High Park changes coming this week include new bike lanes, fewer parking spots

The first phase of the High Park Movement Strategy begins Monday, bringing dedicated bike lanes and designated pickup and drop-off areas.
Thestar.com
July 31, 2023
Megan Ogilvie

People heading to High Park this week will notice changes to its network of roads and bike lanes, parking lots and pedestrian crossing areas.

On Monday, the city will start work on the first phase of the long-awaited High Park Movement Strategy, bringing in dedicated bike lanes and designated pickup and drop-off areas while removing some public parking spaces.

The changes, which will be in place as of this Saturday, will improve how visitors “access and move around High Park,” according to a news release from the city.

The park will continue to be closed to cars on weekends and holidays, as it has been since March 2020.

The High Park Movement Strategy was launched in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, amid rising conflict about how the park can best be used in a city with a growing population. The strategy is based on research and analysis conducted by the city, including traffic and parking studies, as well as community feedback.

According to a city website, the goal of the strategy is to “improve mobility within the park, while prioritizing safety, accessibility and the park’s ecological integrity.”

A modified plan was approved by city council in May following fierce debate about the fate of vehicles in the beloved park, during which opponents called the strategy “a war on cars.”

At the time, council directed staff to continue car-free weekends and holidays. Earlier in the spring, city staff recommended closing the park to vehicles on Sundays only.

Coun. Gord Perks, whose ward includes the park, said in May that the first phases of the High Park Movement Strategy will include physical changes “so that cars and pedestrians and cyclists aren’t bumping into each other.”

As of Aug. 5, the following changes will be in place, among others:

• West Road and a southern section of Colborne Lodge Drive will be closed to car traffic.
• The main vehicle entrance will be at Parkside Drive and High Park Boulevard; it will be open Monday to Friday but closed on weekends and holidays.
• There will be dedicated bike lanes on Centre Road and Colborne Lodge Drive.
• Cars will be able to access the Children’s Garden and Spring Road parking lot at all times.
• There will be fewer public parking spaces within the park, with designated pickup and drop-off spaces added near main destinations.
• There will be improved pavement markings and signage at pedestrian crossing areas.

According to the High Park plan, further improvements will involve “permanent changes to physical infrastructure such as widened sidewalks and dedicated cycling infrastructure,” which will require “detailed design work, costing, and funding approval.”

City council will in the future debate whether to fully close High Park to car traffic.