High Park is getting a shuttle — but locals aren’t impressed with the plan
THE GREEN LINE
DOCUMENTERS NOTES
High Park is getting a shuttle — but locals aren’t impressed with the plan
The City of Toronto is considering a contract with a private company to operate a shuttle in the park, possibly year-round.
Peak cherry blossom season in High Park.
: Loozrboy/Flickr.
Sebastian Tansil
Caring mastermind who loves spending quality time with friends and family. Empathetic and precise economist by training. Loves amber yellow as it reminds him of people dearest to him.
May 16, 2025
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Have you ever taken a stroll through High Park or visited the High Park Zoo?
Then, you know that the park is huge, spanning over 160 hectares — much of which is environmentally significant.
In May 2023, City Council adopted the High Park Movement Strategy, which included a plan for a year-round shuttle service. In November 2024, Toronto issued a request for proposal to receive bids from private companies to operate the shuttle.
Last month, the city selected the bid from Carla Construction and Maintenance Ltd., which has operated High Park’s trackless train for nearly 40 years.
On May 12, the General Government Committee met at City Hall to finalize the deal. The committee discussed whether to authorize Howie Dayton, General Manager of Parks and Recreation at the City of Toronto, to sign a licence agreement with Carla Construction and Maintenance to operate and maintain the shuttle for five years starting December 2025.
The shuttle would run a northern loop year-round and a southern loop in summer. It would operate every 30 minutes on weekdays and 15 minutes on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. between April and October — with reduced hours for the rest of the year. During peak cherry blossom season, the shuttle would run every 15 minutes.
The fare would cost around $10 for adults, $7 for youths and seniors, and $5 for children.
Committee members also discussed whether to sign additional licence agreements with Carla Construction and Maintenance to provide similar shuttles at other parks.
Marshall Leslie, a local resident who lives a block and a half away from High Park, shared many concerns:
- The shuttle doesn't connect with High Park’s Wheel-Trans service, or nearby Keele and High Park subway stations.
- The shuttle routes don’t include stops by the new High Park entrances at Parkside Drive and High Park Boulevard, or at the Spring Road lot — which will be the only parking lot that remains open when the park is closed to personal vehicles in 2027.
- The contract presented doesn't include performance metrics, risk liability requirements or fair wage policy statements.
- The name of the electric vehicle manufacturer isn't provided. This makes it hard to know if it'll be sourced from Canadian suppliers.
- The proposed fare amounts to about $30 to $40 for a family of four to take a 25 minute ride. Leslie called it “congestion pricing” for park goers.
- He said it's important to address these issues now, since the contract potentially includes additional agreements for similar services at other city parks in the future.
George Rigakos, from the High Park Access for All community, shared similar concerns on behalf of the group.
- The nearest shuttle stop is too far from the parking lot entrance which is a challenge for disabled or physically limited members. He recommended adding a stop closer to the lot.
- The passenger fares are not affordable and should be revisited to improve accessibility. One member of the group said “If it’s not free, it’s out of the budget.”
- It’s not clear whether there are plans to provide shelters at any of the shuttle bus stops. This will be significant for community members who might find themselves waiting in the rain for the shuttle.
- The shuttle bus won't to accommodate dog walkers, gardeners and sports players who might want to bring their equipment into the park. He called on the committee to investigate which groups are being left out of the service.
Lily Cheng, city councillor for Willowdale, asked Rigakos what current features should be retained that would maintain the park’s accessibility. Rigakos answered that vehicle drive-in to the park should be retained, especially to accommodate seniors at a nearby retirement home who go to the park on weekends.
Overall, Rigakos said that the shuttle service is a good complement to pre-existing access to the park, and not a replacement.
What were the results of the discussions?
In the end, the General Government Committee voted to recommend that City Council:
- Authorize Howie Dayton, General Manager of Parks and Recreation at the City of Toronto, to sign the licence agreement with Carla Construction and Maintenance.
- Maximize fare discounts for families.
- Request Dayton to gather metrics on ridership and revenue projections, and to report back at the upcoming City Council meeting later this month.
- Request Dayton to consult with the community to determine the best locations for stops and report back before the start of the April 2026 operating season.
- Request the TTC to examine feasibility and projected cost of expanding their High Park service year-round with expanded coverage.
You can provide feedback on the shuttle service by contacting Parkdale-High Park city councillor Gord Perks’ office at councillor_perks@toronto.ca.
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