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It may have taken two and a half years, but the Toronto Lansdowne Residents Association (TLRA) has reached a settlement with the city and was granted a public consultation meeting Nov. 27 with the local councillor even though it came after the construction on Lansdowne Avenue between Bloor Street West and College Street was completed.

"This is what we've wanted, it's what we were promised," Steve Barbosa, who has lived on Lansdowne Avenue for more than 25 years and is a member of the TLRA, told The Villager. "We feel there is a lot we can still do even though the street is already done. The main things we want to address are pedestrian safety, environmental concerns, and traffic calming concerns. We want to start a dialogue to see what can be done."

In June last year, Lansdowne Avenue residents who felt abandoned by their city councillor after continued requests for public consultation regarding plans to narrow their road were ignored, felt forced to pursue court action. A Notice of Application was filed in the Ontario Court on behalf of 25 local residents, alongside the TLRA shortly after city council voted 19-22 not to reopen discussion regarding the project, which saw the narrowing of Lansdowne Avenue to facilitate widened sidewalks and landscaping features while providing a calming of vehicular traffic on the minor arterial roadway.

Represented by lawyer Kevin Scullion, of Ross and Scullion, residents took Ward 18 (Davenport) Councillor Adam Giambrone and the City of Toronto to court over their failure to abide by the city's own Traffic Calming Policy, promises of community consultation, and principles of fairness and respect. Another bone of contention was the removal of mature trees along the street. Residents were told the 35-year-old Little-leaf Lindens in front of West Toronto Collegiate had to be cut down because they were sick. However, according to an independent arborist's findings, they were "in perfectly good health".

"We've come a long way to get here tonight," said the TLRA's Stephen McCammon. "I want to salute the folks from the city for coming out and engaging us. The point that's missed is that people had concerns about the project from the beginning. There was a promise to come back and consult. That hasn't happened to date. The residents on Lansdowne haven't been heard... we don't want to be brushed aside by a Power Point presentation."

The TRLA issued 23 recommendations to the city during the meeting, held at West Toronto Collegiate, which included providing safer and greener sidewalks; encouraging safer driving and helping to limit traffic accidents by providing for additional street signage; addressing additional safety concerns and improving the state of and functionality of green space in MacGregor Park. The TLRA also calls on the city to move and plant all the new trees on the east side of Lansdowne to the roadside of the east sidewalk. Moving the trees, according to the TRLA, would provide pedestrians with some protection from vehicles while generally improving the health of the trees.

The initial promise of more greenery is why resident Ken Wood, the self-described "Tree Guy," was in favour of the project.

"I bought it hook, line and sinker," he said at the meeting.

However, the first time he said he heard anything was being done was when he saw big yellow "Giambrone Don't Narrow Lansdowne!" signs lining the length of the street.

"I chained myself to a tree and saved that beautiful tree in front of the school. It's an action I shouldn't have to take," Wood said. "These neighbours have great ideas. We should have had consultation. I'm quite angry there was no consultation. It could have been done better. It still can be done better."

Robert Mound, a teacher at West Toronto, said his neighbour Wood's actions inspired his students. He also said his students have told him that they don't feel safe cycling to school along Lansdowne. As a cyclist himself, he said he is concerned about the lack of signage.

"There are no signs that say this is a shared road," Mound said. "You have to cut in front of moving traffic to go around parked cars. We'd like enforcement here. I've been driven off the road to avoid being hit by a cement truck. It's a concern on the street and I hope this will be looked at."

According to the city's traffic services department's Ron Hamilton, the sharrows are the compromise, but the TRLA recommends that 'Watch for Cyclists' signs and lighting to highlight the sharrows be added (sharrows are the narrow lanes near the curb to signify bicycle usage). The residents association also recommends 'Slow/Watch for Children' signs and 'Watch for Elderly Pedestrians' signs as well as 'Handicap pick-up and drop-off' signs at 435 Lansdowne Ave. City Traffic Engineer Steven Brown pointed out that the 'No Parking' prohibition at all times on the east side of Lansdowne Avenue provides 24-hour unobstructed access for Wheel Trans to stop temporarily in front of an individual's residence.

"I think people are frustrated and saddened in how their street turned out. We hope you'll consider this on the next project. We'd ask the city to take seriously the recommendations we made," McCammon said.

- With files from Cynthia Reason