Church Street closes to traffic for the summer starting today
The pedestrianization pilot runs Friday through August 21, hoping to boost local businesses during Pride Month and beyond.
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Church Street between Wellesley Street East and Alexander Street is closing to traffic at 4 p.m. today, Friday, June 19, and will remain closed through August 21 as part of a pilot project approved by Toronto City Council in May.
All east-west corridors will remain open to vehicular traffic, but the stretch of Church will be entirely pedestrianized for the summer.
The city and local businesses hope the closure will boost foot traffic and support merchants during major events, including Pride Month. The Toronto Pride Parade is happening next June 22.
Citywide, the project is inspired by similar closures in other cities. Montreal has reportedly seen an 83 per cent increase in business activity on pedestrianized streets.
Area Councillor Chris Moise said staff will be collecting data and community feedback, with a formal debrief planned for November. "We are working with 8 80 Cities to actually do street counts and get feedback from community and businesses," he said. "So we'll re-evaluate for what works and what doesn't work. I don't want this to be a one-and-done deal. I want this to continue next year and the years to come as well."
Although the City and local businesses hope the project continues, City Council has the authority to shut it down at any time if needed.