City seeking public input on redesign of notorious Eglinton-Allen intersection

Drivers, cyclists, pedestrians have complained about the chaotic junction since it was redesigned by Metrolinx

Published Jun 01, 2026  •  2 minute read

The Eglinton Ave. West and Allen Rd. intersection is pictured in this City of Toronto photo. Photo by City of Toronto

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The city is looking at redesigning one of Toronto’s most notorious traffic-plagued intersections and is seeking community input online and at a public drop-in meeting.

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Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians who cross the Eglinton Ave. W.-Allen Rd. intersection have complained about the chaotic junction since it was redesigned by Metrolinx three years ago after the much-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT line was completed.

In a post on social media on Monday, the City of Toronto urged residents and commuters to provide feedback through an online survey, an interactive map on its website and at two drop‑in sessions.

“The goal is to reduce traffic congestion at the intersection and in nearby neighbourhoods and to improve how people move through the area,” the city said in a Facebook post.

Pedestrian pathway among options

In an overview of the study published ahead of the public consultations, the city noted that “traffic demand exceeds the capacity of the intersection, particularly at the Allen Rd. on-ramp. Drivers at peak hours regularly experience long delays and neighbourhood streets experience congestion with drivers cutting through seeking shortcuts to Allen Rd.”

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Options the city said it was considering include looking at a pedestrian tunnel or bridge and expanding the northbound Allen on-ramp.

The intersection got a major overhaul after Metrolinx reopened it in May 2023 with alternating dual eastbound left-turn lanes and dual westbound right-turn lanes and pedestrian crosswalks on the north and east sides.

Since then, the city has made several changes to the intersection, including making adjustments to signal timing and other operations to address traffic congestion, which it noted didn’t fix the intersection’s traffic problems.

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Critics chime in on social media

While the city asked residents to leave comments on an interactive map on its website, some responded to the city’s Facebook post directly.

“Wasn’t as bad until they started tinkering with changes, all that money and they only made it worse … city planners and councillors who approve these things, much like the turning lanes, and designated TTC lanes have only worsened the problems,” wrote one person on Facebook.

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“Oh dear I guess stopping a needed and necessary expressway in the middle of a neighbourhood has consequences,” wrote another, referring to how the city had initially constructed Allen as part of the Spadina expressway to connect the north end of Toronto to downtown before the project was axed in 1971.

Others blamed bike lanes in the area for adding to the traffic chaos in the neighbourhood.

According to the city’s website, the first of two public consultations on redesigning the intersection was held last Saturday, while a second one is scheduled for Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute.

The public can also leave comments online by visiting toronto.ca/community-people/get-involved/public-consultations/infrastructure-projects/eglinton-allen-intersection-study/.

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