One lane along Richmond Street in the downtown is being closed off to vehicles to give cyclists and pedestrians more space to physically distance and shop.
The City of London closed off the southbound curbside lane between Mill Street and Kent Street using black and orange pylons as of Friday morning. Signs identifying the six-block stretch of Richmond Row as a "shared space" for pedestrians and cyclists were erected. In addition to providing non-vehicular traffic with more room to move, the space will also increase access to downtown businesses, according to city officials.
"As more people are visiting Richmond Row to support our business community reopening, we must ensure that they can do so safely while maintaining physical distancing,” Mayor Ed Holder said in a statement. “This can be challenging on crowded sidewalks, and we are taking new steps to provide more space for visitors."
City staff will monitor the shared space in order to identify any additional improvements or changes needed.
The new shared space will not affect those who rely on London Transit, as riders will still be able to connect to buses travelling on Richmond Street.
The downtown business association was quick to applaud the move to turn the lane over to cyclists and pedestrians.
"Expanding public space with temporary and flexible measures will help bring customers to the core," said Barb Maly, executive director of Downtown London. “We will continue to listen to our members who’ve been impacted by COVID-19, and collaborate with the City of London to make sure our downtown is ready and open for business."
The city previously opened up shared space for cyclists and pedestrians trying to physically distance amid the COVID-19 crisis along Blackfriars Bridge, Kensington Bridge, Clark’s Bridge, and at Springbank Park entrances.
