At two public events, you can learn how the three agencies hope to transform Queens Quay into a scenic waterfront drive where transit services, cyclists and pedestrians have priority. You can also find out about where they propose to build a portal to allow streetcars to reach Queens Quay East from the Bay Street tunnel.

During a recent presentation to a community liaison committee of residents and business operators from the Queens Quay area, City, TTC and WATERFRONT Toronto staff indicated that the likely design of the street would:

• maintain the streetcar tracks along the south side of Queens Quay West, probably rebuilding and re-aligning the current tracks;
• introduce new streetcar tracks along the south side of Queens Quay East;
• maintain the current portal into and out of the Bay Street tunnel on Queens Quay West between York and Bay Streets;
• introduce a new portal into and out of the tunnel on Queens Quay East between Freeland and Yonge Streets;
• use the current eastbound traffic lanes for the new and rebuilt streetcar tracks, bicycle paths and better pedestrian amenities;
• reserve the current westbound traffic lanes for vehicular traffic, possibly operating as a one-way street;
• build a temporary streetcar loop at Parliament Street and Queens Quay East until work proceeds in extending the future Cherry Street tracks southward into the Port Lands;
• add another entrance into and out of the Bay Street tunnel for Transit City streetcars operating along the Waterfront West line under Bremner Boulevard; and
• redesign the Union Station streetcar loop to accommodate more streetcars through the loop, by adding another set of tracks and building loading and unloading platform on either side of the streetcar right of way instead of at the entrance into the loop.

You can view the presentation materials here.

Public meeting

Wednesday, March 25,
Open house: 6:30 p.m.
Public presentation: 7 until 9 p.m.
Westin Harbour Castle Hotel,
Metro West Ballroom,
One Harbour Square
(south side of Queens Quay West, east of Bay Street).

Drop-in centre:

Saturday, March 28,
10 a.m. until 1 p.m.,
Harbourfront Centre,
York Quay Centre, Lakeside Terrace,
235 Queens Quay West

Members of the design team will attend the drop-in centre so you can ask them about the plans.

Transit guru Steve Munro comments on this plan and the many other schemes to improve waterfront transit on his website. Read what Steve has written here.