Parkdale-High Park Councillor Bill Saundercook's annual Community Environment Day

Parkdale-High Park Councillor Bill Saundercook's annual Community Environment Day takes place this Saturday, June 19 in a new location: Etienne Brule Park, east of the Humber River from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Do your part to create a cleaner, greener and more livable Toronto. Bring used or unwanted household items to the Community Environment Day. Items available for purchase include: backyard composter ($15), green bin ($18), kitchen container ($5), indoor water efficiency kit ($10) and rain barrel ($85).

full article at insidetoronto.com

Pedestrian traffic issues spur our councillor

[caption id="attachment_5910" align="aligncenter" width="492" caption="Our Coun. Bill Saundercook speaking thoughfully and concerned about the current pedestrian traffic deaths"][/caption]

from the CTV site article

Regular readers of this blog will have noted thus authors great interest in public and pedestrian space in the Junction. So it is with almost glee that the issue of pedestrian safety and by associatation pedestrian rights to the public travel routes realm has come to the forefront across the city by our local  councillor.

Disclosure: Coun. Bill Saundercook is the chair of the Junction Forum for Arts and Culture which I - the author of this post am a board member of.

from the CTV site article

Parking meter removed today in relation to new High Park traffic lights

Park link employees remove the  Parking meter today in front of the chocolate shop. Speaking to a few business  owners near the intersection, it is clear they like the lights.

The only change some would like is the placement back in use of a couple of the parking spots on the north side  to slow traffic - some of which uses the most north lane as a passing lane when exiting the lights.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dundas High Park Ave traffic lights

[caption id="attachment_5390" align="aligncenter" width="473" caption="Pascal Abboud chair of the Junction BIA with Councillor Bill Saundercook and Martin Lennox of the JRA cutting the ribbon"][/caption]

The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new traffic lights at was held today at lights with Councillor Bill Saundercook and Martin Lennox of the Junction Residents Association along with Pascal Abboud chair of the Junction BIA cutting the ribbon.

Of note in the new lights enlivened intersection our the are the zebra strips painted on the roadway in the pedestrian crossing area. When speaking to one the City of Toronto raffic light designers at the ceremony the blog was told that one of the occurring issues at "T" intersections is the need for left turning cars drivers to be aware of   pedestrians crossing the roadway.

Take a cross at the intersection now and get a feel of how the lights have knitted the intersection further into the Dundas st west streetscape.

While the blog has been promoting   this event for a while now, everyone should know that Bea Mozdzanowski Constituency Assistant to Mr  Saundercook, has kept the blog and  this author up to date on the city timeline for the lights arranging a multiple of necessary items for the event to happen.

The Dundas St W and High Park Ave intersection are working - turned on about 11:15am

[caption id="attachment_5366" align="aligncenter" width="473" caption="The lights in the final testing stage minutes before being turned on"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5367" align="aligncenter" width="473" caption="The 1st cars enter the now working intersection"][/caption]

The lights are working now  and right away people have started to use them to cross Dundas St West, and by standing around It could see that they were using them to move between the retail stores on the north and south sides of Dundas St West with much greater ease.

Before the traffic lights were working -  to cross safely people had to cross at Pacific Ave. or Clendenan Avenue Ave., 1 block to the east and two blocks to the west.  An action that reduced the flow  of pedestrian traffic acrros  Dundas St. and probably reduced the sales for many merchants.

While these lights were motioned and brought into reality at city council by the local Councillor, they are also the result of many requests and a need expressed by business and members of the community, so come and make some requests to Councillor Bill Saundercook.

Why should you come to the ceremony? The lights are an new important element to the street scape and usability of the Junction retail strip. Part of the function of your attending the opening will communicate to the Councillor and the city transportation services that not only do you appreciate their efforts - but that the Junction community wants more efforts expended by the city on the The Junction.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony, in celebration of the installation of the traffic lights, to be held on Oct 14th ‘09 at 8:30 am at the corner of Dundas St W and High Park Ave.:

Dundas Street West and High Park Avenue traffic lights will be turned on Oct 8th at 10am

The traffic control signals at the intersection of Dundas Street West and High Park Avenue (PX2207) are scheduled to be activated next Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 10:00 am.

A community startup ceremony will be held a few days later and the date will be posted here in few days.

High Park and Dundas St West traffic lights going in now

...has started today in earnest with Beacon contracting on site cutting the concrete for installation of the poles and the laying of the wire.  YEA this is going to be great - you will be able to cross at High Park and Dundas St West with safety and ease.

[caption id="attachment_5023" align="aligncenter" width="473" caption="removing sidewalk segments for wires and poles (which will be replaced)"][/caption]

BACKGROUND information from city staff reports
At the request of Councillor Bill Saundercook, Ward 13, Parkdale–High Park, on behalf of area residents, Transportation Services staff investigated the feasibility of installing traffic control signals at this intersection.
...city staff COMMENTS
Dundas Street West is classified as a major arterial roadway with a speed limit of
50 km/h. High Park Avenue is a local roadway operating northbound and southbound with a speed limit of 40 km/h. The TTC operates transit service on both Dundas Street West and High Park Avenue.