The Toronto Transit Commission is upgrading bus stops across the city to make them accessible, work that could affect homeowners whose lawns, gardens or sprinkler systems sit on the boulevard in front of their properties.
Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), the TTC is required to make transit accessible to all customers. To meet that obligation, the commission will be installing new accessible bus stops and upgrading existing ones, according to a TTC construction notice.
Why pads need to be widened
The upgrades focus on the concrete pads where riders wait and board. Existing pads often need to be widened so bus ramps can deploy fully and serve customers who use mobility devices. Where the TTC is already doing stop work, the City of Toronto may also carry out intersection improvements at the same time to reduce the amount of construction residents face down the road.
What homeowners need to know
One practical consequence for residents: items encroaching on City property, such as landscaping and decorative objects on the boulevard, must be removed by the property owner. The TTC is also encouraging anyone with an underground sprinkler system in the boulevard to contact a sprinkler installer to relocate or redirect the affected heads before work reaches their street.
Timing and disruptions
Most of the work will happen during the day, and the TTC says construction will be avoided during peak periods where possible. Some overnight and weekend shifts may be needed over the course of the project. Under City of Toronto rules, this type of work is permitted between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The TTC says it will try to keep disruption to a minimum as the upgrades continue.
Residents with questions about the work or about new or changed service routes in their neighbourhood can contact Dennis Amoakohene, the TTC's senior community liaison officer, at 416-452-5455 or dennis.amoakohene@ttc.ca.
