City of Toronto staff are scaling back their initial plans for transit-priority lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin streets and are recommending ending both at Bloor Street West versus Eglinton Avenue West.The recommendation, contained in a report going to the City’s executive committee on July 16, came amid strong arguments from transit advocates who wanted to see quicker bus services and from several businesses and residents who are concerned about the loss of parking and traffic congestion.In mid-2024, Toronto city council directed staff to consider making changes to Bathurst Street and Dufferin Street in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup games being held at BMO Field. Officials said to get the core southern segment in time for the World Cup and to conduct further study on the segments north of Bloor Street West, the implementation should be split.“The segment between St. Clair Avenue West and Eglinton Avenue West is currently facing significant neighbourhood infiltration due to its proximity to Allen Road, particularly affecting the Humewood-Cedarvale, Oakwood Village, Forest Hill South and Forest Hill North neighbourhoods,” staff wrote, noting travel patterns will shift when Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown opens and when other transportation studies are done.City staff said they’ll provide quarterly updates on various data points every three months for two years after installation.If ultimately approved by the executive committee and ultimately council, staff said the $8-million initiative should be largely finished by late 2025 or early 2026.City of Toronto staff’s proposed changes to Bathurst StreetCity staff recommended streetcar-priority lanes between Bathurst Station just north of Bloor Street West and Lake Shore Boulevard West except between Dundas Street West and Nassau Street due to construction at Toronto Western Hospital.There would be no-stopping regulations throughout the affected segment and new turning restrictions would be put in place at certain areas.According to the report, the TTC’s 511 Bathurst Streetcar currently moves more than 15,000 riders a day. During the morning and afternoon rush hours, the average speed of travel was reported to be 9 km/h. Under the new configuration, staff estimated streetcar trip times would drop by around 13 per cent, resulting in greater reliability, while private vehicle travel times were expected to go up by approximately two minutes for a trip along the corridor.Related:Should there be transit-priority lanes on Bathurst Street? City of Toronto begins consultationThe changes would also see 277 parking spaces removed along with 21 pay-and-display machines. Officials said the affected spots were used 10 to 39 per cent of the maximum allowable time and work is underway to find new paid-parking spots where GreenP spots are being removed. The municipality is expected to lose $218,000 in revenue on an annual basis.Officials said they received more than 10,000 survey responses on the proposed modifications.“Generally, a majority of participants agreed with the need to prioritize moving people by transit and supported improving transit reliability and travel time,” the report said.“In the segments north of Bloor Street West, concerns were raised by both residents and businesses about the impact of priority bus lanes … in the segments south of Bloor Street West, residents also raised concerns about traffic infiltration and limited availability of on-street parking in residential areas.”Proposed changes to Dufferin StreetDubbed by City of Toronto staff as “one of the slowest and most crowded TTC bus routes,” it was proposed that the north and south curb lanes of Dufferin Street between Bloor Street West and King Street West be designated for transit and bikes. A small portion of the southbound centre lane just north of the Dufferin Gate Loop would be only for transit. New or modified turn restrictions would be put in place at certain spots on the corridor as would new advance-left-turn signals. If the lanes go in, staff said traffic signal timings would be updated.Staff said more than 40,000 passengers ride the 29 Dufferin and 929 Dufferin Express buses every day. During the morning and afternoon rush hours, officials said the average speed of travel was 14 km/h and it takes 65 per cent longer on the bus versus travelling the same distance by car.Under the new plan, staff said there should be a 14-per-cent bus reliability improvement and trip times during rush hours could drop by 29 per cent (or five minutes end to end). The report said vehicle drivers could see a one-to-two-minute increase in the same corridor. Related:‘We will close’: Bathurst Street business owners say changes could hurt bottom linesThe changes would also see 75 parking spaces removed along with 10 pay-and-display machines. Officials said the affected spots were used 24 to 44 per cent of the maximum allowable time and work is underway to find new paid-parking spots where GreenP spots are being removed. The municipality is expected to lose $92,000 in revenue on an annual basis. Also, 128 permit parking spaces between Dundas Street West and Peel were also set to be removed.Revised areas and timing for stopping and loading zones for businesses were included in the recommendations.Officials said they received more than 5,800 survey responses on the proposed modifications.“Overall, there was strong support for prioritizing transit along Dufferin Street, including making better use of curbside lanes and introducing priority bus lanes to facilitate the movement of large crowds during major events. People liked that the proposed design would help improve reliability and travel time for those taking the bus,” the report said.However, concerns were raised by people living on and operating businesses on Dufferin Street regarding the need for receiving deliveries, loading and unloading, drop-off and pick-up as well as concerns about the availability of parking on nearby streets. Residents in the neighbourhoods adjacent to Dufferin Street identified concerns over the potential for traffic infiltration and increased demand for on-street parking.”