Starting August 5, the park will undergo improvements to make it easier for visitors to access and move around. The changes include creating car-free zones on West Road and parts of Colborne Lodge Drive, south of Grenadier Café. The main entrance for vehicles will be moved to Parkside Drive and High Park Boulevard, open on weekdays but closed on weekends and holidays. The entrance at Bloor Street West will no longer allow visitor vehicles.
There still will be access to areas of the park by vehicle, such as the Children’s Garden, Colborne Lodge Drive, and the Spring Road Parking lot, which will remain open at all times.
To accommodate the reduced parking spaces due to the improvements, designated pick-up and drop-off areas will be created near the main destinations.
Dedicated bike lanes will be introduced on Centre Road and Colborne Lodge Drive. These bike lanes are part of the effort to encourage and promote alternative, eco-friendly modes of transportation.
Councilor Gord Perks, comments as reported in https://streetsoftoronto.com/ who proposed the successful motion, said, at the time of the city council approval, that it will take several years to achieve a completely car-free park.
“I am grateful to Toronto residents and visitors who took part in the City’s extensive public consultations on the High Park Movement Strategy. While there is still a great deal of work, we must do, this is an important step in the right direction,” said Perks. “Working to achieve a car-free High Park aligns with the City’s commitments to Vision Zero, improved urban design and achieving our climate change goals.”
