[Richard White]

There is zero need for through traffic other than night and shuttle buses. There is a need for access for parking garages and deliveries. It could be mostly pedestrianized to calm vehicle speeds and volumes.

As much as I hate giving vehicles priority, Yonge Street is a major artery downtown.

If you close it, what options are there for alternatives? Are you going to send everyone down Church Street or Bay (which is already a major thoroughfare itself)?

 

[afransen]

As much as I hate giving vehicles priority, Yonge Street is a major artery downtown.

If you close it, what options are there for alternatives? Are you going to send everyone down Church Street or Bay (which is already a major thoroughfare itself)?

Yes.

Yonge is a far more important pedestrian street.

 

[Richard White]

Yes.

Yonge is a far more important pedestrian street.

Right but the vehicles are not just going to remain parked in the driveway because someone closed a street. They need to go somwhere.

 

[reinventingthewheel]

For the record, there is technically only one driveway directly on Yonge between Front and Bloor, that’s the Eaton Centre parkade at the intersection of Yonge/Shuter. That’s not to say I advocate removing all vehicle access, it’s just not possible.

Right but the vehicles are not just going to remain parked in the driveway because someone closed a street. They need to go somwhere.

I get the idea you don’t frequent Yonge street enough to speak on this topic. Let’s ignore Yonge south of Richmond for now, because that is easily the busiest section as a highway collector.

But between Bloor and Richmond, Yonge already regularly operates as one lane each direction due to all the construction and idling/illegal parking. There is no good reason not to shrink the road here immediately.

The following arrangement from Bloor to Queen would have very limited impact on traffic:

• Eliminate the curb lane from all areas 2 lanes wide
• Provide cutouts on one side for parking of designated vehicles only eg. deliveries, maybe night bus stops
• Provide a dedicated left turn lane on approach to a handful of intersections (for a maximum width of 3 lanes across at any location)

 

[Northern Light]

As much as I hate giving vehicles priority, Yonge Street is a major artery downtown.

If you close it, what options are there for alternatives? Are you going to send everyone down Church Street or Bay (which is already a major thoroughfare itself)?

At most times of day, Yonge north of Queen is relatively empty. I frequently cross mid-block without needing traffic lights, and without needing to sprint across, I can just stroll. There is ample surplus capacity.

Less so at peak times, but this is not a case of displacing large number of cars, at most times.

Also, a 1-lane (per direction road, where those lanes are never closed for construction (of buildings), and where there is no lane-shifting by cars, will actually be more efficient than the current set up and hold higher volumes of traffic per lane km.

At peak times, there isn't much surplus capacity on Bay, but there is on much of Church, so there is some diversion capacity available.

Right but the vehicles are not just going to remain parked in the driveway because someone closed a street. They need to go somwhere.

In addition to what I've noted above, its important to say that in fact, reducing capacity for cars does result in at least some marginal reduction in demand. (cars that stay parked in drive ways, to use your parlance).

When you make it more attractive and pleasant to choose walking, cycling or transit, more people will make those choices, when you make it less convenient to choose a car, people will choose it less often.

In combination, its not difficult to imagine an absolute reduction in demand of 25% or more.

 

[afransen]

Provide a dedicated left turn lane on approach to a handful of intersections (for a maximum width of 3 lanes across at any location)

To discourage through traffic, I would suggest prohibiting left turns on Yonge. Intersections are where you need the most pedestrian accumulation space.