Queens Quay Boulevard is the main east-west thoroughfare along the waterfront and as such, it will be "main street" for the new East Bayfront community. The new Queens Quay will feature two lanes of east-west traffic on the north side of the street with a dedicated Light Rail Transit (LRT) line in the middle. On the south side, a generous granite mosaic pedestrian promenade defined by a double row of trees will run alongside an off-street Martin Goodman Trail. The promenade and trail will help balance the needs of residents and visitors who are walking and cycling in the neighbourhood.

Queens Quay will provide the kind of atmosphere conducive to economic vitality, ground floor retail activity and urban vibrancy. It will become an iconic street that is as beautiful as it is functional.

This new world-class street will link major destinations along the water’s edge, create pedestrian and cycling-friendly promenades and encourage an economically vibrant area that serves as a destination for locals and visitors alike.
 

Waterfront Toronto has long recognized the importance of transforming Queens Quay into a world-class boulevard. Because Queens Quay runs the length of Toronto’s waterfront, giving this boulevard a new life is critical to Waterfront Toronto’s overall revitalization goals.

In 2006, Waterfront Toronto launched the Central Waterfront Innovative Design Competition for the central waterfront which included the East Bayfront area. As part of its winning design, West 8 + DTAH proposed a design for Queens Quay that would make it a signature boulevard by reducing the number of lanes of traffic to allow for a generous new pedestrian promenade, cycling path and much improved landscaping in the area.

While Waterfront Toronto was an advocate of the winning design, we fully supported the statutorily-required Class Environmental Assessment (EA) process which had to occur before any work on Queens Quay could begin. Learn more about the Revitalization of Queens Quay EA.

The Martin Goodman Trail, a 56 kilometre multi-use recreational trail, is currently disjoined as it passes through the centre of the city. Waterfront Toronto’s plans for revitalizing Queens Quay will connect the trail. Cyclists will be able to travel along a generous, four metre-wide, off-street Martin Goodman Trail from Lower Spadina Avenue all the way through East Bayfront to Parliament Street where the trail continues along Lake Shore Blvd.

Waterfront Toronto is working with leading tree experts and will employ the latest technologies to ensure that trees planted along Queens Quay mature and thrive.

See how soil cells help deliver mature trees. Watch the video from Deep Root, our soil cell provider.

Queens Quay will become the waterfront’s new main street. Read articles about plans to revitalize the street.

The Environmental Study Report (ESR) documents the evaluation and decision making process used to reach the recommendations of the East Bayfront Transit EA Study. Read the ESR.

Design team: West 8 + DTAH

Overall Boundaries: From Spadina Avenue to Parliament Street

Length: 3 km

East Bayfront Boundaries: From Lower Jarvis Steet to Parliament Street

Length: 1 km

Width of pedestrian promenade: 6-8 metres (varies)

Width of Martin Goodman Trail: 4 metres

Proximity: 10 minute walk to Union Station