In preparation for a thorough reconstruction of the Toronto waterfront, the city of Toronto is in the middle of a festival taking some of the waterfront pavement back for pedestrians and cyclists. Called “Quay to the City,” it’s part preview and part dry run of the future traffic plan on the shore of Lake Ontario. It runs only through Sunday, August 20th.
Next year, the city will start on a revitalization plan that includes a maple leaf-shaped floating pontoon island and a vastly improved streetscape, along with a permanent connection between the two sections of the Martin Goodman Trail.
BikingToronto offers a rundown of the weeek’s events, while arch-enemy bikeToronto offers a project overview.
Local reaction to the experiment is mostly positive, but one respondent noted, “What I don’t like is the huge cycle archway at the foot of York St. by Queen’s Quay [above] – what an ugly thing.”
That temporary sculpture is being called “l’arc de cyclomphe,” and it’s made from unclaimed bikes recovered by the Toronto Police. It’s not part of the permanent plan.
Indeed, the success of the test has many, including Toronto Star columnist Christopher Hume, wondering why not extend the “temporary” improvements at least through Labor Day?
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Flickr.com | Photos tagged “quaytothecity”
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