There are two events taking place in the Parkdale/High Park area next week about improving walking and cycling access in the west end.
Ride the South Kingsway Cloverleaf
The city, under pressure from some local residents, has backed off making significant improvements to the highway-style cloverleaf junction of the Queensway and South Kingsway. Other local residents, especially those living in new buildings directly south of the junction, are fighting to restore the original plan to transform this intersection into something that is truly urban, and friendly to walking, cycling and transit.
To raise awareness of this issue, cyclists have organized a ride around this cloverleaf:
WHO: Toronto Urban Renewal Network
WHEN: Tuesday, May 27 at 7:30am
WHERE: High Park Gates (or #8 South Kingsway at 8:00am)
Etobicoke York community council will also be considering this issue on June 10 (update – it may in fact be July 7, but you can still send in a deputation now – check the website below for details), and people are encouraged to write in or make a deputation in favour of reverting to the original plan to improve this intersection.
For more information, see the Toronto Urban Renewal Network website.
Jameson Pedestrian Bridge Closing
The City has closed the pedestrian bridge from Jameson Avenue to the waterfront for much of the summer, for repairs. This means Parkdale residents will have to walk an extra kilometre west to Roncesvalles or east to the CNE if they want to get to the waterfront. Local residents are calling for a temporary alternative to be provided, and also a more systematic and better-quality approach to improving access to the waterfront in the area.
WHEN: Monday May 26 at 7pm
WHERE: Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre, 1499 Queen
WHO: With Gord Perks, Cheri DiNovo MPP, Peggy Nash MPContact: Parkdale High Park Waterfront Group: Roger Brook, green22@sympatico.ca or 416 538-1285
2 comments
I personally think that one of the pedestrian bridges should be completely overhauled into a sort of pedestrian “boulevard” connecting Parkdale to the waterfront. A wide bridge, with grass or plant life, would have a much larger psychological impact that the narrow pedestrian bridges that exist. It would give a much wider field of view, and a much more solid restored connection going back to what the Gardiner severed.
there are many many things that need to be rethought and redone. It would help if we began to squeeze the car travel, often SOVs, into effective transit. By asking for effective transit, and there’s some doubt the WWLRT is the best, we may be able to squeeze budgets a bit better to get good transit and resource for better linkages across. We still need to spend a lot of money on transit, and sometimes we need to spend more to get better value and worth. Or think smarter, spend less, and do more.