Toronto's New Year's Eve festivities: Road closures and Union Station access restrictions to manage crowds
CTV
The City of Toronto is taking steps to ensure New Year’s Eve revelers enjoy the festivities and get home safely.
The City of Toronto is taking steps to ensure New Year’s Eve revelers enjoy the festivities and get home safely.
Starting at 10 p.m. on Tuesday until 1 a.m. on Wednesday, a number of road closures will be in effect in the downtown core, including eastbound Queen's Quay West, Bay Street from Front Street to Queen's Quay West and York Street from Front Street to Queen's Quay West. Additional road closures may be added if required, the city said in a news release.
After midnight, once the city’s firework display on the waterfront is over, access to Union Station will also be restricted to ensure crowds move smoothly through the station to their destination.
Public transit users will be required to enter Union through the Brookfield Place doors on Bay Street, just south of Front Street, however if overcrowding begins, customers may have to line up outside on Bay Street, the city said.
This move comes as thousand of people attempted to make their way home through Union Station following last year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. The overcrowding, which was exacerbated by fight on a subway train, resulted in log delays for some travelers. Similar overcrowding has been an issue in previous years on New Year’s Eve at Union, the TTC added.
On Dec. 31, the City of Toronto will ring in the new year with a celebration along the waterfront that will feature fireworks, music and pop-up performances.
The fireworks display can be viewed from Sugar Beach Park at 11 Dockside Dr., Harbour Square Park at 25 Queen's Quay W., Harbourfront Centre at 235 Queen's Quay W., HTO Park, 339 Queen's Quay W., and HTO Park West at 375 Queen's Quay W.
