Item - 2019.IE10.5

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1.  Deferred consideration of the item to the January 9, 2020 meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in order to hear from the public and ask questions of staff.

The purpose of this report is to provide information requested by City Council regarding the creation of off-road cycling routes along rail lines that traverse Toronto.

The Cycling Network Plan Update (2019) and the Bikeway Trails Implementation Plan (2012) each support the development of an extensive cycling network of on-street and off-road routes, and include several major trail projects along rail lines.

There are many corridors throughout Toronto that present opportunities for constructing multi-use trails, but there are also many corridors that come with significant barriers. Transportation Services, often in partnership with Parks, Forestry and Recreation, will continue to pursue trails along rail lines where possible, while recognizing the approach comes with a number of challenges:

- Property ownership and cost

- Conflicts with future rail line expansions, and

- Safety and proximity requirements
 

Transportation Services recognizes the importance of continuous, high order cycling routes, and as part of the Cycling Network Plan Update (2019) proposed a network of approximately 800 km of "Major City-Wide Cycling Routes", of which approximately 225 km (28 percent) are in place today. These corridors provide significant east - west and north - south cycling connections, some of which are off-road through hydro corridors, trails, and along rail lines, and many of which follow the street network.

Of the 800 km existing and proposed Major City-Wide Cycling Routes, approximately 150 km are off-road through ravines, hydro corridors, along rail lines and the waterfront, 115 km (75 percent) of which are existing.