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\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nIt\u2019s been three weeks since a stretch of Toronto\u2019s Village neighbourhood was closed to vehicle traffic and many people using the area say the atmosphere is a welcome change.<\/p>\n
Two blocks of Church Street between Wellesley and Alexander Streets have been closed to cars and cyclists since June 19 as part of a pilot project aimed at giving pedestrians more room to walk around and provide a boost to local businesses at the same time.<\/p>\n
CityNews spoke with multiple residents and several business owners to evaluate how the project has been working so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cI find it enjoyable to just walk more comfortably on the streets,\u201d one resident said. \u201cI\u2019ve lived here for 30 years, and you see a difference in the atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n
After several weeks of pedestrian-only access, the City officially held a ribbon-cutting event for the project on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The concept of pedestrianized streets is popular in Europe and other big cities across Canada, and residents of the Church-Wellesley Village hope that it sticks around for years to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always wished we had the same thing like in Montreal,\u201d another resident added. \u201cI was always like \u2018Why don\u2019t they have that in Toronto? On Church Street?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
While some nearby business owners told CityNews they haven\u2019t noticed a significant increase in customers during the day, many others say the pedestrian-only pilot has helped create a more welcoming atmosphere and brought more people onto the street.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, this is a pilot project, so obviously they are going to examine details and the things that went right and wrong,\u201d George Pratt, owner of Flash nightclub and chair of the Church-Wellesley Business Improvement Association, told CityNews. \u201cI would like to see it come back again next year and maybe for a longer period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe from May to September,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The pilot project is expected to cost about $500,000 after initially being budgeted at roughly $150,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Councillor Chris Moise says about $300,000 of those funds is tied to policing and private security. He says those costs will have to come down if Toronto hopes to expand pedestrian-only streets elsewhere in the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the complaints we\u2019ve received is that there is too much security,\u201d Moise said. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit of an overkill.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, over time, we can reduce the security here because I think it was a bit much,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Toronto Police tells CityNews it spent about $25,000 on paid-duty officers during the pilot\u2019s opening weekend, with most of the police presence provided by officers on regular duty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Police say future pedestrianization projects would still require careful planning around public safety and emergency access.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Mayor Olivia Chow says she\u2019s open to more pedestrian streets.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the businesses and the residents, if they think that it\u2019s something that they want to do, absolutely the City of Toronto will consider it,\u201d Chow told reporters at a press conference on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Church Street pedestrianization pilot is scheduled to continue until August 21, after which the city will review the results before deciding on any next steps.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tA City of Toronto concrete barrier is seen as part of the Church Street pedestrian-only zone. CITYNEWS <\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
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