Road Safety Calls to Action

Community Bikeways and Friends and Families for Safe Streets (FFSS) are the lead organizers of a coalition of 15 Toronto-based community groups* that pushed during the 2022 municipal election for council candidates to commit to three concise, measurable road safety calls to action.

Of the 40+ candidates who committed to our calls to action, 12 were elected to city council. As part of our campaign, we also held a Light up Toronto for Safe Streets rally on Yonge Street.

We will continue to monitor and push for action on these commitments during the 2022-2026 term of council, while pushing for additional commitments, including during by-elections such as the June 2023 mayoral race. 

Toronto City Council Candidate Calls to Action

Reducing speed, saving lives

1.  Reduce posted speed limits to 30 km/h (residential roads) and 40 km/h (arterial roads) by 2024 across the city, as is already in place in much of the central city, with higher speed exceptions to be justified based on an articulated road safety rationale; 

Investing in our safety

2. Increase annual capital funding for the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan in 2023 to at least $75 million (from $24 million in 2022), and reassign staff, as needed, focusing on road re-design that induces lower speed and reduces danger to pedestrians, cyclists, and persons with disabilities, consistent with Toronto’s Vision Zero 2.0, which prioritizes “human life...over all other objectives within all aspects of the transportation system;” and

Righting the space imbalance on public roads (and supporting climate action)

3.  Re-allocate public road space from motor vehicles consistent with Toronto’s Complete Streets Guidelines, and require that all capital investments in road projects measurably advance the TransformTO climate goal of converting 75% of all trips under 5 km to walking, cycling, and transit. To further these goals, fully implement the Near-Term Bike Plan and, by 2026, expand and complete to the city boundary, bike lanes into North York, Etobicoke, and Scarborough on Yonge St. and Bloor-Danforth-Kingston Rd.

For questions or for explanatory notes, email us at: community.bikeways.toronto@gmail.com or visit www.communitybikewaysTO.ca.

*Women's Cycling Network, Walk Toronto, Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition, Toronto East End Climate Collective, Toronto East Cyclists, ttcriders, Yonge4All, SAFE PARKSIDE, Scarborough Environmental Association, Ride Fair, Friends and Families for Safe Streets, Doctors for Safe Cycling, ClimateFast, Bells on Kingston, and Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists.