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Pedestrian streets in TO?

We're forgetting Old York Lane, which is more of an alleyway, but still probably our most successful pedestrian-only throughfare. Also, one thing Toronto does have more than a few of are rather successful mid-block walkways, which is something the City seems to be doing a reasonable job of encouraging as part of new developments. There's great potential for these along King West, for example.
 
We should start with using some of the old streets of the Town of City or the original City of Toronto as starting points for pedestrian streets. Those streets were original for pedestrians (and horses) not 20th/21st century automobiles (that includes New Street by the way):



From the www.townofyork.com website.
 
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In my grand scheme, I would like to see pedestrian and public transit only streets surrounded by a parameter of "normal" streets with cars allowed acting as arteries with appropriately located parking areas/buildings. People could then park their car, hop a on bus, human rickshaw or walk wherever they needed to go. I think if this were done in a smart fashion, it would really be beneficial in improving traffic flows and encouraging public transit use.
 
We are always gushing about that pedestrian street in Copenhagen that is a kilometer long.

Somehow we forget that our own PATH system is 27 km long and that you can walk from the bus terminal to Maple Leaf Square 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without getting wet. We don't need pedestrian streets. We have an entire network of them right under our feet.
 
Albert Campbell Square at the Scarborough City Centre is effectively a pedestrian street. There are even a few retail stores fronting onto it.
 
Archivist said:
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.).
Click to expand...

I agree with your assessment, Archivist: I think the streets you mentioned would make excellent candidates for pedestrianising. I think that a totally pedestrianised Yonge St or Front St might feel a little too vast -- especially during the winter. On Yonge, I would love to see the sidewalks widened, at least between Queen and Bloor. Imagine then turning off Yonge and strolling onto a cosy, pedestrianised Elm St. lined with al fresco dining on either side. Maybe lights strung across the street over head. It would be a natural place for street performers (licensed & high quality) like in Quebec City. You could then stroll across Yonge to Gould St to browse through a night market.
I'm intoxicated by my own fantasy! Let's do this!
 
Hipster Duck said:
We are always gushing about that pedestrian street in Copenhagen that is a kilometer long.

Somehow we forget that our own PATH system is 27 km long and that you can walk from the bus terminal to Maple Leaf Square 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without getting wet. We don't need pedestrian streets. We have an entire network of them right under our feet.
Click to expand...

I'm as much a fan of the PATH as anyone (particularly in February), but it's private. It's no substitute for public streets.
 
I was walking through the U of T Campus yesterday, and while from what I've read Willcocks St is supposed to become pedestrian-only, the southern end of Devonshire was ALSO closed!! It had big vases blocking off traffic. I didn't hear about this in the plans. The Devonshire site is kind of a weird place to shut off, since there isn't a heck of a lot of pedestrian traffic there, versus other places at U of T.
 
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