Downtown Pedestrian Mall 2021
The City of St. John's opened the Downtown Pedestrian Mall (the Mall) on July 2, 2021. The Mall ran every day during the summer from 12 to 10 p.m. with the area inside the footprint closed to traffic. Based on the success of the 2020 Pedestrian Mall and feedback from the public and the business community, several changes were put in place for 2021. These included:
- the inclusion of sections of Duckworth Street and George Street in the Pedestrian Mall footprint
- changes to outdoor decks and patios to improve sidewalk accessibility
- animation within the footprint including performers and organizations with pop up events
The Mall was open from July 2 to Sept. 6 with many businesses making changes to their outdoor spaces to accommodate increased foot traffic/patrons.
There are many stakeholders who will be consulted throughout this engagement process. This page is primarily designed to solicit feedback and perspective from consumers -- people who visited the Mall or those who chose not to visit the Mall. Take a few minutes to review the content on this page and provide your input.
Businesses, property owners, and other stakeholders in the Downtown will be consulted via survey and stakeholder meetings as well. A final report with recommendations will be shared with Council later in the fall.
The City of St. John's opened the Downtown Pedestrian Mall (the Mall) on July 2, 2021. The Mall ran every day during the summer from 12 to 10 p.m. with the area inside the footprint closed to traffic. Based on the success of the 2020 Pedestrian Mall and feedback from the public and the business community, several changes were put in place for 2021. These included:
- the inclusion of sections of Duckworth Street and George Street in the Pedestrian Mall footprint
- changes to outdoor decks and patios to improve sidewalk accessibility
- animation within the footprint including performers and organizations with pop up events
The Mall was open from July 2 to Sept. 6 with many businesses making changes to their outdoor spaces to accommodate increased foot traffic/patrons.
There are many stakeholders who will be consulted throughout this engagement process. This page is primarily designed to solicit feedback and perspective from consumers -- people who visited the Mall or those who chose not to visit the Mall. Take a few minutes to review the content on this page and provide your input.
Businesses, property owners, and other stakeholders in the Downtown will be consulted via survey and stakeholder meetings as well. A final report with recommendations will be shared with Council later in the fall.
-
Share What worked well with the Downtown Pedestrian Mall in 2021? on Facebook Share What worked well with the Downtown Pedestrian Mall in 2021? on Twitter Share What worked well with the Downtown Pedestrian Mall in 2021? on Linkedin Email What worked well with the Downtown Pedestrian Mall in 2021? linkCLOSED: This ideas has concluded.Cpierceyover 2 years ago
More mobile vendors
I went down once with my husband and son. We walked around, stopped into a few stores....we were getting a little hungry but didn't want a long wait nor a big restaurant bill for supper. Our thought was some extra mobile food vendors would of been a great option as it would of allowed for some variety of choice for those not wanting a patio dining experience.
0 comment1RideoutJover 2 years agoBetter infrastructure for businesses
It was clear that this year businesses had more time to build infrastructure and decks! I think it will continue to improve.
0 comment1reutersover 2 years agoHelps reduce traffic noise for downtown residents
The mall, esp. the Duckworth closure, really helped reduce the otherwise incessant noise from loud motorists that can make the summer so difficult to live through in the downtown core. PLEASE keep the Duckworth closure. Maybe modify it to make it more successful next year. But this can actually help with a chronic and serious problem of Ward 2.
1 comment2JasonJanesover 2 years agoMore mobile food vendors
We visited for several days and it was impossible to find a place to eat. We searched for mobile food vendors and were advised they were not included in the pedestrian mall. This was a shock and a disappointment.
1 comment1Sultanover 2 years agoDo not close Duckworth St from Prescott to Cathedral next time
As a taxi driver , I can tell you that the Duckworth St closure created an absolute nightmare . There was lots of media coverage about how difficult it has become to get cabs and part of the reason was the number of cabs stuck in traffic on the Waterfront . Cab fares that should take 5 minutes would sometimes take 15 or more. I try to work downtown as much as possible during the summer and this year, I did my best to avoid it. The Duckworth/Prescott closure also made it dangerous for pedestrians would thought that you could always cross the road East or Westbound on the both sides of Duckworth no matter what color the traffic light was. This caused further bottlenecking on the Waterfront as the northbound traffic would have to stop for pedestrians who did not have the right of way. Also, I think most businesses in this area suffered because of the closure. No one wanted to go near it, whereas last year people would go there.
0 comment2 -
Share What was challenging or difficult for you within the Pedestrian Mall in 2021? on Facebook Share What was challenging or difficult for you within the Pedestrian Mall in 2021? on Twitter Share What was challenging or difficult for you within the Pedestrian Mall in 2021? on Linkedin Email What was challenging or difficult for you within the Pedestrian Mall in 2021? linkCLOSED: This ideas has concluded.46Prescottover 2 years ago
Loved Water Street been there maybe 10-12 times over the summer
Wheelchair parking very inconvenient,get the bikes of the streets it’s surpose to be a pedestrian mall not a bicycle one,we were downtown many times over the summer,one night 6-8 bikes road up the street on their back wheel,an accident waiting to happen.
0 comment0JoshSmeeover 2 years agoDuckworth sputtered
I was really surprised not to see more investment in outdoor infrastructure on the Cathedral to Prescott section of Duckworth - maybe there were holdups with permits? I had hoped to see patios from Seto, Basho, India Gate, and Shalimar forming a nice little cluster. That said, it's hard to make this kind of thing work well without some retail storefronts, and those were lacking there.
0 comment0Chrissyover 2 years agoSafety and Parking on Queen's Rd
I live on Queen's Rd and the extra traffic due to Duckworth St inclusion in the Pedestrian Mall was horrible. There are not many crosswalks in the first stretch of Queen's Rd and a lot of people walking cross the road near Bates Hill. If Duckworth St is included again, there should be provisions in place for pedestrians to safely cross the road. This could be a pedestrian activated light or even a crosswalk with an amber light. Parking was also a major issue for my household, everyday there were 3, 4 or 5 cars parked in the first block of Queen's Rd without parking passes. Some people seemed to be picking up food at a restaurant and were only there a short time, while others would park and be ticketed day after day. I would suggest that there be temporary 10-15 min parking provided for "Skip the Dishes" and other pickup/delivery services. These spaces should be in existing paid parking designated spots, modified for shorter parking requirements.
0 comment0debbiewisemanover 2 years agoStart earlier
Would be nice if it started earlier in the day, before noon. I realize you need time for deliveries but I have been down there from 11AM on and see virtually no delivery trucks from then on. Also do not allow people who are not delivering stuff to drive through just because they want to, before noon. I saw that more than once.
0 comment0mhirtleover 2 years agoAccessibility
Continue to improve accessibility! I noticed some improvements this year (especially ramps), but many spaces were still not wheelchair-friendly.
0 comment0 -
Share What should be changed/modified for future pedestrian malls? on Facebook Share What should be changed/modified for future pedestrian malls? on Twitter Share What should be changed/modified for future pedestrian malls? on Linkedin Email What should be changed/modified for future pedestrian malls? linkCLOSED: This ideas has concluded.kmorryover 2 years ago
Longer timeline
I wish the mall started earlier and ended later in the season. I already miss the road closure!
0 comment0JoshSmeeover 2 years agoConsider a longer, partial closure on Duckworth
The Duckworth area sputtered this year and it might be worth revisiting the proposal made by ReVision SJ on this, which was a partial closure (one lane) running the length of the street. That might give it a more cohesive feel. Image attached for reference.
0 comment1MPBover 2 years agoHop-on Hop-off transportation
While I recognize the length of the pedestrian mall is less than 1km, I feel like some sort of Hop-on Hop-off transportation that would drive back & forth at a low speed, through the centre of the mall would be attractive to anyone who has mobility issues, young children, etc. I don't necessarily mean a large bus either, I see something smaller, similar to an old street car where stepping on/off might be quick and easy.
0 comment0reutersover 2 years agoClose Duckworth past Prescott where the shops actually are
The Duckworth closure this year didn't make much sense because there aren't very many shops south of Prescott. All the lively activity is north of it, seems to me it would make a lot more sense to close Duckworth on that side. And food trucks please!
0 comment0prsvnsover 2 years agoFind a mechanism to discourage vacant storefronts
There apper to be a number of landlords on Water Street who are quite happy to have vacant, poorly maintained storefronts on their property. Not sure what levers the city has to discourage this (vacant property tax?) but market forces alone might not be enough to fill in Water Street's missing teeth. This would make the mall feel more complete and fill in the quieter stretches.
0 comment2
Lifecycle
-
Public Engagement Ongoing
Downtown Pedestrian Mall 2021 has finished this stageThis consultation is open for contributions.
-
Feedback collected being reviewed
Downtown Pedestrian Mall 2021 has finished this stageContributions to this consultation are closed for evaluation and review. The project team will report back on key outcomes.
-
What we Heard Released
Downtown Pedestrian Mall 2021 has finished this stageA summary of what was heard released Nov. 17, 2021. Check it out here.
-
Final Report
Downtown Pedestrian Mall 2021 is currently at this stageReport with recommendations to Council.
FAQs
- What was the purpose of the Downtown Pedestrian Mall?
- How were businesses consulted about the Mall for 2021?
- How are you determining whether the 2021 mall was a success?
- Will the city have the Mall in the future?
- How will my input be used?
- I own a business/property in downtown, how will I be consulted for my feedback?
- Why was the footprint changed this year?
Signup Banner
Photos
Important Links
Looking for more information about this project?
Contact us at specialevents@stjohns.ca