New multi-paper newspaper boxes for Bank Street

In January 2006, I complained to my councillor about the Auto Mart papers distributed for free at transit stations and in areas with high pedestrian traffic. It seemed contradictory to me that the City would allow advertisements that encourage car use in places where people are walking and using transit.
Apparently, the City isn't allowed to discriminate based on content. But there was a committee struck to deal with it.

Earlier this month, something reminded me of this e-mail response, so I asked for a follow up. I mean, two years later, the committee would have done something, right?

Well, sorta.

They still can't control content, but they do plan on having multi-newspaper boxes on Bank Street to reduce the clutter of newspaper boxes (if only they could also control the clutter that these papers leave after people toss them on the street!)

I was forwarded a PDF outlining preliminary plans for these boxes, including size, dimensions, and location. There are four of these boxes planned, in the following locations on Bank street:

• SE corner of Bank & Slater
• NW corner of Bank & Slater
• SW corner of Bank & Albert
• NW corner of Bank & Queen

As you can see in the image below, the boxes themselves will be between 2.25 m and 3 m long, and will be situated on the boulevard along Bank. (click for bigger version)



There are a few questions that come from this plan: Will the permanent boxes pose an insurmountable barrier to new papers? Will the papers on the bottom row have a lower pickup than those on the upper row? Will we end up getting more newspaper boxes for other papers anyway?

These answers will probably not be answerable until the boxes are installed. At least there's hope for more pedestrian space in this area.

- RG>