Sidewalk surfaces being tested to help visually impaired pedestrians

The City of Toronto will be testing sidewalk surfaces to help improve them for visually impaired pedestrians.

Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong, who chairs the public works department, said the city has chosen to test different surface options at one downtown intersection.

“Testing different options at the same intersection will give us an opportunity to perform a side-by-side comparison of the cost, ease of installation, durability and effectiveness of each treatment,” Minnan-Wong said in a release.

The intersection chosen for the project is Victoria and Shuter streets, which carries a high volume of pedestrian traffic due to its close proximity to St. Michael’s Hospital and the Eaton Centre.

The four surfaces will feature different treatments and colours.

The city is encouraging feedback on the project from the public over the next few months.

“This pilot project is a wonderful step to make our sidewalks more accessible to those with visual impairments, especially at key areas like intersection crossings,” said Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam. “I hope that many members of the public will provide feedback on the testing surfaces.”

Wong-Tam added that pedestrian safety is one of the city’s top priorities.

Members of the public can submit their feedback by email at sidewalkpilot@toronto.ca or by calling 311.

Click here for more information on the non-partisan campaign to make Ontario fully accessible to over 1.7 million Ontarians with disabilities.

Follow the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance on Twitter @aodaalliance.

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