TORONTO — Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro is asking the City of Toronto to end a program that closes a busy roadway near Rogers Centre on weekends to allow for pedestrian traffic.
In an open letter to the city, Shapiro says the ActiveTO program, which was started in 2020 to give people more space to get outside during the COVID-19 pandemic, impacts baseball fans trying to get to Rogers Centre for weekend games.
The program includes several Toronto streets, including Lakeshore West, which runs just south of the Blue Jays’ home stadium.
Shapiro says that while the team supports people getting outside and exercising, he argues Toronto has other options for that than using Lakeshore West while Jays fans do not.
The city is currently reviewing the ActiveTO program over ongoing traffic concerns.
Mayor John Tory has said he wants the program to continue in some form after pandemic restrictions come to an end.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2022.
