Thousands of motorists are again able to make a left turn on to a key midtown Toronto side street, after city council reversed a ban put in place last year.
Nearly 3,000 cars used to make the turn from Davenport Road southbound to Belmont Street each day to connect to Yonge Street or Rosedale Valley Road. But in a close vote last summer, councillor Kyle Rae managed to push through the ban to placate Belmont Street residents. The prohibition on left-hand turns was removed last week.
The total cost to the city was nearly $25,000 to change the signage and left-hand turn lane markings on Davenport, first when the ban was put in place, and then when it removed the prohibition.
Kristyn Wong-Tam, who replaced Mr. Rae as councillor in his downtown ward when he did not seek re-election, was instrumental in reversing the ban. "I discovered there was a lot of unhappiness in the neighbourhood," she said.
A city transportation services report last year recommended against the left-turn prohibition. A follow-up report this spring observed that the ban increased traffic sharply on two nearby side streets and led to more safety concerns. Local residents complained about "right-of-way confusion, delays and aggressive driving," the report stated.
City council overturned the ban in May and recently motorists were again allowed to make left-hand turns. Two local business and resident associations supported the change, said Ms. Wong-Tam, who suggested there was not enough consultation when the ban was implemented. "I don't think it was well thought out at the beginning. During peak hours, we need to allow people to go where they need to go," she said.
As a compromise, left-hand turns are not allowed from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Special to The Globe and Mail