A Pedestrian-Forward Vision for Toronto Roadway

Matt Elliott makes the case for redesigning Yonge Street in Toronto to better accommodate pedestrians. "For a street so full of people — no street in Canada sees more daily pedestrian traffic than downtown Yonge Street — it feels hostile to pedestrians. It’s all narrow sidewalks and backed-up intersections."

As the population of the area is expected to grow in coming years, the street needs a design strategy that will account for increased foot traffic, says Elliott. "At all intersections in the core area, pedestrians make up between 50 per cent and 75 per cent of all traffic, but get less than 25 per cent of the road space."

The city of Toronto is hosting a series of public events, part of a study called yongeTOmorrow, to gather feedback about design options for Yonge Street. Two of the design options would narrow the roadway and increase pedestrian space. The third option, however, would ban most vehicles. "For much of the day, it would turn the entire street over to pedestrians. No cars and no trucks. Just people," notes Elliott.