Yonge Street is one of the main north-south arterial corridors in the heart of Midtown Toronto, serving various business improvement areas (BIAs), neighborhoods, and key destinations. The corridor has complex mobility demands, including transit, walking, cycling, vehicles, loading, and parking.
Repurposing one travel lane in each direction to add protected bike lanes, cafés, and parking spaces as a COVID-19 response initiative required a comprehensive stakeholder engagement program to build community support. The pilot project was further complicated by a compressed timeline of six months, within which we evaluated existing conditions, consulted the public, and prepared design drawings through to installation.
As the city’s prime consultant, we held extensive stakeholder consultations, completed a topographic survey, and conducted both a corridor comparison study and safety review.
We undertook a highly collaborative street redesign process to create a plan reflecting the city’s objectives and the business and residential needs in the area. Our assumptions-constraints map displayed parking, loading, transit, and traffic infrastructure to expedite coordination with BIAs. Working closely with the Toronto Transit Commission and Wheel-Trans, we identified accessible pick-up and drop-off zones to ensure improved accessibility. This theme was carried throughout the design via raised loading platforms and bus stops to minimize conflicts between cyclists and buses and improve curb access.
Corridor beautification was a key objective, achieved through artistic curb extensions, buffers, and planters. Customized pavement markings for each of the BIAs brought this objective to life, contributing to the unique identity of each business area.
The project, created as a 12-month pilot, has since received City Council approval, making the temporary transformation of Yonge Street permanent.
The Midtown Complete Street Pilot dramatically enhanced cyclist and pedestrian use, leading to the capacity relief of the north-south Line 1 subway. The street transformation supported outdoor dining along Yonge Street, creating an oasis for residents and businesses navigating life during the pandemic.
The project’s social, economic, and environmental impacts are evident in the changes to street use:
- Total pedestrian volume increased by 60-80%
- A 100% increase in cycling along the Yonge Street corridor
High satisfaction level among Yonge Street’s users, with 76% of onsite survey - respondents saying they felt the pilot fulfilled the project's goals.
The experience of traveling along Yonge Street has changed dramatically due to this project, as pedestrians are now buffered from adjacent motor vehicles by bike lanes, more cafés are available in the summer months, cyclists have dedicated space on the roadway, and full-time parking is accessible along the corridor.
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