October 27, 2016
The City of Toronto is accelerating changes to city streets and intersections to improve safety for all road users. The work is tied to the Road Safety Plan that Toronto City Council approved in July.
"Since the Road Safety Plan was approved by City Council in July, we've identified areas where we can accelerate safety improvements and are moving full steam ahead this fall," said Councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "We have to be aggressive in putting this plan into action as every life lost on our streets is one too many."
Transportation Services staff used collision data to identify areas of concern across the city and developed action plans to accelerate changes aimed at making these areas safer. The initiatives include:
• 400 speed signs installed along 14 roads where speed limits have been reduced by 10km/hr • installation of zebra markings at 317 intersections to enhance pedestrian safety • 320 signalized intersections will be enhanced with reflective material by the end of the year to improve visibility during power failures • activation of 56 accessible pedestrian signals to assist people with disabilities to cross at signalized intersections • 37 signalized intersections have been equipped with longer pedestrian crossing times to allow more time for pedestrians to safely cross the street • making physical changes at 14 intersections including curb radius reductions and intersection re-alignments to reduce pedestrian crossing distances and help reduce aggressive driving, and • installation of permanent "Watch Your Speed" signs at five additional locations to alert motorists of their speeds in school zones.
More information about the specific measures implemented is available in a backgrounder at
http://bit.ly/2faJXjJ.
So far this year there have been 65 fatalities in Toronto, including 35 pedestrian deaths – up from 29 pedestrian fatalities at this same time in 2015. Beginning in 2017, the City's Road Safety Plan will introduce 45 new measures targeted at eliminating fatalities and reducing serious injuries with an emphasis on pedestrians, school children, older adults, cyclists, aggressive and distracted driving, and motorcyclists.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit
http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.
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Media contact: Steve Johnston, Strategic Communications, 416-392-4391, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
