.DON MILLS CROSSING TRANSPORTATION STUDY

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Don Mills Crossing Transportation Study: Phase 1 1. A significant proportion of vehicle trips are made within a short distance of the study area The study area attracts many trips from within a relatively short distance. Roughly three quarters (75%) of total trips stays within a 10kmx10km area (Bayview-Bloor-Vitoria Park-Highway 401), while the percentage of internal trips within the Don Mills Crossing transportation area of influence is nearly 16%. These are relatively higher proportion given the suburban context. However, most of the trips (60%) are completed by vehicle, including local school trips, which contributes roughly 29% of trips in the morning peak period. The local nature of travel indicates long distance transportation options are not as necessary to address local transportation issues as trip lengths are in the shorter "urban" range (approximately 5-6 kilometers). Making walking, cycling and transit attractive options and providing a broader range of land uses will be important areas to explore as part of Don Mills Crossing's transportation work. 2. Low Connectivity in areas surrounding future transit stops for active transportation The study area demonstrates a lower level of connectivity for streets as well as active transportation modes that is fairly typical of its inner suburban context. A walk-shed analysis from four area Crosstown LRT stations (Sunnybrook Park, Science Centre, Aga Khan Park and Museum and Wynford) reveals 8,780 residents and 3,620 workers are within a 500 metre walking distance of future LRT stops while 19,825 people and 16,580 employees are within 800 metre walking distance. This is relatively low compared to higher density areas in Toronto and connectivity analysis demonstrates some parts of the study area provide very poor connectivity due to a lack of streets. This disconnected network is a result of cul-de-sacs, discontinuous sidewalks or cycling facilities along with physical barriers such as the valley system, the expressway and the CP rail corridor. Improving active transportation connectivity with more routes, and safer and more comfortable conditions will be an important focus of future planning framework. 3. Distinct Neighbourhood Travel Patterns Within the transportation area of influence, distinct and different travel patterns were observed amongst each of the five neighbourhoods examined. For example, Thorncliffe and Flemingdon show a very high use of sustainable modes while higher vehicle usage is common in Wynford-Concorde and the residential neighbourhoods north of the rail corridor. Inbound trips in the morning peak periods and outbound trips in the evening tend to be by vehicles compared sustainable modes of transportation. Only 10% of trips travel to downtown and smart data shows less than 20% of trips originate from outside of Toronto underscoring the local nature of travel. Overall, roughly 42% people use transit, walking and cycling in the transportation area of influence. This distinct travel pattern poses a social equity challenge. Besides core area transportation improvements in future, it will be important to identify City Planning, Transportation 6
Don Mills Crossing Transportation Study: Phase 1 infrastructure and service improvements that strengthen mobility conditions for area residents, particularly in the Flemingdon Park neighbourhood, which has a high portion of transit use. This includes better, more direct and convenient connections to sustainable transportation modes, and requires an innovative approach developing an integrated transportation system. 4. Interrupted street network constrains key travel routes and intersections Due to lack of connectivity, arterials streets are heavily used in the study area, meaning most of the vehicles pass through only a few key intersections. Intersections along Don Mills Road, Leslie Street, Lawrence Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East are frequently congested during peak periods and demonstrate higher levels of collisions. Eglinton Avenue is the only fully connected east-west street. The lack of a connected east-west street network and other discontinuous streets along north-south corridors is one of many drivers of the existing congested conditions, particularly congestion and safety at the Don Mills Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East intersection. Wide arterial roads and complex intersections are legacies of the area's history as an employment and industrial centre, but the scale of goods movement today is relatively low with average truck traffic observed at only 2.5% of total trips at area intersections. Making compact streets right-sized to their function that improves connectivity to and through the Don Mills Crossing area is part of a sustainable approach to address current traffic conditions. 5. Active transportation persists despite difficult physical conditions Complex intersections, wide streets and natural or man-made barriers pose numerous challenges to walking and cycling modes in study area. Due to grading challenges presented by the varied topography walking facilities often include stairs causing accessibility issues. Very low connectivity and lower crossing activities were observed in most of the neighbourhoods even those with higher transit usage. Flemingdon Park has one of the highest proportion of pedestrian activities in the transportation area of influence, but overall lack of midblock crossing and very long crossing distance create uncomfortable walking conditions. Don Mills Road, Millwood Road and the ravine trails experience some of the higher cycling activity in the study area. Although the cycling share of trips is low as a percentage of total trips, total cycling volume is higher than in Toronto's centres, outside of the downtown, despite a general lack of cycling infrastructure and conditions such as high speeds that typically deter cyclists. Despite existing poor conditions, the area has a high potential to improve the share of active transportation as one of the ways to address local vehicular congestion conditions. City Planning, Transportation 7
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.DON MILLS CROSSING TRANSPORTATION STUDY

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