Starting Friday, June 19, the City will open a curbside lane of Richmond Street to pedestrians and cyclists to support physical distancing and access to downtown businesses.
“As more people are visiting Richmond Row to support our business community reopening, we must ensure that they can do so safely while maintaining physical distancing,” says Mayor Ed Holder. “This can be challenging on crowded sidewalks, and we are taking new steps to provide more space for visitors.”
One southbound lane of Richmond Street, from Mill Street to Kent Street, will be opened to pedestrians, cyclists, and businesses to create a new shared space. The changes to Richmond Street are flexible, and will be monitored by City staff to identify any additional improvements or changes needed.
“These changes are intended to support customers visiting businesses, and provide the necessary space they need to walk or bike to their destination,” says Jim Yanchula, Manager Downtown Projects and Business Relations at the City of London. “We will continue to work with businesses closely on a case by case basis to respond to their needs as they reopen.”
As part of the City of London’s recent Back to Business initiative, the City is working with the BIAs to better understand what businesses might need during these times.
“Expanding public space with temporary and flexible measures will help bring customers to the core.” says Barb Maly, Executive Director of Downtown London. “We will continue to listen to our members who’ve been impacted by COVID-19, and collaborate with the City of London to make sure our downtown is ready and open for business.”
London Transit bus stops will not be impacted, and riders will still be able to connect to buses traveling on Richmond Street.
Safely maintaining physical distance is important when travelling on London’s roadways and multi-use pathways. Blackfriars Bridge, Kensington Bridge, Clark’s Bridge, and Springbank Park entrances were previously modified to create more pedestrian and cycling space. The use of local road, park pathway, and cycling networks continue to be monitored by staff.
Businesses throughout the City with requests related to reopening can submit them via email at b2b@london.ca.