With Toronto’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee looking at launching a project to build a completely new bridge over the Don River for Lake Shore Boulevard East, Walk Toronto has submitted a written communication calling on Toronto and Waterfront Toronto to take a completely new approach to building vehicular bridges, one that treats pedestrians as equally important users of bridges.
The letter, written by Dylan Reid, argues that pedestrian space on all new vehicular bridges should be wide, fully accessible, physically separated from vehicles, and provide spaces to linger and look at the view. Bridges should be a connector and destination for people on foot, whereas currently their narrow sidewalks and exposure to traffic make them unpleasant obstacles.
“This is the perfect opportunity to radically re-think the way we approach bridge-building in Toronto. From now on, even bridges intended for motor vehicles should also, equally, be bridges intended to attract and encourage walking.”
