Gould Street | Chris Drew

Message to the Close Gould Street Facebook Group

June 11, 2011 — chrisjamesdrew

Here’s a message I sent earlier tonight to the Close Gould Street Facebook Group:

Complete a City of Toronto Survey to Support a CLOSED Gould Street!

*****Important: Please Read!******Hello Closed Gould Street Supporters,Please complete a survey being conducted by the City of Toronto for Gould Street. Specifically, the City wants to know how pedestrians are using the Gould Street pedestrian zone: http://bit.ly/mcPsNv

This survey is EXTREMELY important to ensuring Gould Street remains a pedestrian zone. The one-year pilot project is almost over and we need a strong response from the community to convince the City of Toronto and Mayor Rob Ford that this street should be for people, not cars.

I’m sure like me, you’ve had a chance to witness the transformation of Gould Street. Where there was once illegally parked cars, cramped sidewalks and students worried about being run over by cars, we now have outdoor patio furniture, new shrubs and space for concerts and student activities. Ryerson has moved into the 21st century and the closure of Gould Street puts us in the same group as other world-class, urban post-secondary institutions.

As you may know, the closing of Gould Street was supported by all of the key stakeholders: students, alumni, staff, faculty, Ryerson University, the Ryerson Students’ Union, local residents, the past and current Councillors for Ward 27, the past and current MPP and the MP.

In addition to completing the survey, please email Ryerson’s City Councillor, Kristyn Wong-Tam at councillor_wongtam@toronto.ca to show your support!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to get involved in the campaign please contact the Ryerson Students’ Union at 416.979.5255 or info@rsuonline.ca. The Close Gould Street Campaign’s twitter account is: @CloseGouldSt

All the best, Chris Drew

PS Please share this with your fellow Ryerson students, friends, fellow alumni or anyone you know who cares about public space for pedestrians!

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Close Gould Street Campaign Continues

June 10, 2011 — chrisjamesdrew

My most memorable part of studying at Ryerson University was being part of the Close Gould Street Campaign. We as students believed that the street could be better utilized for pedestrians and the space could be transformed into something more dynamic than a place for illegally parked cars and a short-cut for drivers. While safety was always one of the main benefits to closing the street to cars, we had a vision for the street that included everything from outdoor concerts to cafes.

Gould Street was closed for a one-year pilot project. The Councillor, the University and the students all agree that the street should be a pedestrian zone.

Our advocacy continues and the City of Toronto is now doing a survey on the future of Gould Street. Please take time and complete it. Here’s the link:

Important Survey on #Ryerson Pedestrian Zone on Gould Street for City Of Toronto http://bit.ly/mcPsNv @CloseGouldSt @chrisjamesdrew