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Yonge Street Revitalization (Downtown Yonge BIA/City of Toronto)

So true! Yonge St. at Dundas, facing north, same view - by day, and by night. Late 70's/early 80's.

Is that an illuminated "no left turn" signs back in the second pic? Amazing bringing them back now causes such a ruckus.
 
The streetscape looks better with traffic lights installed at the corners of intersections instead of hanging them over the roadway. It's probably safer for higher-speed driving to have them hung over the roadway for visibility (as we do today at every signalized intersection), but where traffic calming is desirable, the old style might be better.
 
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Yonge Street has got to get fixed! It looks especially bad now that the PanAm Games are happening. It's an embarrassment! Narrow broken sidewalks, cracked and potholed road surface, inconsistent and ugly lighting, lack of street furniture and amenities. It's ridiculous! I remember the first "experiments" that temporarily closed off the street in the summer. That was back in 1971 or 72. Over forty years ago!! The existing plans that would see Yonge reduced to 2 lanes, the sidewalks widened and paved with paving stones, improved lighting and light standards, street furniture and the occasional "urban park" or square have already been discussed in this thread. This all could have been done for a fraction of the cost of the PanAm Games! It's like we asked the world to come to our city but we didn't bother to put on our clothes. It's insulting. I will start writing letters to City Hall (again) urging them to FINALLY FIX this mess of a street. Another letter to The Star wouldn't hurt either. BTW, I'm not advocating that Yonge Street needs to be totally gentrified. It's funkiness is part of it's (waning) charm. But… the street scape needs major cosmetic and structural surgery. Let's get on with it. Yeeesh!
 
Does anyone know whether the Shoppers reno at S/W corner Charles & Yonge includes a general restoration of the brick building?
 
Throwback to Yonge and Dundas in 1992:


This was on a Tuesday afternoon. It's striking how much less pedestrian traffic was on Yonge street back then. And Dundas is void of notable pedestrian traffic. Also, a lot more bikes today. Yonge Dundas on Sunday afternoons (probably the least busy day of the week) in 2015 are a lot busier than this. What a difference 20 years can make.
 
Lots of great things in there; the Sam's signs, the old Eaton Centre facade, the pre-renovation Pantages (Mirvish) theatre. It moves so fast and the focal point is a little too straight down the road but it brings back lots of memories.
 
Throwback to Yonge and Dundas in 1992:


This was on a Tuesday afternoon. It's striking how much less pedestrian traffic was on Yonge street back then. And Dundas is void of notable pedestrian traffic. Also, a lot more bikes today. Yonge Dundas on Sunday afternoons (probably the least busy day of the week) in 2015 are a lot busier than this. What a difference 20 years can make.

I filmed that. :)

Here's another I shot:


I find that the quality of my old 8mm vids is worse when uploaded to YT than they are even on the dubbed VHS tape.
 
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