It is a jewel in the Toronto park system, but some continue to say it has been tarnished. At High Park, new rules have limited the number of vehicles that can access portions of the park’s roadways and parking areas. Some say the measures go too far, while others argue they were long overdue.
“Whatever they think they’re doing by banning cars in here will make no difference. It’s just pushing regular users of the park out,” said demonstrator Lyn Green with the community group High Park Access for All.
The High Park Movement Strategy will block vehicle access to the Bloor Street entrance as well as a portion of Colborne Lodge Drive. The space is already closed to cars on weekends and holidays, an initiative that was implemented during the pandemic.
Laura Turner’s daughter lives with a disability and says this change will make it difficult for her to come to the park.
“She can’t go for long walks and she can’t handle manoeuvring around the park, so driving her here is the best method of transportation,” she told Global News.
“There’s just so many people that are going to be badly impacted by all these changes,” said another demonstrator, Robert Roden.
Those in this group of roughly 25 protesters added that the move will hamper access for seniors and families with children. They say it’s not cars, but cyclists that are the problem.
“They are damn dangerous and they don’t stop for anything,” Green said.
But Faraz Gholizadeh with community group Car Free High Park disagrees with Tuesday’s demonstrators and says motorists cause the most safety concerns.
“If you eliminate motor vehicles, which take up most of the road space, which are the most dangerous, most polluting, it’s automatically going to make the space much more pleasant, much safer,” he said.
Gholizadeh says he eventually wants to see the park become permanently closed to vehicles similar to Central Park in New York City.
In 2022, a city survey of more than 10,000 residents showed 58 per cent said reducing traffic in the park was a high priority. However, many at Tuesday’s demonstration claim they were unaware of community consultations.
“They say that there were consultations. Well, if there were, it certainly wasn’t well-publicized,” Roden said.
In a statement, a city spokesperson tells Global News it is aware of the rallies that have taken place and adds that the “goal of the strategy is to better serve park users and the surrounding community while prioritizing improvements to safety, accessibility and the park’s natural environment.”