Toronto · intersection · signal 984

Charles & Bay

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

Charles & Bay is a moderately heavy crossing, with pedestrians outnumbering vehicles and significant cycling traffic. It sits in Bay-Cloverhill, in central Toronto. At the corner: a bike lane, parks and an accessible pedestrian signal. Nearby: Bay Station (Line 2) 269 m away.

Traffic
18,983
vehicles · 14-hour count, Oct 9, 2025
20,945 pedestrians · 2,023 cyclists · #975 busiest
Collisions
113
police-reported · 2016–2025
none killed or seriously injured · #972 of 5,519
Getting there
2
TTC stops within 100 m
Bay Station 269 m · 15 routes within 1 km · bikeway
Within a walk
86/100
city median 48 · #117 of 5,672
53 places to eat within 300 m · grocery 103 m

Map

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Charles & Bay

Traffic and safety

The City's latest turning-movement count, every police-reported collision within 65 m, speeds on these streets

Traffic volume14-hour count · Oct 9, 2025

Traffic is heaviest from the north: 7,609 southbound vehicles entered from that leg, 40% of the total, against 163 from the west. Most cyclists arrived from the north (826 of 2,023). Evening rush dominates here: 1,616 vehicles in the peak hour from 5:15 p.m., against 1,383 in the morning peak from 9:00 a.m. Heavy vehicles made up 3.2% of traffic (typical: 3.2%). For scale, a typical counted intersection in Toronto sees 16,177 vehicles over 14 hours. The count is 13 months old; the City recounts intersections on an ad-hoc schedule, so volumes may have shifted since.

From the north7,609southbound · 826 bikes · 3.0% heavy
From the west163eastbound · 107 bikes · 1.2% heavy
Total vehicles18,98320,945 pedestrians · 2,023 cyclists · 3.2% heavy
From the east3,648westbound · 325 bikes · 3.2% heavy
From the south7,563northbound · 765 bikes · 3.5% heavy

Peak hours: 1,383 vehicles in the hour from 9:00 a.m. and 1,616 from 5:15 p.m. (approach figures are vehicles entering from that leg over the whole count — one day's traffic, not an annual average).

Collisions 2016–2025 · within 65 m

The worst year was 2016, with 24 collisions; 2025 recorded 9. 20 collisions (18%) involved an injury; the citywide share is 15%. 19 drivers failed to remain at the scene — 17% of collisions, in line with the citywide 16%. 10 collisions involved a pedestrian or cyclist (9%) — a high share for a Toronto intersection. Since January 2026, 5 more collisions have been reported; they sit outside the ranking window. The most recent report on file is from Aug 19, 2026.

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

By year

16171819202122232425
2016–2025Collisions
All reported collisions113#972 of 5,519
With an injury20#842 of 4,669
Property damage only77
Fail to remain19
Involving a pedestrian6#526 of 3,196
Involving a cyclist4#541 of 2,576
Involving a motorcyclist2
Severity not classified16
Since January 2026 (outside the window)5
Killed or seriously injured0
All KSI since 20060

A collision counts when its recorded location is within 65 m of the centreline node, intersection-related or not. KSI = killed or seriously injured, the basis of the danger rankings; records can lag a year or more, so the current year is outside the window. How collisions are counted.

Traffic on these streets

The City's most recent midblock count on Bay St between Charles St W and Bloor St W (88 m away, Sep 2019) recorded volume only — about 10,698 vehicles a day — with no speed data.

Street segmentCountedVehicles / dayAverage85th percentile95th
Charles St W · La Scala Lane – Bay St · 27 mNov 2011 · 3 days6,873———
Bay St · Charles St W – Bloor St W · 88 mSep 2019 · 7 days10,698———

Midblock counts are automatic counters laid across the road for one to seven days; 85% of drivers were at or below the 85th-percentile speed. A reading is not the speed through the intersection itself, and posted limits are not in the count data. How speeds are read.

The crossing
Signal 0984, activated 1972 · accessible (audible) pedestrian signal · leading pedestrian interval East/West

Getting there

Transit within 1 km, cycling at the corner, and where to park

Transit and cycling

Subway
Bay Station (Line 2)269 m · 3 min; Museum Station (Line 1)381 m · 5 min; Bloor Station (Line 1)428 m · 5 min; Yonge Station (Line 2)511 m · 6 min; Wellesley Station (Line 1)614 m · 7 min; St George Station (Line 1, Line 2)921 m · 11 min
Streetcar
506 nearest 500 m · 6 min
TTC bus
19 97 13 94 26 nearest 21 m
Blue Night
306 300 320
Nearest stops
10 surface stops within 300 m — Bay St at Charles St West; Bay St at Charles St West South Side
Cycling
Sharrows - Arterial - Connector on Bay St installed 2010
Bike Share
Bay St / Charles St W - SMART 6 m · 20 docks · 33 stations, 686 docks within 1 km

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

Parking within 2 km

Green P
18 car parks · about 2,250 spaces
EV charging
20 Charles St E. · 323 m · 22 Level 2 + 1 fast ports; also 74 Yorkville Ave (466 m), 9 Wellesley St W. (575 m)
Bike parking
115 post-and-rings within 300 m · racks for 72 bikes within 600 m · City Hall - Nathan Phillips Square bike station (1.8 km)
Other lots
28 mapped lots within 500 m, 671 within 2 km — private, commercial or institutional, and often for customers or residents only
Green P car parkDistanceSpacesPeak occupancy
20 Charles St E · Garage369 m64618% (Q1 2026)
13 Isabella St · Surface456 m3073% (Q1 2026)
74 Yorkville Ave · Garage540 m17575% (Q1 2026)
15 Wellesley St E · Surface717 m12654% (Q1 2026)
9 Bedford Rd · Garage1 km37151% (Q1 2026)

Green P spaces and average daily peak occupancy from the Toronto Parking Authority's quarterly dataset (* = capacity from the 2019 car-park list; check Green P for rates). EV chargers are City-operated only. On-street and underground parking are not included.

Within a walk

What the City's own records put within a walk of this corner — distances are the walk along real streets and paths. Shops, banks, gyms and clinics are in no City dataset, so they are not here.

Food, shops and services

Three grocery stores are within 300 m of the corner — the nearest is Rabba Fine Foods, 103 m away. A specialist food shop is closer still: New Yorker Deli, 49 m away. Toronto Public Health inspects 53 eating places within 300 m of this corner; within a kilometre the count is 361 — 8.8× the median for a Toronto intersection. The nearest is Slab Burgers, 42 m away. Three pharmacies sit within 300 m of the corner; the nearest is Shoppers Drug Mart, 136 m away. The nearest hospital site is Toronto Grace Health Centre, 693 m away, then Holland Centre at 812 m. For seniors' housing: Belmont House, a long-term care home 930 m away; Belmont House, a retirement home 930 m away.

Restaurants & cafés
  • Slab Burgers · 47 Charles St W42 m
  • Starbucks Coffee · 47 Charles St W42 m
  • Sushi On Bay · 1105 Bay St72 m
  • Subway · 1102 Bay St74 m
  • Aroma Espresso Bar · 55 Charles St W80 m
53 within 300 m · 361 within 1 km
Grocery
Rabba Fine Foods 103 m · 3 within 300 m
Food shops
New Yorker Deli 49 m · butcher, bakery or food shop
Convenience
2 convenience stores or gas bars within 300 m
Pharmacy
Shoppers Drug Mart 136 m · 12 within 1 km
Child care
  • University of Toronto Childcare On Charles · 73 spaces, infant, toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day134 m
  • Jesse Ketchum Early Learning & Child Care Centre · 26 spaces, toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day681 m · 8 min
  • YMCA Child Development Centre (YMCA) · 144 spaces, infant, toddler, preschool, kindergarten, school age · fee subsidy · $10-a-day715 m · 9 min
6 licensed centres · 370 spaces within 1 km · 4 accept City fee subsidy
Health and care
  • Toronto Grace Health Centre · hospital site693 m · 8 min
  • Holland Centre · hospital site812 m · 10 min
  • Belmont House · long-term care home930 m · 11 min
  • Belmont House · retirement home930 m · 11 min

Food premises Toronto Public Health has inspected since November 2023, screened by name and location to leave out the kitchens inside care homes, child care, schools and offices, and carts and stalls; a shop without a recent inspection does not appear. Pharmacies, hospital sites and care homes from the Ontario Ministry of Health's register — a hospital site may be a rehabilitation or specialty hospital without an emergency department; in an emergency call 911. How places are classed.

Parks, schools and places

Parks (36)
  • St. Mary Street Parkette235 m
  • Clover Hill Park248 m
  • George Hislop Park377 m · 4 min
  • Village of Yorkville Park426 m · 5 min
  • Norman Jewison Park493 m · 6 min
and 31 more within 1.5 km
Community centres
Schools (32)
  • Rosedale Day SchoolPrivate · 461 m · 5 min
  • St Joseph's College SchoolEnglish Separate · 528 m · 6 min
  • Humber College - International Graduate SchoolCollege · 528 m · 6 min
  • Toronto School of Theology - U of T, Bldg 434University · 580 m · 7 min
  • Jesse Ketchum Jr & Sr Public SchoolEnglish Public · 643 m · 8 min
and 27 more within 1.5 km
Library
  • Toronto Public Library Yorkville branch528 m · 6 min
  • Toronto Public Library Toronto Reference Library branch634 m · 8 min
Places of interest
  • CAA Theatre (formerly Panasonic Theatre)Performing Arts · 321 m · 4 min
  • Isabel Bader TheatrePerforming Arts · 328 m · 4 min
  • Gardiner MuseumMuseum · 414 m · 5 min
  • Village of Yorkville ParkNature/ Park · 417 m · 5 min

Parks, schools, libraries and places of interest within 1.5 km; child care, washrooms and care homes within 1 km; a hospital site within 2 km. Distances are the walk along real streets and paths. How these are joined.

Not within a walk: a public washroom.

86of 100
Scored from the records above

The median Toronto intersection scores 48. This corner is #117 of 5,672. It counts what can be reached, not how pleasant or safe the walk is.

  • Groceries and food30/30

    3 grocery stores within 300 m · 53 places to eat within 300 m

  • Transit23/28

    Bay Station 0.3 km · 10 stops within 300 m · 15 routes within 1 km

  • Library and places to go12/14

    library 528 m away · 5 places of interest within 500 m

  • Parks and recreation7/10

    5 parks within 500 m · nearest centre 1.4 km

  • Schools and child care6/8

    1 school within 500 m · 1 licensed child care within 500 m

  • Crossing on foot8/10

    traffic signal · head start for people walking · accessible signals

Our own measure, not a licensed walkability rating: every point comes from a City dataset listed under Sources, and the six parts add up to the score. How the score is built · the full ranking.

Apartment buildings nearby

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

Within a kilometre there are 61 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings — 8,687 rental units, 4.1× the median for a Toronto intersection — five social or Toronto Community Housing. The nearest is 1101 Bay St (77 m, 265 units, 28 storeys, built 1979), which scored 87 out of 100 at its June 2026 RentSafeTO evaluation. One building of the 61 scored below 70; the average is 89, about the citywide norm.

Nearest buildingsUnitsStoreysBuiltScoreDistance
1101 Bay St · Bentallgreenoak26528197987 · Jun 202677 m
55 Charles St W · Azuria Group Incorporated14732198183 · Oct 202581 m
57 Charles St W · Quadreal Property Group25021197789 · Oct 202593 m
44 Charles St W · Jll79351197291 · Aug 202499 m
2 St Thomas St · Bentallgreenoak24826201796 · Oct 2025161 m
8 St Thomas St · Bentallgreenoak164192689 · Aug 2026220 m

61 registered buildings · 8,687 units · 5 social housing · tallest 51 storeys. The score is the City's RentSafeTO evaluation out of 100; buildings of three or more storeys and ten or more units are registered, condominiums and houses are not. Each building links to its full record on LandlordReport.

Thefts reported at this corner

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

14 thefts from vehicles and 18 bike thefts were reported around this corner in 2016–2025 — 5.3× the median for a Toronto intersection with any reported theft. The pace has picked up: 12 in 2023–2025, about 4.0 a year, against 2.9 a year before that. 71% of the vehicle thefts were from the street or other outdoor spots; 39% of the bike thefts were from the street or other outdoor spots.

By year

16171819202122232425
2016–2025Reported2023–2025Since Jan 2026Most often from
Theft from a vehicle1480street/outdoor (10), apartment parking (4)
Bicycle theft1840street/outdoor (7), apartment parking (7)

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 & Bay a dangerous intersection?

Not by the record: no one was killed or seriously injured here in 2016–2025, though police reported 113 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 & Bay?

A moderately heavy crossing. It ranks #975 of 2,438 counted intersections for vehicles, 1.17× the median for a counted intersection, and #80 for pedestrians.

Is Charles & Bay a walkable intersection?

Charles & Bay scores 86 out of 100 on this site's within-a-walk measure — #117 of 5,672 Toronto intersections; the city median is 48. It counts what the City's own records put within a walk — food premises, transit, libraries, parks, schools, licensed child care — not shops, banks or clinics, which no City dataset lists. Within a walk: 3 grocery stores within 300 m · 53 places to eat within 300 m; library 528 m away · 5 places of interest within 500 m; Bay Station 0.3 km · 10 stops within 300 m · 15 routes within 1 km. The crossing itself: traffic signal · head start for people walking · accessible signals.

Where can I park near Charles & Bay?

The nearest Green P car park is 20 Charles St E (369 m away, 646 spaces, 18% full at the daily peak in Q1 2026). The City's mapping shows 671 parking lots of any kind within 2 km — roughly 17,180 spaces — 28 of them within 500 m; most are private or customer-only lots. The nearest City EV charger is at 20 Charles St E. (323 m).

How do I get to Charles & Bay by transit?

Bay Station (Line 2) is 269 m away; streetcar route 506 stop within 1 km, the nearest 500 m away; bus routes 19, 97, 13, 94, 26 within 1 km (nearest stop: Bay St at Charles St West, 21 m).

What restaurants are near Charles & Bay?

53 restaurants, cafés and takeouts are within 300 m, and 361 within a kilometre, counting the premises Toronto Public Health has inspected since November 2023. The closest are Slab Burgers (42 m), Starbucks Coffee (42 m), Sushi On Bay (72 m), Subway (74 m) and Aroma Espresso Bar (80 m). DineSafe does not record cuisine or opening hours.

Is there a public washroom near Charles & Bay?

Not within a kilometre in the City's lists of park washrooms, civic-building washrooms and automated street toilets. The nearest drinking fountain is 223 m away at Clover Hill Park.

Is there child care near Charles & Bay?

Six licensed child care centres within 1 km, with 370 spaces in total; 4 accept City fee subsidy and some are in the $10-a-day (CWELCC) program. The nearest are University of Toronto Childcare On Charles (134 m, 73 spaces), Jesse Ketchum Early Learning & Child Care Centre (681 m, 26 spaces) and YMCA Child Development Centre (YMCA) (715 m, 144 spaces). Spaces are licensed capacity, not vacancies.

What apartment buildings are near Charles & Bay?

61 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings with 8,687 rental units are within 1 km. The nearest are 1101 Bay St (77 m, 265 units, RentSafeTO score 87), 55 Charles St W (81 m, 147 units, RentSafeTO score 83), 57 Charles St W (93 m, 250 units, RentSafeTO score 89) and 44 Charles St W (99 m, 793 units, RentSafeTO score 91). The average RentSafeTO score across the 61 is 89 out of 100; 1 scored below 70.

How many thefts are reported at Charles & Bay?

Toronto Police place 14 thefts from vehicles and 18 bicycle thefts at this intersection in 2016–2025. Break-ins, robberies and other offences are published by neighbourhood only — see the Bay-Cloverhill page.

What neighbourhood is Charles & Bay in?

Charles & Bay 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