Disappointingly, we’ve received news from the City Staff: the report on the Avenue Road Study will not be presented at the March 27th IEC meeting as we had hoped. City Staff has advised they will continue to work on the near-term plan to ensure feedback is considered before the final staff recommendations are presented at a future IEC meeting. The City’s Avenue Road study has confirmed that the current configuration of Avenue Road encourages speeding through our densely populated neighbourhood. The Study also found that the sidewalks do not meet minimum safety or accessibility standards. This postponement is concerning as no safety improvements will be made until the Avenue Road Study recommendations proceed. We contacted the local Councillors, Councillor Saxe (Ward 11), and Councillor Matlow (Ward 12), requesting their opinions on this news and they have both confirmed their ongoing support for our goals.
Councillor Saxe (Ward 11) has been very clear about her commitment to fulfilling her election promise of making Avenue Road safe for everyone. She has emphasized that the delay in implementing these plans is necessary to assess the potential impact of multiple construction projects in Ward 11 and to ensure they do not pose any safety risks. Councillor Saxe confirmed that she is currently working on rescheduling the staff report to be presented before the summer Council recess.
Councillor Matlow (Ward 12) has advised his commitment to a safer Avenue Road is unwavering. He said that between now and when staff bring recommendations to council, his office will be actively working with all stakeholders to avoid any further delays.
The City’s Avenue Road Study has been in progress for seven years. City Staff have recommended options to address the serious safety problems presented to the public. ARSC will continue to press for timely action and request that a staff report be presented to the Infrastructure and Environments Committee before the summer recess. We will keep you posted.
Safety takes priority. Options to correct the serious concerns along this stretch of Avenue Road are ready and must move forward.
