Part of Toronto will soon be transformed into a 'Dutch-style' intersection. Here's what that means

A major intersection in downtown Toronto is getting a complete makeover into a first-of-its-kind design for the city.

As part of the street improvements coming to Bloor Street West from Avenue Road and Spadina Avenue, the Bloor and St. George streets intersection near the University of Toronto is set turn into a protected intersection by the summer of 2024.

This type of intersection, also known as a Dutch-style intersection, prioritizes the safety of cyclists as they are designed in a way to keep bicycles separated from cars until they all converge at the intersection.

In a presentation to the public earlier this month, city officials said this will impart a “high degree of comfort and safety for all ages and abilities.”

Cyclists will be given their own dedicated path through this intersection, and pedestrians will have a shorter – and “safer” – distance to cross through.

In a video rendering of the Bloor Street reconstruction, the new intersection will have dedicated bike signals, corner protection islands, wide crosswalks and designated right-turn lanes for vehicles.

According to the city, protected intersections cut the chances of motorists performing high-speed turns, improve sightlines among all road users, and reduces the time cyclists and pedestrians have on the road which could cause “conflict” with vehicles.

Outside of the protected intersection, the city is also working on improving bike lanes in the area, as well as adding new TTC bus stops and a fleet of green infrastructure.

City officials say construction is set to end by next summer, with most of the work finished by the end of 2023.

There will be no parking within the construction zones, as well as on-street parking within road closed signs, during this time, the city noted. 

- With files from CP24's Aisling Murphy