Walking is part of almost every neighbourhood trip.
A student may walk to school.
A senior may walk to a bus stop.
A resident using Line 6 Finch West may need to cross a major road before reaching the platform.
For people using wheelchairs, mobility devices or strollers, the condition and design of that walking route can determine whether a trip feels practical and accessible.
In and around Ward 7, several streets, school routes and transit connections have already been identified in City planning work as places where pedestrian safety and connectivity deserve continued attention.
The important question is not simply whether a crosswalk exists.
It is:
Can residents reach schools, transit stops and community destinations safely, directly and comfortably?
Jane Street Remains an Important Pedestrian Corridor
Jane Street is one of the area’s most important north-south transportation routes.
It is also a wide arterial road carrying significant vehicle and transit traffic.
The City’s Jane Finch Mobility and Transit Integration Strategy identified pedestrian crossing conditions along Jane Street as an area requiring attention.
The study noted that some people travelling to and from TTC stops had to travel a considerable distance to find a protected crossing.
At the time of the study, three bus stops along Jane Street were identified as not having a nearby safe pedestrian crossing, creating the possibility that riders would cross mid-block rather than walk to a signalized intersection.
The strategy recommended establishing appropriate spacing between signalized pedestrian crossings on Jane Street and ensuring that apartment clusters, important destinations, side streets and TTC stops have safe crossings nearby where feasible.
Because transit infrastructure and bus-stop arrangements have changed since that study, individual locations should be checked against current conditions before describing them as unresolved.
Jane Street and Finch Avenue West
The Jane and Finch intersection is one of the area’s most significant pedestrian and transit connections.
The City’s planning study documented the difficulty created by wide arterial crossings and noted that crossing distances at major intersections in the study area could exceed 30 metres under previous street configurations.
Line 6 Finch West has since significantly changed Finch Avenue West.
That means the appropriate question today is not whether the intersection looks exactly as it did when the earlier study was completed.
Residents should instead watch how the current design performs for:
People transferring between transit services
Pedestrians reaching Line 6 platforms
Seniors
People using mobility devices
Students
Residents carrying groceries or travelling with children
Long waits for pedestrian signals can create frustration and may encourage unsafe crossing behaviour.
The City’s strategy therefore recommended reviewing pedestrian signal timing along Finch Avenue West and coordinating crossing times with rapid-transit operations.
Transit Stops Need Safe Routes on Both Sides of the Street
A bus stop is only useful if residents can safely reach it.
Pedestrian safety therefore has to include the route to and from transit.
For every major stop, useful questions include:
Is there a protected crossing nearby?
How far does someone need to walk to reach it?
Can a person using a mobility device reach the stop?
Is the sidewalk continuous?
Is there enough space around the shelter?
Does someone exiting a bus have a safe route to the opposite side of the road?
Are pedestrians being encouraged to cross mid-block because the protected crossing is too far away?
The City’s Jane Finch study specifically connected pedestrian improvements with access to TTC routes and rapid transit.
School Routes Deserve Particular Attention
School areas create different pedestrian conditions from ordinary streets.
Large numbers of children may arrive within a short period in the morning and leave around the same time in the afternoon.
At the same time, vehicles may be entering school parking areas, parents may be dropping off children and TTC buses may be travelling through the same streets.
The City’s Jane Finch mobility strategy identified a group of schools where adjacent roads could potentially benefit from additional traffic-calming or pedestrian-safety measures, subject to further analysis and the City’s traffic-calming requirements.
Those recommendations provide several specific locations residents can continue watching.
Westview Centennial Secondary School
The City identified several potential pedestrian improvements around Westview Centennial Secondary School.
The planning strategy called for exploring:
Crossing improvements on Oakdale Road near the schoolyard and athletic area
Traffic-calming measures on Oakdale Road
Intersection crossing improvements around Firgrove Crescent
Potential improvements to pedestrian access associated with the school site
Pedestrian conditions around Westview have been studied before.
In 2020, Transportation Services found that a pedestrian crossover on Oakdale Road approximately 500 metres south of Finch Avenue West met the City’s technical warrants and said the crossing would improve safety for students accessing Westview Centennial Secondary School.
That history shows why current conditions should be evaluated rather than relying only on a general statement that a school route is safe or unsafe.
Firgrove Public School Area
The City’s planning strategy also identified potential crossing improvements around Firgrove Public School.
Two locations were specifically listed:
Firgrove Crescent and Petiole Road
Firgrove Crescent and Picaro Drive
The City described these as locations where crossing improvements should be explored.
For residents, useful observations would include whether drivers yield, whether sight lines are clear and whether children have a direct protected route to school.
Gosford Public School
Around Gosford Public School, the City identified Gosford Boulevard and Artech Court as a location where a crossing improvement could help create a safer connection to the school.
The strategy also raised the possibility of traffic-calming and cycling measures around Gosford Boulevard.
This is an example of why pedestrian safety should consider the entire school route rather than only the school’s front entrance.
Driftwood Public School
The City also identified pedestrian improvements around Driftwood Public School.
The planning strategy recommended exploring:
Crossing improvements along Driftwood Avenue
and
Crossing improvements at Laskay Crescent in front of the school.
Driftwood Avenue is also an important neighbourhood route serving residents, schools and transit connections.
Changes here therefore affect more than school traffic alone.
Brookview Middle School
For Brookview Middle School, the strategy identified:
Potential improvements around Driftwood Avenue and Driftwood Court
and
an existing informal pedestrian route off Driftwood Avenue that could be examined for a more formal connection.
Informal paths can be particularly useful evidence.
When many residents repeatedly choose the same shortcut, it may show that the formal pedestrian network does not provide the most direct route to their destination.
That does not automatically mean the informal route can safely or legally become a permanent walkway.
But it can justify examining why people are using it.
Yorkwoods Public School
The City identified Yorkwoods Gate near Yorkwoods Public School as another place where pedestrian visibility could be improved.
The strategy recommended exploring crossing improvements near the school and additional school-related signage.
Visibility is particularly important around schools because young pedestrians may be harder for drivers to see when vehicles, landscaping or other objects obstruct sight lines.
Oakdale Park Middle School
The City strategy also identified the crossing on Grandravine Drive near Oakdale Park Middle School for potential improvements.
Recommendations included examining the existing crosswalk for better visibility and considering additional traffic-calming and school signage.
Residents observing this area can document what happens during actual school arrival and dismissal times rather than judging the location only during quieter periods.
Topcliff Public School
Around Topcliff Public School, the City recommended exploring a potential raised crossing on Topcliff Avenue and an in-road speed-management measure if feasible.
Raised crossings and other traffic-calming measures are intended to change how drivers approach pedestrian areas, but any installation depends on engineering review and City requirements.
Other School Locations Identified for Study
The Jane Finch strategy also identified additional schools whose surrounding roads could benefit from further safety review, subject to the City’s requirements.
Those included:
Stanley Public School
Blacksmith Public School
and other schools throughout the Jane Finch study area.
The strategy specifically mentioned Ricklan Road and Stanley Road near Stanley Public School and Blacksmith Crescent near Blacksmith Public School as potential crossing-improvement locations.
Because the Jane Finch planning study covers areas beyond Ward 7 as well as within it, current ward boundaries should be checked before describing every location in the study as a Ward 7 site.
School Safety Is a Current Citywide Priority
Toronto continues to operate its Vision Zero School Safety Zone program.
As of September 2026, the City reported more than 660 School Safety Zones and more than 950 trained school crossing guards across Toronto.
School Safety Zones can include measures such as:
Flashing school-zone signs
Watch Your Speed displays
Pavement markings
Zebra crosswalk markings
Other measures intended to make school areas more visible to drivers.
These measures do not mean residents should stop reporting new problems.
Conditions can change as traffic patterns, development and transit services change.
Residents Can Request a School-Zone Safety Review
If residents observe an ongoing safety problem near a school, Toronto allows them to request a school-zone safety review through 311.
Eligible concerns can include:
Pedestrian crossing problems
Parent drop-off and pick-up conditions
Traffic congestion
Illegal parking near a school
Vehicles blocking driveways
Other traffic-flow or signage concerns affecting student safety.
After reviewing the location, Transportation Services can determine whether changes are warranted.
Some measures may require Council approval.
What Should Residents Document?
Pedestrian-safety reports become more useful when they identify a specific condition.
Instead of:
“This street is dangerous.”
Document:
Exact intersection or crossing
School or transit stop nearby
Time of day
Direction pedestrians are travelling
Whether the problem happens during school arrival or dismissal
Whether vehicles fail to yield
Whether sight lines are blocked
Whether people regularly cross outside the marked crossing
Distance to the nearest protected crossing
Accessibility problems
Photos or video when it is safe and appropriate to collect them
Several observations over different days can provide a clearer picture than one isolated experience.
Transit and School Routes Should Be Looked at Together
A student may leave school and immediately walk to a TTC stop.
A parent may use transit while travelling with a child.
A senior may use the same crossing that students use every morning.
Pedestrian infrastructure therefore should not be divided into separate “school” and “transit” problems when the same route serves both.
The strongest safety review looks at the full journey:
School or home → sidewalk → crossing → transit stop → destination
If one part of that chain is difficult to use, the entire trip can become less accessible.
What Should Ward 7 Watch Next?
Based on documented City planning work, several types of locations deserve continued monitoring:
Jane Street crossings near transit stops
Pedestrian access to Line 6 Finch West
School routes along Oakdale Road
Firgrove Crescent school crossings
Driftwood Avenue school and transit connections
Yorkwoods Gate
Gosford Boulevard and Artech Court
Grandravine Drive near school routes
The City’s earlier recommendations do not prove that every issue remains unchanged in September 2026.
Some infrastructure has already changed, and other improvements may have been implemented since the studies were prepared.
For Toronto Everyday, the most reliable approach is therefore:
Start with the documented City recommendation.
Check the location today.
Ask residents what they experience.
Check current Vision Zero, Transportation Services and TTC records.
Then report what has changed and what remains unresolved.
The Goal Is a Safer Complete Journey
Pedestrian safety cannot be measured only by whether a painted crosswalk exists.
A useful route should allow residents to reach schools, transit, housing, shops and community services without unnecessary barriers.
The questions that matter are practical:
Is the crossing easy to see?
Do drivers have enough time to react?
Does the pedestrian have enough time to cross?
Is the protected crossing close to where people actually need it?
Can children, seniors and people with disabilities use the route comfortably?
Does the route connect safely to transit?
Those questions provide a clearer basis for identifying where pedestrian improvements may still be needed.
Toronto Everyday will continue following pedestrian safety, school routes, transit access and road-safety projects affecting Ward 7 residents.
Have you noticed a school crossing, transit stop or walking route where current conditions deserve a closer look? Document the exact location and current conditions before reporting it through the appropriate City service.
Source: Toronto Everyday News (https://www.facebook.com/torontoeverydayupdate)