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: Bay Station, a bike lane and parks.

Traffic volume
18,983
vehicles · 14-hour count, Oct 9, 2025
20,945 pedestrians · 2,023 cyclists · #955 busiest
Collisions
113
police-reported, any severity · 2016–2025
20 with an injury · 77 property damage · #972 of 5,508 · +3 since Jan 2026
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
Bay Station
subway station within 250 m
1 streetcar route · 6 bus routes within 1 km
Cycling
Bikeway
Sharrows - Arterial - Connector
Bike Share: 93 docks within 150 m

Across the 14-hour count, traffic averaged roughly 1,360 vehicles an hour, 1.17× the median counted intersection. Pedestrians outnumber vehicles 1.1 to 1 — rare for a Toronto intersection, where the median is one pedestrian for every 13 vehicles. Cyclists were 10.7% of vehicle volume, about 14× the typical share. Police have logged an average of 11 collisions a year here over 2016–2025 — 6.0 per 10,000 counted vehicles, in line with the median rate for counted intersections. Collisions fell 41%, from 71 in 2016–2020 to 42 in 2021–2025. No one was killed or seriously injured in any of them.

Map

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Charles & Bay

Getting here

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

Transit & cycling

Subway
Bay Station (Line 2)238 m; Bloor Station (Line 1)348 m; Yonge Station (Line 2)359 m; Museum Station (Line 1)379 m; Wellesley Station (Line 1)468 m; St George Station (Line 1, Line 2)727 m; Queen's Park Station (Line 1)863 m; Rosedale Station (Line 1)875 m; College Station (Line 1)883 m
Streetcar
506 nearest 491 m
TTC bus
199713942682 nearest 21 m
Blue Night
306300320
Nearest stops
12 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 · 49 stations, 1,014 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 (46)
  • Rosedale Day SchoolPrivate · 290 m
  • Toronto School of Theology - U of T, Bldg 434University · 411 m
  • St Joseph's College SchoolEnglish Separate · 418 m
  • Humber College - International Graduate SchoolCollege · 438 m
  • Career Quest - TorontoPrivate · 453 m
  • Jesse Ketchum Jr & Sr Public SchoolEnglish Public · 594 m
  • and 40 more
Community centres
  • Wellesley Community Centre1.2 km
Parks (52)
  • St. Mary Street Parkette162 m
  • Clover Hill Park241 m
  • Village of Yorkville Park308 m
  • George Hislop Park316 m
  • Norman Jewison Park360 m
  • James Canning Gardens430 m
  • and 46 more
Library
  • Toronto Public Library Yorkville branch414 m
  • Toronto Public Library Toronto Reference Library branch451 m
  • Toronto Public Library St. James Town branch1.2 km
Places of interest
  • CAA Theatre (formerly Panasonic Theatre)Performing Arts · 254 m
  • Village of Yorkville ParkNature/ Park · 304 m
  • Isabel Bader TheatrePerforming Arts · 314 m
  • Gardiner MuseumMuseum · 345 m
  • The Japan FoundationMuseum · 346 m
  • Toronto Reference LibraryLandmark · 432 m
  • Royal Ontario MuseumMuseum · 479 m
  • Royal Conservatory of MusicPerforming Arts · 599 m
Signal
0984, activated 1972 · SA1 · accessible (audible) pedestrian signal · leading pedestrian interval East/West

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 104 eating places within 300 m of this corner, plus 12 grocery and convenience stores; within a kilometre the count is 373 — 5.3× the median for a Toronto intersection. The nearest is Slab Burgers, 42 m away, which passed its last DineSafe inspection in September 2026.

Restaurants & cafés104 within 300 m · 373 within 1 km
Grocery & convenience12 within 300 m · 27 within 1 km
Nearest food premisesDistanceLatest DineSafe inspection
Slab Burgers · 47 Charles St W42 mPassed, Sep 2026
Starbucks Coffee · 47 Charles St W42 mPassed, Jun 2026
New Yorker Deli · 1140 Bay St Unit-2grocery49 mPassed, Apr 2026 · 1 infraction
Sushi On Bay · 1105 Bay St56 mPassed, Aug 2026 · 1 infraction
Aroma Espresso Bar · 55 Charles St W58 mPassed, Mar 2026 · 1 infraction
Subway · 1102 Bay St59 mPassed, Mar 2026
Imperfect Fresh Eats · 1108 Bay St64 mPassed, Jun 2026 · 1 infraction
Sushi Umi · 41 Charles St W78 mPassed, Aug 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, 929 m away, open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. A drinking fountain is 161 m away at St. Mary Street Parkette.

  • Ramsden Park Outdoor Rink Washroom · 1020 Yonge St
    9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
    929 m
Drinking water
St. Mary Street Parkette drinking fountain · 161 m; Clover Hill Park bottle filling station · 218 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

Nine licensed child care centres within a kilometre offer 640 spaces; seven accept City fee subsidy. The nearest is University of Toronto Childcare On Charles (110 m, 73 spaces, infant, toddler, preschool).

Within 1 km9 centres · 640 spaces
Fee subsidy7 of 9
  • University of Toronto Childcare On Charles · 35 Charles St W
    73 spaces · infant, toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    110 m
  • YMCA Child Development Centre (YMCA) · 15 Breadalbane St
    144 spaces · infant, toddler, preschool, kindergarten, school age · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    602 m
  • Kids & Company - Bloor Street Site · 160 Bloor St E
    85 spaces · infant, toddler, preschool · $10-a-day
    604 m
  • Jesse Ketchum Early Learning & Child Care Centre · 7 Berryman St
    26 spaces · toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    640 m

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

Emergency services

The nearest fire hall is Fire Station 312 (409 m), the nearest police station 52 Division (1.6 km) and the nearest ambulance station 805 m away.

FireFire Station 312 · 409 m34 Yorkville Ave
Police52 Division · 1.6 km255 Dundas Street West
AmbulanceAmbulance Station 45 · 805 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 91 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings — 12,244 rental units, 4.1× the median for a Toronto intersection — six social or Toronto Community Housing. The nearest is 55 Charles St W (59 m, 147 units, 32 storeys, built 1981), which scored 83 out of 100 at its October 2025 RentSafeTO evaluation. Two buildings of the 91 scored below 70; the average is 89, about the citywide norm. The Landlord and Tenant Board issued 297 final orders naming these buildings in the latest half-year of its catalogue, and 91 fire-code violations are open across them.

Registered buildings91 · 12,244 units · 6 social housing
RentSafeTO score89 average · 2 below 70
LTB orders, Jan 2026 – Jun 2026297 across the 91
Open fire-code violations91
Tallest51 storeys
Nearest buildingsUnitsStoreysBuiltScoreLTB ordersDistance
55 Charles St W · Azuria Group Incorporated14732198183 · Oct 2025359 m
1101 Bay St · Bentallgreenoak26528197987 · Jun 20261 · 6 fire61 m
57 Charles St W · Quadreal Property Group25021197789 · Oct 2025071 m
44 Charles St W · Jll79351197291 · Aug 20241276 m
2 St Thomas St · Bentallgreenoak24826201796 · Oct 20256149 m
8 St Thomas St · Bentallgreenoak164192689 · Aug 20260167 m
25 St Mary St · Briarlane Rental Property Management Inc.26025196592 · Jul 20242 · 4 fire168 m
16 St Joseph St · Akelius374192789 · Nov 20251288 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 lots907 lots · ≈21,920 spaces · 65.8 ha
Within 500 m46 lots · ≈1,240 spaces
Green P (public)23 car parks · about 5,256 spaces
EV charging (City)20 Charles St E. · 313 m · 22 Level 2 + 1 fast ports
Bike parking154 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 · Garage312 m64618% (Q1 2026)
13 Isabella St · Surface342 m3073% (Q1 2026)
74 Yorkville Ave · Garage407 m17575% (Q1 2026)
15 Wellesley St E · Surface566 m12654% (Q1 2026)
9 Bedford Rd · Garage669 m37151% (Q1 2026)

Nearest lots: 77 m away, ≈18 spaces; 90 m away, ≈17 spaces; 107 m away, ≈2 spaces; 140 m away, ≈41 spaces; 143 m away, ≈40 spaces; 156 m away, ≈27 spaces. More EV charging: 74 Yorkville Ave (386 m, 9 ports); 9 Wellesley St W. (491 m, 8 ports); 91 Elizabeth St (1.1 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, 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 16,183 vehicles over 14 hours. This is a fresh count, taken within the last year.

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
AM peak hour1,383 vehicles from 9:00 a.m.
PM peak hour1,616 vehicles from 5:15 p.m.
Count14-hour · Oct 9, 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, 258 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
Bay St · Charles St W – Bloor St W · 88 mSep 2019 · 7 days10,698
Charles St W · St Thomas St – Queen's Park · 258 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 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, 3 more collisions have been reported; they sit outside the ranking window. The most recent report on file is from Mar 13, 2026.

By year

16171819202122232425

Exposure-adjusted: 6.0 collisions per year per 10,000 daily vehicles, using the latest 14-hour count.

2016–2025Collisions
All reported collisions113#972 of 5,508
With an injury20#842 of 4,660
Property damage only77
Fail to remain19
Involving a pedestrian6#526 of 3,193
Involving a cyclist4#541 of 2,576
Involving a motorcyclist2
With a fatality0
Severity not classified16
Since January 2026 (outside the window)3
All since 2014139latest Mar 13, 2026

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

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)

Source: Toronto Police Service, Theft From Motor Vehicle and Bicycle Thefts open data, records through Nov 9, 2025. 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 #955 of 2,390 counted intersections for vehicles, 1.17× the median for a counted intersection, and #80 for pedestrians.

How fast do cars go at Charles & Bay?

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 & Bay?

The nearest Green P car park is 20 Charles St E (312 m away, 646 spaces, 18% full at the daily peak in Q1 2026). The City's mapping shows 907 parking lots of any kind within 2 km — roughly 21,920 spaces — 46 of them within 500 m; most are private or customer-only lots. The nearest City EV charger is at 20 Charles St E. (313 m).

How do I get to Charles & Bay by transit?

Bay Station (Line 2) is 238 m away; streetcar route 506 stop within 1 km, the nearest 491 m away; bus routes 19, 97, 13, 94, 26, 82 within 1 km (nearest stop: Bay St at Charles St West, 21 m).

What restaurants are near Charles & Bay?

104 restaurants, cafés and takeouts are within 300 m, and 373 within a kilometre, according to Toronto Public Health's DineSafe inspection list. The closest are Slab Burgers (42 m), Starbucks Coffee (42 m), Sushi On Bay (56 m), Aroma Espresso Bar (58 m) and Subway (59 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 & Bay?

The nearest is Ramsden Park Outdoor Rink Washroom, 1020 Yonge St, 929 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 & Bay?

Nine licensed child care centres within 1 km, with 640 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 (110 m, 73 spaces), YMCA Child Development Centre (YMCA) (602 m, 144 spaces) and Kids & Company - Bloor Street Site (604 m, 85 spaces). Spaces are licensed capacity, not vacancies.

What apartment buildings are near Charles & Bay?

91 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings with 12,244 rental units are within 1 km. The nearest are 55 Charles St W (59 m, 147 units, RentSafeTO score 83), 1101 Bay St (61 m, 265 units, RentSafeTO score 87), 57 Charles St W (71 m, 250 units, RentSafeTO score 89) and 44 Charles St W (76 m, 793 units, RentSafeTO score 91). The average RentSafeTO score across the 91 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 & Bay?

Toronto Police place 14 thefts from vehicles and 18 bicycle thefts at this intersection in 2016–2025. 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 & 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