic calming on Armadale Avenue in 

Etobicoke using a raised concrete island. 

132



Traffic Calming 

8.7 

Speed humps on Falstaff Avenue 

in Etobicoke. 

Speed humps and traffic island on 

Logan Avenue. 

Treatments curtailing motor vehicles 

should exempt cyclists. 

c: Marcus Mitanis 

Traffic island on Armadale Avenue. 

133



Roadway Zones 

8.8 

8.8 

ROADWAY ZONES 

The roadway is generally defined as the space between the curbs. It 

functions primarily to support the movement of people and goods 

by various modes, including transit, bicycles, and motorized vehicles. 

The roadway may also include parking or loading areas, greening, 

placemaking (such as parklets in the curb lane) and other uses. 

The roadway may include a number, but not necessarily all, of the 

following elements: 

5 

2 

1 

4 

1. Curbside Space. The area next to the curb 

is the space that is often in high demand by 

diverse and competing uses, such as cycling 

facilities, public transit (boarding/disembarking), 

accessible parking, parking/pick up/drop-off, 

delivery vehicles, driveways, access to buildings, 

on-street parking of various types, parklets or 

curb extensions, waste/recycling collection and 

snow storage. 

2. Transit Lanes. These lanes, if present, 

could share a centre or curb lane with other 

vehicles (for example High Occupancy 

Vehicle Lanes) or act as fully dedicated 

transit only lanes or facilities. The width 

of these lanes will need to accommodate 

transit vehicles (buses, streetcar, or light rail 

transit). See Chapter 6 on Transit for design 

guidance. 

134



Roadway Zones 

8.8 

3 

2 

4 5 

3. Turn Lanes and/or Medians. If 

present, painted or built medians 

in the centre of the roadway may 

provide for a number of different 

uses including lane separation, Left 

Turning Lanes, Pedestrian Crossing 

Islands, and space for streetscape 

elements on wider medians such as 

planting, public art and public space 

(e.g. University Avenue). 

4. Vehicle Lanes. These lanes 

serve vehicular movement, 

including thru and turning 

movements. The width of the 

lanes depends on many factors 

and is informed by street 

context and priority network 

requirements such as transit 

routes or routes with high truck 

volumes. 

5. Cycling Infrastructure. Depending on 

the street’s context (including vehicular 

speeds and volumes), there may be 

cycling facilities in the roadway that are 

demarcated by pavement or physical 

separation from moving motor vehicles. 

Depending on the context, these cycling 

facilities may be located curbside, or 

separated from the curb by a row of 

on-street parking. See Chapter 5 on 

Cycling for design guidance. 

135



Roadway Zones 

8.8 

2.00 

2.54 

2.60 

2.65 

3.20 

Figure 8-8: Drawing of Typical Road User Dimensions for four different types of vehicles: 

cars, delivery trucks, fire trucks and TTC buses. 

Context is a key factor in the City’s 

approach to vehicle lane widths. 

Signal retiming is an important part of the 

City’s Congestion Management Plan. 

VEHICLE LANES 

Vehicle lanes are typically striped to 

delineate the path of travel for 

vehicles along a street. They serve 

the movement of people and goods 

by various modes. The City of 

Toronto’s Lane Width Guidelines 

provide guidance on selecting the 

context-appropriate lane widths in 

order to improve safety, consider all 

road users, and balance roadway 

space for other competing uses. 

Travel lane widths can range from 

3.0m to 3.5m depending on context 

and constraints, including land uses; 

presence of pedestrians, cyclists, and 

transit; truck volumes; emergency 

services; posted speed; on-street 

parking; etc.. Curb lane widths 

depend on whether there are cycling 

facilities – if there are not dedicated 

cycling facilities, the curb lane width 

should still be designed to enable a 

car to safely pass a cyclist on the 

roadway. 

HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE 

(HOV) LANES 

Lanes marked with signs and 

markings to indicate which vehicles 

are permitted to travel in the lanes. 

HOV lanes are intended to provide 

travel time incentives to people who 

carpool, use public transit or ride 

taxis, motorcycles or bicycles, so that 

limited space on city streets is 

optimized by moving more people in 

HOV lanes as well as reducing 

emissions and air pollution. HOV 

lanes are accompanied by hours of 

operation (typically during morning 

and afternoon peak travel times) and 

occupancy requirements that 

consider efficiency and use of the 

lanes. The City’s Congestion 

Management Plan includes reviewing 

HOV lane locations and ways to 

improve their use and benefits. 

136



Roadway Zones 

8.8 

The City uses real time data to manage 

traffic congestion. 

CONGESTION MANAGEMENT 

The City of Toronto’s Congestion 

Management Plan 2014-2018 sets 

out numerous activities to manage 

traffic congestion to benefit 

travellers, businesses and the 

environment. These include traffic 

management on arterial roads (e.g., 

Main Streets, Mixed Use Connectors, 

etc.) and using different technologies 

(e.g., intelligent transportation 

systems, upgrading the city’s signal 

system) and partnerships to improve 

efficiency and coordination on the 

City’s transportation network. 

EMERGENCY SERVICES AND 

OPERATIONS 

Roadway design must consider the 

space and operational needs of first 

responders such as fire, paramedics 

and police. Fire trucks are the largest 

emergency response vehicles and 

need accommodation in the design 

of roadways. They must have 

adequate space in the roadway to 

access structures and fire routes; 

deploy apparatus, equipment, and 

personnel safely and efficiently; and 

provide passable (drivable) space to 

ensure effective, timely and safe 

emergency response. For example, 

in some instances, the transitway may 

be used as a route for first 

responders. 

One of the potential benefits of the 

complete streets approach is to 

improve safety of all road users and 

to reduce the incidence and severity 

of crashes to which paramedics, 

police and fire must respond. 

Collaborative and innovative efforts 

exist among city departments to 

address response times, including 

system planning for dispatch 

locations, use of real-time data for 

traffic congestion, navigation 

technologies, signal operations and 

street design considerations. 

Space efficient modes help to reduce 

motor vehicle congestion. 

Designs must consider the space and 

operational needs of fire services and 

paramedics. 

c: DTAH 

137



Roadway Zones 

8.8 

Taxi stands are one of the many potential 

curbside uses. Curbside space will vary 

based on context, and may be flexible 

by time of day, season, or location on the 

block. 

On-street parking in a lay-by. 

Seasonal bike parking corral. 

CURBSIDE SPACE 

The area next to the curb is in high 

demand for many different uses 

including access and movement. The 

uses will vary widely depending on 

street context and span transit lanes; 

on-street parking for bicycles, 

motorcycles, and automobiles; 

loading/unloading for goods; pick up 

and drop off including accessible 

boarding and disembarking; taxi 

stands, food trucks; parking for film, 

music and tourism; and collection 

and storage of snow and solid waste/ 

recycling. It can also be used for an 

extension of the sidewalk and 

boulevard zone, for example for 

parklets. Depending on street 

context, it can also be space that is 

used for mobility options for 

dedicated cycling facilities, transit 

lanes and stops or high occupancy 

vehicle lanes. This space can also be 

treated in a flexible manner through 

regulation (time of day restrictions for 

parking) and/or street design (e.g. 

curb extensions, parklets or laybys). 

Since there are many demands from 

many users for the limited space in 

this zone, curbside design and 

management often involves making 

collaborative trade-offs. It begins 

with an understanding of the 

competing demands for its use and 

the overall context, including the use 

and design of the whole street such 

as the adjacent buildings and public 

spaces. 

PARKING 

Parking serves an important need for 

motorists, persons with disabilities 

and cyclists as well as for the film, 

music and tourism industries, 

accessing destinations and can be 

supplied off-street (e.g., parking lots 

or garages) and on-street (e.g., 

temporary, pick up/drop off spots, 

metered or permitted parking). 

138



Roadway Zones 

8.8 

Medians help to manage access and 

provide space for green infrastructure. It is 

critical to consider impacts on emergency 

access, maintenance access and costs. 

Landscaped mid-block curb extensions. 

Traffic island with seating for transit users 

and new tree plantings. 

CURB EXTENSIONS (MID-BLOCK) 

A curb extension is where the curb 

extends out and expands the 

sidewalk beyond the typical curb 

alignment. Curb extensions should 

be considered where on-street 

parking exists, as the extensions can 

be on either side of the on-street 

parking and provide street space for 

features such as benches, trees and 

plantings (for stormwater 

management), surface transit stops, 

and multi-unit bicycle racks to 

increase parking. Curb extensions 

also provide an unobstructed 

location for fire hydrants that do not 

have the risk of access being blocked 

by illegally parked cars. When street 

elements are installed in curb 

extensions, it is important to plan 

and design to maintain sightlines for 

safety. 

PEDESTRIAN CROSSOVERS, MID- 

BLOCK CROSSWALKS, AND 

PEDESTRIAN REFUGE ISLANDS 

These are discussed in Chapter 4 on 

Pedestrians. 

MEDIANS OR RAISED ISLANDS 

Medians or raised islands separate 

lanes or directions of traffic within the 

roadway using pavement markings or 

raised concrete islands. Medians may 

be applied for different reasons – 

they can be used to manage or 

restrict access, provide space for turn 

lanes (and turning vehicles), facilitate 

pedestrian crossings, placemaking 

and provide space for greening. 

Their application and dimensions 

depend on many considerations. 

Since medians typically require a 

wider right-of-way, the practitioner 

needs to weigh the benefits of a 

median against using the space to 

support other uses and facilities (e.g., 

curb extensions, cycling facilities, 

sidewalk and boulevard widening for 

pedestrians and streetscaping). In 

addition, medians or raised islands 

can impact emergency vehicles 

accessing properties and intersecting 

side streets, which should be 

considered in design options. 

139



Roadway Zones 

8.8 

5.0.0 

The design and installation of “soil cells”, 

HEADING 

the underground system to help trees 

grow, must be coordinated with the 

location and access of any underground 

utilities. 

Mixed Use Access Streets are found mostly in non-residential areas 

within the Core and the Centres. They are generally smaller than 

Core & Centres Main Streets, and for the most part they perform a 

service function. Buildings are of various uses and do not typically 

have their front door on these streets. 

Street lighting supports road safety and 


LIGHTING 

Street lighting is directed towards 

roadways and also sidewalks, and is 

critical at intersections and 

crosswalks. Lighting supports road 

safety for all users and enables road 

users to see each other. Streets with 

higher intensity of use, such as Civic 

Streets and Main Streets, will have 

higher illumination levels than lower 

intensity streets, such as Park Streets 

and Residential Streets, which 

receive lower illumination levels. 

UTILITIES AND THE ROADWAY 

ZONE 

Utilities in the roadway can be found 

at the surface (e.g., catch basins) and 

below ground (e.g., pipes, ducts, 

conduits and chambers for water, 

wastewater, stormwater, electric, 

telecommunication, and gas). 

Proactive planning and coordination 

among various city partners, external 

organizations and developers will 

help identify opportunities to site 

utility elements where they will 

support design objectives and 

operational expectations. It is 

essential to address utility design and 

engage utility companies early in the 

street design process. 


• AARP. Evaluating Complete Streets 

Projects: A guide for practitioners. 

2015. 

• City of Toronto. Best Practices for 

Effective Lighting. Anticipated 2017. 

• City of Toronto. Toronto Safer City 


• City of Toronto. Traffic Calming Policy 

2010. 2010. 

• Dumbaugh, E., Tumlin, J., and 

Marshall, W. “Decisions, Values and 

Data: Measuring Bias in 

Transportation Performance 

Measures”. ITE Journal. 2014. 

• “Global Road Safety Partnership.” 

Global Road Safety Partnership. 


140



Roadway Zones 

8.8 

• “Highway Safety Manual.” American 

Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials. Accessed 

October 18, 2016. 

• Institute of Transportation Engineers 

and Congress for the New Urbanism. 

Designing Walkable Urban 

Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive 

Approach. 2010. 

• “Road Diets (Roadway 

Reconfiguration) – Safety.” U.S. 

Department of Transportation 

Federal Highway Administration. 


• “Street Lighting Construction 

Standards.” Toronto Hydro. Accessed 

October 18, 2016. 

• Toronto Hydro. Design and 

Construction Guidelines for Street 

Lighting. Anticipated 2017 

141


142


144 9.1Intersection Design 

Principles 

146 9.2 Key Needs and 

Perspectives of Each 

Road User 

148 9.3 Accessibility and Universal 

Design of Intersections 


Intersection Design 

154 9.5 Intersection Elements And 

Geometric Design 

160 9.6 Intersection Signals and 

Other Traffic Controls 

Intersections are where streets 

meet – these locations generate a 

lot of interaction and potential 

conflict among all modes. The 

principles outlined in this section 

enable the design of intersections 

to function well for everyone, to 

create an environment that is safe 

and predictable. A key starting 

point is to understand the primary 

needs of each modal user. Some 

street elements that improve the 

conditions for one mode may 

reduce the comfort or convenience 

of another, but these should never 

supersede the need for safety of all 

road users, especially of the most 

vulnerable. Street context will 

inform intersection design, 

including the physical space and 

budget constraints. The street 

design process will ensure full 

consideration of the needs of 

various users and help to weigh the 

benefits and drawbacks of different 

intersection features. 

9.0 


INTERSECTIONS 

143


Street Design for Intersections 

Intersection Design Principles 

9.1 

9.1 

INTERSECTION DESIGN PRINCIPLES 

3 

9 

8 

4 

2 

6 

5 

144



Intersection Design Principles 

9.1 

1. Safety first: Intersections are 

where the most points of conflict 

occur between different street users. 

The design of intersections should 

first ensure safe crossing for the most 

vulnerable users. 

They also minimize pedestrian 

crossing distances and exposure to 

risk for vulnerable road users. They 

can also shorten signal cycle lengths 

which benefits all modes by reducing 

delay and improving convenience. 

7 

1 

11 

2. Predictability: Provide clear 

guidance for all users on where 

crossing movements are expected 

and the correct path of permitted 

movements. Simplify complex 

intersections where possible. 

3. Visibility: Ensure unobstructed 

sightlines among road users at 

intersections. Locate crosswalks close 

to the intersection to improve the 

visibility of pedestrians to drivers. 

Reduce physical barriers and visual 

clutter. 

4. Multi-modal: Select traffic controls 

based on equitable consideration of 

all street users, the street’s context 

and role in the network. Analyze 

capacity from a multi-modal 

perspective, focusing on movement 

of people, rather than vehicles. 

7. Active transportation: Observe 

and anticipate pedestrian and cyclist 

desire lines to inform design based 

on street context. For example, 

provide depressed curb ramps and 

wider crosswalks in locations with 

higher pedestrian volumes, and bike 

boxes where needed to enhance 

safety for cyclists making turns. 

8. Transit: Incorporate transit stops 

at intersections to allow for 

convenient transfers for transit users. 

Consider transit priority measures 

based on street context. 

9. Placemaking: Depending on 

street context and width, repurpose 

space to enhance quality of life with 

greening, street furniture, or public 

art gateways, especially to define the 

entrance to unique neighbourhoods. 

10 

5. Accessibility: Incorporate 

accessible design at intersections, 

such as tactile walking surface 

indicators, curb ramps or depressed 

curbs, accessible pedestrian signals, 

walk speeds at crossings for all ages 

and abilities, and access to transit 

stops, etc. 

6. Compact design and shorter 

crossings: Compact intersections 

tend to lower motor vehicle 

operating speeds and enable more 

eye contact, which increases safety. 

10. Maintenance and operations: 

Intersections should function well for 

all users all year, e.g. design to 

prevent ponding at ramps and snow 

from blocking access to pedestrian 

push buttons. 

11. Manage stormwater: 

Incorporate green street elements 

depending on street context and 

width, such as on curb extension to 

reduce stormwater runoff and 

recharge ground water, improve air 

quality and beautify. 

145



Key Needs and Perspectives of Each Road User 

9.2 

9.2 

KEY NEEDS AND PERSPECTIVES 

OF EACH ROAD USER 

The principles outlined in this chapter enable the design of 

intersections to function well for everyone, to create an environment 

that is safe and predictable. A key starting point is to understand the 

primary needs of each modal user. Keep in mind that some street 

elements that improve the conditions for one mode may reduce 

the comfort or convenience of another, but these should never 

supersede the need for safety of all road users, especially the most 

vulnerable. 

PEDESTRIANS 

• Lower motor vehicle speeds, by 

rightsizing vehicle lanes and curb 

radii, and traffic calming on local or 

side streets such as installing curb 

extensions or raised intersections. 

• Reduced exposure to risk and 

conflicts, with clear sightlines and 

visibility, shorter crossing distances, 

adequate pedestrian space on 

corners, and adequate crossing time. 

• Accessibility and universal design for 

all, with curb ramps or depressed 

curbs (for people using assistive 

devices or people with shopping 

carts or strollers), tactile walking 

surface indicators (for persons with 

low or no vision), accessible 

pedestrian signals, dedicated space 

(away from mixing with cyclists and 

vehicles), sufficient walk time for all 

ages and abilities, and adequate 

sidewalk and crosswalk widths given 

pedestrian volumes and the street 

context. 

• Adequate signalized crossing 

opportunities. 

• Desire lines inform crossings, so that 

crosswalks align with the path of 

travel. 

• Placemaking considerations, based 

on street context, such as buildings 

that front on the street or have 

transparent storefronts (for “eyes on 

the street”), transit shelters and 

benches. 

CYCLISTS 

• Lower motor vehicle speeds, by 

rightsizing vehicle lanes and turning 

radii, and traffic calming on local or 

side streets such as installing curb 

extensions or raised intersections. 

• Reduced exposure to risk and 

conflicts, with clear sightlines, shorter 

crossing distances, and dedicated 

space, separation and signal design 

for cyclists that are context sensitive. 

• Guidance for safe streetcar track 

crossings, by providing markings at 

safe angles. 

• Wayfinding on cycling routes and 

how to stay on the network and 

navigate routes, especially at 

complex intersections. 

• Maintenance and materials to have 

pavement quality that reduces 

vibrations for cyclists. 

• Nearby bicycle parking and Bike 

Share stations to support cycling 

options for people, especially at 

transfer points like transit or major 

destinations. 

TRANSIT USERS 

• Good pedestrian and cycling 

connections (see the previous 

sections), with sidewalks, transit 

shelters benches, nearby bicycle 

parking, and Bike Share stations, 

wayfinding, cycling route 

information, and regular 

maintenance (e.g., snow removal). 

• Reduced exposure risk and conflict, 

such as curb extensions at bus stops, 

transit-only lanes and far-side bus 

stops. 

• Accessibility for all with contextspecific 

stop spacing, platforms, bus 

pads and sidewalk ramps with tactile 

walking surface indicators, and welllit 

transit stops and adequate 

pedestrian clearway widths. 

146



Key Needs and Perspectives of Each Road User 

9.2 

Pedestrians crossing a busy intersection in 

North York. 

• Reliable and improved travel times 

and schedules, with context-specific 

measures such as frequent headways, 

signal priority, queue jump lanes, and 

seamless connection to other transit. 

• Placemaking considerations, based 

on street context, such as buildings 

that front on the street or have 

transparent storefronts (for “eyes on 

the street”), safe, comfortable 

waiting areas and transit-supportive 

developments. 

MOTORISTS 

(e.g. TRANSIT, CARS AND TRUCKS) 

• Reduced conflicts and severity of 

crashes, with clear sight lines and 

visibility, dedicated space for all 

modes, and predictability of 

expected movements (e.g. using 

pavement markings, signage and 

signals/traffic controls). 

• Safe turning options, with contextspecific 

measures such as 

phase-separated turning movements, 

placement of advanced stop bars, 

and clearly marked turn lanes. 

• Well-maintained intersections such as 

good pavement quality, pruned 

vegetation, and adequate levels of 

lighting. 

• Wayfinding, with large visible street 

name signs and other wayfinding 

information to help people navigate 

the city, e.g. to locate reliable 

parking options. 

• Reliable and improved travel times, 

using coordinated signal timing, 

responsive vehicle detection and 

signals, real-time information, traffic 

regulations and congestion reduction 

by shifting more trips to walking, 

cycling and transit. 

Cycling facility is at sidewalk level for 

accessible boarding on transit at the 

intersection. 

Cycling infrastructure in Toronto that 

promotes multi-modal mobility and 

safety. 

147



Accessibility and Universal Design of Intersections 

9.3 

9.3 

ACCESSIBILITY AND UNIVERSAL 

DESIGN OF INTERSECTIONS 

Intersection design is an important component of providing 

accessible and barrier-free environments for everyone. The following 

are some examples of accessible and universal design strategies to 

provide access, predictability, safety and convenience for people of 

all ages and abilities at intersections. 

Depressed curbs smooth the transition 

from sidewalks to roadways. 

Tactile Walking Surface Indicators are 

detectable underfoot and used as a 

warning for people with low or no vision. 

CURB RAMPS OR DEPRESSED 

CURBS 

To eliminate the need to step down 

from a curb to the roadway to cross 

at intersections, design intersections 

with adequately wide and properly 

designed curb ramps and depressed 

curbs at intersections. A curb ramp or 

depressed curb is needed for people 

with physical disabilities or even 

people using shopping carts or 

strollers. A fully depressed curb has 

the benefit of removing trip hazards 

(e.g., the section of curb between 

crosswalks), especially with high 

volumes of pedestrians. Curb ramps 

can also be found at transit stops, 

such as for the Light Rail Transit 

stops. 

TACTILE WALKING SURFACE 

INDICATORS (TWSIS) 

These are the flat-topped bumps 

detectable under foot that are used 

as warning or attention indicators for 

persons with low or no vision. TWSIs 

help warn someone with low or no 

vision that they are approaching a 

hazard such as moving traffic or the 

edge of a transit platform. 

ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN 

SIGNALS (APS) 

These have an audible locator tone 

and also a walk indicator tone to 

indicate to persons with low or no 

vision when it is safe to cross the 

roadway and in which direction. APS 

may be activated automatically, or by 

push-button that has a tactile arrow 

aligning with the direction of 

crossing. This button vibrates when 

the pedestrian can cross for persons 

who are deafblind. 

148



Accessibility and Universal Design of Intersections 

9.3 

Elementary 

School Students 

Older Women 

0.6m/s 

0.8m/s 

Figure 9-1: Not all pedestrians are able to 

cross the street at the same pace. Signal 

timing should consider context and most 

likely users. 

Older Men 

Current Standard 

Former Standard 

0.9m/s 

1.0m/s 

1.2m/s 

c. L. Asher, M. Aresu, E. Falaschetti, J. 

Mindell (2012). Most older pedestrians 

are unable to cross the road in time: a 

cross-sectional study. Age and Ageing, 

Oxford Press; L. J. H. Schulze (2006). 

Evaluation of cross-walk timing and the 

application of a standard crossing light 

timing formula, International Ergonomics 

Association 

WALK SPEEDS AT CROSSINGS 

CONSIDERING ALL AGES AND 

ABILITIES 

Typical walk speeds when crossing 

the street are 1.0 to 1.2 metres per 

second (m/s), but this walking speed 

could exclude one-third of older 

pedestrians and 90 per cent of 

pedestrians using an assistive device 

such as a walker or cane. Where 

there are higher pedestrian volumes 

and the expectation of pedestrians 

with disabilities based on 

demographics and land use context, 

the walk speed for traffic signals 

should be in the range of 0.8m/s to 

1.0m/s to enable safe crossings for 

people of all ages and abilities. 

DEDICATED PEDESTRIAN SPACE 

(AWAY FROM MIXING WITH 

CYCLISTS AND MOTOR VEHICLES) 

The hierarchy of vulnerable users has 

pedestrians at the top, because they 

are unprotected when encountering 

faster-moving road users such as 

cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers. At 

intersections and mid-block 

locations, it is important to provide 

dedicated space for pedestrians, and 

separation from cyclists and motor 

vehicles, whether on the sidewalk, at 

transit stops, and at intersections – 

on street corners and crosswalks. 

ADEQUATE SIDEWALK AND 

CROSSWALK WIDTHS FOR THE 

STREET CONTEXT 

Safe, passable space is needed to 

accommodate persons using 

assistive devices and the contextspecific 

pedestrian volumes at 

intersections. Sidewalk and crosswalk 

widths should be commensurate with 

the intensity of pedestrian activity 

and volumes at intersections, to 

minimize crowded conditions, and 

potential conflicts among modes. 

149



Context-Sensitive Intersection Design 

9.4 

9.4 

CONTEXT-SENSITIVE 

INTERSECTION DESIGN 

Intersection design will depend on street context including nearby 

land uses, users of the street, and role in the network. The variety of 

Toronto’s intersections is vast, and local conditions play a key role in 

the design and selection of elements. The street design process will 

ensure full consideration of the needs of various users and help to 

weigh the benefits and drawbacks of different intersection features. 

Following are some examples of common types of intersections and 

their considerations for complete streets design. 

Pedestrian priority phase (a.k.a. 

“scramble”) at one of Toronto’s busiest 


150




9.4 

MAIN STREETS OR MIXED-USE 

CONNECTORS 

Main Streets or Mixed-use 

Connectors often have a combination 

of high traffic volumes, high 

approach speeds, transit stops and 

pedestrian and cycling activity. The 

challenge becomes balancing the 

need to reduce risk to all road users, 

while accommodating traffic capacity 

and turning movements for larger 

vehicles. Consider the following 

design treatments: 

• Due to the size of these intersections, 

clear alignments and pavement 

markings are needed to guide the 

paths for all road users and to 

provide predictable and visible 

movements. 

• To help pedestrians of all ages and 

abilities to safely cross wide 

roadways, consider pedestrian 

crossing islands, zebra crosswalk 

markings, the City’s standard curb 

radii, leading pedestrian interval (LPI) 

signals, adequate space for 

pedestrians waiting on street corners 

(e.g., declutter corners, rightsize 

corner, set back buildings, etc.), and 

other pedestrian safety measures. 

• To make cyclists more visible to other 

road users, mark bicycle facilities 

through the intersection, including 

bike boxes or queue boxes, 

providing designated bicycle signal 

phases where appropriate, and 

regulatory and warning signs for 

motorists where notable conflicts 

exist. 

• Analyze intersection capacity from a 

multi-modal perspective and focus 

on moving people, such as by 

prioritizing transit, in order to reduce 

traffic congestion as intersections 

become busier with residential and 

employment growth. Consider 

planned land uses, anticipated mode 

split shifts, and latent demand for 

pedestrian, cyclists and transit users 

during the design process. 

Crossing at a major intersection in North 

York. 

A main street intersection in 

Scarborough. 

151




9.4 

INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN 

RESIDENTIAL STREETS WITH 

MAIN, CIVIC AND CONNECTOR 

STREETS 

Design becomes complex for 

situations where lower volume streets 

intersect with higher volume streets, 

because traffic flow and capacity will 

focus on the busier street, yet side 

streets and their users also need to 

be accommodated. These 

intersections may be signalized or 

have two-way stop control such as 

stop signs. Consider the following 

design treatments: 

• Clearly mark controlled pedestrian 

and cyclist crossings (i.e. with stop 

control, PXOs with flashing lights, or 

signals) wherever they exist. 

• Analyze and design intersections 

taking into account the 

transportation network. It may not be 

possible or practical to 

accommodate all movements at all 

times (e.g. through or left-turn 

movements from the side street) at a 

two-way stop-controlled intersection. 

• If there is heavy traffic on the Main, 

Civic or Connector Street, with 

insufficient gaps in traffic for safe 

turns, consider access management 

strategies such as consolidating and 

limiting driveways, laybys or other 

conflict points, and potential turn 

prohibitions from side streets. 

Pavement markings indicate actuated 

signals for cyclists. 

Streetcar at Kingston Road and 

Scarborough Road. 

152




9.4 

INTERSECTIONS AT 

RESIDENTIAL STREETS 

Residential street intersections are 

characterized by low traffic volumes 

and slower speeds. In addition, 

people of all ages and abilities may 

be on foot in the neighbourhood for 

various activities such as getting to 

school, transit or nearby destinations. 

Consider the following design 

treatments: 

• Enhance pedestrian safety with 

crosswalks, all-way stop control, curb 

extensions, raised intersections, and 

rightsizing corner radii as well as 

complementary mid-block measures 

(e.g., chicanes, mid-block curb 

extensions, etc.). 

• In general, delay and capacity are not 

key factors for residential 

intersections as they have low 

volumes and speeds. Design of these 

intersections focuses on pedestrian 

accessibility and connectivity to 

homes, parks, community centres, 

and the pedestrian network to transit 

and other streets. Cyclists are often 

accommodated in a similar manner 

to motor vehicles or are supported 

by bicycle-friendly street designs 

noted in the Cycling chapter of this 

document (e.g., adequately wide 

curb lanes, bicycle detection at 

actuated signals, etc.). 

• While larger vehicles such as fire, 

waste collection and snow plow 

trucks are important to consider, the 

turning movements for these vehicles 

will typically use the width of the 

roadway to negotiate turns. 

Multi-modal intersection of residential 

streets. 

Residential street intersections may 

include curb extensions. 

153



Intersection Elements and Geometric Design 

9.5 

9.5 

INTERSECTION ELEMENTS AND 

GEOMETRIC DESIGN 

Various street elements and design features contribute to complete 

streets strategies for intersections. The selection of features will 

depend on street context such as land uses, networks, type of 

intersection, alignment, number and type of lanes, speed, right-ofway 

widths, and existing and projected volumes of different modal 

users. The following illustrates some key examples of these features, 

but is not meant to be an exhaustive list. 

Sight line obscured by a parked car. 

FOR ALL ROAD USERS 

PAVEMENT MARKINGS & 

VISIBLE CROSSINGS 

Visible pavement markings such as 

stop bars, and pedestrian crosswalks 

(a.k.a. zebra pavement markings or 

parallel line markings) to indicate 

where vehicles are to stop and where 

pedestrians and cyclists cross a 

roadway at controlled crossings. 

SIGHT LINES 

A clear view of people, activities and 

objects. (a.k.a. “daylight triangles” 

near intersections and driveways). 

Ensuring good sight lines reduces 

the risk of conflicts between all street 

users and promotes safety for all. 

Regulations that prohibit parking at 

the corner can also improve blocked 

sight lines. 

CURB RADII 

The curved section of a curb that 

connects two intersecting streets. Its 

size affects the turning speed of 

vehicles, pedestrian crossing 

distances, visibility, and space 

available for pedestrians waiting to 

cross the street. 

Improved sight line due to parking 

prohibition near the corner. 

154




9.5 

Simple placemaking can be combined 

with curb extensions, like this example in 

Etobicoke-York. 

PEDESTRIAN-RELATED FEATURES 

CURB EXTENSIONS 

Curb extensions (a.k.a. bump-outs or 

bulb-outs) are enlarged sidewalk or 

boulevard areas at corners. A 

common complete streets measure 

that reduces pedestrian crossing 

distances and signal cycle lengths, 

and improves visibility and 

pedestrian waiting areas on corners. 

PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ISLANDS 

An area protected by curbs where 

pedestrians can wait or rest while 

crossing streets. They must have 

accessible features (e.g. curb ramps, 

APS and TWSIs) and may be 

considered for high volume 

intersections with six or more lanes of 

traffic. The decision to include islands 

or medians should be weighed 

against using that space instead for 

adequately wide sidewalks, cycling 

facilities, and planting and furnishing 

zones. 

RAISED CROSSWALKS OR 

INTERSECTIONS (A.K.A. 

TABLE TOPS) 

These are raised areas of the 

roadway at intersections. They 

improve the visibility of pedestrians 

crossing and increase the awareness 

of drivers travelling at inappropriate 

speeds. 

PLACEMAKING AT 

INTERSECTIONS 

Depending on street context, there 

may be features that enhance the 

sense of place while balancing the 

need for safety and clear sightlines. 

Features used at intersections 

include but are not limited to: 

wayfinding signs, maps or 

information pillars; landmarks; 

gateway features; meeting locations 

with seating; pedestrian lighting; 

pedestrian crossing islands with 

landscaping; decorative pavers; and 

carefully selected street furniture 

and/or street art. 

Raised crosswalk in Toronto. 

c: Brandon Quigley 

Placemaking at intersections may include 

cafés or other seating. 

155




9.5 

Left-turn queue boxes indicate a 

designated area for cyclists to make a 

left turn. 

Arrows indicate the path of cyclists 

through an intersection. 

CYCLIST-RELATED FEATURES 

BICYCLE LANE MARKINGS 

Pavement markings indicating the 

paths of cyclists, e.g., a bicycle lane 

through the intersection or between 

vehicle through-lanes and right-turn 

lanes at intersections, to increase 

awareness at conflict points. 

CROSS RIDES 

Cross rides indicate where cyclists 

may ride to cross a roadway at 

controlled crossings, alongside 

pedestrians. Adequate width and 

attention to design are required for 

the crosswalk and cross ride to 

prevent conflicts among cyclists and 

more vulnerable pedestrians of all 


LEFT-TURN QUEUE BOX 

Pavement markings indicating a safe 

and designated area for cyclist 

making a left-turn maneuver. May be 

accompanied by a right turn on red 

restriction if the queue box is in the 

path of vehicular right turns. 

BICYCLE QUEUE BOXES 

A marked area where most cyclists 

are anticipated to make two-stage 

crossings to make a left turn. For 

pedestrian safety and clear sightlines, 

avoid pushing crosswalks far back 

from the intersection. 

Skip lines indicate cycling infrastructure 

through an intersection. 

156




9.5 

Cyclists yield to pedestrians boarding a 

streetcar on Roncesvalles Ave. in Toronto. 

TRANSIT-RELATED FEATURES 

TRANSIT LANES 

Dedicated lanes for public transit, 

such as HOV or bus lanes and 

designated transitways for buses, 

streetcars or light rail vehicles. These 

enable greater frequency and 

reliability of transit service. 

TRANSIT STOPS (STOPS, 

PLATFORMS, AND CROSSINGS) 

Locations where transit riders wait 

for, board, and leave transit vehicles. 

Transit stops may be curbside or on 

platforms in the middle of the 

roadway. They may also include 

transit branding/signs, transit 

shelters/benches, wayfinding, 

schedule or real-time information 

and transit payment systems. 

TRANSIT QUEUE JUMP LANES 

Queue jump lanes are typically 

extended right turn lanes that 

provide opportunities for buses to 

move to the front of the queue. 

Considered where heavy volumes of 

mixed traffic negatively impact 

transit service, depending on space 

and impacts to other road users. 

TRAFFIC REGULATIONS 

Stopping, parking or turn restrictions, 

as this can improve performance of 

through movements for transit and 

other vehicles. 

BUS HELD UP 

BEHIND TRAFFIC 

QUEUE JUMP 

LANE ALLOWING 

BUS PRIORITY 

Before and after Queue Jump Lanes are 

added. 

157




9.5 

Pavement markings show the path vehicles 

should take through a skewed intersection. 

Before. 

After an intersection in Scarborough is 

normalized. 

c: google 

c: google 

OTHER INTERSECTION DESIGN 

STRATEGIES 

NORMALIZE OR RE-ALIGN 

INTERSECTIONS 

Reconfigure an irregular intersection 

(e.g., skewed, offset or complex) that 

is confusing to road users. 

LANE ALIGNMENTS 

The path of vehicles as indicated by 

pavement markings and the physical 

design and curvature of the road. 

The desired path for vehicles should 

be clear and easy to follow, 

especially where there are transitions 

in the number of lanes or where there 

are turn lanes. 

RIGHT-TURN CHANNELS (A.K.A. 

‘PORK CHOPS’ BECAUSE THEY 

LOOK TRIANGULAR) 

A triangular island used to channel 

turning traffic. These dedicated turn 

channels present safety concerns for 

all road users as they result in poor 

sightlines, and significant barriers to 

persons with disabilities. The City of 

Toronto’s policy is to remove right 

turn channels if possible and not to 

build new ones. Decisions to 

maintain existing channels require 

careful consideration and 

engineering judgment. 

HIGHWAY INTERCHANGES 

Interchanges intersect city streets in 

urban areas and must be designed to 

accommodate vulnerable road users, 

including pedestrians of all abilities 

and cyclists, to ensure safety, 

accessibility and connectivity with 

adjacent communities. Review best 

practices for context-sensitive design 

options for interchanges intersecting 

urban areas to support Complete 

Streets goals. 

GRADE SEPARATED FACILITIES 

Roads that run overhead or 

underground are called grade 

separated. Such facilities create 

significant barriers between 

neighbourhoods and for vulnerable 

road users. Review best practices for 

context-sensitive design options for 

addressing safety, multi-modal and 

placemaking needs so that grade 

separated facilities support 

Complete Streets goals. 

158




9.5 

Multiple users at a downtown Toronto 

intersection. 

Greening of an intersection in 

Scarborough. 

Zebra markings at an intersection in 

Etobicoke. 

159



Intersection Signals and Other Traffic Controls 

9.6 

9.6 

INTERSECTION SIGNALS AND 

OTHER TRAFFIC CONTROLS 

The City of Toronto uses various intersection signals and other 

traffic control devices to facilitate safe movement of all road users, 

guided by the recent Traffic Signal Operation Policies and Strategies 

(2015). These policies align with the complete streets approach and 

are based on industry standards, guidelines, and best practices, 

including the Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM) Book 12, the Ontario 

Highway Traffic Act (HTA), the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control 

Devices (MUTCD) for Canada, and the Transportation Association of 

Canada (TAC) Guidelines. 

The choice of signal or device is 

often determined by technical 

warrants that get updated from time 

to time by the City to account for 

best practices. Technical warrants 

often use numeric inputs and data, 

such as volumes, collision history, 

conflict data/near misses, speed, 

delay and environmental/site audits. 

What follows is a list of examples of 

intersection signals and traffic control 

devices used in the City of Toronto. 

INTERSECTION SIGNALS 

PEDESTRIAN COUNTDOWN 

SIGNALS 

Device shows the number of seconds 

left for crossing a street. Pedestrians 

should begin crossing with the WALK 

signal and finish crossing by zero. 

LEADING PEDESTRIAN INTERVAL 

WALK signal is about 5 seconds 

ahead of the green traffic signal to 

give pedestrians time to become 

visible in the crosswalk to drivers. 

PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY PHASE 

(“SCRAMBLE”) 

Vehicular traffic is stopped on all 

approaches and pedestrians can 

cross in any direction, including 

diagonally. Typically used where 

there is a large volume of 

pedestrians, lack of space for 

pedestrians, and issues with wait 

times, crowding and safety. 

BICYCLE DETECTION AT SIGNALS 

Detection technology that allows 

cyclists to trigger a ‘green light’ at an 

intersection and not wait for a larger 

or heavier vehicle in order to 

navigate an intersection. 

BICYCLE SIGNALS (E.G., TRAIL 

CROSSINGS) 

Electronic signals for cyclists to guide 

and coordinate their movements with 

other traffic (e.g., cars, transit and 

pedestrians) and may indicate bicycle 

signal phases or other bicyclespecific 

timing strategies. 

LEADING CYCLING INTERVAL 

An advanced green for cyclists to 

give priority to bicycle movements at 

an intersection. 

TRAFFIC SIGNAL PROGRESSION 

Modification of signal timing to have 

coordinated ‘green lights’ for better 

traffic flow. 

TRANSIT SIGNAL PRIORITY 

Modification of signal timing for 

transit vehicles such as extending 

‘green light’. 

BLANK-OUT NO LEFT TURN SIGN 

Electronic sign (a.k.a. LED Blank-Out 

Sign) that is well-illuminated to 

indicate time-of-day restrictions for 

left turns at intersections. Its purpose 

is to help drivers recognize turn 

restrictions to improve compliance 

and traffic flow. 

DEDICATED OR SEPARATED LEFT 

TURN SIGNALS 

Also called a fully-protected left-turn 

phase, vehicles may turn left only 

while facing a left turn green arrow, 

and have the right-of-way with no 

conflicting movements with other 

road users permitted. 

160




9.6 

A Leading Pedestrian Interval gives pedestrians a five second head start, making them 

more visible to turning motorists. 

OTHER TRAFFIC CONTROLS 

STOP SIGNS (OR STOP 

CONTROLS) 

A sign that indicates to vehicles to 

come to a complete stop (at the stop 

line or crosswalk) and wait until the 

way is clear before entering the 

intersection. 

PEDESTRIAN CROSSOVERS (PXOS) 

Designated areas for pedestrians to 

cross where there are no traffic 

signals. Drivers and cyclists are to 

watch for pedestrians at these 

crossings and must yield the right-ofway 

to pedestrians in the crosswalk. 

Pedestrian crossovers are indicated 

by signs, markings, and yellow lights. 

It is against the law to pass any 

vehicle within 30m of the pedestrian 

crossover. 

SCHOOL CROSSWALKS 

Designated areas for pedestrians to 

cross where there are no traffic 

signals, and located on the route to 

or in the vicinity of schools. School 

crosswalks are indicated by signs and 

markings, and/or where a school 

crossing guard is present. 

YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS 

A sign that indicates to vehicles to let 

pedestrians go first, and to stop and 

wait for any pedestrians to fully cross 

the road at the crosswalk. 

YIELD SIGN 

A sign that indicates to vehicles to let 

traffic in the intersection or 

approaching the intersection to go 

first, and to stop if necessary and 

proceed only when the way is clear. 

RIGHT TURN ON RED 

RESTRICTION 

A sign that indicates to vehicles that 

they are not allowed to turn right 

when facing a red traffic light. No 

Right Turns On Red are implemented 

for various safety reasons, including 

to reduce collisions of right-turning 

vehicles with vehicles proceeding on 

their green light, and also between 

right-turning vehicles and 

pedestrians crossing with their WALK 

signal. 

Signals and traffic control devices are 

often combined with physical, built 

environment features, such as 

rightsized traffic lanes, curb radii/ 

extensions, and cycling facilities to 

create safer streets. 

161




9.6 

Seniors crossing at a major intersection in 

Scarborough. 

GENERAL GUIDANCE ON 

INTERSECTION SIGNALS AND 

TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES 

When reviewing or making decisions 

about signals or traffic control 

devices, there are some key 

considerations to keep in mind for 

the safety and comfort of all road 

users regardless of age and ability: 

• Key principles of complete streets: 

Provide equitable consideration of all 

road users, and consideration of a 

street’s context in the design of the 

street and the selection of traffic 

control devices. 

• Safety first: Consider the use of a 

combination of physical design (e.g., 

rightsized traffic lanes and corner 

radii) and traffic control features to 

achieve the desired ‘target speed’ for 

the street’s context. 

• Use future, not past data: Use 

projected future volumes and not 

past or existing data for all modes in 

the analysis and review of future 

infrastructure, new developments 

and environmental assessment 

studies. 

• Connectivity in Networks & Desire 

Lines: Understand existing and 

aspirational pedestrian and cyclist 

desire lines and active transportation 

networks to identify opportunities to 

introduce safe crossings, such as 

PXOs or Traffic Control Signals. 

• Spacing between controlled 

crossings: Consider land uses, 

density, pedestrian volumes and 

demographics when looking at 

spacing of controlled crossings. All 

pedestrians, especially persons with 

disabilities benefit from having more 

closely spaced crossing 

opportunities. The desire for widely 

spaced intersections for faster motor 

vehicle movements needs to be 

weighed against the impacts on 

safety, connectivity and accessibility 

of pedestrians and cyclists. 

• Adequate crossing times and walk 

speeds accounting for all ages and 

abilities: Consider how to best 

accommodate slow walkers through 

the provision of the shortest possible 

crossing distance and adequate 

signal time. Long crossing distances 

not only increase pedestrian 

exposure to risk of collision in the 

street, they also require longer signal 

cycles to give enough time to safely 

cross the street. 

• Reduce need to push buttons (use 

fixed-time mode): Fixed time or 

automated walk signals are 

appropriate in locations with 

moderate and higher pedestrian 

volumes, such as downtown and 

main street shopping areas, and in 

the proximity of pedestrian trip 

generators. 

• TTC or Fire pre-emption: Identify if 

there is currently or potentially the 

need to operate with TTC or Fire preemption 

and weigh the needs and 

benefits given the street context and 

network. 

162




9.6 

Street and intersection design must 

consider the roles of streets at different 

times of the day and night. 

• Coordinated signal timing: The 

purpose of coordinated signal timing 

is to help manage traffic flow along a 

corridor. In addition, balancing the 

traffic volumes between intersections 

helps to prevent or reduce queued 

up traffic. In real life conditions, 

however, there are numerous 

disruptions that may make it difficult 

to perfectly meter traffic. 

• Short signal cycles: In general, short 

signal cycles (60-90 seconds) are 

preferred as they provide predictable 

and regular crossings, and generally 

minimize overall delay for all users. 

While short cycles tend to encourage 

people to obey the signals compared 

with locations with longer delays, the 

short cycle length needs to be 

weighed against the safety benefits 

of separated signal phases, such 

having dedicated left-turn signals. 

• Different times of day and night: 

Consider the changing nature and 

role of a street throughout the course 

of the day, as demand may change 

by mode and by direction during 

different times. Traffic signal timing 

should be adjusted to meet various 

modal and directional demands to 

optimize people-moving capacity 

and convenience. 

MORE INFORMATION: 



• City of Toronto. Complete 

Interchanges: Urbanization of Grade 

Separated Facilities. Anticipated 

2017. 

• City of Toronto. Criteria for 

Evaluating Request for Queue-Jump 

Lanes. Updates underway (in use 

internally). 

• City of Toronto. Curb Radii 


• City of Toronto. Traffic Signal 

Operations Policies and Strategies. 

2015. 

• “Highway Safety Manual.” American 

Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials. 2016. 

• Institute of Transportation Engineers 

and Congress for the New Urbanism. 

Designing Walkable Urban 

Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive 

Approach. 2010. 



Pavement, Hazard and Delineation 

Markings. 2000. 



Traffic Signals. 2012. 



Pedestrian Crossing Facilities. 2016. 



Cycling Facilities. 2013. 


Transportation Officials. Urban Street 

Design Guide. 2013. 

• New York City Department of 

Transportation. Making Safer Streets. 

2013. 

• Transportation Association of 

Canada. Pedestrian Crossing Control 

Guide. 2012. 

• Welle, Ben. “Cities Safer by Design: 

Guidance and Examples to Promote 

Traffic Safety through Urban and 

Street Design”. World Resources 

Institute. 2015. 

163


c. DTAH 

164


166 C.1 Project Delivery Process 

168 C.5 Conclusion 

This section provides a summary of 

the overarching process for 

delivering street projects in Toronto. 

The conclusion outlines the intended 

outcomes and benefits of providing 

complete streets design guidance. 

CONCLUSION 

165


Conclusion 

Project Delivery Process 

C.1 

C.1 

PROJECT DELIVERY PROCESS 

Figure C-1 shows the overarching process for project delivery. The 

process varies for different project types. However, each project 

generally follows a similar framework from initiation to completion. 

The Toronto Complete Streets Guidelines inform and guide staff and 

others involved in each of the stages of delivering street projects. 

PROJECT INITIATION 

Street projects are initiated for 

various reasons, such as for state of 

good repair, new developments, 

safety, or Business Improvement 

Areas. At the outset, staff will outline 

the needs, goals and budgets, take 

into account complete streets vision 

and goals, and consult the City’s 

plans, like the 10-year Capital Plan 

and area-specific plans. 

CONTEXT ANALYSIS 

A key step noted in Chapter 3 is 

gathering and reviewing all the 

background data to inform the 

street’s context and the project’s 

objectives. This work will likely 

involve reviewing area plans, site 

assessments, additional data 

collection and analysis, and 

consultation. 

PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND 

DECISION MAKING 

Once the project’s objectives are 

established, a complete streets 

decision-making framework can be 

developed to weigh the pros and 

cons of street design options. (See 

Chapter 3 for more guidance.) 

Design options are developed based 

on the understanding of the street’s 

context, a risk assessment of impacts 

on vulnerable road users, and 

complete streets guidance. An 

evaluation and documentation of the 

options is done and usually involves 

consultation on the evaluaton criteria 

and the options. Challenges will 

include dealing with trade-offs and 

coming up with creative solutions. 

Project costing and design 

adjustments are made as the street 

design and approvals are agreed 

upon by many parties and finalized. 

CONSTRUCTION DESIGN 

The agreed-upon street design is 

passed on to the engineering and 

construction teams for detailed 

construction engineering work. 

Engineers should consult client 

divisions and staff (e.g., Beautiful 

Streets, Cycling Infrastructure, 

Pedestrian Projects, Toronto Water, 

Urban Design, etc.) on the 

construction specifications and 

standards for complete street 

elements. It is costly to change 

designs at this stage, but minor 

changes may be necessary for review 

and refinement. Sometimes projects 

are deferred if the scope increases 

and more major changes require 

more time and resources. 

166


Conclusion 

Project Delivery Process 

C.1 

CONSTRUCTION 


The detailed designs are completed 

and the project is usually contracted 

out for construction. Construction 

notifications and communications 

with the public are best practices. 

Both staff and contractors working in 

the City of Toronto must observe 


Temporary Conditions and the City’s 

work zone policies. Attention is 

required to safely and clearly 

accommodate pedestrians and 

cyclists in construction work zones. 

OPERATIONS AND 

MAINTENANCE 

Operation and maintenance needs 

should be considered throughout the 

planning and design process. Project 

outcomes should be monitored and 

lessons learned should be 

documented and shared. Where 

possible, measuring the performance 

of streets should be integrated 

before, during and after street 

projects are built. 


• “Construction Standards – 

Engineering & Construction Services 

– Services.” City of Toronto. 


• City of Toronto. Guidelines for 

Covered Walkways. 2014. 

• City of Toronto. Guidelines for Work 

on Streets in the Area of Schools. 

2014. 

• City of Toronto. Standards for Cycling 

Safety in Work Zones. Anticipated 

2017. 



Temporary Conditions. 2014. 

CHAPTER 3 

PROJECT 

INITIATION 

CONTEXT 

ANALYSIS 

PRELIMINARY 

DESIGN 

+ 

DECISION 

MAKING 

CONSTRUCTION 

DESIGN 

CONSTRUCTION 


OPERATIONS + 

MAINTENANCE 

PLAN 

DESIGN 

BUILD + MANAGE 

1. Identify 

Context 

2. Establish 

Design Priorities 

3. Develop 

Decision-Making 

Framework + 

Metrics 

4. Assemble/ 

Evaluate/ 

Refine 

5. Finalize 

Preliminary 

Design + 

Document 

Repeat if 

Necessary 

COLLABORATION WITH CITY STAFF, STAKEHOLDERS AND PUBLIC 

Figure C-1: Toronto Complete Streets Project Delivery Process 

167


Conclusion 

Conclusion 

C.2 

C.2 

CONCLUSION 

The goal of the Complete Streets 

Guidelines is to provide a primer on 

the important considerations in 

designing our streets to fully consider 

all uses and users of our streets. The 

guidance is meant to aid City staff 

and others to think of the important 

considerations in each of the steps in 

street design. By providing complete 

streets design guidance and setting 

out a multi-disciplinary approach to 

designing our streets, the potential 

outcomes and benefits are that: 

• Stakeholders will be more informed 

about street design considerations; 

• Street design processes will be more 

inclusive of the many stakeholders 

and citizens who are affected by 

street projects; 

• More consistency, clarity and 

transparency will be encouraged 

through documenting the evaluation 

of street design options and the 

rationale behind decisions made. 

The Guidelines contain a vision, 

goals and design guidance that align 

with the City’s current policies, and as 

such, will be updated every five years 

similar to Toronto’s Official Plan. 

Street design is an evolving practice. 

In the coming years, design 

strategies used elsewhere, and 

technologies that do not yet readily 

exist in Toronto, will affect how we 

plan, design, build and operate our 

streets. Street designers should stay 

up-to-date on the latest best 

practices to learn from research and 

designs from other jurisdictions to 

continue the improvements to our 

city’s street network. 

168


Conclusion 

Conclusion 

C.2 

c: DTAH 

169


Notes


Notes

OUR STREETS 

ARE THE COMMON SPACE 

WHERE OUR CITY COMES 

TOGETHER. 

OUR STREETS 

THROUGH THEIR LOOK, 

FEEL, AND FUNCTION 

SHOULD DEMONSTRATE 

HOW WE WANT TORONTO 

TO BE AND TO CHANGE.

GUIDELINES

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