Gardiner to close this weekend for Spring maintenance

The Gardiner Expressway is set to shut down this weekend for its annual Spring checkup.

The highway will be CLOSED in both directions from Carlaw to the 427 starting Friday, May 13th at 11:00pm. It is not expected to reopen until Monday at 5:00am, just in time for the morning commute.

With the Toronto FC in town and a potential Raptors game planned for this weekend, this will mean significant delays for those heading downtown.

Drivers can expect Lake Shore to fill up quickly. With other alternate routes slow at the best of times, transit will definitely be the better option.

Crews shut down the Gardiner twice annually to perform routine maintenance without having to worry about traffic safety. However, the city has faced criticism in the past for failing to coordinate highway closures with major events.

New Year's Eve FREE transit guide

It's almost time to ring in 2016. If you're planning on heading out to a party on New Year's Eve, make sure you arrange a safe ride home.

Many GTA transit agencies will be offering service free of charge to help you arrive alive.

Brampton Zum

Zum is offering free service on all routes across Brampton from 7:00am until approximately 3:00am. You can download their full NYE schedule here. 

Burlington Transit

The City of Burlington will not be offering free service on New Year's Eve. Service will be extended though on select routes until 2:00am. 

Durham Transit

Durham will not be offering free trips on NYE, but will be extending service to 2:00am on select routes. Grab the full holiday schedule here.


GO Transit

GO will be offering free service after 7:00pm on all train and bus routes. Special late night trains are being added to help people get home safely.

LAKESHORE WEST

Special late-night train trips will depart Aldershot at 00:01 & 01:01
Special late-night train trips will depart Union at 00:13, 01:43 & 02:43

LAKESHORE EAST

Special late-night train trip will depart Oshawa at 00:38
Special late-night train trips will depart Union at 23:43, 00:43, 01:30 & 02:30

MILTON

Special late-night train trips will depart Milton at 20:15 & 21:15
Special late-night train trips will depart Union at 01:35 & 02:35

KITCHENER

Special late-night train trips will depart Georgetown at 20:00 & 21:00
Special late-night train trips will depart Union at 01:40 & 02:40

BARRIE

Special late-night train trips will depart Allandale at 20:05 & 21:05
Special late-night train trips will depart Union at 01:25 & 02:25

RICHMOND HILL

No special late-night train trips or bus adjustments

STOUFFVILLE

Special late-night train trip will depart Lincolnville at 20:00 & 21:00
Special late-night train trips will depart Union at 01:50 & 02:50

Hamilton Transit

HSR will be offering free service on NYE starting at 6:00pm. Buses will, however, operate on a regular weekday schedule with no extended service announced at this time. The service will operate on a Sunday schedule New Year's Day. 

Milton Transit

Milton will unfortunately not be offering free trips or extended service, instead operating on a regular weekday schedule. Those taking advantage of the additional GO Train trips should arrange a taxi or Uber to take them the rest of the way home. 

MiWay Mississauga Transit

Mississauga Transit has free service from 7:00pm to 4:00 on New Year's Eve. Extended service is being offered on several bus routes. Check their website for full details. 

Oakville Transit

Oakville Transit will be free on NYE from 7:00pm until approximately 3:30am. Buses will be available to meet the additional late night GO Train trips. 

TTC

The TTC will be offering free service from 7:00pm on New Year's Eve to 7:00am on New Year's Day.

Bus service will be extended to 4:00am on most routes.

New Year’s Eve last subway times:

• Yonge-University-Spadina: north from Union Station at 3:30 a.m.
• Bloor-Danforth: east or west from Bloor-Yonge Station at 3:37 a.m.
• Scarborough RT: east from Kennedy Station at 4:07 a.m.
• Sheppard Line: east from Sheppard-Yonge Station at 3:58 a.m.

York Region Transit / VIVA

There will be free service on the YRT on from 7:00pm to 4:00am on all routes New Year's Eve. Select routes will have extended service. Check their website for full details. 

Where to catch Santa in the GTA this Holiday Season

The Holiday Season is almost upon us. It's almost time for the big guy himself to make his annual appearance to all the good children. Here's where you can catch all the great parades around the GTA.

Toronto Santa Claus Parade
Sunday, November 15th @ 12:30pm

Parade stars at Bloor & Bathurst, travels down Avenue, and ends at Front and Wellington. If you're wanting to see Santa, public transit will be your best bet. GO Transit will be offering special trains on the Milton, Kitchener, Barrie, and Stouffville lines.

Milton Santa Claus Parade
Sunday, November 15th @ 1:30pm

Georgetown Santa Clause Parade
Saturday, November 21st, @ 5:00pm

Georgetown's night parade begins at sundown. It runs along Hwy. 7 and Sinclair Ave., proceed along Guelph St. to Mill St. along Mill St. to Charles St. to Park St. to Georgetown Fairgrounds.

Acton Santa Claus Parade
Saturday November 21st @ 1:00pm

Brampton Santa Claus Parade
Saturday, November 21st @ 5:00pm

Brampton also hosts a night parade beginning at sundown. It begins at Ken Williams and Sproule, runs along Main St, and ends at Elgin.

Mississauga Santa Claus Parade
Sunday Novermber 29th @ 1:00pm

A Streetsville tradition! The parade starts at Queen/Mississauga Road and Britannia, snakes through the historic downtown, and ends at Old Station Road.

Burlington Santa Claus Parade
Sunday, December 6th @ 2:00pm

The parade starts at Prospect & Guelph Line, continues along Guelph Line to New Street, heads
west along New Street to James Street, north on Brant street, and finishes at Brant Street and Caroline Street.

Oakville Santa Claus Parade
Saturday, November 21st @ 9:00am

The little ones will have to get up early if they want to catch Santa in downtown Oakville. The Parade starts at Chartwell Rd, runs along Cornwall/Speers, and ends at Dorval and Lakeshore.

Hamilton Santa Claus Parade
Saturday, November 21st @ 2:00pm

The Hamilton Santa Claus Parade is celebrating their 40th anniversary of #SantasInTheHammer. The parade starts at Queen and Main, runs along Main to Johm, up John to King, along King to Bay and ends at Copps Colosseum.

Oshawa Santa Claus Parade 
Saturday, November 21st @ 6:00pm

Night parades seem to be getting popular. Oshawa's begins at Gibbson St, runs along king, lopps up Centre, runs along Bong, and back to Gibbson.

Whitby Santa Claus Parade
Saturday, December 5th @ 10:00am

The parade starts at Brock and Manning, runs along Brock St, end ends at Trent.

Pickering Santa Claus Parade
Saturday, November 29th @ 10:00am

Parade starts at Vaughan Willard Public School, travels east along Glenanna, and ends at Pickering Parkway.

Ajax Santa Claus Parade
Saturday, November 28th @ 6:00pm

Another night time festival of lights. No details on the route yet.

Markham Santa Claus Parade
Saturday, November 28th @ 11:00am

The parade starts at Hwy 7 and Main, travels north along main, and ends at the Markham Museum.


Richmond Hill Santa Claus Parade
Sunday, November 22nd @ 1:30pm

The parade runs along Yonge St between Industrial Road and Hopkins.

Vaughan-Maple Santa Fest
Sunday, November 22nd @ 2:00pm

The Parade runs along Major Mackenzie from the 400 to Vaughan City Hall.

Newmarket Santa Claus Parade
Saturday, November 21st @ 11:00am

The parade starts at Lorne and Eagle, proceeds along Main, and ends at Ontario St.

Barrie Santa Claus Parade
Saturday, November 21st, 2015 @ 5:00pm

Still waiting on route details.


If I've missed anybody, shoot me a comment and I'll add it to the list.

Big on Bloor and Taste of Manilla: Weekend road closures for Aug 22-23

Summer is still sizzling this weekend here in the GTA. There's quite a few festivals this weekend that will close roads across the city.

Big on Bloor – Saturday closure 
Bloor Street from Dufferin Street to Lansdowne Avenue will be closed in both directions from Saturday, August 22 at 9 a.m. to Sunday, August 23 at 9 p.m. for Big on Bloor. College Street and St. Clair Avenue can be used by motorists travelling in this area as alternative routes.

Taste of Manila – Saturday and Sunday closures
Bathurst Street from Wilson Avenue to Laurelcrest Avenue will be closed in both directions from Saturday, August 22 at 12:01 a.m. to Sunday, August 23 at 11 p.m.

Chinatown Festival – Saturday and Sunday closures 
The southbound lanes of Spadina Avenue will be closed from St. Andrew Street to Sullivan Street from Saturday, August 22 at 12:01 a.m. to Sunday, August 23 at 11 p.m. to accommodate the Chinatown Festival. Dundas Street will be open during this time period.

CNE – August 21st to September 2nd
The Canadian National Exhibition kicks off this Friday. Roads running through the EX Grounds will be closed off to traffic for the duration of the fair. If you're planning on heading down, both the TTC and GO Train will drop you off right inside the gates.

Toronto road closures for August 15-16

It's another busy weekend in the city with lots of festivals and events going on. The Parapan Am closing ceremonies will mean some major closures in the downtown core this weekend as Toronto says goodbye to a summer of sport.

Wheels on the Danforth and Fun in the Park – Saturday closures 
Sections of Danforth Avenue and Danforth Road will be closed in both directions on Saturday, August 15 from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. to accommodate this event. Closure details:
• Danforth Avenue from Byng Avenue to Leyton Avenue
• Danforth Avenue from Leyton Avenue to Warden Avenue
• Danforth Road from Landry Avenue to Danforth Avenue

International Street Festival – Saturday and Sunday closure 
Eglinton Avenue from Dufferin Street to Marlee Avenue will be closed in both directions from Saturday, August 15 at 2 a.m. to Monday, August 17 at 2 a.m. for this street festival.

Festival of South Asia – Saturday and Sunday closure 
Gerrard Street from Glenside Avenue to Coxwell Avenue will be closed from Saturday, August 15 at 10 a.m. to Monday, August 17 at 2 a.m. for the Festival of South Asia.

Fusion of Taste – Sunday closure 
Islington Avenue from Albion Road to Wardlaw Crescent will be closed from Sunday, August 16 at 6 a.m. to Monday, August 17 at 1 a.m. to accommodate this event.

Open Streets Toronto – Sunday closure 
Bloor Street from Spadina Avenue/Road to Parliament Street and Yonge Street from Bloor Street to Queen Street will be closed on Sunday, August 16 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

During the Open Streets Toronto event, vehicles will be able to cross Bloor Street at Spadina Avenue/Road, Avenue Road, Bay Street, Ted Rogers Way, Church Street, Sherbourne Street and Parliament Street. Vehicles will be able to cross Yonge Street at College Street/Carlton Street, Gerrard Street, Dundas Street, Shuter Street and Queen Street.

Parapan Am Games Closing Ceremony – Saturday closures 
The following roads will be closed to accommodate the closing ceremony:
• Bay Street will be closed from Queen Street to Dundas Street from 4 p.m. to midnight. Local traffic only will be permitted to access the area.
• Wellington Street will be closed from Church Street to University Avenue from 5 p.m. until midnight.
• Front Street will be closed from Church Street to Parliament Street from 5 p.m. until midnight.
• James Street and Albert Street will be closed from 4 p.m. to midnight.
• University Avenue northbound will be reduced to two lanes from Queen Street to south of Armoury Street from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Toronto Weekend Road Closures for August 1-3

Toronto is turning up the heat this weekend as the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival gets underway. That of course means some road closures. Despite the long weekend and festivals, we only have one to tell you about.

Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto 
Lake Shore Boulevard will be closed in both directions between Colborne Lodge Drive and Strachan Avenue from Friday, July 31 at 11:59 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Sunday, August 2.

Have a fantastic Simcoe Day everyone!

Photo by KatieThebeau via Flickr, used under CC BY 2.0 license. 

Caribbean Jr Parade & Pan Am: Toronto Road Closures for July 18-19

The Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival returns this weekend with the Junior Parade on Saturday. Definitely a great opportunity to get out and experience the sights and smells of the islands. Plus we have several Pan Am related road closures to mess up your weekend drive.

PrideHouse TO Celebrates Street Festival – all weekend 
Church Street from Alexander Street to Dundonald Street will be closed to traffic on Friday, July 17 from 6 p.m. to Monday, July 20 at 2 a.m. for the street festival. The intersection of Church Street and Wellesley Street will remain open to traffic.

Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival – junior parade on Saturday 
A series of road closures will take place on Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate the route of the Caribbean Carnival's junior/community parade in Scarborough. The parade will begin at the rear of 30 Sewells Rd., proceed west on McLevin Avenue to Neilson Road, north on Neilson Road to Neilson Park Drive, and east on Neilson Park Drive to the entrance of Neilson Park.

Pan Am women's marathon – Saturday 
Lake Shore Boulevard in both directions from Parkside Drive to Strachan Avenue will be closed 1 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parkside Drive from Lake Shore Boulevard to High Park Boulevard will also be closed from 1 a.m. to 2 p.m. Access to Ontario Place and the Gardiner Expressway will be maintained.

One eastbound lane of Lake Shore Boulevard between Parkside Drive and Net Drive will remain open using a counterflow system (no through traffic – local access only) to provide access for businesses and residents during the closure.

There will be a full closure of roads in High Park (Colborne Lodge Drive, Centre Road, West Road, Spring Road and High Park Boulevard) from midnight to 2 p.m.

There will also be cycling detours. From 1 a.m. until 2 p.m., some sections of the Martin Goodman Trail will be closed to bicycle traffic. Signage is in place along the 2.85-kilometre detour. Detour details:
- Cyclists travelling east must exit the trail at British Columbia Road/Lake Shore Boulevard and then take the detour route north on Dufferin Street, east on Liberty Street and south on Strachan Avenue to rejoin the Martin Goodman Trail at Coronation Park.
- Cyclists travelling west must exit the trail at Remembrance Drive at New Brunswick Way and then travel west on Lake Shore Boulevard, north on Ontario Drive to Princes' Boulevard, west on Princes' Boulevard to Saskatchewan Road, proceeding west on British Columbia Road to rejoin the Martin Goodman Trail at Marilyn Bell Park.

The women's marathon race itself takes place from 7 to 11 a.m.

Pan Am 20-kilometre race walks – Sunday 
Lake Shore Boulevard in both directions from British Columbia Drive to Strachan Avenue will be closed from 1 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 for the men's and women's 20-km race walks, which take place from 7 a.m. to noon.

During the Lake Shore Boulevard closure, local access only will be available past Strachan Avenue. All drivers, including spectators driving to events, will need to show their Games event ticket for access beyond Strachan Avenue.

Cycling detours associated with this Pan Am Games competition will involve the closure of some sections of the Martin Goodman Trail to bicycle traffic from 1 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday. Signage is in place along the 2.85-km detour. Details about detours for eastbound and westbound cyclists on Sunday are the same as the details above for Saturday.

Pan Am Road closures for this week

So far the Pan Am Games have managed to disrupt and anger just about every GTA commuter, and they don't even officially start until Friday. Unfortunately, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

Here's the complete list of road closures in the City of Toronto for this week's Pan Am events.

Wednesday, July 8 and Thursday, July 9: 
Lake Shore Boulevard from Strachan Avenue to Parkside Drive will be closed from 10 to 11 a.m. to allow triathlon athletes to familiarize themselves with the course. Access to Ontario Place will remain open.

Friday, July 10: 
One lane of eastbound traffic will be closed on Lake Shore Boulevard from British Columbia Drive to Ontario Place Boulevard from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This closure is required for the construction of temporary structures (transition zone, finish gantry). The eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard between British Columbia Drive and Strachan Avenue will be closed from Friday, July 10 at 10 p.m. until Sunday, July 12 at 2 p.m. Access to Ontario Place will remain open from Remembrance Drive.

Note on cycling detour: The Martin Goodman Trail will be closed to bicycle traffic from Friday, July 10 at 10 a.m. until Sunday, July 12 at 2 p.m. Signs for detour routes are posted along the trail.

Saturday, July 11:
The eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard from Parkside Drive to Strachan Avenue (access to Ontario Place will remain open from Remembrance Drive) and the westbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard, from Parkside Drive and Dowling Avenue and from British Columbia Drive and the parking lots at Ontario Place, will be closed from 1 a.m. until 2 p.m. for the women's triathlon. Access to the Gardiner Expressway will be maintained.

The race itself will take place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. During that period, one eastbound lane of Lake Shore Boulevard from Parkside Drive to Net Drive will remain open using a counterflow system (no through traffic – local access only) to provide access for businesses and residents during this closure. The eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard between British Columbia Drive and Strachan Avenue will remain closed overnight. Access to Ontario Place will remain open from Remembrance Drive.

Sunday, July 12: 
The eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard from Parkside Drive to Strachan Avenue (access to Ontario Place will remain open from Remembrance Drive) and the westbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard, between Parkside Drive and Dowling Avenue and between British Columbia Drive and Strachan Avenue will be closed from 1 a.m. until 2 p.m. for the men's triathlon. Access to the Gardiner Expressway will be maintained.

The race itself will take place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. During that period, one eastbound lane of Lake Shore Boulevard from Parkside Drive to Net Drive will remain open using a counterflow system (no through traffic – local access only) to provide access for businesses and residents during this closure.

In addition, one eastbound lane of the Lake Shore Boulevard, between British Columbia Drive and Strachan Avenue, will remain closed until the race set-up materials can be removed.

Image by Wilson Dias via Wikipedia, used under CC 3.0 license

Food and Salsa kick off your weekend road closures for July 4-5

Sweet treats and Latin heat mean several road closures around the City this weekend.

Pan Am Games Torch Relay Community Celebration 
Bloor Street including the Prince Edward Viaduct (Bloor Street bridge) from Parliament Street to Broadview Avenue will be closed from 8 p.m. on Friday, July 3 to 5 a.m. on Sunday, July 5 for the Torch Relay Community Celebration. In addition, access to Castle Frank Road from the Don Valley Parkway and the Bayview extension ramps in both directions will not be available from 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 to 5 a.m. on Sunday, July 5.

Salsa on St. Clair 
St. Clair Avenue from Winona Drive to Christie Street will be closed in both directions from Saturday, July 4 at 8 a.m. to Sunday, July 5 at 11 p.m. for Salsa on St. Clair.

Youth Day
Yonge Street from Dundas Street to Queen Street will be closed on Sunday, July 5 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the Youth Day event.

Taste of Lawrence 
Lawrence Avenue from Warden Avenue to Birchmount Road will be closed on Friday, July 3 at 10 a.m. to Monday, July 6 at 2 a.m. for the Taste of Lawrence.

If you're thinking of taking the TTC to get to these events, be aware that there are a pair of service disruptions.

Line 3 Scarborough RT
The Scarborough RT will be closed both Saturday and Sunday for maintenance between Kennedy and McCowan. Shuttle buses will be provided, making stops at all stations.

Line 2 Bloor-Danforth Subway
There will be no service on the Bloor-Danforth Line Sunday morning between St. George and Pape for maintenance. Shuttle buses will be provided, making stops at all stations. Full service will resume at Noon.

Weekend Road Closures for June 27-28

Pride festivities happening downtown this weekend mean several road closures in and around the gay village. 

• Church Street Pride Festival, June 26 to 28 

Church Street from Carlton Street to Hayden Street will be closed from Friday, June 26 at 6 p.m. to Monday, June 29 at 6 a.m. 

• Pride and Remembrance Run, Saturday, June 27 

Wellesley Street from Jarvis Street to and including Queen's Park Circle will be closed on Saturday, June 27 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. 

• Dyke March, Saturday, June 27 

March route: Starts at Hayden Street between Yonge Street and Church Street, goes north on Church Street to Bloor Street, west on Bloor Street to Yonge Street, south on Yonge Street to Carlton Street, east on Carlton Street to Allan Gardens. Roads will be closed between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. The march is from 2 to 4 p.m. 

• Pride Parade, Sunday, June 28 

Formation area: Rosedale Valley Road from Bayview Avenue to Park Road to accommodate the formation of the parade 

Parade route: Starts at Church Street and Bloor Street East, goes west on Bloor Street East to Yonge Street, south on Yonge Street to Dundas Street and back to the festival on Church Street. Roads will be closed for varying periods between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. The parade takes place from 2 to 6:30 p.m. 

Weekend Road Closures for June 20-21

Another busy weekend in Toronto with plenty of festivals going on. That means road closures. Here's all you need to know.

Taste of Little Italy 
College Street from Bathurst Street to Shaw Street will be closed in both directions from Friday, June 19 at 6:30 p.m. to Monday, June 22 at 2 a.m.

Church Street Summer Festival 
Church Street from Wood Street to Gloucester Street will be closed from Friday, June 19 at 6 p.m. to Monday, June 22 at 2 a.m. Wellesley Street will be open to traffic.

North by Northeast Music Festival 
Yonge Street from Dundas Street to Queen Street will be closed each night from 7 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 19, Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21.

Fairbank Village BIA Multicultural Celebration 
Eglinton Avenue from Dufferin Street to Ronald Avenue will be closed from Saturday, June 20 at 2 a.m. to Monday, June 22 at 5 a.m. A number of smaller streets in this area will also be partially closed to accommodate this event.

Port Union Village Waterfront Festival 
Port Union Road (south of Lawrence Avenue) will be closed in both directions from south of Shoalhaven Drive to Bridgend Street on Saturday, June 20 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bridgend Street will be closed in both directions from Port Union Road to the east part of Vessel Crescent.

Toronto Triathlon Festival 
• The eastbound lanes of the Gardiner Expressway from the Humber River to Carlaw Avenue will be closed on Sunday, June 21 from 2 a.m. to noon. All westbound lanes of the Gardiner Expressway will remain open.
• The northbound lanes of the Don Valley Parkway from the Gardiner Expressway to Eglinton Avenue will be closed on Sunday, June 21 from 2 a.m. to noon. All southbound lanes of the Don Valley Parkway will remain open.
• One eastbound lane of Lake Shore Boulevard from Windermere Avenue to Strachan Avenue/Remembrance Drive will be closed on Sunday, June 21 from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Journey to Conquer Cancer Run/Walk 5K 
A series of road closures will take place for this event on Sunday, June 21 from 8 a.m. to noon in the area bounded by McCaul Street to the west, Bloor Street to the north, Bay Street to the east and Gerrard Street to the south.

Muchmusic Video Awards 
There will be a series of road closures in the area bounded by Richmond Street in the south, Queen Street in the north, Simcoe Street in the east and Peter Street in the west from Sunday, June 21 at 4 p.m. to Monday, June 22 at 3 a.m.

Sound of Music Festival

Brant Street closed from Caroline to Lakeshore 

Saturday, June 20, 2015 - 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Sunday, June 21, 2015 - 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

John Street from Pine Street to Lakeshore Road

Saturday, June 20, 2015 - 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Highway 400 Bridge Demolition

The 400 will be closed in both directions between Hwy 88 and Hwy 89 from 11pm Saturday to 8am Sunday for bridge demolition. Use Hwy 27 as an alternate route. 

Weekend Road Closures for June 13-14

We have another very busy festival weekend in the city, plus the Honda Indy is in town. That means plenty of road closures you'll need to avoid. Taking public transit to events will be your best bets.

Honda Indy Weekend 
Strachan Avenue between Lake Shore Boulevard and Fleet Street will be closed on Wednesday, June 10 starting at noon. Later that day, starting at 9 p.m., Lake Shore Boulevard from Strachan Avenue to British Columbia Drive will be closed. Both road closures will be in effect until Sunday, June 14 at midnight. There will be no eastbound or westbound traffic on Lake Shore Boulevard during these closures. The only available access to Ontario Place will be from Lake Shore Boulevard at the foot of Strachan Avenue. 

Ride to Conquer Cancer 
A series of lane closures will take place in the area bounded by Evans Avenue in the north, The West Mall in the west, Kipling Avenue in the east and Lake Shore Boulevard in the south on Saturday, June 13 from 6 to 10 a.m. to accommodate the Ride to Conquer Cancer. 

Highland Creek Heritage Festival and Parade 
Old Kingston Road from Watson Road to Kingston Road and Morrish Road from Kingston Road to 226 Morrish Rd. (south side) will be closed on Saturday, June 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To accommodate the parade, Lawson Road will be closed from the west side of Meadowvale Road to Old Kingston Road/Kingston Road from 10 a.m. to noon. The dispersal area for the parade will result in the closure of Watson Road between Old Kingston Road and Thomas Avenue until noon. 

Festival on Bloor 
Bloor Street between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street will be closed on Sunday, June 14 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to accommodate the Festival on Bloor event. 

Portugal Day 
Lansdowne Avenue from Bloor Street to College Street will be closed in both directions on Sunday, June 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Toronto Challenge Run 
Wellington Street from Simcoe Street to John Street will be closed in both directions on Sunday, June 14 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. There will also be a variety of road closures during the event in the area bounded by Wellington Street in the south, Spadina Avenue in the west, Wellesley Street in the north and Bay Street in the east. 

Honda Indy races into downtown this weekend

Gentlemen, start your engines. The Honda Indy is back in Toronto this weekend.

The race will take drivers along a complex road circuit through the CNE Grounds. Lake Shore Blvd is part of the track, so that means road closures for drivers of decidedly slower vehicles.

Strachan Avenue will close between Lake Shore and Fleet starting Wednesday, June 10th at noon. Lake Shore itself will close for setup at 9pm between Strachan and BC Drive.

Road closures will remain in effect until Sunday, June 10th at midnight.

If you're heading to the event, public transit will likely be your best bet. Bus and Streetcar service will drop you off right at the front gates.

Drivers heading into the downtown core can expect heavier than usual traffic on the Gardiner Expressway and in town routes like King and Queen.

Photo by Oaktree b, via Wikipedia, CC license 2.5 ca

Weekend Road closures for June 6-7

It's a sunny and very busy weekend in the city. That means plenty of road closures as summer festival season gets under way.

• Family Fun Fit, Kids of Steel Triathlon (bike race): The westbound lanes of Kingston Road from Danforth Avenue to Birchmount Road will be closed on Saturday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

• Malvern Bicycle Race: Brenyon Way from Sheppard Avenue East to Sewells Road will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 6 to accommodate this event.

• Pape Village Summerfest: Pape Avenue between Floyd Avenue and Cosburn Avenue will be closed in both directions on Saturday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

• Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest: Broadview Avenue south of Queen Street East to the north side of the public lane will be closed in both directions on Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

• Dundas West Fest: Dundas Street from Lansdowne Avenue to Roxton Road will be closed in both directions on Saturday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. College Street and Queen Street are alternative routes. 

• Maya’s March: Conlins Road from Ellesmere Road to Military Trail will be closed on Sunday, June 7 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Joker takes over Yonge for Suicide Squad filimg

The Joker is taking over Yonge Street tonight for filming of the upcoming supervillain movie Suicide Squad.

Of course the city is asking "where's Batman when you need him?"

Yonge will be shut down Tuesday evening from 7pm to 6am between Queen and College while crews shoot a high speed action scene. 

Toronto is a popular place for Hollywood directors, but Suicide Squad is one of the few films that has managed to shut down so many of the city's iconic locations. A helicopter crash and train scenes previously shut down the Financial District and parts of Union Station.

The movie "is one of the largest, if not, the largest film ever shot in Toronto,"  Toronto Film Commissioner Zaib Shaik told CBC. 

The movie stars Jared Leto as the Joker and Margo Robbie as his psychotic sidekick Harley Quinn. It is due out in treatres for the Summer of 2016. 

Source: CBC News
Photo: By Bernd Hildebrandt via PixelBay

Weekend Road Closures for May 23-24

World Partnership Walk road closures 
• Partial and full closures will affect King Street West and Simcoe Street at or near Metro Hall between 9:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, May 24 to accommodate this event. The south curb lane of King Street West is closed from 255 King St. W. to Simcoe Street. The west and centre lane of Simcoe Street will be closed and the east lane will remain open for access to the parking garage on the east side of the street.

• The formation and dispersal area for the parade will be at Metro Hall, 55 John St.

• University Avenue from Wellington Street to Queen’s Park Circle will be closed in both directions during this time.

• Yonge Street and Bay Street are alternative north-south routes.


Milton Farmer's Market

Main Street will be closed between Martin and Brown on Saturday May 23rd from 5am to 12:30pm for the weekly Farmer's Market.


Did we miss something? Drop us a line on Twitter and we'll add it ASAP.

Weekend Road Closures for Victoria Day

It's the long weekend, time to get out and celebrate, but we do have one minor road closure to tell you about.

Walk for Israel 

The Walk for Israel takes place Monday May 18th from 6am to 3pm. The roads affected are in the area bounded by Strachan Avenue to the west, Lake Shore Boulevard to the south, York Street to the east and Wellington Street to the north. Drivers are advised to use Queen, King, or Yonge as alternate routes.

Milton Farmer's Market

The Milton Farmer's Market runs Saturday May 16th. Main Street will be closed from Martin to Brown from 5am to 12:30pm. Drivers Can use Steeles Avenue or Mill Street as an alternate. This event will run every Saturday from now until Thanksgiving.

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Weekend Road Closures for May 9-10

It's another fabulous spring weekend in the City of Toronto. With marathon season officially underway, that means more road closures for drivers to contend with.

The Sporting Life 10k runs this Sunday morning, which will impact traffic through the downtown core.

• Yonge Street between Lawrence Avenue and Eglinton Avenue will be closed from 5 to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 10 to accommodate the formation area for the run. Along the route for the run, closures will occur between 8 and 11:30 a.m. at the following locations: 
• Yonge Street between Eglinton Avenue and Richmond Street
• Richmond Street between Yonge Street and Peter Street
• Peter Street/Blue Jays Way between Richmond Street and Front Street
• Westbound Front Street between Blue Jays Way and Bathurst Street
• Bathurst Street between Front Street and Fort York Boulevard
• Fort York Boulevard between Bathurst Street and Fleet Street

The city is also warning drivers to expect delays along Lake Shore Blvd and Fort York Blvd as runners arrive at Coronation Park. 

All roads are scheduled to reopen once the race finishes at 1pm. 

Goodlife Marathon brings runners, traffic headaches to downtown this weekend

Marathon season is here, which means traffic headaches for Toronto drivers this weekend. 

The Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon runs this Sunday, May 3rd. As runners lace up, roads will be shut down to accommodate the race. 

The main portion of the race will run along Yonge from Finch to Davenport, before looping through the downtown and running along Lake shore out to South Kingsway. 

The city is warning drivers to expect lane closures from 7am to 3pm in the area bounded by Bayview, South Kingsway, Finch, and Lake Shore.  

The Gardiner ramps at Spadina and Jarvis will be shut down for the remainder of the race. There will also be no access to Bayview and Bloor from the Don Valley Parkway.  

Check out the full list of closures complete with reopening times here. 

Photo by Lam Chihang via Flickr, CC licensed 

New Year's Eve travel forecast

With New Year's Eve ans 2015 upon us, we're taking a look at your travel forecast to help you get to the party safe and on time.

GTA Highways

New Year's Eve is actually one of the quietest days for traffic in the GTA. Historically, I've seen little to no volume on the major routes. Even the DVP is usually as dead as a funeral home freezer. Which isn't too surprising given that many people take the day off, nor will they be driving themselves to parties. 

I'm not expecting things to be any different this year. One exception will by the Gardiner Expressway. Due to lane restrictions, you can expect delays around the Humber River. Lakeshore Blvd. is usually the best alternate.

One area of minor concern is the weather. There's about a 40% chance of snow showers through the day. Weather Underground expects less than 2cm. Just enough to make roads slippery. Temperatures will be cold, so this stuff will stick around. Plan for extra travel time, just in case.

Also a reminder that RIDE checks will be out. Police are talking a zero tolerance approach to impaired driving. You can be served a roadside suspension with just .05 blood alcohol. Make sure to arrange an alternate way home or appoint a designated driver. Do it before you head out to avoid any headaches, beyond your own hangover.

In-town routes

Expect in-town routes to be typically busy throughout the day as people head out to grab last minute party supplies. Areas around liquor and grocery stores will be busier than usual. Collisions tend to be an issue in these spots as well, as panicked shoppers won't be paying full attention.

We do have one major road closure. Bay will be shut down from Queen to Dundas from roughly 8pm December 31st to 12:30am on Jaunuary 1st. This is for New Year's festivities at Nathan Phillips Square. Expect a slow drive through the area. If you're going to this event, transit will be your best bet. 

Transit 

Expect a quieter ride to and from work, but things will get busy come the evening. Many people are opting for public transit as a safe and convenient ride. 

MiWay, YRT, TTC, and GO Transit will all be offering FREE service New Year's Eve. TTC is also adding extended service on the subway until 4am. Most other GTA transit services are offering additional trips. Check with your local service for more information.

Taxi, car rental, and ride sharing

If you haven't booked your limo or rental car yet, you're probably out of luck. 

Taxi and ride sharing services will be stretched to capacity. Expect extended wait times for a cab. Uber will likely be implementing surge pricing as well.

Flights

If you're heading to Pearson or Billy Bishop this New Year's Eve, I'm not expecting any delays. While snow showers are in the forecast, they shouldn't affect flight operations. It's always a good idea to call ahead or check online to see if your flight is delayed. 

Hotels

Most hotels (at least the ones without cockroaches and bedbugs) will already be booked solid. If you haven't gotten a room yet, you're probably out of luck. Make sure to arrange a safe ride home, or crash on a friend's couch if you have to. Just don't drink and drive. 

Photo by "Seshuan" via Wikipedia