Back by popular demand, Open Streets will happen in Toronto on two Sundays in 2015: August 16th and September 6th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Open Streets TO will be the city’s largest free recreation program, unlike any other in Toronto or Canada. A world-class program is being created that connects our diverse neighbourhoods and people across the city.
Open Streets are programs where the streets are opened to people and closed to cars. People traffic replaces car traffic, and the streets become “paved parks” where people of all ages, abilities and social, economic and ethnic backgrounds can come out and improve their health. Open Streets TO is focused on promoting physical activity and exploring the city in healthy and fun ways.
There will be no outside vendors (i.e. there won’t be any food trucks and/or stalls). All purchases made by Open Streets TO participants will be made at established businesses along the route.
Open Streets stretches along Bloor Street from Spadina Avenue to Parliament Street, and along Yonge Street from Bloor Street down to Queen Street. Major signalized intersections will be “soft closed,” meaning participants obey traffic lights at major street crossings, allowing north-south traffic (crossing Bloor), and east-west traffic (crossing Yonge), to cross as normal.
Activity Hubs at Open Streets TO are nodes of active programming spaced along the Open Streets TO route. They act as outdoor community centres and windows on their neighbourhoods, where local residents, businesses and organizations can lead fun, participative activities to engage thousands of participants and show them why their neighbourhoods are great places to live, work and play!
For full details, please visit www.openstreetsto.org.