Tommy Thompson Park Trail Calming, Toronto

Situated at the south end of Leslie St. in Toronto, Tommy Thompson Park (decades in the making) is a biodiverse oasis cherished for its ecologically restored animal and aquatic habitat, as well as high quality cycling experience. An incredible example of green infrastructure, created from millions of cubic metres of clean fill and sand, an over 250 hectares in size. Dubbed ‘The Tour de Spit’, due to some cyclists speeding throughout the almost 5 km route, the site was a cause for concern for Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA, responsible for the park) given potential collisions with pedestrians (especially young children), and avid bird watchers and naturalists. There was also a significant issue with snakes being run over by bicycles, causing unsafe cycling conditions and unfortunate snake deaths (including the rare Melanistic Garter Snake). This project was undertaken to propose artistic, fun and educational ways to slow cycling speed, and pilot projects were undertaken in 2019 to measure the effectiveness of different design interventions.

As Senior Landscape Architect, TRCA, Sheila worked closely with Wei Pang (shown above) on this project, a landscape architect on her team at Toronto Region Conservation Authority, as well as Tommy Thompson Park colleagues.