Thanks to everyone who attended the open house on March 23. The meeting was part of the provincially-mandated Environmental Assessment process, whose main purpose is to report on the environmental impact of permanently keeping Roncesvalles a two-lane road. This is how Roncesvalles presently functions, except for weekday mornings, when west-side parking is prohibited and Roncesvalles becomes a three-lane road. Likely because of this fact, City staff reported that there would be little to no environmental impact if this arrangement was made permanent. (View all EA materials here)

Once the EA is completed, the City will have the authority to consider various design options, such as making the parking lanes permanent, widening the sidewalk, adding bike lanes, or any other design treatment based on a two-lane street. At the meeting, City and TTC staff presented three design concepts that will serve as the starting point for the formal design and public consultation process, expected to begin this summer or early fall (more on this in an upcoming post).

By permanently keeping Roncesvalles as a two-way street, it will become impossible for the City to open the street up to four lanes of car traffic.  The BIA believes Roncesvalles is a destination, not a thoroughfare, so it strongly supports this decision. However, others may be concerned at the potential loss to motorists who drive through our neighborhood.

What do you think? Should Roncesvalles remain a two-lane road, or should the City retain the ability to expand car traffic in the future? Please fill out an EA comment form, and let the City know! Comment forms can be FAXed to (416) 392-2974, or you may email the  Public Consultation Unit (c/o Christine Paglialunga) at cpaglia@toronto.ca.