Some retailers say plan to install dedicated bus, streetcar lanes on Toronto’s Bathurst Street could force them to close their doors

A sign saying: “We might have to close! Bathurst is losing access. So are we.” is seen on the window of a store on Bathurst Street.

Some retailers along a stretch of Bathurst Street in The Annex say they’ll be so negatively impacted by a plan to install dedicated bus and streetcar lanes on the busy arterial road that they may be forced to shutter their businesses.

Recently, signs have recently popped up in the doors and windows of local stores that read: “We might have to close! Bathurst is losing access. So are we.” This will result in the loss of delivery access and customer parking, the posters plastered on the storefronts add.

They’re part of a wider campaign by a group of local business owners and concerned residents called Protect Bathurst Coalition, whose tagline is: “This isn’t just a transit route — it’s our home.”

“We agree with better transit - but not at the cost of basic access and livability on our streets,” the group states online.

The proposed measures for Bathurst are part of a city council-endorsed surface transit network plan called RapidTO, which aims to guide the study, evaluation, and delivery of several bus and streetcar improvement projects in Toronto.

Through this initiative, the city along with the TTC, will enhance bus and streetcar transit on Bathurst and Dufferin streets, Eglinton Avenue West, and Jane Street. The long-term goal is to make service more reliable, it says.

Some of the key changes proposed for a 7.5-kilometre stretch of Bathurst from Eglinton Avenue West to Lake Shore Boulevard West include creating priority bus lanes in the northbound and southbound curb lanes from Bloor to Eglinton, as well as installing priority streetcar lanes in the centre of the street from Bloor to Lake Shore.

“As Toronto grows, updating roadway designs can help meet the city’s evolving transportation needs, including during major events such as FIFA World Cup 26,” the city said, noting it takes 75 per cent longer riding transit on Bathurst than it does driving.

Marco Santaguida, of Santaguida Fine Foods, is not impressed with the plan, saying its positive impacts would be negligible.

“They’re going to remove all curb-lane access to both parking, delivery, service vehicles, renovation vehicles, basically our day-to-day lifestyle is going to be uprooted,” he told CTV News Toronto.

“The buses are going to run approximately seven minutes quicker.”

One transit rider, however, says any improvement on Bathurst would be a good thing.

“It’s a little bit slow. I think it would be nice if they were to possibly bring it up just a little bit,” she said.

Local businesses owner David Dunkley, whose fine millinery store has been on Bathurst for nearly two decades, says consultation for RapidTO on Bathurst was limited.

“There is all kinds of traffic and we know the traffic flow,” he said.

“I can assure you between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. we’re busy, but between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. it’s normal traffic as it would be anywhere else in the city.”

In a statement, the City of Toronto called Bathurst a “key north/south route” for thousands of TTC customers, adding that it is also “known to have slow and unreliable service because buses and streetcars are operating in mixed traffic.”

“A priority transit lane on Bathurst Street will improve service, make taking transit an easier and more convenient choice for everyone; reducing the use of personal vehicles and therefore also reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions,” the city said.

“[We are] committed to monitoring the impact of the transit priority lanes after installation and will continue to make adjustments to optimize traffic flow and ensure there is consideration to local business owners.”

Those with businesses on Bathurst say they have been targeted on social media for opposing the plans but are making no apologies for defending their livelihoods.

“We’re receiving backlash for that. So we’re taking it on the chin as we have to because, you know, it’s democracy. We should all have a voice on how things are being done and changed,” Paul Macchiusi, of Minerva Cannabis, said.

The City of Toronto added that input from the public, as well as technical and policy consideration, would be used to inform staff recommendations and council decisions this summer. A report to executive committee is expected in early June followed by a report to city council.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s John Musselman and Mike Walker