Six Points - Bloor & Kipling, with Dundas & Bloor flying over.

The Six Points interchange is the location near Kipling subway station where Dundas Street, Bloor Street, Kipling Avenue and a number of local roads converge into a complex series of onramps and overpasses. It is clearly optimized for traffic flow (which it does well), but it is a pedestrian deadzone in an area which is a designated urban growth centre. As it stands now, residents of the tower complex at the southwest corner of the interchange cannot safely walk to the plaza across the street – and this will only get worse as the lands around the subway station are redeveloped.

A project to replace the interchange with a series of normal intersections will make this area more pedestrian-friendly, create plots for development and generate spaces for small parks and landscaping:

Source: Six Points Interchange Reconfiguration Class EA Study

Will it have an effect on traffic? Yes, as there will be traffic lights where there were no lights before. But, I’m of the opinion that a slight increase in travel times is more than justified by the positive effect this project will have on the neighbourhood. The new development plots will attract residents who will support local businesses, and the green space will be appreciated by everyone who lives there and passes through.

Planning, especially transportation planning, is about trade-offs. In this case, the trade-off will be between fast, wide roads and an attractive cityscape. I’m of the view that there is no point optimizing the drive if the destination sucks, and I believe this project will be a showcase when it comes time to replace that other roadway with an attractive urban community.