[ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ]Funding for initial planning to transform the street into a pedestrian-priority space was approved in the 2020 budget, but council voted to fast-track the changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Health experts have called for increased outdoor space to allow physical distancing, and have advised that dining outdoors could help slow the spread of the virus. “This initiative is a significant and ambitious response to the current Covid-19 crisis and representsone of the largest changes in the downtown for many years,” states the motion approved Thursday.The city says given the sped-up timeline, it hasn’t had a chance to engage in “fulsome consultation with stakeholders,”.