Port Lands Road Design

Following the retainer agreement entered in 2015 to support the due diligence process for the $1.25 billion Port Lands Street project, WSP advanced the street design by 10% and designed a precinct-wide stormwater management approach featuring extensive green infrastructure elements. Subsequently, when Waterfront Toronto retained us to complete the detailed design of New Cherry Street, Commissioners Street and Don Roadway in 2017, we designed Port Lands streets to accommodate exceptionally high pedestrian and cyclist movement resulting from high-density development, recreational use and tourism attractions along the waterfront.

Driven by future-ready thinking, we ensured all streets feature wide sidewalks, cycle tracks, streetscaping and green infrastructure elements. New Cherry Street and Commissioners Street also reserve space for future streetcar service in a dedicated transit right-of-way. We applied low-impact development (LID) techniques throughout the project to capture and divert stormwater to expansive green spaces within the road right-of-way, including treed boulevards and planters. We also made sure the design captures our understanding of the important role streets play as ecological corridors and major migration paths for birds.

Transforming an existing industrial area to a vibrant mixed-use community space requires a meticulous design approach. While the project aims to promote an exceptional proportion of non-automotive trips, existing uses within the area include significant volumes of large truck activity. For this reason, we applied Complete Streets and Vision Zero principles throughout the design process to accommodate large vehicles where necessary while prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists and transit operations.

To expedite the design process and maintain an optimized pace with ongoing construction activities, we engaged the client and stakeholders to discuss and resolve design issues before formal design submissions. Moreover, to reduce traffic delay and keep pedestrians and cyclists safe, we applied protected intersection design elements to guide cyclists through the junctions and developed an approach to traffic signal operations.

Upon completion, the Port Lands will be a dense urban community with numerous intersections with transit, cycling and motor vehicle intersections designed to deliver an enhanced user experience for all users. In addition, it will encompass green medians and Bioretention planters to help manage stormwater, beautify the street and provide nature-positive benefits for wildlife species, including migratory birds and important pollinators.

The three streets will provide greater space to pedestrians, cyclists, transit and green infrastructure than a typical urban street. And in doing so, walking, cycling and using public transit will be highly attractive mobility options, resulting in lower dependence on private automobiles and helping shape a greener and more sustainable community.