Toronto · intersection

Charles & Balmuto

Charles St W & Balmuto St · Toronto, Ontario · Bay-Cloverhill · Ward 11, University-Rosedale · Bloor-Yorkville BIA

In Bay-Cloverhill, in central Toronto, Charles & Balmuto is a low-volume local intersection, with pedestrians outnumbering vehicles and significant cycling traffic. At the corner: Bloor Station and parks.

Traffic volume
4,671
vehicles · 14-hour count, Nov 25, 2025
10,100 pedestrians · 423 cyclists · #2039 busiest
Collisions
51
police-reported, any severity · 2016–2025
4 with an injury · 37 property damage · #2024 of 5,508
KSI collisions
0
killed or seriously injured · 2016–2025
none in the window
Red-light camera
None
not on the City's camera list
Transit
Bloor Station
subway station within 250 m
1 streetcar route · 7 bus routes within 1 km
Cycling
No bikeway
nothing on the City cycling network here
Bike Share: 59 docks within 150 m

Hour by hour, the 14-hour count works out to close to 330 vehicles, 29% of the median counted intersection. Pedestrians outnumber vehicles 2.2 to 1 — rare for a Toronto intersection, where the median is one pedestrian for every 13 vehicles. Cyclists were 9.1% of vehicle volume, about 12× the typical share. That comes with about 5.1 reported collisions a year, 2016–2025 — 10.9 per 10,000 counted vehicles, 2.2× the median rate for counted intersections. Collisions fell 30%, from 30 in 2016–2020 to 21 in 2021–2025. No one was killed or seriously injured in any of them.

Map

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Charles & Balmuto

Getting here

Transit within 1 km, cycling at the corner, and what's within a 1.5 km walk

Transit & cycling

Subway
Bloor Station (Line 1)237 m; Bay Station (Line 2)285 m; Yonge Station (Line 2)289 m; Wellesley Station (Line 1)389 m; Museum Station (Line 1)501 m; Rosedale Station (Line 1)843 m; St George Station (Line 1, Line 2)844 m; College Station (Line 1)855 m; Queen's Park Station (Line 1)921 m; Sherbourne Station (Line 2)1 km
Streetcar
506 nearest 450 m
TTC bus
97199413267582 nearest 98 m
Blue Night
306320300
Nearest stops
15 surface stops within 300 m — Yonge St at Charles St West
Cycling
no bikeway on the City cycling network touches this intersection
Bike Share
Charles St W / Balmuto St - SMART 13 m · 24 docks · 48 stations, 1,002 docks within 1 km

Straight-line distances to the nearest stop or station entrance in each agency's current schedule feed, including temporary diversions.

Within walking distance 1.5 km

Schools (48)
  • Humber College - International Graduate SchoolCollege · 316 m
  • Rosedale Day SchoolPrivate · 403 m
  • St Joseph's College SchoolEnglish Separate · 465 m
  • Toronto School of Theology - U of T, Bldg 434University · 493 m
  • The Abelard Centre For EducationPrivate · 513 m
  • Career Quest - TorontoPrivate · 541 m
  • and 42 more
Community centres
Parks (55)
  • St. Mary Street Parkette78 m
  • George Hislop Park199 m
  • Norman Jewison Park264 m
  • Clover Hill Park277 m
  • James Canning Gardens351 m
  • Village of Yorkville Park391 m
  • and 49 more
Library
  • Toronto Public Library Toronto Reference Library branch389 m
  • Toronto Public Library Yorkville branch395 m
  • Toronto Public Library St. James Town branch1.1 km
Places of interest
  • CAA Theatre (formerly Panasonic Theatre)Performing Arts · 144 m
  • The Japan FoundationMuseum · 267 m
  • Toronto Reference LibraryLandmark · 370 m
  • Village of Yorkville ParkNature/ Park · 385 m
  • Isabel Bader TheatrePerforming Arts · 436 m
  • Gardiner MuseumMuseum · 465 m
  • Royal Ontario MuseumMuseum · 601 m
  • Buddies in Bad Times TheatrePerforming Arts · 672 m

Around the corner

Food premises, public washrooms, child care and emergency services — distances are straight-line from the node

Restaurants & food

Toronto Public Health inspects 130 eating places within 300 m of this corner, plus 15 grocery and convenience stores; within a kilometre the count is 370 — 5.1× the median for a Toronto intersection. The nearest is Viet Hut Express - Charles, 28 m away, which passed its last DineSafe inspection in August 2026.

Restaurants & cafés130 within 300 m · 370 within 1 km
Grocery & convenience15 within 300 m · 30 within 1 km
Nearest food premisesDistanceLatest DineSafe inspection
Viet Hut Express - Charles · 25 Charles St W28 mPassed, Aug 2026
Rabba Fine Foods · 37 Charles St Wgrocery34 mPassed, Jul 2026 · 1 infraction
Joumak · 11 Charles St W45 mPassed, Mar 2026 · 1 infraction
8 Mile Pizza · 9 Charles St W46 mPassed, Feb 2026 · 1 infraction
8mile Detroit Style Pizza · 9 Charles St W46 mPassed, Aug 2026 · 1 infraction
Sushi Umi · 41 Charles St W54 mPassed, Aug 2026 · 2 infractions
7 West Cafe · 7 Charles St W56 mPassed, Jun 2026
Bingz Crispy Burger · 730 Yonge St 656 mPassed, Mar 2026 · 2 infractions

Every establishment Toronto Public Health inspects under DineSafe, screened by name to leave out kitchens inside schools, care homes and offices. A conditional pass means infractions had to be fixed by a follow-up visit, not that the premises is closed.

Washrooms & water

The nearest public washroom is Ramsden Park Outdoor Rink Washroom, 941 m away, open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. A drinking fountain is 79 m away at St. Mary Street Parkette.

  • Ramsden Park Outdoor Rink Washroom · 1020 Yonge St
    9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
    941 m
Drinking water
St. Mary Street Parkette drinking fountain · 79 m; George Hislop Park drinking fountain · 177 m

Park washrooms, washrooms in City buildings and automated street toilets, with hours and status as the City publishes them (park washrooms are seasonal). Malls, shops and TTC stations are not included.

Child care

Ten licensed child care centres within a kilometre offer 690 spaces; seven accept City fee subsidy. The nearest is University of Toronto Childcare On Charles (34 m, 73 spaces, infant, toddler, preschool).

Within 1 km10 centres · 690 spaces
Fee subsidy7 of 10
  • University of Toronto Childcare On Charles · 35 Charles St W
    73 spaces · infant, toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    34 m
  • Kids & Company - Bloor Street Site · 160 Bloor St E
    85 spaces · infant, toddler, preschool · $10-a-day
    495 m
  • YMCA Child Development Centre (YMCA) · 15 Breadalbane St
    144 spaces · infant, toddler, preschool, kindergarten, school age · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    577 m
  • Jesse Ketchum Early Learning & Child Care Centre · 7 Berryman St
    26 spaces · toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    662 m

Licensed centres only; spaces are licensed capacity, not vacancies.

Emergency services

The nearest fire hall is Fire Station 312 (397 m), the nearest police station 52 Division (1.6 km) and the nearest ambulance station 838 m away.

FireFire Station 312 · 397 m34 Yorkville Ave
Police52 Division · 1.6 km255 Dundas Street West
AmbulanceAmbulance Station 45 · 838 m135 Davenport Rd

Nearest station by straight line — not a response time, and not necessarily the station that would answer a call.

Apartment buildings nearby

RentSafeTO-registered rental buildings within 1 km, with the City's latest evaluation score

Within a kilometre there are 107 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings — 14,643 rental units, 4.7× the median for a Toronto intersection — ten social or Toronto Community Housing. The nearest is 44 Charles St W (74 m, 793 units, 51 storeys, built 1972), which scored 91 out of 100 at its August 2024 RentSafeTO evaluation. Two buildings of the 107 scored below 70; the average is 89, about the citywide norm. The Landlord and Tenant Board issued 366 final orders naming these buildings in the latest half-year of its catalogue, and 120 fire-code violations are open across them.

Registered buildings107 · 14,643 units · 10 social housing
RentSafeTO score89 average · 2 below 70
LTB orders, Jan 2026 – Jun 2026366 across the 107
Open fire-code violations120
Tallest51 storeys
Nearest buildingsUnitsStoreysBuiltScoreLTB ordersDistance
44 Charles St W · Jll79351197291 · Aug 20241274 m
1101 Bay St · Bentallgreenoak26528197987 · Jun 20261 · 6 fire116 m
25 St Mary St · Briarlane Rental Property Management Inc.26025196592 · Jul 20242 · 4 fire130 m
55 Charles St W · Azuria Group Incorporated14732198183 · Oct 20253159 m
57 Charles St W · Quadreal Property Group25021197789 · Oct 20250189 m
30 Charles St E · 14792670 Canada Inc213191567 · Aug 20262 · 4 fire222 m
16 St Joseph St · Akelius374192789 · Nov 20251249 m
2 St Thomas St · Bentallgreenoak24826201796 · Oct 20256270 m

The City's RentSafeTO register — rental apartment buildings of three or more storeys and ten or more units — with the score from each building's latest City evaluation (out of 100; poor scores trigger a full audit). LTB orders are final Landlord and Tenant Board orders naming the address (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026); fire-code violations are open items in Toronto Fire Services' inspection data. Each building links to its full record on LandlordReport. Condominiums and houses are not registered.

Parking

Every mapped lot within 2 km, Green P with peak occupancy, City EV charging and bike parking

All parking lots946 lots · ≈23,090 spaces · 69.3 ha
Within 500 m62 lots · ≈1,540 spaces
Green P (public)23 car parks · about 5,301 spaces
EV charging (City)20 Charles St E. · 190 m · 22 Level 2 + 1 fast ports
Bike parking181 post-and-rings within 300 m · racks for 72 bikes within 600 m · City Hall - Nathan Phillips Square bike station (1.8 km)
Green P car parkDistanceSpacesPeak occupancy
20 Charles St E · Garage191 m64618% (Q1 2026)
13 Isabella St · Surface238 m3073% (Q1 2026)
74 Yorkville Ave · Garage475 m17575% (Q1 2026)
15 Wellesley St E · Surface508 m12654% (Q1 2026)
9 Bedford Rd · Garage784 m37151% (Q1 2026)

Nearest lots: 49 m away, ≈18 spaces; 114 m away, ≈40 spaces; 134 m away, ≈18 spaces; 135 m away, ≈8 spaces; 148 m away, ≈33 spaces; 163 m away, ≈7 spaces. More EV charging: 74 Yorkville Ave (435 m, 9 ports); 9 Wellesley St W. (461 m, 8 ports); 91 Elizabeth St (1.2 km, 2 ports).

Lot count and area from the City's topographic mapping of parking-lot footprints (every visible surface lot, public or private); spaces are estimated at one per 30 m² of lot. Lots not run by Green P are private, commercial or institutional and may be for customers or residents only. Green P spaces and average daily peak occupancy from the Toronto Parking Authority's quarterly dataset (* = capacity from the 2019 car-park list; rates are not shown because that list is stale — check Green P). EV chargers are City-operated only; on-street and underground parking are not included.

Traffic volume

The City's latest turning-movement count — 14-hour, Nov 25, 2025

This is a three-leg intersection with no south leg. Traffic is heaviest from the east: 3,159 westbound vehicles entered from that leg, 68% of the total, against 552 from the west. Most cyclists arrived from the east (215 of 423). Evening rush dominates here: 468 vehicles in the peak hour from 5:15 p.m., against 358 in the morning peak from 9:30 a.m. Heavy vehicles made up 3.3% of traffic (typical: 3.2%). For scale, a typical counted intersection in Toronto sees 16,183 vehicles over 14 hours. This is a fresh count, taken within the last year.

From the north960southbound · 62 bikes · 3.0% heavy
From the west552eastbound · 125 bikes · 5.1% heavy
Total vehicles4,67110,100 pedestrians · 423 cyclists · 3.3% heavy
From the east3,159westbound · 215 bikes · 3.1% heavy
From the south0northbound · 21 bikes · 0.0% heavy
AM peak hour358 vehicles from 9:30 a.m.
PM peak hour468 vehicles from 5:15 p.m.
Count14-hour · Nov 25, 2025

Approach figures are vehicles entering the intersection from that leg over the whole count. A count is one day's traffic, not an annual average; the City recounts on an ad-hoc schedule.

How fast traffic moves here

Midblock speed counts on the intersection's streets, the nearest school-zone speed sign, and traffic calming

On Charles St W between St Thomas St and Queen's Park, 381 m from the corner, a 3-day count in April 2025 put the average speed at 23 km/h and the 85th-percentile speed at 33 km/h, with the fastest one in twenty at 37 km/h or more. That segment carries about 1,400 vehicles a day.

Street segmentCountedVehicles / dayAverage85th percentile95th
Balmuto St · Charles St W – Lane S of Bloor and E of Balmuto · 43 mJun 2007 · 3 days4,721
Charles St W · St Thomas St – Queen's Park · 381 mApr 2025 · 3 days1,41323 km/h33 km/h37 km/h

Midblock counts are automatic counters laid across the road for one to seven days; the 85th-percentile speed is the figure engineers use — 85% of drivers were at or below it. Counts are ad hoc, so some are years old. A midblock reading is not the speed through the intersection itself, and posted limits are not in the count data.

All police-reported collisions

Every collision reported to Toronto Police within 65 m, any severity, 2016–2025

The worst year was 2019, with 10 collisions; 2025 recorded 5. 4 collisions (8%) involved an injury; the citywide share is 15%. 13 drivers failed to remain at the scene — 25% of collisions, a higher hit-and-run share than the city's 16%. 5 collisions involved a pedestrian or cyclist (10%) — a high share for a Toronto intersection. The most recent report on file is from Sep 26, 2025.

By year

16171819202122232425

Exposure-adjusted: 10.9 collisions per year per 10,000 daily vehicles, using the latest 14-hour count.

2016–2025Collisions
All reported collisions51#2024 of 5,508
With an injury4#2874 of 4,660
Property damage only37
Fail to remain13
Involving a pedestrian3#1136 of 3,193
Involving a cyclist2#987 of 2,576
Involving a motorcyclist1
With a fatality0
Severity not classified10
All since 201461latest Sep 26, 2025

Source: Toronto Police Service, Traffic Collisions Open Data — every collision reported to police since 2014, within 65 m of this node. Records through Jun 30, 2026.

Killed or seriously injured

Collisions in which someone died or was seriously injured, within 65 m, 2016–2025 — the basis of the danger rankings

No collision involving a death or serious injury has been recorded within 65 m of this intersection since the record begins in 2006.

KSI = killed or seriously injured. A collision is counted if its recorded location is within 65 m of this intersection's centreline node, whether the police coded it as intersection-related or mid-block. Records can lag a year or more, so the current year is excluded from rankings.

Thefts reported at this corner

Thefts from vehicles and bicycle thefts that Toronto Police have offset to this intersection, 2016–2025

12 thefts from vehicles and 52 bike thefts were reported around this corner in 2016–2025 — 11× the median for a Toronto intersection with any reported theft. The pace has slowed: 7 in 2023–2025, about 2.3 a year, against 8.1 a year before that. 75% of the vehicle thefts were from the street or other outdoor spots; 50% of the bike thefts were from school or campus property. Since January 2026, 2 more have been reported, the latest on Apr 3, 2026.

By year

16171819202122232425
2016–2025Reported2023–2025Since Jan 2026Most often from
Theft from a vehicle1222street/outdoor (9), school/campus (2)
Bicycle theft5250school/campus (26), street/outdoor (16)

Source: Toronto Police Service, Theft From Motor Vehicle and Bicycle Thefts open data, records through Apr 3, 2026. Police offset every occurrence to the nearest intersection before publishing, so these are thefts on the streets and premises around this node, not necessarily at the corner itself. Other offences are published by neighbourhood only — see Bay-Cloverhill.

Nearby intersections

Questions

Is Charles & Balmuto a dangerous intersection?

Not by the record: no one was killed or seriously injured here in 2016–2025, though police reported 51 lesser collisions. High counts usually track high traffic volume rather than a design flaw; volume is shown alongside so the numbers can be read in context.

How busy is Charles & Balmuto?

A low-volume local intersection. It ranks #2039 of 2,390 counted intersections for vehicles, 29% of the median for a counted intersection, and #204 for pedestrians.

How fast do cars go at Charles & Balmuto?

The City's most recent speed count near the corner, on Charles St W between St Thomas St and Queen's Park (April 2025), found an average of 23 km/h and an 85th-percentile speed of 33 km/h — meaning 85% of drivers were at or below that speed.

Where can I park near Charles & Balmuto?

The nearest Green P car park is 20 Charles St E (191 m away, 646 spaces, 18% full at the daily peak in Q1 2026). The City's mapping shows 946 parking lots of any kind within 2 km — roughly 23,090 spaces — 62 of them within 500 m; most are private or customer-only lots. The nearest City EV charger is at 20 Charles St E. (190 m).

How do I get to Charles & Balmuto by transit?

Bloor Station (Line 1) is 237 m away; streetcar route 506 stop within 1 km, the nearest 450 m away; bus routes 97, 19, 94, 13, 26, 75, 82 within 1 km (nearest stop: Yonge St at Charles St West, 98 m).

What restaurants are near Charles & Balmuto?

130 restaurants, cafés and takeouts are within 300 m, and 370 within a kilometre, according to Toronto Public Health's DineSafe inspection list. The closest are Viet Hut Express - Charles (28 m), Joumak (45 m), 8 Mile Pizza (46 m), 8mile Detroit Style Pizza (46 m) and Sushi Umi (54 m). Each one's latest inspection result is shown on this page; DineSafe does not record cuisine or opening hours.

Is there a public washroom near Charles & Balmuto?

The nearest is Ramsden Park Outdoor Rink Washroom, 1020 Yonge St, 941 m away (open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.). These are the City's own washrooms — in parks, civic buildings and automated street toilets — not those in malls, coffee shops or TTC stations.

Is there child care near Charles & Balmuto?

Ten licensed child care centres within 1 km, with 690 spaces in total; 7 accept City fee subsidy and some are in the $10-a-day (CWELCC) program. The nearest are University of Toronto Childcare On Charles (34 m, 73 spaces), Kids & Company - Bloor Street Site (495 m, 85 spaces) and YMCA Child Development Centre (YMCA) (577 m, 144 spaces). Spaces are licensed capacity, not vacancies.

What apartment buildings are near Charles & Balmuto?

107 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings with 14,643 rental units are within 1 km. The nearest are 44 Charles St W (74 m, 793 units, RentSafeTO score 91), 1101 Bay St (116 m, 265 units, RentSafeTO score 87), 25 St Mary St (130 m, 260 units, RentSafeTO score 92) and 55 Charles St W (159 m, 147 units, RentSafeTO score 83). The average RentSafeTO score across the 107 is 89 out of 100; 2 scored below 70. Condos and houses are not on the City's register. Each building's full record — score history, LTB orders, fire-code inspections, permits — is on LandlordReport.

How many thefts are reported at Charles & Balmuto?

Toronto Police place 12 thefts from vehicles and 52 bicycle thefts at this intersection in 2016–2025, plus 2 since January 2026. Police offset every reported occurrence to the nearest intersection before publishing it, so the count covers the streets, driveways and parking around this corner rather than the corner itself. Break-ins, robberies and other offences are published by neighbourhood only — see the Bay-Cloverhill page.

What neighbourhood is Charles & Balmuto in?

Charles & Balmuto is in Bay-Cloverhill (City of Toronto neighbourhood 169). It is in Ward 11, University-Rosedale, represented by Councillor Dianne Saxe. The corner falls inside the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from one of these datasets — how they are joined