Tag Archives: Toronto

The story of Stop 17

Posted on July 22, 2020 by

Kingston Road is one of Toronto’s oldest and most important thoroughfares. Sections of the road were first laid out by Asa Danforth in 1799, though a straighter, more direct route was established by the early 1800s. By the 1830s, it … Continue reading →

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Deadly by design: Keele Street and Calvington Drive

Posted on June 23, 2020 by

On Sunday, June 7, Olivia and Julia Sarracini were crossing Calvington Drive at Keele Street. It was 12:15 in the morning. The walk sign turned on, and the two sisters, aged 17 and 19, entered the crosswalk, walking north. Behind … Continue reading →

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Pylons are not enough: how to make a quiet street

Posted on June 17, 2020 by

Toronto took its time recognizing the need for pedestrian space during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t until late April that the mayor and the medical officer of health considered limited curb lane closures to accommodate crowded sidewalks in front … Continue reading →

Posted in Brampton, Cycling, Infrastructure, Roads, Toronto, Walking | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Signs of the times in Northwestern Toronto

Posted on May 25, 2020 by

In a distant corner of Woodbine Centre’s parking lot, dozens of late model cars and trucks sit with their licence plates removed. These are all rental cars, left idle due to the collapse of demand during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. … Continue reading →

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Room to share: How cities can make physical distancing work

Posted on April 27, 2020 by

For my latest TVO article, I spoke with Councillor Shawn Menard in Ottawa, Councillor Rowena Santos in Brampton, and Ryerson University epidemiologist Anne Harris about how cities in Ontario are reallocating road space for pedestrians and cyclists during the ongoing … Continue reading →

Posted in Brampton, Cycling, Infrastructure, Ontario, Roads, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

All stick, no carrot: the problem with the city’s response to physical distancing

Posted on April 15, 2020 by

On Saturday April 11, during the Easter long weekend, the City of Toronto announced that a team of over 350 police officers and bylaw enforcement officers would shift from an education-based campaign of verbal and written warnings to people congregating … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Parks, Toronto, Walking | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Signs of the times

Posted on March 25, 2020 by

Electronic sign on the Don Valley Parkway I had access to a car yesterday, so I drove to a suburban supermarket to stock up on some large and bulky items we needed — things such as laundry detergent — to … Continue reading →

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A week of social distancing in Toronto

Posted on March 23, 2020 by

Ten days ago, I spent the day at City Hall and addressed the Infrastructure and Environment Committee. While I was following news of a novel coronavirus that was affecting China, Italy, and Iran, it wasn’t on my mind that day. … Continue reading →

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Some love for Ontario’s municipal flags

Posted on January 22, 2020 by

The flag of the City of Toronto, designed by Renato De Santis, is an example of a very good civic flag I was in Orillia last week, mainly to check out the new Simcoe County Lynx bus system. While there, … Continue reading →

Posted in Brampton, Design, Ontario, Toronto | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A farewell to Toronto’s CLRV streetcars

Posted on December 29, 2019 by

The CLRV streetcars were the first transit vehicles I remember riding. Though the new streetcars are larger, fully accessible, and air conditioned, I will miss the CLRVs. Continue reading →

Posted in Toronto, Transit | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments