Toronto · intersection · signal 1441

The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne

The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne St · Toronto, Ontario · St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands · Ward 10, Spadina-Fort York · Old Town Toronto BIA

The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne is a low-volume local intersection, with pedestrians outnumbering vehicles and significant cycling traffic. It sits in St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands, in the downtown core. At the corner: a protected bikeway, 2 schools within 250 m and parks. Nearby: King Station (Line 1) 838 m away.

Traffic volume
5,769
vehicles · 14-hour count, Oct 9, 2025
10,254 pedestrians · 2,382 cyclists · #1971 busiest
Collisions
39
police-reported, any severity · 2016–2025
12 with an injury · 22 property damage · #2409 of 5,508
KSI collisions
1
killed or seriously injured · 2016–2025
1 fatal · 1 pedestrian · 0 cyclist · #624 of 1,505
Red-light camera
None
not on the City's camera list
Transit
3
TTC stops within 100 m
King Station 838 m · 4 streetcar routes · 7 bus routes within 1 km
Cycling
Protected
Bi-Directional Cycle Track, Cycle Track
Bike Share: 69 docks within 150 m

Hour by hour, the 14-hour count works out to close to 410 vehicles, 36% of the median counted intersection. Pedestrians outnumber vehicles 1.8 to 1 — rare for a Toronto intersection, where the median is one pedestrian for every 13 vehicles. Cyclists were 41.3% of vehicle volume, about 53× the typical share. That comes with about 3.9 reported collisions a year, 2016–2025 — 6.8 per 10,000 counted vehicles, 1.36× the median rate for counted intersections. Collisions fell 38%, from 24 in 2016–2020 to 15 in 2021–2025. Just one of those 39 collisions left someone killed or seriously injured.

Map

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The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne

Getting here

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

Transit & cycling

Subway
King Station (Line 1)838 m
GO Transit
GO bus 16 Hamilton / Toronto Express31 Guelph / Toronto21 Milton65 Newmarket / Toronto61 Richmond Hill68 Barrie / Newmarket71 Stouffville90 Lakeshore East18 Lakeshore West35 Union Pearson Express at Union Station Bus Terminal1 km
Streetcar
503504508501 nearest 251 m
TTC bus
12175652021141997 nearest 15 m
Blue Night
304301365320
Nearest stops
14 surface stops within 300 m — The Esplanade at Lower Sherbourne St; Sherbourne St at the Esplanade
Cycling
Bi-Directional Cycle Track on The Esplanade installed 2022; Cycle Track on Lower Sherbourne St installed 2001
Bike Share
Lower Sherbourne St / The Esplanade (North) 28 m · 23 docks · 55 stations, 1,205 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 (24)
  • Market Lane Jr & Sr Public SchoolEnglish Public · 225 m
  • St Michael Catholic Elementary School - Bldg 1English Separate · 227 m
  • Downtown Alternative SchoolEnglish Public · 290 m
  • George Brown College - St James CampusCollege · 326 m
  • George Brown College - Waterfront CampusCollege · 587 m
  • Voice Integrative Private SchoolPrivate · 606 m
  • and 18 more
Parks (49)
  • David Crombie Park31 m
  • Princess Street Park140 m
  • Parliament Square Park380 m
  • Market Lane Park418 m
  • Sherbourne Common500 m
  • St. James Park501 m
  • and 43 more
Library
  • Toronto Public Library St. Lawrence branch145 m
  • Toronto Public Library City Hall branch1.4 km
  • Toronto Public Library Parliament Street branch1.4 km
Places of interest
  • Young People's TheatrePerforming Arts · 166 m
  • Museum of Illusions TorontoMuseum · 222 m
  • Canadian Stage (Berkeley Street Theatre)Performing Arts · 324 m
  • St. Lawrence Market and Market GalleryAttraction · 345 m
  • Toronto's First Post OfficeMuseum · 404 m
  • Alumnae TheatrePerforming Arts · 450 m
  • St. James ParkNature/ Park · 504 m
  • Toronto Sculpture GardenFeatured Park · 519 m
Signal
1441, activated 1982 · FT · accessible (audible) pedestrian signal · leading pedestrian interval North/South/East/West · transit priority · bicycle signal

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 42 eating places within 300 m of this corner, plus 6 grocery and convenience stores; within a kilometre the count is 349 — 4.8× the median for a Toronto intersection. The nearest is St Lawrence Pharmacy, 45 m away, which passed its last DineSafe inspection in December 2023.

Restaurants & cafés42 within 300 m · 349 within 1 km
Grocery & convenience6 within 300 m · 51 within 1 km
Nearest food premisesDistanceLatest DineSafe inspection
St Lawrence Pharmacy · 126 Lower Sherbourne St45 mPassed, Dec 2023
Bellissimo Pizzeria and Ristorante · 164 the Esplanade118 mPassed, Jan 2026 · 4 infractions
Bolet's Burrito · 134 Lower Sherbourne St132 mPassed, Jun 2025
Bolet's Burrito · 134 Lower Sherbourne St132 mPassed, Jul 2026 · 1 infraction
Cluck Cluck's · 222 the Esplanade156 mPassed, Nov 2025
Moegi Sushi · 222 the Esplanade Unit-4156 mPassed, Aug 2026 · 1 infraction
Pizza Nova · 222 the Esplanade156 mPassed, Aug 2025
Royal Foodland · 222 the Esplanade156 mPassed, Jul 2024

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 St. Lawrence Community Recreation Centre Washroom, 205 m away, View centre hours. A drinking fountain is 183 m away at David Crombie Park.

  • St. Lawrence Community Recreation Centre Washroom · 230 The Esplanade
    View centre hours
    205 m
  • St Lawrence Tent · 125 The Esplanade Street
    Mon-Sat Closed, Sun 10:00am-5:00pm
    339 m
  • St Lawrence South · 91 Front Street East
    Mon Closed, Tue-Fri 8:30am-7:30pm, Sat 6:30am-5:30pm, Sun 9:30am-5:30pm · accessible
    370 m
Drinking water
David Crombie Park drinking fountain · 183 m; David Crombie Park drinking fountain · 207 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

13 licensed child care centres within a kilometre offer 825 spaces; nine accept City fee subsidy. The nearest is St. Lawrence Co-Operative Day Care (2 Princess Street) (187 m, 49 spaces, toddler, preschool).

Within 1 km13 centres · 825 spaces
Fee subsidy9 of 13
  • St. Lawrence Co-Operative Day Care (2 Princess Street) · 2 Princess St
    49 spaces · toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    187 m
  • St. Lawrence Co-Operative Day Care School Age (230 the Esplanade) · 230 the Esplanade
    74 spaces · preschool, kindergarten · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    205 m
  • St. Lawrence Infant Toddler Centre (4 Market Street) · 4 Market St
    40 spaces · infant, toddler · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    386 m
  • Distillery District Early Learning Centre · 8 Distillery Lane
    85 spaces · toddler, preschool · $10-a-day
    493 m

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

Emergency services

The nearest fire hall is Fire Station 333 (188 m), the nearest police station 51 Division (526 m) and the nearest ambulance station 843 m away.

FireFire Station 333 · 188 m207 Front St E
Police51 Division · 526 m51 Parliament Street
AmbulanceAmbulance Station 40 · 843 m58 Richmond St E

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 43 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings — 6,391 rental units — 29 social or Toronto Community Housing. The nearest is 176 The Esplanade (53 m, 220 units, 7 storeys, built 2006), which scored 95 out of 100 at its November 2025 RentSafeTO evaluation. None scored below 70; the average is 91, about the citywide norm. The Landlord and Tenant Board issued 82 final orders naming these buildings in the latest half-year of its catalogue, and 65 fire-code violations are open across them.

Registered buildings43 · 6,391 units · 29 social housing
RentSafeTO score91 average · none below 70
LTB orders, Jan 2026 – Jun 202682 across the 43
Open fire-code violations65
Tallest31 storeys
Nearest buildingsUnitsStoreysBuiltScoreLTB ordersDistance
176 The EsplanadeToronto Community Housing · TCH2207200695 · Nov 20252 · 1 fire53 m
15 Scadding AveToronto Community Housing · Toronto Community Housing Corporation2519198284 · Jul 20254 · 1 fire66 m
171 Front St EToronto Community Housing · Toronto Community Housing Corporation613198293 · Nov 20250150 m
31 Princess Stsocial housing · Kral Property Management Inc.8210199481 · Jun 20240155 m
140 The EsplanadeToronto Community Housing · TCH1027199381 · Nov 20251244 m
25 Henry Lane TerToronto Community Housing · Toronto Community Housing Corporation1966197977 · Jul 20251293 m
49 Henry Lane TerToronto Community Housing · TCH155198084 · Jul 20250309 m
5 Hahn Plsocial housing · St Clare's Multifaith Housing324198090 · Sep 20240369 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 lots616 lots · ≈26,580 spaces · 79.7 ha
Within 500 m41 lots · ≈1,480 spaces
Green P (public)22 car parks · about 6,864 spaces
EV charging (City)2 Church St. · 547 m · 24 Level 2 + 4 fast ports
Bike parking158 post-and-rings within 300 m · racks for 73 bikes within 600 m · Indoor bike station, 97 Front St W (1.3 km)
Green P car parkDistanceSpacesPeak occupancy
44 Parliament Street · Surface417 m120 *
271 Front Street East · Surface426 m83 *
31A Parliament Street · Surface455 m230 *
323 Richmond St E · Garage493 m25253% (Q1 2026)
185 Queens Quay East · Surface530 m83 *

Nearest lots: 97 m away, ≈22 spaces; 114 m away, ≈2 spaces; 119 m away, ≈2 spaces; 128 m away, ≈7 spaces; 192 m away, ≈40 spaces; 194 m away, ≈41 spaces. More EV charging: 51 Dockside Dr. (587 m, 5 ports); 51 Dockside Dr (587 m, 6 ports); 40 York St (1.3 km, 12 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 south: 2,926 northbound vehicles entered from that leg, 51% of the total, against 192 from the east. Evening rush dominates here: 573 vehicles in the peak hour from 5:45 p.m., against 453 in the morning peak from 8:30 a.m. Trucks and buses were 10.0% of traffic, well above the typical 3.2% — a sign of a goods-movement or bus corridor. 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 north2,074southbound · 549 bikes · 11.3% heavy
From the west577eastbound · 550 bikes · 31.9% heavy
Total vehicles5,76910,254 pedestrians · 2,382 cyclists · 10.0% heavy
From the east192westbound · 739 bikes · 28.6% heavy
From the south2,926northbound · 544 bikes · 3.6% heavy
AM peak hour453 vehicles from 8:30 a.m.
PM peak hour573 vehicles from 5:45 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 Lower Sherbourne St between Gardiner W and The Esplanade, 22 m from the corner, a 3-day count in May 2021 put the average speed at 41 km/h and the 85th-percentile speed at 49 km/h, with the fastest one in twenty at 54 km/h or more. That segment carries about 5,000 vehicles a day. The reading is 5 years old; the City counts on request rather than on a schedule.

Street segmentCountedVehicles / dayAverage85th percentile95th
Lower Sherbourne St · Gardiner W – The Esplanade · 22 mMay 2021 · 3 days5,02841 km/h49 km/h54 km/h
The Esplanade · Lower Jarvis St – George St S · 255 mFeb 2020 · 7 days7,212

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 10 collisions; 2025 recorded 2. 12 collisions (31%) involved an injury; the citywide share is 15%. 6 drivers failed to remain at the scene — 15% of collisions, in line with the citywide 16%. 7 collisions involved a pedestrian or cyclist (18%) — a high share for a Toronto intersection. The most recent report on file is from Jul 31, 2025.

By year

16171819202122232425

Exposure-adjusted: 6.8 collisions per year per 10,000 daily vehicles, using the latest 14-hour count.

2016–2025Collisions
All reported collisions39#2409 of 5,508
With an injury12#1429 of 4,660
Property damage only22
Fail to remain6
Involving a pedestrian3#1118 of 3,193
Involving a cyclist4#529 of 2,576
Involving a motorcyclist1
With a fatality1
Severity not classified4
All since 201445latest Jul 31, 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

One collision in 2016–2025 was fatal. 1 pedestrian was among those hurt. It happened in darkness. The most recent was on Jan 3, 2017. Going back to 2006, the total is 2.

By year

16171819202122232425
2016–2025Collisions
All KSI collisions1#624 of 1,505
Fatal1#290 of 319
Involving a pedestrian1#310 of 879
Involving a cyclist0
Involving a motorcyclist0
In darkness1
All KSI since 20062latest Jan 3, 2017

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

18 thefts from vehicles and seven bike thefts were reported around this corner in 2016–2025 — 4.2× the median for a Toronto intersection with any reported theft. The pace has picked up: 15 in 2023–2025, about 5.0 a year, against 1.4 a year before that. 61% of the vehicle thefts were from the street or other outdoor spots; 57% of the bike thefts were from apartment-building parking. Since January 2026, 1 more has been reported, the latest on Jun 19, 2026.

By year

16171819202122232425
2016–2025Reported2023–2025Since Jan 2026Most often from
Theft from a vehicle18131street/outdoor (11), apartment parking (7)
Bicycle theft720apartment parking (4), street/outdoor (2)

Source: Toronto Police Service, Theft From Motor Vehicle and Bicycle Thefts open data, records through Jun 19, 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 St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands.

Nearby intersections

Questions

Is The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne a dangerous intersection?

It is not among the worst. 1 serious-injury collision was recorded in 2016–2025 (#624 of 1,505), out of 39 reported collisions of any severity. 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 The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne?

A low-volume local intersection. It ranks #1971 of 2,390 counted intersections for vehicles, 36% of the median for a counted intersection, and #199 for pedestrians.

How fast do cars go at The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne?

The City's most recent speed count near the corner, on Lower Sherbourne St between Gardiner W and The Esplanade (May 2021), found an average of 41 km/h and an 85th-percentile speed of 49 km/h — meaning 85% of drivers were at or below that speed.

Where can I park near The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne?

The nearest Green P car park is 44 Parliament Street (417 m away, 120 spaces). The City's mapping shows 616 parking lots of any kind within 2 km — roughly 26,580 spaces — 41 of them within 500 m; most are private or customer-only lots. The nearest City EV charger is at 2 Church St. (547 m).

How do I get to The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne by transit?

King Station (Line 1) is 838 m away; streetcar routes 503, 504, 508, 501 stop within 1 km, the nearest 251 m away; bus routes 121, 75, 65, 202, 114, 19, 97 within 1 km (nearest stop: The Esplanade at Lower Sherbourne St, 15 m).

What restaurants are near The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne?

42 restaurants, cafés and takeouts are within 300 m, and 349 within a kilometre, according to Toronto Public Health's DineSafe inspection list. The closest are St Lawrence Pharmacy (45 m), Bellissimo Pizzeria and Ristorante (118 m), Bolet's Burrito (132 m), Bolet's Burrito (132 m) and Cluck Cluck's (156 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 The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne?

The nearest is St. Lawrence Community Recreation Centre Washroom, 230 The Esplanade, 205 m away (View centre hours). Next nearest: St Lawrence Tent (339 m); St Lawrence South (370 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 The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne?

13 licensed child care centres within 1 km, with 825 spaces in total; 9 accept City fee subsidy and some are in the $10-a-day (CWELCC) program. The nearest are St. Lawrence Co-Operative Day Care (2 Princess Street) (187 m, 49 spaces), St. Lawrence Co-Operative Day Care School Age (230 the Esplanade) (205 m, 74 spaces) and St. Lawrence Infant Toddler Centre (4 Market Street) (386 m, 40 spaces). Spaces are licensed capacity, not vacancies.

What apartment buildings are near The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne?

43 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings with 6,391 rental units are within 1 km. The nearest are 176 The Esplanade (53 m, 220 units, RentSafeTO score 95), 15 Scadding Ave (66 m, 251 units, RentSafeTO score 84), 171 Front St E (150 m, 61 units, RentSafeTO score 93) and 31 Princess St (155 m, 82 units, RentSafeTO score 81). The average RentSafeTO score across the 43 is 91 out of 100. 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 The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne?

Toronto Police place 18 thefts from vehicles and seven bicycle thefts at this intersection in 2016–2025, plus 1 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 St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands page.

What neighbourhood is The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne in?

The Esplanade & Lower Sherbourne is in St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands (City of Toronto neighbourhood 166). It is in Ward 10, Spadina-Fort York, represented by Councillor Ausma Malik. The corner falls inside the Old Town Toronto Business Improvement Area.

Sources

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