Yonge Street is officially getting a major makeover through downtown Toronto
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Toronto s iconic Yonge Street is officially getting a makeover through the downtown core thanks to a 21-5 city council vote in favour of YongeTOmorrow; an ambitious plan that will restrict vehicular traffic along parts of the major street for more pedestrian, cyclist, event and green space.
Revamping the major arterial route is something city officials have been discussing and working on for years ten years, according to councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam. Thank you to the residents, biz owners, thought leaders, cultural mavens who spoke in support of this big urban transformation, tweeted Wong-Tam, who has been instrumental in pushing the project forward, following the vote on Wednesday night.
For one of Toronto s most important streets (if not
the most important street), Yonge sucks for pedestrians and cyclists.
The sidewalks are narrow at points, there are no bike lanes, and the public realm is quite bleh. Save for construction scaffolding and a smattering of bike rings, there s little streetscaping at all along Yonge Street throughout the downtown core.
Revamping the major arterial route is something city officials have been discussing and working on for years under the project name YongeTOmorrow.
After narrowing down several potential concepts to transform Yonge Street between Queen Street and College/Carlton Street, the city released its final Recommended Design Concept in September of 2020.