A new, expanded downtown Pedestrian Mall was officially opened today on Duckworth Street. Public response to last year’s successful pilot has resulted in some changes, one of the most significant being around accessibility to persons with disabilities.
The mall footprint is on George Street from Adelaide to Water, Water St. from Adelaide to Prescott, and on two sections of Duckworth from New Gower St. to Bates Hill and from Cathedral St. to Prescott.
Mayor Danny Breen says it’s an exciting day.
The city did its best to identify and correct issues with last year’s pedestrian mall, according to Breen.
There are several traffic-related changes in the downtown because of the mall:
- Pedestrian Mall sections of Water Street and Duckworth Street will be closed to traffic and parking inside the mall footprint as of today (Friday, July 2).
- Outside of designated mall hours, traffic will be one-way (from west to east) for deliveries and commercial access only.
- Ayre’s Cove is closed at Harbour Drive, with local access for approved couriers.
- Traffic on McBride’s Hill will be one-way northbound, for the vehicles permitted access to Ayre’s Cove. McBride’s Hill will be closed to southbound traffic.
- Motorists will have two-way access to Clift’s-Baird’s Cove for accessible parking, deliveries, and curbside pickup.
- Southbound traffic on Prescott Street will be detoured to Harbour Drive via Job’s Cove.
- Beck’s Cove will be closed except to provide two-way access to the Murray Premises and to allow delivery and curbside pickup spaces from Harbour Drive.
The Pedestrian Mall will be open daily from noon to 10 p.m. throughout the summer and until September 6.
Free parking for 140 vehicles is available at the City Hall parking garage weekdays after 6 p.m. and all day during weekends.
It’s open! pic.twitter.com/M2C06uT3rR
— Gerri Lynn Mackey (@GerriLynnMackey) July 2, 2021
