Toronto · intersection · signal 2345

Yonge & The Esplanade

Yonge St & The Esplanade · Toronto, Ontario · St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands · Ward 10, Spadina-Fort York · Financial District BIA

Yonge & The Esplanade, in St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands, in the downtown core, is an intersection of typical volume, with a strong pedestrian presence. It has a bike lane and an accessible pedestrian signal at the corner. Nearby: Union Station (Line 1) 256 m away and Union Station GO 336 m away.

Traffic volume
11,638
vehicles · 14-hour count, Jan 20, 2026
4,336 pedestrians · 220 cyclists · #1581 busiest
Collisions
96
police-reported, any severity · 2016–2025
10 with an injury · 74 property damage · #1163 of 5,508 · +2 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
1
TTC stop within 100 m
Union Station 256 m · 6 streetcar routes · 7 bus routes within 1 km
Cycling
Bikeway
Bike Lane
Bike Share: 66 docks within 150 m

Across the 14-hour count, traffic averaged roughly 830 vehicles an hour, 72% of the median counted intersection. There is roughly one pedestrian for every 2.7 vehicles, a higher share of people on foot than the typical counted intersection (one per 13). Police have logged an average of 9.6 collisions a year here over 2016–2025 — 8.3 per 10,000 counted vehicles, 1.66× the median rate for counted intersections. The pace has been steady: 47 collisions in 2016–2020 and 49 in 2021–2025. None of them involved a death or serious injury.

Map

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Yonge & The Esplanade

Getting here

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

Transit & cycling

Subway
Union Station (Line 1)256 m; King Station (Line 1)311 m; St Andrew Station (Line 1)658 m; Queen Station (Line 1)740 m; Osgoode Station (Line 1)1 km
GO Transit
Union Station GO — Barrie, Kitchener, Lakeshore East, Lakeshore West, Milton, Richmond Hill, Stouffville336 m; 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 Terminal197 m
UP Express
UP Express Union Station 593 m — trains to Pearson
VIA Rail
Toronto 326 m
Streetcar
509510503504508501 nearest 218 m
TTC bus
12111420219977565 nearest 14 m
Blue Night
310304301320365
Nearest stops
12 surface stops within 300 m — The Esplanade at Yonge St
Cycling
Bike Lane on Yonge St installed 2008
Bike Share
Front St W / Yonge St (Hockey Hall of Fame) 98 m · 47 docks · 60 stations, 1,425 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 (27)
  • Keystone International SchoolsPrivate · 536 m
  • Downtown Alternative SchoolEnglish Public · 536 m
  • Victoria Street LINCEnglish Public · 594 m
  • St Michael Catholic Elementary School - Bldg 1English Separate · 600 m
  • George Brown College - St James CampusCollege · 780 m
  • George Brown College - Waterfront CampusCollege · 911 m
  • and 21 more
Parks (45)
  • Berczy Park272 m
  • 50 Queens Quay East Park428 m
  • Toronto Sculpture Garden505 m
  • Courthouse Square Park527 m
  • Market Lane Park550 m
  • Harbour Square Park Lands617 m
  • and 39 more
Library
  • Toronto Public Library St. Lawrence branch816 m
  • Toronto Public Library City Hall branch1 km
Places of interest
  • Meridian Hall (formerly Sony Centre for the Performing Arts)Performing Arts · 105 m
  • Hockey Hall of FameAttraction · 189 m
  • Union Station Bus TerminalTransportation · 214 m
  • St. Lawrence Centre for the ArtsPerforming Arts · 217 m
  • Union StationTransportation · 319 m
  • Scotiabank ArenaSports / Entertainment Venue · 332 m
  • Travellers' Aid Society of TorontoVisitor Information · 336 m
  • Gooderham Flatiron BuildingLandmark · 350 m
Signal
2345, activated 2017 · SA1 · accessible (audible) pedestrian signal

Around the corner

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

Restaurants & food

There are 95 restaurants, cafés and takeouts within 300 m of the corner, plus 6 grocery and convenience stores, and 361 eating places within a kilometre — 4.9× the median for a Toronto intersection. The nearest is Gateway Newstands, 31 m away, which passed its last DineSafe inspection in June 2024.

Restaurants & cafés95 within 300 m · 361 within 1 km
Grocery & convenience6 within 300 m · 39 within 1 km
Nearest food premisesDistanceLatest DineSafe inspection
Gateway Newstands · 1 the Esplanade31 mPassed, Jun 2024
Hot Dog Cart #1015 · 1 Front St W79 mPassed, Aug 2024
The Bottom Line · 22 Front St W128 mPassed, May 2026 · 1 infraction
Mothercraft Brookfield Place · 10 Front St W143 mPassed, Jun 2026
Eloise-Barcart · 38 the Esplanade145 mPassed, Jun 2026 · 2 infractions
The Keg · 38 the Esplanade145 mPassed, Jun 2026
Urban Maharajas · 22 the Esplanade None152 mPassed, May 2026
Biff's Bistro · 33 Yonge St Unit-101182 mPassed, Mar 2026

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 Union Station, 309 m away, Mon-Sun 5:30am-12:45am; it is wheelchair-accessible. A drinking fountain is 233 m away at Berczy Park.

  • Union Station · 65 Front Street West
    Mon-Sun 5:30am-12:45am · accessible
    309 m
  • St Lawrence Tent · 125 The Esplanade Street
    Mon-Sat Closed, Sun 10:00am-5:00pm
    488 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
    518 m
Drinking water
Berczy Park bottle filling station · 233 m; 50 Queens Quay East Park bottle filling station, drinking fountain, dog fountain · 460 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 758 spaces; nine accept City fee subsidy. The nearest is Mothercraft Brookfield Place - 161 Bay Street (200 m, 52 spaces, infant, toddler, preschool).

Within 1 km13 centres · 758 spaces
Fee subsidy9 of 13
  • Mothercraft Brookfield Place - 161 Bay Street · 161 Bay St
    52 spaces · infant, toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    200 m
  • Pinnacle Jr YMCA · 12 Yonge St
    44 spaces · infant, toddler, preschool · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    293 m
  • St. Lawrence Infant Toddler Centre (4 Market Street) · 4 Market St
    40 spaces · infant, toddler · fee subsidy · $10-a-day
    440 m
  • Kids & Company Scotia Plaza · 104 Yonge St
    64 spaces · infant, 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 (1.0 km), the nearest police station 51 Division (1.3 km) and the nearest ambulance station 739 m away.

FireFire Station 333 · 1 km207 Front St E
Police51 Division · 1.3 km51 Parliament Street
AmbulanceAmbulance Station 40 · 739 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

20 registered apartment buildings with 2,712 rental units stand within a kilometre of the corner, 14 of them social or Toronto Community Housing. The nearest is 55 The Esplanade (224 m, 166 units, 12 storeys, built 1983), which scored 80 out of 100 at its July 2025 RentSafeTO evaluation. None scored below 70; the average is 89, about the citywide norm. The Landlord and Tenant Board issued 16 final orders naming these buildings in the latest half-year of its catalogue, and 20 fire-code violations are open across them.

Registered buildings20 · 2,712 units · 14 social housing
RentSafeTO score89 average · none below 70
LTB orders, Jan 2026 – Jun 202616 across the 20
Open fire-code violations20
Tallest31 storeys
Nearest buildingsUnitsStoreysBuiltScoreLTB ordersDistance
55 The EsplanadeToronto Community Housing · Toronto Community Housing Corporation16612198380 · Jul 20250224 m
32 Freeland St100420220295 m
1 Church StToronto Community Housing · Toronto Community Housing Corporation11513199683 · Sep 20243324 m
85 The Esplanadesocial housing · Affordable Property Management1287199793 · Jul 20250 · 7 fire332 m
36 Church St416196583 · Nov 20250408 m
110 The Esplanadesocial housing · Affordable Property Management2059199396 · Jul 20240 · 6 fire414 m
99 Lake Shore Blvd E · Element Property Management Inc20511202398 · Jun 20262435 m
25 Henry Lane TerToronto Community Housing · Toronto Community Housing Corporation1966197977 · Jul 20251537 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 · ≈19,510 spaces · 58.5 ha
Within 500 m32 lots · ≈950 spaces
Green P (public)24 car parks · about 7,188 spaces
EV charging (City)2 Church St. · 285 m · 24 Level 2 + 4 fast ports
Bike parking134 post-and-rings within 300 m · racks for 182 bikes within 600 m · Indoor bike station, 97 Front St W (457 m)
Green P car parkDistanceSpacesPeak occupancy
2 Church St · Garage286 m1,97216% (Q1 2026)
40 York St · Garage501 m31141% (Q1 2026)
87 Richmond St E · Surface763 m2092% (Q1 2026)
37 Queen St E · Garage772 m63152% (Q1 2026)
185 Queens Quay East · Surface840 m83 *

Nearest lots: 145 m away, ≈16 spaces; 150 m away, ≈13 spaces; 248 m away, ≈30 spaces; 255 m away, ≈5 spaces; 264 m away, ≈31 spaces; 283 m away, ≈6 spaces. More EV charging: 40 York St (540 m, 12 ports); 51 Dockside Dr. (911 m, 5 ports); 51 Dockside Dr (911 m, 6 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, Jan 20, 2026

The south leg carries the load — 6,907 northbound vehicles, or 59% of everything entering — while the west leg brought 32. Most cyclists arrived from the north (96 of 220). The morning and afternoon peaks are nearly equal: 972 vehicles in the hour from 9:30 a.m. and 939 from 5:15 p.m. Heavy vehicles made up 2.7% of traffic (typical: 3.2%). The citywide median for a 14-hour count is 16,183 vehicles. The count is recent, so it reflects current conditions.

From the north3,033southbound · 96 bikes · 3.1% heavy
From the west32eastbound · 0 bikes · 65.6% heavy
Total vehicles11,6384,336 pedestrians · 220 cyclists · 2.7% heavy
From the east1,666westbound · 73 bikes · 3.6% heavy
From the south6,907northbound · 51 bikes · 2.1% heavy
AM peak hour972 vehicles from 9:30 a.m.
PM peak hour939 vehicles from 5:15 p.m.
Count14-hour · Jan 20, 2026

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

The City's counter on The Esplanade between Yonge St and Scott St (58 m away) recorded an average of 22 km/h in its 7-day count in June 2018; 85% of drivers were at or under 30 km/h. That segment carries about 4,000 vehicles a day. The reading is 8 years old; the City counts on request rather than on a schedule.

Street segmentCountedVehicles / dayAverage85th percentile95th
The Esplanade · Yonge St – Scott St · 58 mJun 2018 · 7 days3,96122 km/h30 km/h35 km/h
Yonge St · Melinda St – King St W · 356 mSep 2014 · 7 days11,829

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

2019 was the peak year (17 collisions), and 2025 closed with 8. 10% of collisions here involved an injury, below the 15% citywide. 15 drivers failed to remain at the scene — 16% of collisions, in line with the citywide 16%. People walking or cycling were involved in 3% of collisions here (citywide: 5%). Since January 2026, 2 more collisions have been reported; they sit outside the ranking window. The most recent report on file is from Apr 28, 2026.

By year

16171819202122232425

Exposure-adjusted: 8.3 collisions per year per 10,000 daily vehicles, using the latest 14-hour count.

2016–2025Collisions
All reported collisions96#1163 of 5,508
With an injury10#1794 of 4,660
Property damage only74
Fail to remain15
Involving a pedestrian1#3185 of 3,193
Involving a cyclist2#1450 of 2,576
Involving a motorcyclist2
With a fatality0
Severity not classified12
Since January 2026 (outside the window)2
All since 2014104latest Apr 28, 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

The KSI record for this intersection is empty back to 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

Toronto Police place 19 thefts from vehicles and 44 bicycle thefts at this intersection 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 8.0 a year before that. 47% of the vehicle thefts were from apartment-building parking; 50% of the bike thefts were from apartment-building parking.

By year

16171819202122232425
2016–2025Reported2023–2025Since Jan 2026Most often from
Theft from a vehicle1920apartment parking (9), street/outdoor (7)
Bicycle theft4450apartment parking (22), street/outdoor (9)

Source: Toronto Police Service, Theft From Motor Vehicle and Bicycle Thefts open data, records through May 10, 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 St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands.

Nearby intersections

Questions

Is Yonge & The Esplanade a dangerous intersection?

Not by the record: no one was killed or seriously injured here in 2016–2025, though police reported 96 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 Yonge & The Esplanade?

An intersection of typical volume. It ranks #1581 of 2,390 counted intersections for vehicles, 72% of the median for a counted intersection, and #450 for pedestrians.

How fast do cars go at Yonge & The Esplanade?

The City's most recent speed count near the corner, on The Esplanade between Yonge St and Scott St (June 2018), found an average of 22 km/h and an 85th-percentile speed of 30 km/h — meaning 85% of drivers were at or below that speed.

Where can I park near Yonge & The Esplanade?

The nearest Green P car park is 2 Church St (286 m away, 1,972 spaces, 16% full at the daily peak in Q1 2026). The City's mapping shows 616 parking lots of any kind within 2 km — roughly 19,510 spaces — 32 of them within 500 m; most are private or customer-only lots. The nearest City EV charger is at 2 Church St. (285 m).

How do I get to Yonge & The Esplanade by transit?

Union Station (Line 1) is 256 m away; Union Station GO is 336 m away; streetcar routes 509, 510, 503, 504 and 2 more stop within 1 km, the nearest 218 m away; bus routes 121, 114, 202, 19, 97, 75, 65 within 1 km (nearest stop: The Esplanade at Yonge St, 14 m).

What restaurants are near Yonge & The Esplanade?

95 restaurants, cafés and takeouts are within 300 m, and 361 within a kilometre, according to Toronto Public Health's DineSafe inspection list. The closest are Gateway Newstands (31 m), Hot Dog Cart #1015 (79 m), The Bottom Line (128 m), Mothercraft Brookfield Place (143 m) and Eloise-Barcart (145 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 Yonge & The Esplanade?

The nearest is Union Station, 65 Front Street West, 309 m away (Mon-Sun 5:30am-12:45am), with an accessible washroom. Next nearest: St Lawrence Tent (488 m); St Lawrence South (518 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 Yonge & The Esplanade?

13 licensed child care centres within 1 km, with 758 spaces in total; 9 accept City fee subsidy and some are in the $10-a-day (CWELCC) program. The nearest are Mothercraft Brookfield Place - 161 Bay Street (200 m, 52 spaces), Pinnacle Jr YMCA (293 m, 44 spaces) and St. Lawrence Infant Toddler Centre (4 Market Street) (440 m, 40 spaces). Spaces are licensed capacity, not vacancies.

What apartment buildings are near Yonge & The Esplanade?

20 RentSafeTO-registered apartment buildings with 2,712 rental units are within 1 km. The nearest are 55 The Esplanade (224 m, 166 units, RentSafeTO score 80), 32 Freeland St (295 m, 100 units), 1 Church St (324 m, 115 units, RentSafeTO score 83) and 85 The Esplanade (332 m, 128 units, RentSafeTO score 93). The average RentSafeTO score across the 20 is 89 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 Yonge & The Esplanade?

Toronto Police place 19 thefts from vehicles and 44 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 St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands page.

What neighbourhood is Yonge & The Esplanade in?

Yonge & The Esplanade 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 Financial District Business Improvement Area.

Sources

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