Facts About the RapidTO Plan for Dufferin Street

The City of Toronto is planning big changes to Dufferin Street — but they come at a real cost to residents. The City is moving to eliminate all curbside parking 24/7, turning a lived-in, residential street into a nonstop transit corridor. Homeowners, drivers, and even pedestrians are being rushed towards these changes.

Here's what you need to know — and why it matters. 

1. Permanent parking removal is unnecessary.

   Rush hour isn't all day. Today, parking is already restricted during peak times — and it works during those times. There’s no justification for dedicating the curb lanes to buses all the time if peak time parking restrictions have been proven to work.
   

2. Dufferin is very residential, not just a transit corridor.

   From Eglinton to Queen, Dufferin runs through dense urban neighbourhoods where most homes have no driveways. Single family homes and older duplexes line the street — often just steps from the curb. This isn’t a suburban arterial road. Dufferin is home to thousands of Torontonians who rely on curbside access for daily life. How are we expected to move, renovate, or manage repairs without curb access for moving vans, disposal bins, or trades? What about loading kids into a car? Helping an aging parent to a medical appointment? Accepting large deliveries? These aren’t luxuries. They’re everyday needs — and the City has offered no plan to support them.
   

3. This isn’t Eglinton East — it’s dense, downtown Dufferin.

   The City points to time savings from the RapidTO bus lane in Scarborough on Eglinton East. But that corridor is nothing like Dufferin. Eglinton East is a massive 7 lane wide route that passes commercial zones, strip malls, and plazas. It's twice the width of Dufferin Street. Parking wasn’t displaced, and the few homes along the way all have off-street parking. Dufferin, by contrast, is lined with tightly packed homes — many without off-street parking. This isn’t a fair comparison. It’s a different street, a different context, and a far greater impact on residents.

   
   

4. The City saves money. Dufferin residents pay the price.

   City officials have framed this plan as an affordable, efficient solution — a “straightforward win.” But that’s only true if you ignore the real costs pushed onto the people who live here. Losing curbside parking means families will need to secure street parking permits — if they can even find spots nearby. Residents planning renovations or essential repairs may face rising costs and complications if tradespeople can't access the curb with their tools and materials. That adds time, money, and stress to projects that are already expensive. Affordable transit matters. But this plan just shifts the burden onto residents — and calls it progress.
   

5. The process is being rushed.

   Public consultation is happening over just a few weeks in May. City Council is expected to vote by summer, aiming for implementation by fall 2025. Major, permanent changes deserve a fair, thorough consultation process — not a rushed approval.
   

6. Gridlock may get worse.

   Drivers will lose access to the curb lanes — even during rush hour — choking Dufferin’s already heavy traffic even further. With dedicated bus lanes, drivers would lose access to curb lanes at all times which will increase rush hour congestion for drivers on an already busy major street.
   

We support better transit — but not at any cost.

Dufferin residents aren't against public transit improvements. The RapidTO plan, as proposed, prioritizes bus speed at the complete expense of basic residential access.