Businesses, officials praise success of car-free pilot project on Church Street

Arrthy Thayaparan · CBC News

· Posted: Aug 21, 2026 2:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 21

The pedestrianization pilot on Church Street is coming to an end Friday night with locals and officials raving about the results. 

Two blocks of Church Street between Wellesley Street and Alexander Street have been car-free for the last two months. 

The busy downtown street replaced vehicular traffic for newly-built patios, a piano and even a poetry busker. It's a sight that George Pratt says he hasn't seen in over 20 years of being in the community. 

"This has been a really exciting time for the village," said Pratt, chair of the Church-Wellesley BIA and owner of club Flash on Church. "People just love the freedom of being able to come out on the street and walk and talk." 

The change in the community has been a "huge success" with many residents already hoping for its return in the years to come, said Coun. Chris Moise. 

Several businesses in the pedestrianized zone told him they saw a "significant" rise in revenue over the last two months, he said. 

LISTEN | Residents weigh in on the pilot project on Church Street:

Pratt said the area usually experiences a lull in business after Pride week, but that it didn't come around this year. 

"We've had busy weekends the whole summer … in the daytime and the nighttime," he said. 

Moise said the project was entirely funded by sponsorships and individual donations, which helped cover the $500,000 cost of having paid duty Toronto police officers on weekends and security on weekdays. 

"It's important to note that this isn't funded by the taxpayers," he said

Project put neighbourhood 'back on the map': resident

Michael Azzopardi, owner of clothing store Out on the Street, said he saw an increase in business at their newly-opened location during the pilot project. 

"We've also noticed an increase in community feel and vibe down in the village," he said. "It really feels for the first that the village is back on the map in a way."

He said he wants to see the pedestrianized area extended for a longer amount of time and hoped more businesses would get on board in the future. 

• Part of Church Street is now car-free. But the summer pilot is way over budget thanks to policing, security

• Council votes to make Church Street pedestrian-friendly for part of summer

Pratt said some businesses faced some challenges while getting used to the pilot, such as managing delivery times and learning how to operate a patio. But those are challenges that can be easily tackled in the future, he said.

He echoed Azzopardi's sentiments and said many residents have spoken out about wanting a larger pedestrianized zone for the entire summer.

Moise said other councillors and BIAs have shared they'd like to see pedestrianized zones in their neighbourhoods.

Volunteers built furniture, maintained area all summer

Rodney Chan, a community advocate who worked on the pilot project, said volunteers came together to build and paint the colorful patio fences and furniture that filled the area. 

"We had a really small budget, so we had to make do and build things ourselves," he said. 

He said the project was run like a two-month-long festival with the responsibility of managing the area, including garbage collection, left on volunteers and the BIA. 

"My heart is really warm that the community came together, whether that's through donations or supporting the businesses or volunteering to sweep the street or build the furniture," he said. 

Feedback from businesses and residents included having more seating available in the future, more greenery and shade, as well as more programming, Chan said.