Caribbean Carnival (Caribana) 2011 Toronto Parade, Road closures

On Saturday, July 30, 2011, the 44th annual Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto Parade will take place on Lake Shore Boulevard West, between Strachan Avenue and Colborne Lodge Drive.

The festival will require numerous road closures and restrictions which will lead to delays and congestion in the area of the parade.

Road closures:

The following Gardiner Expressway ramps will be closed at 12:30 a.m., on Saturday, July 30, 2011:

– eastbound Gardiner Expressway exit to Jameson Avenue,
– Jameson Avenue and British Columbia Drive entrance ramps to eastbound Gardiner Expressway,
– westbound Gardiner Expressway exit to Dunn Avenue.

The following closures will begin at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2011:

– westbound Lake Shore Boulevard West, from Strachan Avenue to Parkside Drive, and
– eastbound Lake Shore Boulvard West, from Colborne Lodge to Strachan Avenue.

Vehicle access west of Bathurst Street, on Fleet Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West, may be closed after the parking lots at Ontario Place and Gore parking lot at Exhibition Place are full. This closure will be as needed.

Due to the large number of visitors and continuous events that occur with the festival, intermittent road closures may occur throughout the downtown core in the evenings and nights of Friday, July 29, 2011, to Sunday, July 31, 2011, in the interest of public safety.

Restricted access points:

In order to assist the safe movement of traffic, and to provide for as little disruption as possible to residents, the following streets will have restricted access for vehicles:

– Dufferin Street, south of King Street West,
– Dowling Avenue, south of King Street West,
– Stadium Road, south of Lake Shore Boulevard West,
– Queen’s Quay West, west of Bathurst Street, and
– Springhurst Avenue.

Other streets, although not restricted to vehicles, will be strictly enforced for parking infractions. Those streets are bound by King Street West to the north, Colborne Lodge to the west, and Bathurst Street to the east.

Historically, Yonge Street and the Entertainment District access have been restricted in the evenings and overnight.

TTC

TTC vehicles must have free movement during this event.

There will be a temporary TTC bus stop on the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard West, near the Palaise Royale/Sunnyside foot bridge, for express buses to the Keele Street subway station. Approximately 25 buses will be put on this route, starting at 8:40 a.m.

There will be a temporary TTC bus stop on the south side of the westbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard West, between Dunn Avenue and Jameson Avenue, for express buses to the Bloor Street West subway station. There will not be a southbound drop-off at Jameson Avenue and Springhurst Avenue. All drop-offs and pickups will be made on the westbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard West, just east of Jameson Avenue.

TTC service to and from the east end of the event will be through the Manitoba Drive/Strachan Avenue area of the Exhibition Place.

TTC will stop at Strachan Avenue/Fleet Street, to enable any passengers attending Ontario Place to exit at this location.

TTC must also have unobstructed access at Springhurst Avenue/Dufferin Street. Illegally parked vehicles and obstructing vendors will be removed.

Ontario Place access:

All access to Ontario Place will be through Remembrance Drive at Lake Shore Boulevard West/Strachan Avenue. Vehicles exiting Ontario Place will do so only at Lake Shore Boulevard West and Ontario Place Boulevard, and will travel eastbound on Lake Shore Boulevard West only.

Disabled parking:

Disabled parking will be at the Direct Energy Centre within the CNE grounds.
Enter via Manitoba Drive/Strachan Avenue, then south on Canada Boulevard to the entrance ramp of the Direct Energy Centre. Valid disabled parking permits must be shown.

Towing policy:

All vehicles, including tour buses, will be tagged and towed if parked illegally on:

– Lake Shore Boulevard West (including the grassed area),
– Bathurst Street,
– Fleet Street,
– King Street West,
– Queen Street West,
– Roncesvalles Avenue,
– Dufferin Street,
– Parkdale Road,
– Stadium Road,
– The Queensway, and
– Gardiner Expressway.

The Gardiner Expressway is a restricted-access highway which will be patrolled to ensure that vehicles are not parked adjacent to the parade route and that pedestrians do not enter the highway area. Drivers who choose to stop or drive in a manner that puts other road-users at risk will be subject to strict enforcement.

Please be aware of alternative routes before heading into the downtown or Entertainment District areas to avoid delays.