Church Street pedestrian zone getting warm reviews after three weeks car-free

Two blocks of Toronto's Church Street have been car-free for three weeks, and many people using the area say the atmosphere is a welcome change. The stretch between Wellesley and Alexander Streets closed to vehicles and cyclists on June 19 as a pilot project aimed at giving pedestrians more room and boosting local businesses.

"I find it enjoyable to just walk more comfortably on the streets," one resident said. "I've lived here for 30 years, and you see a difference in the atmosphere." Another resident added: "I always wished we had the same thing like in Montreal. I was always like 'Why don't they have that in Toronto? On Church Street?'"

After three weeks of access, the city held a ribbon-cutting event for the project on Friday, July 10. While some nearby business owners said they haven't noticed a significant increase in customers during the day, many others report the pedestrian-only pilot has created a more welcoming atmosphere and brought more people onto the street. George Pratt, owner of Flash nightclub and chair of the Church-Wellesley Business Improvement Association, said: "This is a pilot project, so obviously they are going to examine details and the things that went right and wrong. I would like to see it come back again next year and maybe for a longer period of time — maybe from May to September."

The pilot is expected to cost about $500,000 after initially being budgeted at roughly $150,000. 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. "One of the complaints we've received is that there is too much security. It's a bit of an overkill."

Mayor Olivia Chow says she's open to more pedestrian streets. "If the businesses and the residents, if they think that it's something that they want to do, absolutely the City of Toronto will consider it." The Church Street pedestrianization pilot is scheduled to continue until August 21, after which the city will review the results.