2025.EX25.4

Background

“In June and July 2026, Toronto will host six FIFA World Cup™ (FWC26) matches at Exhibition Place [...] The games are expected to draw over 300,000 visitors, and the mobility concept includes the provision of dedicated transit lanes to ensure frequent service along key roadways.” To support this massive need while ensuring a transition to sustainable transportation, “Bathurst Street [and Dufferin Street) projects have been accelerated as critical routes”. This plan marks an acceleration of earlier RapidTO plans to  “improve bus and streetcar travel time reliability for surface transit priority roadways along arterial roads using reserved lanes, intersection signal improvements, and regulatory changes.”
 

Source: City of Toronto

Item Description

Designates dedicated public transit lanes in each direction for Bathurst and Dufferin streets south of Bloor to Lakeshore Boulevard West and the Dufferin Gate Loop respectively. This means “reserved lane for public transit vehicles and bicycles at all times.” This is achieved by the elimination of certain street parking, stopping zone restrictions, turn restrictions, adjustment of loading zones, and other traffic amendments. It also takes adaptive measures including reports, monitoring, and legislative changes to ensure the feasibility and integration of said changes
 

Source: City of Toronto

Proposed by

Executive Committee

Additional Details

Lily Cheng and Mike Colle were absent from the vote due to declared interests. A failed amendment by Councillor Brad Bradford and supported by Jon Burnside, Vincent Crisanti, Stephen Holyday, James Pasternak, and Anthony Perruzza sought to make the traffic and parking regulations that enabled the dedicated transit lanes temporary only.