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.

Plane makes emergency landing New Jersey highway

A skydiving plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a New Jersey highway Sunday.

The incident caught on highway traffic cameras shows a small white plane attempting to land on the highway in Stafford County.

It narrowly missed several cars before coming to a rest in the grassy median.

Reports indicate that it lost power during flight.

Several skydiving students were on board the plane at the time. Only one person suffered minor injuries.

Source: The Telegraph

Now legal in Tennessee to break into cars to save hot pets

Many people still aren't getting the message about leaving their pets alone in their vehicles.

In the summer sun, a car's interior can soar in a matter of minutes. Even with the windows cracked, this can quickly become a death sentence for your furry friends.

The State of Tennessee is now fighting back by allowing residents to break into cars to rescue trapped animals.

“If you act reasonably, as any reasonable person would respond, you will not be at fault to save a life. You will not be at any fault to save a life and/or animals,” Nashville Fire Department Chief of Staff Mike Franklin told ABC. 

In many states, Good Samaritans can still be charged with break and entre for attempting to rescue pets. 

A Desert Storm veteran in Georgia faced prosecution back in May after breaking a woman's window to save her dog. The changes have since been drop.

16 US states currently prohibit leaving animals unattended in vehicles. 

Source: TIME

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