Last week, as the City of Toronto held a press conference to launch its new Vision Zero Road Safety website, another important document that could also have a significant impact on the safety of our streets was released as well, yet went relatively unnoticed.
Despite its lack of fanfare, Toronto’s first Complete Streets Guidelines mark an important milestone and are an excellent resource for how Toronto designs streets so that they are safe and accessible for road users of all ages and abilities.
In 2014, Toronto City Council adopted a Complete Streets Policy within its amended Official Plan). The Guidelines, underway since 2014, took a comprehensive, context-sensitive look at Toronto’s streets and how to design them differently to improve safety and accessibility for all. They were developed using a highly collaborative process involving over 40 City Divisions, Agencies, and Advisory Boards, 37 external stakeholders, and thousands of Torontonians. TCAT’s Director, Nancy Smith Lea, provided input as part of the Stakeholder Advisory Group
The City’s next step is to develop an implementation strategy for the Guidelines, including training for staff and contractors involved in street design and delivery. Read full blog post here.