H4F33Z
Active Member
I've known that there's a huge gap in my surrounding area. Even with the ten-year cycling plan, it's unfocused and is missing a lot of links. Here's my proposal for Leaside East, Thorncliffe & Flemingdon.
Dark Blue = Current Off-Road Trails (thinner = public parks)
Lighter Blue = Under Construction or Officially Proposed Off-Road Trails
Very Light Blue = My Idea Off-Road Trails
Green = Bike Lanes
Red = Cycle Tracks
Purple = Separated Multi-Use Trails along roads
Orange = I'm not sure
1. Thorncliffe Park Drive should get upgraded from bike lanes to cycle tracks (parking protected wherever possible), This change will encourage biking for youth and even adults to get around, to school and other destinations in the area. We need to encourage biking in this area as there are not enough riders, because simple bike lanes are unsafe, and the street has the width to do that, even with parking at some key spots.
2. E.T. Seton Park Access Road should have a separated facility for cyclists/pedestrians. There are currently sharrows which help cyclists navigate, but there is no sidewalk. It's a steep hill, and drivers dangerously drive through. It's busy for peds/bikers in the area so we should prioritize them.
3. Overlea Boulevard should have a multi-use trail. In 2023, the City of Toronto will study a complete makeover of the Overlea Bridge, this will include a separated cycling facility. It's also shown in the 2016 Cycling Network Map. It's guaranteed that don mills-thorncliffe east part of the trail will be built but from there to Millwood is uncertain. It should be because it provides a continuous safe connection and bridging the don valley gap between the leaside bridge and don mills. I'm not sure which side of the road it should be. If the ontario line is built, the firm and the city will go through with this cycling connection or other protected facility.
4. Don Mills Road Trail Extension from 701 Don Mills to Gateway Blvd. No one has noticed this, The trail exits pretty dangerously. You got highway traffic of Don Mills to your left. Sidewalk riding is extremely common, if not the norm of the sidewalk on the east side of don mills. It's pretty obvious, extend the trail for the love of god. It's so annoying and frankly, extremely dangerous. This can easily connect up with the Gateway, Overlea, and Don Mills Cycling paths. It's a no brainer, I am begging the city to do this.
5. Gateway Boulevard should be upgraded to a cycle track along its whole length. This is also a no-brainer, the row is huge. The road is notorious for speeding and is on list for photo radar. They can definitely reverse the parking so it's a parking-protected cycle track and add some bolards. This can encourage cycling in the neighbourhood, to schools and other poi's.
6. Spanbridge Road/Pavane Linkway should get a multi-use path. This can improve local cycling connections and safer travels. It's just a connector trail that should also be on the empty part of Grenoble to connect with the many parks near the hydro corridor. It can connect to the Linkwood Lane multi-path, it's also a trail that could lead to a potential east don trail entrance. This is unlikely
7. East Don Trail should've got a trail entrance at Pavane Linkway. I'm surprised this wasn't considered, It's a key location and ideal fit for an exit. A stairwell could do but a ramp is possible. There currently is no other exits for phase 1 other than Bermondsey. It would be beautiful to access the valley easily. It's a no brainer.
8. Linkwood Lane should get a multi-use path for the whole length. This is on the city's watchlist and cycling network map. It should be on the west side as there is more space. The road condition is a disaster, so it's very unsafe for riding and it's very hilly. There are also many residential buildings and parks, we need to provide safe cycling connections. This also connects with the trail at Pavane and St. Dennis.
9. Ignore
10. St. Dennis should be upgraded from bike lanes to cycle tracks (parking-protected wherever possible). Another no-brainer. The road is notorious for speeding, The road has plenty of space, almost too much. The bike lane was the first one to be installed in flemingdon so we need to renew it and make it safer for cyclists. Deauville/St. Dennis intersection is getting an upgrade in 2022 to become a dutch intersection with safety islands and redesigned crossings. It makes sense to support the protected intersection with a protected bike lane.
11. Don Mills should get a multi-use path from Overlea to Gateway N. The trail is being proposed from Gateway N. to Rochefort Drive (as part of don mills crossing project) but not south of that. It's a key link and is a major thoroughfare considered in the 2019 cycling network update. Unfortunately, this won't come to fruition soon as the planners recommend the cycling infrustructure with a transit project i.e. Ontario Line to be built together.
11. (again) Ferrand and Rochefort will get a basic bike lane to connect with the area as part of Don Mills Crossing. Read more here.
12. Wynford Drive and it's extension will have cycle tracks and a multi use trail. It will connect with Street A of DMC, Leaside Spur Trail and West Don.
Read more here for all the proposed cycling projects in the DMC.
13. Vanderhoof Avenue will get a multi-use trail along it's length. As part of Laird in Focus. It will provide an east-west cycling connection in quiet traffic connecting with a very popular skate park, laird and all of Leaside. It will also connect with the West Don Trail near the east end.
14. I have no idea, please give suggestions. I'm not sure what Wicksteede/McRae Avenue needs.
15. Beth Nealson Drive/Wicksteede East should've been included with the multi-use paths. This is a HUGE gap in the network. It's very dangerous to ride on the road as this is a truck route and the road has millions of potholes. There is space on the east side and north side respectively to connect to vanderhoof. Please city, I beg you.
16. Laird Drive will get cycle tracks as part of Laird in Focus. forgot where i kept the pdf. it'll be great!
17. Southvale should get cycle tracks (parking protected where possible). The route is a key connector to the beltline trail, mt pleasant cemetery and the moore park ravine. It's also very important for locals to improve safe cycling access. This will connect to the current moore bike lanes.
18. PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO THE LEASIDE BIKE LANES. WTH DESIGNED THESE!!!
Leaside Bridge should be upgraded to a bi-directional guarded cycle track on the east side. Hear me out. It makes sense actually. Look at many cycling road bridges across the world, you'll see the same pattern. It makes the riders and even pedestrians ease knowing there's an actual barrier from the road. It also limits the amount of crossings required to get through the route. It will connect with the Leaside Park Path and Overlea and the future Donlands bike lanes. If most of the cycling infrus. and parks are on the east side, we should keep the crossings to the minimum so no dangerous crossings are required *edit* If the OL or DRLN ever comes to fruition. It's likely that cycling infrustructure will be proposed on Pape. In that case, the current southbound bike lane could be upgraded to a cycle track for redundancy and help riders continue along pape. If going north on Pape, a cycling junction can be created at the current centre island to manage the cycling traffic on both sides. A protected intersection and reconfigurations are also required at overlea. I will be developing a serious plan for this. I'm taking suggestions.
19. Build a hydro corridor/railway trail from the west don to laird. This is just a fun dream I have. There is an unused access road that leads to a railway yard and the unused tracks that lead to Leaside. It'll be cool if we could revive it and make an official trail and connect on the other side of the railways. I'm not sure about how we can build into the don valley... but consider everything else.
Dark Blue = Current Off-Road Trails (thinner = public parks)
Lighter Blue = Under Construction or Officially Proposed Off-Road Trails
Very Light Blue = My Idea Off-Road Trails
Green = Bike Lanes
Red = Cycle Tracks
Purple = Separated Multi-Use Trails along roads
Orange = I'm not sure
1. Thorncliffe Park Drive should get upgraded from bike lanes to cycle tracks (parking protected wherever possible), This change will encourage biking for youth and even adults to get around, to school and other destinations in the area. We need to encourage biking in this area as there are not enough riders, because simple bike lanes are unsafe, and the street has the width to do that, even with parking at some key spots.
2. E.T. Seton Park Access Road should have a separated facility for cyclists/pedestrians. There are currently sharrows which help cyclists navigate, but there is no sidewalk. It's a steep hill, and drivers dangerously drive through. It's busy for peds/bikers in the area so we should prioritize them.
3. Overlea Boulevard should have a multi-use trail. In 2023, the City of Toronto will study a complete makeover of the Overlea Bridge, this will include a separated cycling facility. It's also shown in the 2016 Cycling Network Map. It's guaranteed that don mills-thorncliffe east part of the trail will be built but from there to Millwood is uncertain. It should be because it provides a continuous safe connection and bridging the don valley gap between the leaside bridge and don mills. I'm not sure which side of the road it should be. If the ontario line is built, the firm and the city will go through with this cycling connection or other protected facility.
4. Don Mills Road Trail Extension from 701 Don Mills to Gateway Blvd. No one has noticed this, The trail exits pretty dangerously. You got highway traffic of Don Mills to your left. Sidewalk riding is extremely common, if not the norm of the sidewalk on the east side of don mills. It's pretty obvious, extend the trail for the love of god. It's so annoying and frankly, extremely dangerous. This can easily connect up with the Gateway, Overlea, and Don Mills Cycling paths. It's a no brainer, I am begging the city to do this.
5. Gateway Boulevard should be upgraded to a cycle track along its whole length. This is also a no-brainer, the row is huge. The road is notorious for speeding and is on list for photo radar. They can definitely reverse the parking so it's a parking-protected cycle track and add some bolards. This can encourage cycling in the neighbourhood, to schools and other poi's.
6. Spanbridge Road/Pavane Linkway should get a multi-use path. This can improve local cycling connections and safer travels. It's just a connector trail that should also be on the empty part of Grenoble to connect with the many parks near the hydro corridor. It can connect to the Linkwood Lane multi-path, it's also a trail that could lead to a potential east don trail entrance. This is unlikely
7. East Don Trail should've got a trail entrance at Pavane Linkway. I'm surprised this wasn't considered, It's a key location and ideal fit for an exit. A stairwell could do but a ramp is possible. There currently is no other exits for phase 1 other than Bermondsey. It would be beautiful to access the valley easily. It's a no brainer.
8. Linkwood Lane should get a multi-use path for the whole length. This is on the city's watchlist and cycling network map. It should be on the west side as there is more space. The road condition is a disaster, so it's very unsafe for riding and it's very hilly. There are also many residential buildings and parks, we need to provide safe cycling connections. This also connects with the trail at Pavane and St. Dennis.
9. Ignore
10. St. Dennis should be upgraded from bike lanes to cycle tracks (parking-protected wherever possible). Another no-brainer. The road is notorious for speeding, The road has plenty of space, almost too much. The bike lane was the first one to be installed in flemingdon so we need to renew it and make it safer for cyclists. Deauville/St. Dennis intersection is getting an upgrade in 2022 to become a dutch intersection with safety islands and redesigned crossings. It makes sense to support the protected intersection with a protected bike lane.
11. Don Mills should get a multi-use path from Overlea to Gateway N. The trail is being proposed from Gateway N. to Rochefort Drive (as part of don mills crossing project) but not south of that. It's a key link and is a major thoroughfare considered in the 2019 cycling network update. Unfortunately, this won't come to fruition soon as the planners recommend the cycling infrustructure with a transit project i.e. Ontario Line to be built together.
11. (again) Ferrand and Rochefort will get a basic bike lane to connect with the area as part of Don Mills Crossing. Read more here.
12. Wynford Drive and it's extension will have cycle tracks and a multi use trail. It will connect with Street A of DMC, Leaside Spur Trail and West Don.
Read more here for all the proposed cycling projects in the DMC.
13. Vanderhoof Avenue will get a multi-use trail along it's length. As part of Laird in Focus. It will provide an east-west cycling connection in quiet traffic connecting with a very popular skate park, laird and all of Leaside. It will also connect with the West Don Trail near the east end.
14. I have no idea, please give suggestions. I'm not sure what Wicksteede/McRae Avenue needs.
15. Beth Nealson Drive/Wicksteede East should've been included with the multi-use paths. This is a HUGE gap in the network. It's very dangerous to ride on the road as this is a truck route and the road has millions of potholes. There is space on the east side and north side respectively to connect to vanderhoof. Please city, I beg you.
16. Laird Drive will get cycle tracks as part of Laird in Focus. forgot where i kept the pdf. it'll be great!
17. Southvale should get cycle tracks (parking protected where possible). The route is a key connector to the beltline trail, mt pleasant cemetery and the moore park ravine. It's also very important for locals to improve safe cycling access. This will connect to the current moore bike lanes.
18. PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO THE LEASIDE BIKE LANES. WTH DESIGNED THESE!!!
Leaside Bridge should be upgraded to a bi-directional guarded cycle track on the east side. Hear me out. It makes sense actually. Look at many cycling road bridges across the world, you'll see the same pattern. It makes the riders and even pedestrians ease knowing there's an actual barrier from the road. It also limits the amount of crossings required to get through the route. It will connect with the Leaside Park Path and Overlea and the future Donlands bike lanes. If most of the cycling infrus. and parks are on the east side, we should keep the crossings to the minimum so no dangerous crossings are required *edit* If the OL or DRLN ever comes to fruition. It's likely that cycling infrustructure will be proposed on Pape. In that case, the current southbound bike lane could be upgraded to a cycle track for redundancy and help riders continue along pape. If going north on Pape, a cycling junction can be created at the current centre island to manage the cycling traffic on both sides. A protected intersection and reconfigurations are also required at overlea. I will be developing a serious plan for this. I'm taking suggestions.
19. Build a hydro corridor/railway trail from the west don to laird. This is just a fun dream I have. There is an unused access road that leads to a railway yard and the unused tracks that lead to Leaside. It'll be cool if we could revive it and make an official trail and connect on the other side of the railways. I'm not sure about how we can build into the don valley... but consider everything else.
Last edited:
/arc-anglerfish-tgam-prod-tgam.s3.amazonaws.com/public/GO6A36UPBFBHLCNGS3VHHF3HM4.jpg)
