Going to the island: yay, getting to the island: boo

With the Toronto Islands stretching across the length of the central waterfront, this city has a section of green space comparable in size to New York City’s Central Park. During a hot summer like this one, there’s no better destination.

But there’s a problem: getting there is a miserable, soul-sucking experience.

The frustration starts even prior to arrival at the ferry terminal. Despite living in an era where you can buy everything from parking permits to exotic animals online, visitors to the islands are given no other option but to buy their $7 ticket in person.

On a typical summer weekend, the lines for the ticket booths are long and disorganized. They snake backwards from the booths — one or two of which are inevitably closed, some signed ‘cash only’ — and then merge into a confusing glob of humanity.

More savvy Torontonians know that they can accelerate past the chaos by going directly to the ticket machines on the other side of the booths, assuming they’re not broken. But tourists and casual summer revellers shouldn’t be expected to research a strategy just to ensure a prompt spot on the ferry.

Ticket in hand, the experience doesn’t get much better. The waiting area for the ferries is literally a small, uncovered cage.

Things have been even worse this summer. Until restrictions were eased late last week, new federal regulations had nearly halved the maximum capacity of the two largest ferries.

This all adds up to a ridiculous situation. The islands are a major Toronto asset, especially given the lack of parkland downtown. For urban dwellers, there’s no closer escape from concrete and traffic. But I’d bet that, for many Torontonians, a getaway to the islands is something they only experience once or maybe twice a summer.

It doesn’t need to be this way. Aside from small improvements like online ticket purchasing and renovating the waiting area so it doesn’t feel like Alcatraz, why not explore innovative options for accessing the islands? A gondola connection could provide consistent service and offer some amazing views.

But beyond that: why not a bridge? Not the kind of bridge debated ten years ago, but instead a pedestrian and cycle bridge spanning the short distance between the port lands and the eastern islands. This kind of connection would still allow for continued heritage ferry service while providing a more convenient connection for those looking to enjoy the island for casual recreation. It would also further animate the area around Cherry Beach.

Yes, a bridge would be costly and inevitably face hurdles, but it’s worth thinking about. Especially as island day-trippers wait forever in the sun this summer.