Consultant's Study - Inventory of Cycling Trail

Opportunities in Rail and Hydro Corridors.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee recommends:

(1)the adoption of the report (June 1, 1998) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services;

(2)the adoption of the joint recommendation of the Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee, the Toronto City Cycling Committee, and the North York Cycling and Pedestrian Committee, embodied in the communication (June 6, 1998) from the City Clerk, viz:

"that a bicycle/pedestrian path be included in the planning and development of the Ontario Hydro lands, between Highway No. 401 and McNicoll Avenue and Pharmacy and Warden Avenues; and that such request form part of the discussions at the Ontario Municipal Board Hearings"; and

(3)that the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services be requested to:

(a)negotiate with the railway companies and Ontario Hydro, a protocol for acquiring trails identified in the report dated June 1, 1998, from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services;

(b)address in future reports a consideration of utilitarian cycling needs, as well as recreational cycling needs; and

(c)determine what effects bicycle trails within rail corridors in other cities have had on neighboring communities, and submit a report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee, reports for the information of Council, having:

(i)directed that a copy of the aforementioned report dated June 1, 1998, from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services and the communication dated June 6, 1998, from the City Clerk be forwarded to the Scarborough Community Council for its advance information;

(ii)requested the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services to meet with the local Councillors whose wards are affected by trails identified in the aforementioned report dated June 1, 1998, from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services;

(iii)deferred consideration of the following reports until its next meeting scheduled to be held on July 13, 1998:

(a) (May 22, 1998) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services, headed "Ontario Hydro Corridors in the City of Toronto"; and

(b)(June 1, 1998) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, headed "Recreational Use of Hydro Corridors"; and

(iv)received the communication (June 12, 1998) from Mr. Jack Becker, Public Co-Chair, Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee submits the following report (June 1, 1998) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services:

Purpose:

This report describes the key findings of a feasibility study to identify active and surplus rail and hydro corridors which are suitable for bicycle and pedestrian trails and outlines steps for creating a multi-year implementation plan for developing trails in these corridors.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

No funds are required.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)City Council endorse in principle developing trails in active and abandoned rail and hydro corridors, as an integral part of a city-wide network of cycling routes which would include both off-street and on-street facilities;

(2)the Commissioners of Urban Planning and Development Services, Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, and Works and Emergency Services be authorized to develop a plan, in consultation with the Toronto Cycling Committee, for implementing trails in active and abandoned corridors, based on the consultant's report, entitled "Inventory of Cycling Trail Opportunities in Rail and Hydro Corridors", which would address:

(a)guidelines for identifying priority trail projects;

(b)a multi-year implementation plan;

(c)design guidelines for trail construction and trail-roadway intersections;

(d)annual capital funding requirements for trail development and property acquisition; and

(e)additional funding sources and potential partnerships with other levels of government and private corporations;

(3)the Commissioners of Urban Planning and Development Services, Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, and Works and Emergency Services be requested to report, in time for consideration as part of the 1999 capital budget, on trail projects which could be initiated in 1999;

(4)the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services be authorized to protect opportunities for bicycle and pedestrian trails in rail and hydro corridors wherever possible through the development approval process and secure implementation where appropriate;

(5)the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services be requested to consider policies as part of the new Official Plan to preserve future opportunities for trail development in rail and hydro corridors which are declared surplus; and

(6)a copy of this report be forwarded to all Community Councils, the City of Toronto Environmental Task Force, Ontario Hydro, Consumers' Gas, CN Rail, CP Rail (St. Lawrence and Hudson), GO Transit and the Toronto Transit Commission for information and comments.

Background:

At its meeting on October 16, 1996, the Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee considered a report by its Network Planning Sub-Committee which recommended that the proposed redevelopment of surplus Ontario Hydro lands in Scarborough include bicycle and pedestrian trails and that land use designations be amended to accomplish this. In his December 20, 1996 report to the Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee, the Deputy Commissioner of Planning requested that the Committee identify both active and surplus utility corridors suitable for bicycle and pedestrian trails across Metropolitan Toronto.

On June 18, 1997 the Toronto Atmospheric Fund approved a grant of $50,000.00 for a joint project by the Toronto City Cycling Committee and the Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee to determine the feasibility of developing bicycle trails in hydro and rail corridors across Metro Toronto. Additional funding and staff resources to manage the study project were provided by the Toronto Urban Development Services and the Metro Parks and Culture Departments. Following a selection process, the City of Toronto Board of Management (October 2, 1997) authorized retaining Victor Ford and Associates to conduct the feasibility study.

Discussion:

(1)Study Purpose:

The primary purpose of the study was to identify rail and hydro corridors within the City of Toronto that could accommodate multi-use trails for commuter and recreational cyclists, in-line skaters and pedestrians. The Toronto Atmospheric Fund contributed study funding because of the potential for a comprehensive trail network to reduce CO₂ emissions by encouraging utilitarian cycling trips.

The railway companies and Ontario Hydro have begun to offer corridor lands for sale that are no longer economically productive or where more cost effective alternatives exist. The product of the study, the inventory of potential trail opportunities within rail and hydro corridors, will enable the City to respond effectively to opportunities for property acquisition and trail development as opportunities arise.

(2)Consultation with Stakeholders:

A steering committee consisting of planning, parks and transportation staff and members of the Toronto City Cycling Committee and the Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee developed the study terms of reference and provided direction to the consultant. Several presentations have been made to the Cycling Committees at all stages of the project. At the joint meeting of the Toronto City Cycling Committee, Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee and North York Cycling and Pedestrian Committee on May 25, 1998 the Committees endorsed the recommendations contained in this report.

The corridors identified in the consultant's report are owned and managed, for the most part, by Ontario Hydro, Canadian National Railway Company and Canadian Pacific Railway Company. The consultants and staff met with real estate representative of these companies to present the study objectives and to get their input. While the representatives have been generally supportive of this exercise to identify opportunities within their corridors, they are not in a position to comment on the feasibility of given corridors, from their perspective, until approached with a more detailed plan to acquire property or to implement a trail on their property.

(3)Identifying Suitable Corridors:

The consultant investigated over 400 kilometres of rail and hydro corridors within the boundaries of the new City of Toronto. Suitable corridor sections were identified based on a review of air photos and extensive site inspections. Physical constraints were identified and where necessary alternative alignments outside the corridors were proposed to maintain continuity of the corridor route. There are two typical major constraints; limited available width within some railway corridors and the crossing of arterial roadways and highways. For the purpose of producing the inventory of potential trail opportunities the acquisition cost or other compensation agreements that would be required to use a corridor were not considered as constraints. These factors will be considered in the development of the implementation plan and they may influence the identification of priority routes.

(4)Candidate Corridor Trail Projects:

Based on the inventory findings, the consultant has produced an inventory of 46 candidate trail projects in both rail and hydro corridors, representing approximately 204 kilometres of new trail opportunities. These projects have been divided into 23 First Group projects (124 kilometres) which are considered the most easily do-able and 23 Second Group projects (80 kilometres) which are considered do-able but have more significant constraints or barriers to overcome. The candidate projects are fairly evenly distributed across the City and connect with many of the existing open space trails. Together with the existing parks trails, these candidate trail projects provide a very real opportunity to create a comprehensive, well integrated network of off-street trails connecting all the communities within the City of Toronto.

There are generally fewer constraints to developing trails within active hydro corridors because they are wide (ranging from 30 to 100 metres) and relatively under utilized open spaces. The generous width of most hydro corridors provides a great degree of flexibility in aligning a potential trail. Ontario Hydro is supportive of passive recreational use of their corridors. Several corridor sections have paved multi-use trails and most have informal walking trails. The major constraint to providing continuous trails in hydro corridors is the lack of safe crossings of arterial roadways and, to a lesser extent, crossings of railway lines. Providing safe and convenient roadway and railway crossings will be essential to developing a successful trail system.

There are very few abandoned rail lines within the City and these tend to be very short spur lines. The City has recently acquired the CN Belt Line between Marlee Avenue and Caledonia Road which will connect to the existing Belt Line Trail east of the Allen Expressway. City staff are currently negotiating the purchase of the abandoned CP P.S. Lead spur line in the west end for trail purposes.

Several potential trail opportunities have been identified within active rail corridors, although some have only a few trains per day. There are many successful examples of trails adjacent to active rail lines, both here in the City of Toronto (the Lower Don Trail) and across North America. Some of Toronto's active railway corridors are just wide enough to accommodate a minimal width trail corridor. For the purposes of the study, rail corridor sections were considered feasible if there was a minimum of ten metres of available width between the track centre line and the edge of the corridor. This will allow for a fence to be set back 5 metres from the track centre line and a further 5 metres to accommodate a 3.0 to 4.0 metre trail and vegetation. It should be recognized that these are minimally acceptable dimensions. The desirable corridor spacing would include a 7.5 metre setback and a 7.0 metre (or wider) trail corridor. Developing a proposed trail within an active rail corridor will only be acceptable to the railways if they are satisfied that it does not interfere with the safe operation of their line.

(5)Preserving Future Trail Opportunities:

While there are few abandoned rail corridors at this time, railway companies are reviewing their operations and may be abandoning lines in the future. A number of secondary rail corridors which could have significant potential for trails if the rails were abandoned have been identified on a "Watch List" in the event that conditions change in the future. Ontario Hydro has recently decommissioned the Warden and Kennedy hydro corridors. Residential development has been proposed by the new owner of the north Warden corridor between the Finch hydro corridor and Highway 401. It is critical that these and other development proposals are monitored closely by planning staff to ensure that future trail opportunities are not lost when rail or hydro corridors are abandoned and redeveloped. I am recommending that policies be considered for inclusion in the City's new Official Plan to preserve future opportunities for trail development in rail and hydro corridors which are declared surplus.

(6)Developing An Implementation Plan:

Taking the inventory of candidate trail projects to the next stage will involve working closely with the railways, Ontario Hydro, City Council, the Toronto Cycling Committee and other individuals and agencies to develop an implementation plan which would address, among other things:

-priority trail projects based on overall network objectives and discussions with the railways and Ontario Hydro;

-a public consultation process for reviewing the proposed network as well as candidate projects;

-annual capital funding requirements for trail development and property acquisition, where necessary, and funding opportunities and potential partnerships with other levels of government and private corporations;

-Official Plan policies for preserving future trail opportunities in railway and hydro corridors; and

-integrating cycling trails with future transit initiatives in rail corridors.

Other important activities to implement the trail network include:

-monitoring hydro and railway corridors for future abandonments to ensure that the City is able to respond effectively as opportunities arise;

-exploring opportunities presented by Toronto's bid for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and opportunities to connect Toronto to the Trans Canada Trail; and

-developing promotional material on the proposed trail network so that all levels of government, citizens and businesses are made aware of the significant city-wide benefits provided by this project.

Conclusions:

The City's consultant, Victor Ford and Associates, has identified 46 candidate trail projects within active and abandoned rail and hydro corridors in the City of Toronto. I am recommending that Urban Planning and Development Services, Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, and Works and Emergency Services be authorized to develop a multi-year implementation plan for trails in utility corridors in consultation with the Toronto Cycling Committee, Ontario Hydro, CN Rail and CP Rail. Further, I am recommending that we identify trail projects which could be started as early as next year so that they may be considered as part of the 1999 capital budget.

It is also important that the City move quickly to preserve future trail opportunities in rail and hydro corridors that have already been abandoned or are to be abandoned in the future. This will require close monitoring by planning staff. I will also develop policies for consideration as part of the City's new Official Plan for preserving future trail opportunities in utility corridors.

Contact Name:

Mr. Daniel Egan, City Hall Office, 392-1143, e-mail: degan@city.toronto.on.ca.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee also submits the following communication (June 6, 1998) from the City Clerk:

Recommendation:

The Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee, the Toronto City Cycling Committee and the North York Cycling and Pedestrian Committee at a joint meeting on May 25, 1998, recommended to the Urban Environment and Development Committee that a bicycle/pedestrian path be included in the planning and development of the Ontario Hydro lands, between Highway No. 401 and McNicoll Avenue and Pharmacy and Warden Avenues; and that such request form part of the discussions at the Ontario Municipal Board Hearings.

Background:

Mr. Michael Thomas, Executive Assistant to Councillor Mike Tzekas, Scarborough Wexford, appeared before the Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee, the Toronto City Cycling Committee and the North York Cycling and Pedestrian Committee in connection with this matter.

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The Urban Environment and Development Committee reports, for the information of Council, also having had before it, the following reports and communication:

(i)(May 22, 1998) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services responding to the direction of the Urban Environment and Development Committee on May 19, 1998, for information on the status of Ontario Hydro Corridors in the new City and the City-wide significance of these corridors; advising that the remaining Ontario Hydro transmission corridors in the City of Toronto are going to remain active for some time; that this continuing primary function is necessary and important to the well-being of the City's residents and businesses, and should clearly be recognized; that the only other potential use of these corridors will, therefore, continue to be for secondary purposes, and there are many successful examples of such uses in a variety of land use contexts and under various planning objectives established across the City, which have benefited business and residents alike; stating that the City-wide significance of these corridors is that they can and do serve a variety of interests in a variety of ways; that opportunities exist to secure passive recreational walking, trail and cycling facilities within the current planning environment; and recommending that the Committee received this report for information.

(ii)(June 1, 1998) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, providing further information on the potential for recreational uses in the Hydro Corridors, and relevant economic strategies to achieve an enhanced level of use of both active and surplus Hydro Corridors; stating that it is clear that the City benefits from current uses of Hydro lands, and that there is the potential for additional parks and recreational needs to be addressed on existing and surplus Hydro lands; however, the costs of acquisition of large tracts of these surplus Hydro corridors is likely prohibitive; advising that the objectives of the City would be advanced by focusing on selective acquisition, potential public/private partnerships and dedication of lands through the development process; and recommending that this report be received for information.

(iii)(June 12, 1998) from Mr. Jack Becker, Public Co-Chair, Metropolitan Cycling and Pedestrian Committee recommending to the Urban Environment and Development Committee that abandoned hydro and rail corridors be acquired by the City, through any means appropriate, and preserved as open spaces for use in the bike trails system, for transportation, and for other open space uses; and further recommending that for operational hydro and rail corridors, arrangements be made with the owners of the properties to permit the construction of an extensive bike trail network.

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Mr. Victor Ford, Victor Ford and Associates, Consultants, made a presentation to the Urban Environment and Development Committee with respect to the foregoing matter.

Councillor Jack Layton, Don River, appeared before the Urban Environment and Development Committee in connection with the foregoing matter.

(A copy of the following documents are on file in the office of the City Clerk:

-the map which was appended to the foregoing report dated June 1, 1998, from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services; and

-the Consultant's report.)