The City of Toronto is proposing to install new cycling connections on Soho Street, Phoebe Street and Stephanie Street.

1. Welcome to the Public Drop-in Event
Soho – Phoebe – Stephanie
Cycling Connections
Thursday March 6 , 2014
4 to 9 p.m.
Alexandra Park Community Centre
105 Grange Court

2. We Want Your Input!
• We invite you to speak directly with City Staff to
discuss your questions and concerns.
• Please fill out a comment form, so that we may have a
written record of your input.
• We invite you to use the stickie notes provided to
identify specific issues which you wish to bring to our
attention on base plans or information panels.
• If you want City of Toronto Cycling news updates
•
subscribe to our ‘Cyclometer’ newsletter
•
follow TO_Cycling on twitter
•
join the “City of Toronto Cycling” facebook group
• After this meeting, project information will be posted to
toronto.ca/yellow-bicycle-lanes
Share your questions, ideas and
concerns
Montrose contra-flow bicycle lane
( between Harbord St. and Bloor St. )

3. Background
• St. George-Beverley is one of the
City’s most popular north-south
cycling routes. Cyclist counts
have indicated that almost 3,000
cyclists use this route daily.
• However, the St. George-
Beverley bicycle lanes terminate
at Queen St., and it is difficult for
cyclists to continue further south.
• Currently connecting to John St.
or Peter St. means travelling
along Queen St. West, which is
difficult for cyclists because of the
streetcar tracks.
Beverly Street looking south

4. Background
• Allowing cyclists to access John St.
and Peter St. from Beverley St.
would create a viable cycling
connection to/from south of Queen
St.
• To make this work, cyclists need
the ability to travel in both
directions along sections of
Phoebe St. and Stephanie St.
(currently one-way)
• This requires the addition of yellow
“contra-flow” bicycle lanes to allow
cyclist to travel westbound on
Phoebe St. (Beverley to Soho) and
Stephanie St. (John to Beverley)

5. Context Map

6. What are “Contra-Flow” bicycle lanes?
We are all familiar with one-way streets. They can
help make the street grid more disjointed, to keep
residential streets from carrying too much traffic.
Sometimes, however, valuable neighbourhood
connections can be made, by allowing cyclists to
travel two ways on streets which only allow for
one-way traffic for motor vehicles. Adding a one-way bicycle lane, that is for
the opposite direction of the regular traffic
lane, allows cyclists to use streets that are
quieter, instead of busy arterial roadways.
Because some cyclists want to avoid arterial
roadways, without a contra-flow bicycle
lane, they may try to ride the wrong way on
a one-way street illegally.
A contra-flow bicycle lane can add to cycling
safety, as it provides a legal option, that
keeps people travelling in different directions
separated by a centre-line.
Montrose “contra-flow” bicycle lane
Knox “contra-flow” bicycle lane

7. Types of Bikeways
Maitland Place Contra-Flow (with Sharrows)

8. Changes for Motor Vehicle
Phoebe Street
On approach to Beverley Street eastbound, the
separate left and right turn lanes would be replaced by
one shared eastbound lane. Both left and right turns
would be made from the shared lane.
Soho Street
The existing parking on the street would be maintained.
“Sharrows” (shared lane markings) would be used to
identify a connection between Queen Street and
Phoebe Street.
Stephanie Street (Beverley St. to John St.)
No parking or traffic impacts are identified
Installation of contra-flow bicycle lanes on the north side of the Phoebe St. (Soho St. to Beverley
St.) and Stephanie St. (Beverley St. to John St.) would allow these streets to function in both
directions for cyclists.
Motor vehicle access and use of these streets would not change, as the existing one-way
operation of the streets will be maintained for motorists.
Phoebe St. approaching Beverley St.

9. Stephanie St. (Optional Section)
Stephanie Street: John St. to McCaul St.
The existing motor vehicle operation can be maintained
with the installation of a contra-flow bicycle lane. This
would provide cyclists with a continuous two-way
connection between Beverley St. and McCaul St.
On-street parking is currently permitted on the north side
of Stephanie St. from John St. to McCaul St., except
between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
Introducing this optional section of the contra-flow lanes
on Stephanie St., would require that parking be prohibited
on the street.
Parking Utilization
Parking surveys have indicated that the parking on Stephanie St. is well used:
• Saturday Evening (March 1, 2014): 15 of 16 available spaces were occupied (94%)
• Sunday Morning (March 2, 2014): 14 of 16 available spaces were occupied (88%)
• Monday Morning (March 3, 2014): 13 of 16 available spaces were occupied (81%)

10. Phoebe St. Proposed Contra-flow Bicycle Lane
Existing Cross-Section
south curb north curb
Note: Road splits to two 3.55 m turn channels southbound and
northbound where Phoebe St. meets Beverley St.
Proposed Cross-Section
south curb north curb
westbound “contra-flow” bicycle laneShared travel lane with “side by side” sharrows
Phoebe Steet - Existing

11. Stephanie St. Proposed Contra-flow Bicycle Lane
Proposed Cross-Section
Beverley St. St. to McCaul St.
Shared travel lane with “side
by side” sharrows
Existing Cross-Section
Beverley St. to John St.
westbound “contra-flow”
bicycle lane
Existing Cross-Section
John St. to McCaul St.
north curbnorth curbsouth curb south curb
south curb north curb
Stephanie Street - Existing

12. City Services
Toronto Solid Waste
Toronto FireTTC
The installation of this bikeway will not affect City
Services.
Fire, EMS, Police, Solid Waste pick-up, street
sweeping and snow ploughing, and Wheel-Trans
pickups will all continue to be provided at the same
level of service as you receive now.
Toronto Emergency Services
Toronto Police

13. Soho / Peter / Queen St. Intersection
The Phoebe-Soho cycling connection
between Beverley St. and Peter St. will
require that Soho St. be incorporated into
the traffic control signal at Queen St. /
Peter St.
The modified Queen/Peter/Soho traffic
signal will function as a combined
intersection.
• No changes to roadway alignment are
proposed
• Existing crosswalks will remain
• Existing eastbound to northbound left
turn prohibition from Queen St. to
Soho St. (7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.,
Monday to Saturday) will remain
• Existing TTC stop (westbound at
Soho St.) will remain.
See separate
drawing

14. Related Study:
Richmond-Adelaide Cycle Tracks,
Including Peter and Simcoe Streets
Preliminary Recommendations
For more information go to: toronto.ca/cycling/richmond-adelaide

15. Thank You!
We Want Your Feedback
Please provide comments by March 21, 2014
A staff report outlining recommendations related to this project is planned to be submitted
to the May 14, 2014 meeting of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee.
Comment forms at the registration table
Contact
Jason Diceman
Public Consultation Coordinator
City of Toronto
Metro Hall, 19th Floor
55 John Street
Toronto, ON M5V 3C6
These materials and further updates will be posted at
www.toronto.ca/cycling/soho-phoebe-stephanie
Tel: 416-338-2830
Fax: 416-392-2974
TTY: 416-338-0889
jdicema@toronto.ca