Living the dream

I like to get my exercise outside of the gym - by walking and biking when I can, but I find it scary sometimes to navigate the city's streets, especially Oxford St. and Wharncliffe Rd where vehicles are trying to get across town as fast as possible.

Blackfriars provides me with a calm peaceful route to navigate through this part of town, whether by foot or bike.

As a connection to the Thames Valley Parkway, it provides a cross over path for pedestrians, and I really enjoy seeing the LED lights on the bridge when going on those early morning runs/walks along the river. In a time when we are learning about the benefits of taking time to care for our mental health, having these places in the city where we can 'get away' from the hustle and bustle are, in my mind, key.

I do not want to see this become a higher traffic zone with 2-way traffic returning to this bridge.

Wouldn't it be great if we could celebrate the character of the Blackfriars neighbourhood as a walkable, nature-friendly section of the city? What about encouraging a walking zone from downtown along Ridout St. across the bridge to Blackfriars with cafes and independent shops and a really old-town tourist kind of feel. I am thinking something like the Distillery District in Toronto, where the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic in the summer.

What are our priorities? to build a city that is more livable? or one that you can drive through faster?

I vote for people over cars.