The long-anticipated pedestrian and cycling bridge over the railway tracks is finally here, connecting David Dunlap Observatory Park with Observatory Lane—and, beyond that, the growing community around Yonge Street and 16th Avenue.
It has been three years since federal funding for the bridge was announced, although a great deal of planning and preparation had already taken place to get the project to the point where it was ready for funding.
And now that it is here, it is impressive.
The bridge is more than simply a way to get from one side of the railway tracks to the other. It offers a unique view of Richmond Hill—one that most of us have probably never seen before. It is worth taking the walk just to stop for a moment, look around and see the city from a different perspective.
For those arriving from the Observatory Lane side, parking close to the bridge is limited. There is more parking at the Observatory, making the walk through the park part of the experience.
Of course, the expectation is that many of the people using the bridge will arrive on foot or by bicycle. For people living around Yonge and 16th, it creates a new connection to the Observatory lands. And for runners and walkers, it offers another route to explore—and certainly a much more pleasant one than travelling along Yonge Street!
I wonder how many Richmond Hill residents know the bridge is there yet.
Will it eventually become one of those places that visitors to Richmond Hill make a point of seeing, while those of us who live here keep saying, “I really should go sometime”?
Let’s not wait. Go for a walk. Cross the bridge. Stop in the middle and take in the view.
You might just see Richmond Hill a little differently.
