{"id":30923,"date":"2012-06-08T11:30:17","date_gmt":"2012-06-08T15:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacingtoronto.ca\/?p=30923"},"modified":"2012-06-08T12:29:45","modified_gmt":"2012-06-08T16:29:45","slug":"is-this-the-ugliest-pedestrian-tunnel-in-toronto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/2012\/06\/08\/is-this-the-ugliest-pedestrian-tunnel-in-toronto\/","title":{"rendered":"Is this the ugliest pedestrian tunnel in Toronto?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Serving as pedestrian tunnels, the two large corrugated metal pipes tucked under a CN rail bridge on Dufferin Street just north of Eglinton Avenue<\/a> connect to more than just the other side of the road. They link walkers to the neighbourhood\u2019s industrial past, an era when cars trumped pedestrians and aesthetic appeal was sacrificed for cost effectiveness.<\/p>\n

The tunnels may also be the ugliest passage for a pedestrian in the city.<\/p>\n

The local city councillor, Josh Colle, points out that the area is being transformed by a mix of high-end design and d\u00e9cor businesses and galleries moving in. Yet Dufferin, with its heavy traffic and features like the tunnels, remains unfriendly to pedestrians. \u201cThere are stretches like this,\u201d says Colle, \u201cthat just aren\u2019t welcoming parts to walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dark and mildly claustrophobic to begin with, years of minimal maintenance and drab coats of now-chipping paint have only added to the tunnels\u2019 lack of visual appeal. Local residents have also expressed concerns about safety, noting that the lack of light and confined space makes the tunnels a choice location for an attack.<\/p>\n

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