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

[Memph]

My thinking would be to reduce Yonge to one lane each way with the lanes being woonerf like or at the very least bike sharrows (similar to King St in Kitchener which is of a similar width). Then depending on how things go, the entire street could be pedestrianized.

If you're going to compare Yonge to other pedestrian streets though, you have to consider their width and amount of pedestrians. A ped mall on Yonge would draw far more pedestrians than Sparks Street in Ottawa and Steven Ave in Calgary (and most (all?) American ped malls). I think it would also draw more than Granville although that's less obvious. Yonge seems narrower than Granville though which puts it at an advantage.

If the city does pedestrianize Yonge though, it should repave it so that it feels more like a proper pedestrian mall (which they didn't in 1971). I would also divide the street surface into different sections.

The edge: Basically a wider verson of today's sidewalks along the storefronts.
The centre: Could be an area for bikes and pedestrians that are in more of a hurry and not doing window shopping. Maybe it could also allow the ttc yonge buses, and even tourist buses along with the delivery vans/trucks.
The buffer zone: This section could have street trees, flower beds, benches/tables, maybe even parklets. It could also be rented out to restaurants as patio space and to street vendors/kiosks/ice cream/food trucks.

I think if you divide the space (using the buffer) into an edge zone and centre zone like this, you'll have both sections activated with pedestrians. Just look at the Ramblas of Spain (La Rambla is just the most famous one). And just adjust the width of the buffer zones to make sure there isn't an excess of pedestrian space (which would cause the street to feel empty). I'm sure the city could find plenty of vendors and restaurants willing to rent out that space. Even during the winters while you'd have decreased demand for certain vendors, demand would increase for vendors selling hot foods like sausages, coffee, apple cider and hot chocolate. Worse case scenario I guess you could make the mall seasonal and turn the central zone into bike sharrow (ie with cars).

Special events could also be held on Yonge, farmer's markets, a Christmas Market, parades... Maybe even things like One of a Kind instead of being held in a boring warehouse.

 

[ksun]

^ why not make the centre of Yonge st filled of permanent retail stores/kiosks as well? People would still have ample space on walk on - actually we should want it to be a bit crowded.

I know we love bikes, but we don't want to reserve a bike lane for a street full of pedestrians moving slowly, often hopping from one side to the other to check out things. The bikers can easily bike along Bay or Church, park there and walk to Yonge.

 

[ehlow]

I think we should do what they did in Broadway & Times Square in New York. Experiment with pedestrianizing Yonge temporarily using tables, chairs, plants, food, retail and see what happens. Try various things and see what works. If it works well, which it probably would, then make it permanent. Maybe allow food trucks in certain areas.

I think you guys are right that it has the potential to be much much better than it is now.

 

[junctionist]

I'd like to see the street redesigned as a flexible street like Market Street at St. Lawrence Market. Narrow the roadway and make the sidewalks flush with the roadway. It could be pedestrianized with demand using collapsible bollards. In the summer, for instance, restaurants could set up patios large enough to reach the existing curb lane if pedestrianized. In the winter, it could function as a regular street. That might quell any war on car rhetoric, though I think opponents to improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure were just a small but loud minority that might have been equated with a far larger group of people who own cars, hated the vehicle registration tax and liked that Rob Ford got rid of it. I'd love to see the whole road heated in the winter.

 

[salsa]

I'd like to see the street redesigned as a flexible street like Market Street at St. Lawrence Market. Narrow the roadway and make the sidewalks flush with the roadway. It could be pedestrianized with demand using collapsible bollards. In the summer, for instance, restaurants could set up patios large enough to reach the existing curb lane if pedestrianized. In the winter, it could function as a regular street. That might quell any war on car rhetoric, though I think opponents to improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure were just a small but loud minority that might have been equated with a far larger group of people who own cars, hated the vehicle registration tax and liked that Rob Ford got rid of it. I'd love to see the whole road heated in the winter.

Nothing will quell the war on car rhetoric. Council couldn't even give up the stupid reversible lane on Jarvis, and decided that it was worth wasting half a million to bring it back. There is no way they will approve the removal of half the lanes on Yonge Street.

 

[junctionist]

That was when Rob Ford was at the height of his credibility and power. Council just submitted to his desire. It was assumed that most people wanted the bike lanes gone when Rob Ford was elected, but few people likely cared. Most people supported the naysayers to expanding cycling and pedestrian infrastructure because most people disliked the vehicle registration tax. In reality, Jarvis is clogged with traffic to this day and few people in cars are likely thinking 'I really benefited from opposing bike lanes'.

 

[freshcutgrass]

That was when Rob Ford was at the height of his credibility and power.

I'm sorry, but that is just funny. Has it really come to that....have things really gotten that bad, that it makes it appear that he had credibility or power at some point in the past???? ha ha ha

 

[junctionist]

It's hard to imagine, but that's how it was when he was elected.

 

[confusion]

I would also add some separated bike lanes. To me this example would be ideal.

Source: http://completestreetsforcanada.ca/complete-streets-design

I like this vision, it's a step in the right direction, but personally I would like to see a version of Yonge Street that mimicks an Amsterdam street. One where there is a bi-directional bike lane down the middle with no/limited access to cars. The bike lane would be wide enough for delivery or emergency vehicles to get through (to use during off-peak hours). Taking cars out of the equation for Yonge Street should be done between Yonge & Davenport to Yonge & Front.

 

[ssiguy2]

Granville street in Vancouver closes down every Fri & Sat night even to buses to create a festive atmosphere and it has worked. It would take Toronto 5 years of study just to finally decide that they should strike a Royal Commission to look into it.

 

[Celeste]

Can I ask who owns the old Gasworks building? I would love to buy that particular building from the renters and fix it up for business. Right now it looks absolutely attrocious.

 

[Celeste]

^ It used to be a very popular club called the Gasworks and I'd say all the value is in the land. It's a pretty deep lot and would be a great corner for a condo.

No! They should keep it the way it is and fix it up.

This is what I mean when I say they should fix up at least some, if not all, of the buildings on Yonge Street. They need to start investing money in other persuits otherwise it's going to look ugly walking/driving down Yonge Street.

 

[ksun]

No! They should keep it the way it is and fix it up.

This is what I mean when I say they should fix up at least some, if not all, of the buildings on Yonge Street. They need to start investing money in other persuits otherwise it's going to look ugly walking/driving down Yonge Street.

Yonge st between Dundas to Bloor looks absolutely atrocious. Many of the buildings themselves are nice, but in terrible condition, worsened by all the tacky signages.

Another "priority area" is Queen west between University and Bathurst. So many visitors and shoppers, horrible buildings. Shameful as if the city has no respect for itself.

 

[Celeste]

Does anybody know why the place shut down? I hate the way that building was treated.

 

[Celeste]

I agree that the tackiness of Yonge Street is due largely because of the way that the buildings have been allowed to be treated and the landlords who own those buildings hardly even care.
I mean the Gasworks was one of the last rock n roll night clubs before they shut it down in 1993, for what reason they shut it down I don't know, but I do know that grave sort of injustice was done to this building after they closed it down and no I don't buy that it was to make for other businesses. There's got to be a more logical explaination for it.