Starting Monday, July 31, the City of Toronto will start to implement the first phase of major changes set to improve how visitors access and move around High Park. 

The changes — which range from designated car-free roads and pick-up/drop-off areas — are all part of the City Council-approved High Park Movement Strategy (HPMS) and will be in effect as of Saturday, Aug. 5. 

As part of the strategy, West Road and parts of Colborne Lodge Drive (south of Grenadier Café) will be car-free at all times. The main vehicle entrance will be at Parkside Drive and High Park Boulevard, which will be open Monday to Friday and closed on weekends and holidays. 

Visitor vehicles will not be permitted to enter at Bloor Street West, but vehicle access will be provided to the Children's Garden, Colborne Lodge Drive, and the Spring Road Parking lot at all times. 

Parking spaces throughout the park will also be reduced, with 21 spaces available at the Spring Road parking lot, 130 spaces near Grenadier Café, and 73 spaces at the High Park Animal Display from Monday to Friday. Parking will not be permitted at these locations on weekends or holidays. 

Other changes include designated pick-up/drop-off spaces near main destinations, dedicated bike lanes added to Centre Road and Colborne Lodge Drive, and improved pavement marking and signage added to pedestrian crossing areas. 

All park entrances and exits will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists. 

City council has also endorsed the continued closure of High Park to vehicles on Saturdays, Sundays, and statutory holidays as part of a long-term strategy to close the entire park to vehicles. 

The HPMS was first launched in 2021 with the goal to improve safety, accessibility, and the park's natural environment. Recommendations were based on extensive research, including parking studies as well as feedback gathered through a multi-phase process that involved more than 10,000 participants.