A Big Change is Coming to an Important Stretch of Road in Mississauga

If you regularly commute through the Square One area in Mississauga–and a lot of you most certainly do, as the area is full of condos and more are on the way–you might be happy to hear that a little change is on the horizon.

The city recently announced that a tactical urbanism pilot project is coming to Living Arts Drive–and that means that things will look a little different on the street between Princess Royal Drive and City Centre Drive.

The pilot will begin on June 7, 2019.

As part of a pilot project, the City of Mississauga will be testing new temporary urban features on the sidewalks and roadway.

The project’s goal is to see how simple, low-cost enhancements can improve safety and the enjoyment of public space.

What sorts of changes can you expect?

• Seasonal planters
• Protected bike lanes
• Shorter intersection crossings
• Decorative transit shelter
• Food trucks
• Mural paintings and street banners
• New busking location (south-east corner of Living Arts Drive and Princess Royal Drive)

The pilot project will run from Friday, June 7, 2019, to Monday, June 17, 2019, with some installations extending beyond June 17.

As for what prompted the pilot, the city says tactical urbanism initiatives have been used by cities around the world to examine new ways to think about and enliven public spaces.

City staff will evaluate the installations and welcome comments from the public via an online survey that will be launched in June.

Time-lapse video will be used by the city for the day of installation on June 7, 2019, to record the transformation of the streetscape.

If you’re worried this will cause congestion, there’s no need to fret.

The city says the road will be fully open and functional for vehicles and bicycles.

That said, some lanes will be narrowed with new protected bike lanes, added temporary planters and other features.

On-street parking will be temporarily reduced to accommodate some of the features during the pilot project.

There will continue to be a designated drop-off area for the Mississauga Civic Centre Child Care Centre.

Cover photo courtesy of @idris.yyz