Peanut Street Plan & NYCC Preview
- 21 hours ago
- 6 min read
At next week’s North York Community Council meeting, one of the most important items for Don Valley North residents will be the Peanut Streets Plan report. I want to take some time to explain how we got here, remind everyone what a Neighbourhood Streets Plan is, and what I will be recommending as we move forward.
You might remember from an E-Blast I wrote in 2024 that The Peanut neighbourhood was selected for the 2023–2024 Neighbourhood Streets Plans (NSP) program cycle.
Neighbourhood Streets Plans are a relatively new City service that takes a holistic approach to transportation planning in areas where traffic patterns may be affecting safety and mobility. Instead of adding safety measures one at a time, City transportation staff study the entire neighbourhood, work with residents to identify concerns, and recommend a coordinated set of changes. This approach helps maximize safety improvements, anticipate knock-on effects on surrounding streets, and strike an important balance between improving safety and maintaining traffic flow.
We began community consultations in March 2024, and last November we held a second consultation where residents were able to review the proposed interventions developed by staff. It was a cold, snowy night, and only a handful of residents were able to attend, but those who did had a very thoughtful discussion with us.
That conversation reminded me why this neighbourhood deserves careful attention and strong community involvement.
At that November meeting, one resident asked me why I always refer to this neighbourhood as “The Peanut.” Did the nickname come first, or did Peanut Plaza create the name?
Because my family’s roots go so far back in this neighbourhood, I was able to answer.
The community around the peanut-shaped island at Don Mills Road was originally intended to be known as the Oriole Community, hence the name of Oriole Arena and community centre.
But in the early 1960s, when the Sitzer family was designing the shopping plaza, one of the children looked at the drawings spread across the dining room table and said, “It looks like a giant peanut.” The name stuck. From the moment the sign went up, everyone simply called the area The Peanut.
Years later, after I was first elected, a heritage architect showed me an original North York Borough plan for the area. I was surprised to discover that parts of the road network and pedestrian safety design were never fully completed.
Why? Because as the city grew rapidly, the extension of the Don Valley Parkway beyond Highway 401 was delayed, and commuters began using Don Mills Road as an express route to Markham and Richmond Hill. The needs of the local community, and especially children trying to get to school safely, got pushed aside.
Now, finally, we have the opportunity to finish that work and put safety back into the fabric of the Peanut Community.
Based on community feedback, technical studies, and City policy review, four major safety concerns have been identified:
Lack of direct and safe pedestrian crossings, especially along Don Mills Road
Long wait times at signals, making pedestrian crossings frustrating and unsafe
Limited cycling infrastructure, which can push cyclists onto sidewalks
Motor vehicle speeding on neighbourhood streets, a major contributor to serious collisions
These findings reflect what many of you have told me directly over the years.
The report includes many recommended changes. Some of these are widely supported and address urgent safety needs. The need for safer pedestrian crossings was identified early in the consultation process, and I have heard clearly from residents that these improvements are a top priority. These are safety upgrades we should not delay.
I will be supporting approval of three new protected pedestrian crossings, located at:
Don Mills Road West, approximately 135 metres north of Fairview Mall Drive
Van Horne Avenue, approximately 55 metres east of Deerford Road
Don Mills Road West, approximately 75 metres south of Van Horne Avenue, between the concrete island and the pedestrian access to the shopping centre
Other proposed measures, including proposals for new speed humps, zebra crossings, all-way stop controls, additional crosswalks and curb radius reductions will require more community input before final approval.
While City staff have done strong technical work, I am not satisfied that we have heard from enough residents yet. That snowy consultation night, during the height of the Canada Post strike, simply did not capture the full range of voices in this neighbourhood.
For that reason, I will be deferring parts of the plan so that we can return to the community, share the proposals more widely, and hear directly from more residents about what you support and what concerns you may have.
This report represents meaningful progress, but we must get it right. Over the coming months, my office will be working with City staff to hold additional consultations and gather more feedback before bringing the remaining elements back for approval.
In the meantime, please review the report and let me know your thoughts!
If you’re reviewing the North York Community Council Agenda you might have questions about some other items impacting us here in Don Valley North
For years, my office has been working to manage excess street parking on Adra Grado Way. Too often, limited visitor parking has led to vehicles parking on both sides of the street. Despite ongoing enforcement, illegal parking has continued, creating safety concerns by limiting emergency vehicle access.
Last summer, I met with Transportation Services and Toronto Community Housing staff to explore creative ways to increase available parking while keeping the roadway clear and safe. This report proposes introducing pay-and-display parking, which will not affect traffic flow and is expected to create approximately 34 new on-street paid parking spaces.
This report was initiated after residents on Francine Drive requested measures to address speeding. Staff have confirmed that warrants are met and are recommending eight speed humps between Zircon Court and Janus Court. However, we are also consulting with the parent council and administration at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School, who have raised safety concerns during pick-up and drop-off times. I plan to defer this item to allow more consultation and bring forward a holistic plan that addresses both neighbourhood speeding and school safety concerns.
This report was initiated after residents on Ruddington Drive requested measures to address speeding. Staff have confirmed that warrants are met and are recommending the installation of three speed humps on Ruddington Drive between Cummer Avenue and Wyvern Road. We have received strong community support for this change, and I will be recommending approval.
As always, your input plays an essential role in shaping the decisions we make at City Hall. Whether it’s large neighbourhood plans like the Peanut Streets Plan or smaller traffic and parking changes on local streets, hearing directly from residents helps ensure we get the balance right between safety, mobility, and community needs. I encourage you to stay engaged, review the items that matter to you, and reach out to my office to share your feedback.
Statement on Fairview Mall Shooting
Many residents have reached out following Tuesday morning’s shooting at Fairview Mall, a place where so many families in our community shop and gather every day. My thoughts remain with the victim and their loved ones, and I am relieved to hear that the injured security guard is now reported to be in stable condition.
Later Tuesday, police issued a news release identifying the suspect as a 53-year-old Montreal man with ties to Toronto and Vancouver. He is also wanted in connection with a break-and-enter investigation in Durham Region dating back to August 2023. I am grateful for how quickly investigators were able to identify the suspect, and I remain in close contact with 33 Division as they continue their work to locate and apprehend him.
While the investigation is still ongoing, the available evidence suggests this was not a random act of violence. This incident appears to have resulted from a smash-and-grab attempt gone wrong, a targeted criminal event and is not considered a threat to the general public. While this does not make it any less serious, I hope it provides some reassurance to those who are understandably concerned about their safety in the area.
I also want to recognize that Fairview Mall is supported by a range of established safety measures, including the Division 33 Police Hub on site, along with dedicated security and ongoing coordination between Toronto Police and mall management. I encourage anyone who is visiting the mall to drop by the safety hub, and talk to our officers about everything they are doing to keep the area safe. I know speaking directly to the experts makes me feel more secure.
Residents can expect a significantly increased police presence in and around the mall in the coming days as officers continue their investigation and work to reassure the community.
I want to thank the first responders, security personnel, and mall staff who acted quickly in a frightening situation.
I urge anyone with information, to contact Toronto Police Service immediately at 416-808-3300, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.
If you or anyone you know has been impacted by this event and you require access to resources or support, please contact Christene Lewis, a Community Development Officer with the City’s Violence Intervention and Support Unit (VISU) by telephone (437)-551-1173 or email Christene.Lewis@Toronto.ca. You can also contact my office directly.
North York is a strong, resilient community. I will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide updates as they become available.
