Your idyllic commute along one of Toronto's main thoroughfares will look a lot different next year, with traffic expected to come grinding to a crawl on College Street, a major overhaul of the street looming on the horizon.

If you live, work, or play along the 2.2-kilometre stretch of College between Manning Avenue and Bay Street, expect a slow, noisy start and finish to your workday in 2022.

Upcoming TTC track replacement work and the upgrading of existing bike lanes will turn one of the busiest stretches of College into a full-on construction zone.

Anyone who bikes, drives, walks, or stumbles along this arterial might want to pick an alternate east-west route in the new year. Though good luck finding a path between any two points in this city without encountering some form of construction along the way. This is Toronto, after all.

But fear not.

The short-term (we hope) pain will pay off with long-term gains for the street, making for smoother rides on the busy 506 Carlton streetcar route. It will also offer safer cycling commutes with upgraded bike lanes, including stretches that will be physically separated with raised paths and concrete curbs.

The project will also make life easier for pedestrians, improving crossings and making the streetscape more hospitable for patrons of local businesses. New TTC bus stop improvements will also cut down on the availability of on-street parking.

The College and Borden intersection will be getting a makeover during the construction, easing the connection with contra-flow bike lanes on Borden between Ulster Street and College, added in 2020.

Details of the plan are still being finalized, and the city is hosting a virtual public meeting this coming Monday, November 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. 

So there's still plenty of time to grumble about how much we all hate construction before shovels even hit the ground.