[neuhaus]

Do we have any pedestrian-only streets in Toronto?

I have been to cities with them in a prominant part of the city and they add so much life and vibrance to the area day and night.
It would nice to see one in downtown Toronto.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Do we have any pedestrian-only streets in Toronto?

I have been to cities with them in a prominant part of the city and they add so much life and vibrance to the area day and night.
It would nice to see one in downtown Toronto.

There are temporary ones, such as the Taste of the Danforth.

Unfortunately, permanent pedestrian streets are hard to reproduce here in Toronto. Kensington Market would be nice, if it wasn't for the opposition. The streets near St. Lawrence Market would be another, again opposition says no.

Here's a video on just that, pedestrian streets:

[video]http://www.streetfilms.org/copenhagens-car-free-streets-and-slow-speed-zones/[/video]

 

[GraphicMatt]

Probably barely counts, but there's a pedestrian-only street (with a City of Toronto sign and everything) called "Wyatt Walk" in Regent Park.

 

[W. K. Lis]

To be a European style of pedestrian street, the street should have multi-use, multi-level low-rise buildings on it. That is, at least, commercial on the first floor, and offices and residential on the floors above. Single story building, some with false second floors, do not count. Most of the more successful streets seem to have 3 or more floors. Using Kensington Market as an example, most of the buildings are 2 stories, may not be enough to make it successful as a pedestrian street.

 

[CDL.TO]

Pleasant:
- Market Street from Front to King.
- Victoria Street from Gould to Gerrard.
- The internal streets at the Distillery District.

Questionable:
- The internal streets of Regent Park.
- The internal streets of Alexandra Park.

Former sections of streets, now only open to pedestrians:
- Hayter Street
- Hagerman Street
- James Street
- Granby Street
- McGill Street

 

[Urban Shocker]

The Esplanade is evolving into a delightful pedestrian thoroughfare now that the tree canopy along the north of the promenade has matured. Vehicular traffic is sparse whenever I've been there, and I often detour through after work on summer evenings. The locals use the wide greensward and, now that the Distillery has emerged as a destination to the east, it is strategically placed as a walkway into the downtown for those new residents and visitors. I think that this evolution will become more apparent as the world changes around the Esplanade - as the city gets built up east of the Distillery and north-south links from the evolving waterfont feed into it at Jarvis and Sherbourne and Parliament.

 

[W. K. Lis]

If The Esplanade and The Distillery could evolve into an equivalent of Old Town in Québec City (Vieux-Quebec) or Old Montréal, but pedestrian only (or at least after the morning rush) that would be great.

 

[Urban Shocker]

It will be interesting to see what eventually gets done with the site of the former Parliament Buildings in the Front/Parliament/Berkeley block. While the Distillery condo towers will initially form a view terminus for the Esplanade's east end, a cultural building ( museum of Toronto? ) would be a major attraction if built there, and further enhance the Esplanade's new identity.

 

[DSC]

Colbourne Street from Church to at least Scott (and Leader Lane) would be great pedestrian streets and I certainly approve of US's suggestion of The Esplanade, but maybe leave the busses as they are well used and not too frequent.

One thing MUCH needed is a few direction signs showing people how to walk to the Distillery from the St Lawrence Market by way of The Esplande (or actually at all. and, of course, vice versa.) I constantly see people pouring over maps and looking puzzled

 

[Urban Shocker]

That walkway through the little park joining Parliament to Berkeley/Hahn at the east end of the Esplanade ( the aforementioned historic site ) is a route well travelled in the evening, by people leaving the Distillery and heading downtown.

 

[gmania]

A section of Gould Street and Willcocks Street is suppose to be closed later this month to create pedestrian only streets at Ryerson and U of T. I think it's a one year pilot project. I remember Hume writing an article on it or maybe it was a video.

 

[adma]

Former sections of streets, now only open to pedestrians:
- Hayter Street
- Hagerman Street
- James Street
- Granby Street
- McGill Street

Actually, I think the earliest case of a deliberate Granby/McGill-style cul-de-saccing was Boswell where it met Avenue Road just north of and across from Hazelton Lanes--and I believe that was stickhandled by Colin Vaughan back when he was a City councillor...

Incidentally, should this thread be taken out of the Rest Of The Universe section?

 

[jaycola]

This would be my pick ( aside from Kensington), Front west of Church over to Yonge.

One of the best looking commercial strips in Toronto but the sidewalks are very narrow.
A park on the north side. Theatres on the south side and the street ends at church so it's not going to affect traffic at all..

I think it could be ideal.

 

[Archivist]

jaycola, I think that's a good choice. The difficulty in Toronto with pedestrian streets is that many of our more active streets are fairly significant thoroughfares going long distances - in most cities that have a good network of pedestrian streets they have chosen shopping streets that do not seem to have served as places to get from one place to another. I remain suspicious about pedestrianizing Yonge or Queen or King, though perhaps it might work.

If I were to choose streets in Toronto to pedestrianize, I would certainly include Gould and maybe Bond, maybe part of Elm, most of John, Baldwin. Certainly that silly little southern part of Dundas Square. Maybe parts of Yorkville. You'd have to look at what obstacles exist and if there are alternatives (entrances to parking garages etc.).

 

[W. K. Lis]

Here's a link to a History Around Front & Church Streets. When The Esplanade was a beach and Front Street was a path along the beach.