KING’S FACELIFT
The city has installed public spaces along King St. to encourage people to visit during the streetcar pilot,
The corridor of the King St. transit pilot is getting a much needed facelift with the installation of new public spaces, a move the city hopes could draw more people.
In a press release on Thursday, the city announced that they have begun installing public spaces along King St. between Bathurst and Jarvis Sts., the stretch involved in the pilot.
Almost 30 new sites will be opened, which the city says will add “to the vibrancy of the street.”
The designs for 10 of the new spaces were selected from a city-held design competition, Everyone is King. The installations are expected to be completed by the end of May and most will remain for the duration of the transit pilot.
“This is another sign that King St. is open for business and ready for summer,” said Mayor John Tory in the statement. “I encourage all Toronto residents and visitors to come down to King St. to see these public spaces, enjoy the patios and support local businesses.”
Since the start of the transit pilot in November 2017, which gives priority to streetcars along the busy downtown route, local businesses have been complaining about the loss of customers. The pilot removed on-street parking spaces and forced vehicles to turn right at major intersections between Bathurst and Jarvis Sts.
The new public spaces are just a few of the initiatives the city has introduced to boost visitors on King St.