Why this can't wait — Ontario Line construction is coming
Metrolinx's Ontario Line is under construction across east Toronto. Pape Station — at the east end of the 400-metre unprotected stretch of Dundas East where we're asking for a crossing — is one of the active work sites. Construction will measurably increase vehicle and truck traffic on Dundas East over the next several years. The corridor that is already unsafe for pedestrians is about to get busier. We are asking the City to install a pedestrian crossing between Jones and Pape before that risk peaks, not after.
What's happening on the Ontario Line
Stations under construction
Pape Station and Gerrard Station, both within walking distance of Dundas & Dagmar, are under active construction. Each will generate construction-vehicle traffic, worker commuter traffic, and material deliveries through residential streets for years.
Tunnel and utility work
Surface utility relocations, tunnel construction support, and spoils removal all generate heavy-vehicle movements that route through arterial roads like Dundas East.
Detour and diversion traffic
Lane reductions, temporary closures, and signal retiming on adjacent streets routinely push traffic onto parallel arterials during major transit construction.
Why this changes the math for pedestrian safety
Construction-period traffic is not the same as everyday traffic. It typically includes a higher proportion of heavy trucks, drivers unfamiliar with the area, and pressure to make tight schedules. On a corridor where 32 pedestrians have already been seriously injured or killed within one kilometre, layering construction traffic over the existing risk is a foreseeable problem.
Metrolinx is required to mitigate construction impacts on adjacent communities. Pedestrian safety infrastructure on affected corridors is exactly the type of mitigation projects like this routinely fund. In some cases, temporary measures installed during construction become permanent afterward — at no cost to the municipality.
Acting before construction peaks is cheaper, faster, and safer than acting after a serious incident. The City and Metrolinx both have a window to act now. That window narrows every month.
What we're asking — two parallel tracks
To the City of Toronto
Initiate the warrant study for a Level 2 Pedestrian Crossover or Intersection Pedestrian Signal at Dundas Street East and Dagmar Avenue. Treat Ontario Line construction as a material change in conditions that justifies prioritization.
See the formal askTo Metrolinx
Include pedestrian safety mitigations on Dundas East — including funding or expediting a permanent crossing at Dundas and Dagmar — in the Ontario Line community benefits and construction mitigation scope.
How to contact MetrolinxHow to contact Metrolinx directly
Metrolinx operates a public community office for the Ontario Line. Concerns about construction impacts on adjacent streets are reviewed and logged. Email or phone the project team and include: your address, the nature of your concern (pedestrian safety on Dundas East at Dagmar Avenue during construction), and a request for mitigation measures.
Ontario Line public engagement
Pre-written email (copy and send)
Subject: Pedestrian safety on Dundas East at Dagmar Avenue during Ontario Line construction Hello Ontario Line team, I live near Dundas Street East and Dagmar Avenue in Leslieville (Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth). There is no protected pedestrian crossing on Dundas East between Jones Avenue and Pape Avenue — a stretch of roughly 400 metres of arterial road. The corridor also has a documented pedestrian safety problem: 32 pedestrians seriously injured or killed within one kilometre since 2006, including five children and five fatalities. As Ontario Line construction proceeds, traffic on this corridor will increase, including heavy vehicles and unfamiliar drivers. This is a foreseeable risk for an already-vulnerable corridor. I am asking Metrolinx to: 1. Include pedestrian safety on Dundas East at Dagmar Avenue within the Ontario Line community impact and mitigation scope. 2. Coordinate with the City of Toronto Transportation Services on the warrant study and installation of a Level 2 Pedestrian Crossover or Intersection Pedestrian Signal at this location. 3. Consider funding or expediting permanent crossing infrastructure as a construction-mitigation measure. More information about the community campaign is at dundaseast.ca. Thank you, [Your name] [Your address]
Frequently asked Metrolinx questions
Sources
Ontario Line project page
metrolinx.com/en/projects-and-programs/ontario-line
Ontario Line construction map
Search "Ontario Line community affairs" on metrolinx.com (insert real URL when verified)
Toronto Police Service KSI Open Data
Collision data used in this campaign
Toronto Vision Zero Road Safety Plan
The City's framework for eliminating traffic deaths
If you live, walk, drive, or cycle on Dundas East: this is the window. Help us reach the City and Metrolinx before construction intensifies.