Toronto police warn of delays, ask people to plan in advance due to Carnival parade

Toronto police are urging drivers to be aware of alternative routes before heading into the downtown core today as there are several large events taking place, most notably the Caribbean Carnival’s Grand Parade.

The parade, which runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will get underway at Exhibition Place.

Revelers will travel west along Lake Shore Boulevard West, south of Jameson Avenue and then continue eastbound on Lake Shore Boulevard West. Masquerade bands will return to Exhibition Place for judging via Newfoundland Road.

As a result, several roads in that immediate area will be impacted from 2 a.m. on Saturday, July 30 until 6 a.m. on Sunday, July 31.

Lake Shore Boulevard West from Strachan Avenue to Colborne Lodge Drive and Strachan Avenue southbound at Fleet Street will be fully closed, while Lake Shore Boulevard West westbound between Bathurst Street and Fort York Boulevard will be open to local traffic only. Exhibition Place’s Princes’ Gates is also closed to traffic on Saturday starting at 1:00 a.m.

Several Gardiner Expressway ramps in that vicinity will also be impacted, including the westbound ramp at Jameson Avenue, the eastbound off ramp on Jameson Avenue, and the eastbound on ramps from Jameson Avenue, Lake Shore Boulevard West at British Columbia Road, and the westbound off ramp at Dunn Ave.

The following streets will also be restricted to local traffic only: Dufferin Street, south of King Street West; Dowling Avenue, south of King Street West; Stadium Road, south of Lake Shore Boulevard West; Queens Quay West, west of Bathurst Street; Springhurst Avenue, east and west of Jameson Avenue; and Remembrance Drive.

While not restricted to vehicles, streets south of King Street West – east of Colborne Lodge and west of Bathurst Street - will be strictly enforced for parking infractions. All vehicles, including tour buses, parked illegally on Lake Shore Boulevard West (including the grassed area), Bathurst, Fleet, King, Queen, and Dufferin streets, Roncesvalles Avenue, and The Queensway will be tagged and towed on. The same applies to those parked illegally in Parkdale and on Stadium Road.

Police are advising motorists to expect delays and plan in advance.

Further, people are being asked to consider taking public transit, instead of driving downtown and to the parade.

There will also be an increased visibility of police officers throughout the city this weekend to both provide crowd/traffic management and ensure public safety, police said in a July 29 news release.

“The service will have dedicated resources in the downtown core and waterfront area in the evenings to maintain public safety and to respond quickly to any incidents,” they said.

“Residents and visitors are encouraged to approach officers with any concerns and to follow our Twitter account for the latest information: @TPSOperations.”