Beltline Gap Connections

The City of Toronto is inviting residents to learn more and provide feedback on the Beltline Gap Connections project. The project proposes a safe and connected route for people cycling and pedestrians over the Allen Road Expressway closing the gap between the York Beltline Trail and Kay Gardner Beltline Trail. Letters will be provided to property owners and tenants with right-of-way impacts adjacent to their properties.

The project is part of the Cycling Network Plan Near-Term Implementation Program. The proposed road safety improvements and bikeway connections will be installed at the same time as overlapping state of good repair road work. In addition to closing the gap between the existing trail network, this project will connect to the existing Marlee Avenue bikeway and future cycle tracks as part of the eglintonTOday Complete Street Project.

The project includes:

Converting the west-side sidewalk on Marlee Avenue into a raised bi-directional cycle track and a widened sidewalk (between Eglinton Avenue West and Roselawn Avenue)
Upgrading the bike lanes on Marlee Avenue to cycle tracks (between Roselawn Avenue and Castlefield Avenue)
Converting the south-side sidewalk on Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive into a multi-use trail (between Marlee Avenue and the western limit of the bridge)
Converting the south side of the roadway into a bi-directional on-road cycle track on Elm Ridge Drive (between the western limit of the bridge to Newgate Road)
Converting the Allen Greenway sidewalk into a multi-use trail (between Elm Ridge Drive and Wembley Road)
Adding bike signals, protected intersection corner islands and curb extensions to improve safety by giving priority and reducing crossing distances for pedestrians and people cycling
Removing the westbound left turn lane on Roselawn Avenue approaching the Marlee Avenue intersection

Public feedback, along with technical considerations and City policies and guidelines will be considered in decisions to be made by staff and City Council.

Project Area

The project area is bounded by Marlee Avenue to the west, Eglinton Avenue West to the south, Castlefield Avenue, Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive to the north and Newgate Road and the Allen Greenway to the east.

Why consider changes on Marlee Avenue, Roselawn Avenue, Elm Ridge Drive and the Allen Greenway?

This project is focused on closing the 475 metre gap between the York Beltline and Kay Gardner Trails and creating a continuous safe and comfortable cycling and pedestrian experience.

Further, there is programmed state of good repair work in the area, presenting a once in a generation opportunity to make significant changes. The state of good repair work includes: road reconstruction on Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive in 2025-2026 (between Marlee Avenue and the western limit of the William R Allen Road Bridge).

In the past ten years, there have been 343 total collisions, including one pedestrian fatality in the project area. Bikeways and sidewalks are a critical piece of transportation infrastructure that improve accessibility and safety for all road users, particularly for children, seniors and those with mobility challenges.

This project supports the City’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and goal is to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by making our roads safer for everyone.

While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this page. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings or any other content, please contact us at 416-392-9536 or email carol.lee2@toronto.ca.

Proposed Changes | Marlee Avenue

Artist’s Rendering of Marlee Avenue facing south with standard width vehicular lanes, raised bi-directional cycletrack , and sidewalk on the west side of the road — Artist’s Rendering facing south on Marlee Avenue

Illustration showing existing lane and sidewalk on Marlee Avenue facing south, with wider vehicular lanes and standard sidewalks on both sides — Illustration showing existing lane and sidewalk on Marlee Avenue facing south

Illustration showing proposed lane and sidewalk changes on Marlee Avenue facing south, with standard width vehicular lanes, standard sidewalk on east side, a raised bi-directional cycletrack, and widened sidewalk on the west side — Illustration showing proposed lane and sidewalk changes on Marlee Avenue facing south

Construct a raised bi-directional cycletrack and upgrade the existing sidewalk on the west side to meet accessibility standards between Eglinton Avenue West and Roselawn Avenue
Upgrade the bike lanes to on-road cycle tracks between Roselawn Avenue and Castlefield Avenue
Upgrade the existing sidewalk on the west side to meet accessibility standards
Add curb extensions on the west side to improve safety and visibility of pedestrians, minimize tree impacts and discourage motor vehicle speeding at local intersections including: Livingstone Avenue, Belgravia Avenue, Whitmore Avenue and Hopewell Avenue
Remove centre medians at Roselawn Avenue and Marlee Avenue intersection
Narrow motor vehicle lanes to standard widths
Loss of one parallel commercial in-boulevard parking space
Driveways on City property may be reduced in length
Potential loss of some trees/plantings on City property
New plantings will be explored, where possible
Private items on City property may be impacted once detailed design is advanced

Proposed Changes | Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive

Illustration showing existing lane and sidewalk on Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive facing west, with wider vehicular lanes and sidewalks on both sides — Illustration showing existing lane and sidewalk on Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive facing west

Illustration showing proposed lane and sidewalk changes on Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive facing west, with standard width vehicular lanes, standard sidewalk on north side, a raised multi-use trail on the south side — Illustration showing proposed lane and sidewalk changes on Roselawn Avenue and Elm Ridge Drive facing west

Cross section for Elm Ridge Drive over the bridge showing sidewalks on either side, bidirectional cycle tracks on one side seperated with buffered area and two travel lanes of traffic one way in each direction). — Elm Ridge Drive/ Bridge Existing (top) and Proposed (bottom)

Convert the south-side sidewalk between Marlee Avenue and the western limit of the bridge into a multi-use trail
Add on-road bi-directional cycle track on the south side of the bridge to Newgate Road
Narrow motor vehicle lanes to standard widths
Remove the westbound left turn lane on Roselawn Avenue approaching the Marlee Avenue intersection
No impacts to private property
Removal of eight on-street permit parking spaces, immediately west of the bridge (no permits issued)

Proposed Changes | Allen Greenway

Existing Allen Greenway is a standard pedestrian trail. The Proposed layout will introduce a multi-use trail for both pedestrians and cyclists — Allen Greenway Existing (top) and Proposed (bottom)

Convert Allen Greenway sidewalk to a widened multi-use trail from Elm Ridge Drive to Wembley Road
Improve safety through enhanced signage and pavement markings
No impacts to private property
StreetARToronto will be hosting a series of community engagement sessions for a mural project along the Allen Sound Wall – Allen Greenway project in 2024-2025

Next Steps

Submit comments now by email, mail or phone. Comment deadline: April 19, 2024.

Transportation Services will be seeking City Council authority to install the proposed road safety improvements and bikeway connections. As part of the approval process, staff will report to the Infrastructure & Environment Committee (IEC) of the City of Toronto on May 28, 2024. We will share more details on the project web page before this meeting.

The project timeline includes:

Phase	Time	Activities
Data Collection and Preliminary Design	Fall 2023 to Winter 2024	Review collision reports Collect turning movement counts Conduct field observations Councillor briefing Interest group meetings
Comment Review	April to May 2024	Review comments received after public notification and refine preliminary design
Report to IEC and City Council	May 2024	Staff report to IEC and City Council including public consultation summary
Detail Design and coordination	June to early 2025	Detail design Pending approval, construction planning and notification
Construction begins	Spring 2025	Pending approval, project is planned for construction starting in spring 2025 with potential to carry over in 2026
After construction	2025-2027	Ongoing monitoring and evaluation