Temporary Amendments to Traffic and Parking Regulations and Transit Priority Measures to Support Transit Diversions during the Queen Street East Closures

From March 2026 to April 2026, Queen Street East will be reduced to a single eastbound lane to facilitate the streetcar track replacement. Transportation Services is recommending amendments to the traffic and parking regulations in the area surrounding the construction site, as well as requesting approval, on behalf of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), to install transit priority measures (TPMs) on Dundas Street East, between Parliament Street and River Street to support the transit routes diverted due to the watermain and TTC track replacement project. The 501 Queen, 503 Kingston Road, and 504 King will be diverted due to the closure. To maintain traffic flow around the construction on Queen Street East, this report proposes prohibiting stopping at all times on both sides of Queen Street East between Davies Avenue and Broadview Avenue. During the streetcar track closures from March 2026 to April 2026, Hamilton Street will be converted from a one-way northbound operation to a temporary two-way operation to facilitate local egress. The suite of TPMs proposed in this report aim to improve the speed and reliability of impacted TTC routes during the partial closure of Queen Street East. The proposed changes include increased duration of existing 'No Stopping' and 'No Parking' zones, new turning restrictions, and increased duration of existing turning restrictions. The proposed changes aim to mitigate the impact on the 49,000 streetcar customers travelling each day on the routes affected directly or indirectly by the construction closure (based on Spring 2025 ridership). To support streetcar and general traffic operations along diverted transit routes, this report proposes extending existing 'No Stopping' restrictions on Dundas Street East between Parliament Street and Sackville Street to cover the periods of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. It also proposes extending or implementing 'No Parking' restrictions on the north side of Dundas Street East between Parliament Street and Sackville Street from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday to Sunday. The south side of Dundas Street East between Parliament Street to Sackville Street has existing Anytime 'No Parking' restrictions. New or extended turn prohibitions are proposed at multiple intersections along Dundas Street East between Parliament Street and River Street to reduce delay to streetcars at these intersections from turning vehicles. The transit priority measures were focussed on Dundas Street East, between Parliament Street and Broadview Avenue as this stretch has the highest streetcar frequency of the streets affected by the TTC diversion (12-16 streetcars per hour in the PM peak). Parliament Street and Broadview Avenue have similar transit vehicle frequencies (12 per hour and 14-15 per hour respectively), but these are made up of both streetcar and bus services; buses are able to manoeuvre around traffic and pass other buses and turning vehicles (if a lane is available), whereas streetcars move on a track and are vulnerable to both their own delays and delays affecting the streetcars ahead of them. The segments of Parliament Street, Broadview Avenue, and River Street supporting additional TTC service during the partial closure of Queen Street East will be monitored and transit priority measures will be proposed if necessary, such as curbside use restrictions and/or turn prohibitions. Any additional TPMs that would be proposed to support the diversions in Ward 14 will be coordinated with the work associated with 2025.TE24.46 Traffic Management in Ward 14 related to the King Street East and Church Street Intersection Project, which is on-going and has in-progress traffic monitoring. As part of this project the TTC is working with the City of Toronto on improvements to transit and traffic in this area. Before the start of construction, the TTC streetcar stops at Dundas Street East and Munro Street will be removed to improve the traffic flow in this area. TTC and Transportation Services will complete modelling with the data collection program to further support recommendations in the area. An update on these efforts and recommendations for Item 2025.TE24.46 will be addressed at the Toronto and East York Community Council Meeting on October 22, 2025. As TTC operates transit service on Queen Street East and Dundas Street East, City Council approval of this report is required.

3. City Council rescind the existing parking prohibition in effect from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Monday to Friday, except public holidays on the south side of Queen Street East, between East Don Roadway and Broadview Avenue. 4. City Council rescind the existing stopping prohibition in effect 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, except public holidays on the south side of Queen Street East, between a point opposite Carroll Street and Broadview Avenue 5. City Council rescind the existing stopping prohibition in effect 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except public holidays on the south side of Queen Street East, between East Don Roadway and a point opposite Carroll Street. 6. City Council rescind the existing parking machine regulation on the north side of Queen Street East, between Don Bridge and Broadview Avenue, in effect from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday to Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday; and 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, for a maximum period of three hours at a rate of $3.00 per hour. 7. City Council rescind the existing parking machine regulation on the north side of Queen Street East, between Davies Avenue and Carroll Street, in effect from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday to Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday; and 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, for a maximum period of three hours at a rate of $3.00 per hour. 8. City Council rescind the existing parking machine regulation on the south side of Queen Street East, between Carroll Street and Broadview Avenue, in effect from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday; and 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, for a maximum period of three hours at a rate of $3.00 per hour. 9. City Council rescind the existing parking machine regulation on the south side of Queen Street East, between Carroll Street and Broadview Avenue, in effect from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, for a maximum period of 2.5 hours at a rate of $3.00 per hour. 10. City Council prohibit stopping at all times on both sides of Queen Street East, between Davies Avenue and Broadview Avenue. 11. City Council rescind the existing one-way southbound traffic only on Hamilton Street, between Queen Street East and Thompson Street. 12. City Council rescind the existing parking prohibition at all times on the east side of Hamilton Street, between Queen Street East and Thompson Street. 13. City Council prohibit stopping at all times on the east side of Hamilton Street, between Queen Street East and Thompson Street. 14. City Council direct that Queen Street East and Hamilton Street be returned to its pre-construction traffic and parking regulations (except with parking rates and hours of operation being consistent to the rates and hours of operation at the time of completion) when the project is completed. 15. City Council authorize amendments to parking and traffic regulations as set out in Attachment 1 to take effect from October 1, 2025, until regular Toronto Transit Commission streetcar service has resumed along Queen Street East, Broadview Avenue to Davies Avenue, after the TTC track replacement work is complete. 16. City Council delegate, despite any City of Toronto By-law to the contrary, to the General Manager, Transportation Services, from October 1, 2025, to May 1, 2026, inclusive, for the purposes of implementing and then addressing any operation and/or safety issues that may arise in relation to the project identified above, the authority to implement changes and submit directly to Council any necessary bills for by-law amendments to the schedules to City of Toronto Code Chapters on the streets and within the parameters as identified in Attachment 2 to the report from the General Manager, Transportation Services. 17. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Transit Commission, to report back to the Toronto and East York Community Council in the first quarter of 2026 on the effectiveness of these changes for streetcar operations and a recommended long-term plan for parking and traffic regulations on Dundas Street East, from Parliament Street to River Street.