Toronto - Waterfront Trail needs updating
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 22
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Toronto - Waterfront Trail needs updating
This is pretty region-specific, to Toronto, ON. Essentially, the waterfront trail is an on-road cycling route through the city (and along most of Lake Ontario). The waterfront trail as it is now really sucks. If anyone wants to avoid the main roads goin into downtown Toronto from the Scarborough area (or any part of the east end near the lake), it is basically this or nothing. Kingston road would be great to use, but Kingston road is a bit uncomfortable for me, and I would prefert to avoid it; I tresure my life, but the cars whizzing by nearly clip me and are going about 90 km/h (no joke!) The waterfront trail is only on slow, low-traffic sidestreets, but it is freekin' windy, and has a lot of ups and downs. So, the choices again are: Fast and dangerous, or, really slow and safe(r). But, I know that the bluff fronts are basically all built up with break waters, and there are even a few km of bike trails at the base of the bluffs. Why not turn this into a bicycle 'highway' of sorts, as it would be near flat, and dead straight from Scarborough to the exisitng bike path starting in the beaches. The city is dumping fill anyway, so why not just redirect it here, and build infrastructure with it? Currently, a little bit of construction on a extending a one of the paths by ~200m is going on, but even this is too slow to be called progress.
Here's the Waterfront trail as it is now:
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bvNs9u6fdS...on+profile.jpg
And here's the proposed 'bluff-front' trail:
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bvNs9u6fdS...+profile+2.jpg
Most of the 'bluff-front' trail has basic contruction already done in the form of breakwaters, so this would be a fairily simple endwavor. The maps are taken as Google maps screenshots, from my blog. I go into the technical aspects in much greater detail in my blog, check out the post (there's too much to repost here):
https://urbanusmagnus.blogspot.com/20...cling-and.html
So, does anyone agree with me; more specifically, any Torontonians? Is this just fantasy, or a real possibility? Are there any flaws in my logic?
Here's the Waterfront trail as it is now:
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bvNs9u6fdS...on+profile.jpg
And here's the proposed 'bluff-front' trail:
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bvNs9u6fdS...+profile+2.jpg
Most of the 'bluff-front' trail has basic contruction already done in the form of breakwaters, so this would be a fairily simple endwavor. The maps are taken as Google maps screenshots, from my blog. I go into the technical aspects in much greater detail in my blog, check out the post (there's too much to repost here):
https://urbanusmagnus.blogspot.com/20...cling-and.html
So, does anyone agree with me; more specifically, any Torontonians? Is this just fantasy, or a real possibility? Are there any flaws in my logic?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Along the Rivers of Pittsburgh
Posts: 1,255
Bikes: 2011 Novara Forza Hybrid, 2005 Trek 820, 1989 Cannondale SR500 Black Lightning, 1975 Mundo Cycles Caloi Racer
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 258 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times
in
157 Posts
Well, I thought the new mayor, Rob Ford, was anti-bike. So when I first saw your post, I thought, "no way is that happening." But then I saw this article in this morning's Star: https://www.thestar.com/news/article/...-downtown?bn=1 .
I like your idea, but I'm not in your constituency. Maybe you need to contact Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong with your idea.
I like your idea, but I'm not in your constituency. Maybe you need to contact Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong with your idea.
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 22
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Wow, I've left this for a while...
but, anyhow, I see what you are saying - there may be a chance of some such thing materializing. I wasn't able to scrounge anything up online, but from some friends/ friends o' friends, I have found out that, actually, there is some extra construction being done; something more substantial than 200m. It looks as if they are actually planning to go (eventually) build it all the way out east, to connect w/ Highland Creek's part of the waterfront trail, then more west, to connect with Bluffer's Park. The guys I talked with know some of the councillors personally, so, who's to say if this isn't really true? Correct me, but I believe that Paul Ainslie is the councillor for the Guildwood area?
but, anyhow, I see what you are saying - there may be a chance of some such thing materializing. I wasn't able to scrounge anything up online, but from some friends/ friends o' friends, I have found out that, actually, there is some extra construction being done; something more substantial than 200m. It looks as if they are actually planning to go (eventually) build it all the way out east, to connect w/ Highland Creek's part of the waterfront trail, then more west, to connect with Bluffer's Park. The guys I talked with know some of the councillors personally, so, who's to say if this isn't really true? Correct me, but I believe that Paul Ainslie is the councillor for the Guildwood area?
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Along the Rivers of Pittsburgh
Posts: 1,255
Bikes: 2011 Novara Forza Hybrid, 2005 Trek 820, 1989 Cannondale SR500 Black Lightning, 1975 Mundo Cycles Caloi Racer
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 258 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times
in
157 Posts
Can't help you on the who the councillor is for that area - I only read the Toronto papers online on a regular basis. It would be good if the city comes up with a comprehensive plan. Maybe you should contact the Toronto Cyslists Union and see what you can do to make this happen.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
larryfeltonj
Southeast
7
06-29-17 06:49 PM
Sculptor7
Northeast
4
08-12-12 09:45 PM