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The sad truth is that the part of the trail West of Allan Rd. is a bit shabby and less popular than the more treed and scenic portion to the East. The trail starts where the former Belt Line Railway joined the main trunk line. When this portion opened it 1988 it must have been an attractive sight, now, though, its fallen somewhat into disrepair. A little landscaping would do wonders, the signage needs to be replaced, and at the very least the curb cut really needs to be moved to where the trail actually starts. Presumably it was put off to one side to prevent cars from driving onto the trail but a bollard would do the same thing without routing bikes across the grass. The rusty old gates, which seem to be permanently open, could be removed easily enough.
The Beltline trail begins where the Toronto Belt Line railway used to connect with the main trunk line. A railway pattern in the concrete reminds trail users of the history, as well as an info board under a covered roof. This part of town is industrial and commercial but the strip of greenery is just enough to give a little taste of nature.
It doesn't really make much sense to me that a popular trail like the Beltline is missing crosswalks in a few spots, such as where it crosses Ronald Ave. A humble crosswalk doesn't seem like a lot to ask for, especially on a trail that has been around since 1988. Progress is being made slowly tho- Caledonia Rd. was also missing a crosswalk until recently. There are plans to add a "pedestrian island" here, which I think is a rather poor option.
The story of Allan Rd. is really the story of Toronto in some ways. A massive trench blasted through Midtown, wiping out hundreds of houses, with the intention of pushing a freeway into the heart of the downtown, eventually forced by public outcry to stop in the early 70s. It was an abitious and deeply misguided project. The bad news is that these car centered mega-projects still litter the landscape, while an ambitious new vision for the city is lacking or faces pushback. Where other cities have begun the long and expensive process of reckoning with this history, Toronto has moved slowly. This is unfortunately still a very divided and conservative town.
The Belt Line Railway was demolished where Allan Rd. bisected it, and the Beltline trail that replaced the tracks is divided to this day, 50 years later. Currently the trail stops on the West side of Allan at Marlee (though there are plans to extend the trail at some point- currently "on pause") and trail users are forced to bypass up Marlee on the sidewalk to Roselawn/ Elm, which crosses Allan Rd. There is no bike lane and this can be a busy part of town.
I propose a pedestrian bridge. Yes it would be expensive. This is the time, however, for a little ambition, for an investment into the things that make the city inspiring and enjoyable. If the city could afford to build 9 concrete bridges over Allan Rd, it can afford one pedestrian bridge. It wouldn't be the longest in the city either, or the first to cross a major highway.
Allan Rd bisected the rail line in 1972, and the Beltline trail continues to be bisected here 50 years later. A bypass on Marlee and Roselawn/ Elm Ridge is required. There is no bike lane, merely "sharrows", which personally I'm convinced are only there to give drivers the pleasure of driving over a picture of a bicycle. At the far end is a big wall running parallel to the highway.
It doesn't seem like much but this kind of infrastructure on a multi-use trail is still pretty rare in the GTA. Many bridges span the Don and Humber rivers but road crossings are almost always at grade, with or without a crosswalk or stoplight. What a pleasure to glide over the traffic below without having to stop and wait! These bridges were of course built for the railway that formerly followed this route.
While we're lucky to be able to use this space now, it's worth taking a moment to imagine a city in which the paths weren't an afterthought, fought over and eventually squeezed into a place that was left undeveloped for reasons that have nothing to do with the enjoyment of the public and getting around in a way that's fossil fuel free. What kind of city would we have if these spaces had been planned for and set aside as the city grew? It's not so far fetched; bikes have been around as long or longer than cars after all, and presumably people have always enjoyed a stroll in nature. Sadly cars continue to utterly dominate our cities.
We have to assume there is a reason that a simple crosswalk isn't used in this space, but inviting kids, people pushing strollers, old people etc to run out into traffic is just a terrible idea. I've seen lots of drivers blow through crosswalks but at least the rules are clear. Here cars are NOT expected to stop for pedestrians. It's like a game of frogger. I really wish that whoever makes these decisions would simply rule out "pedestrian islands" as an option.
There are plans to extend the Beltline trail up to Allan Rd. The work was supposed to have been completed by now. The latest notice says construction in 2027.
True, this one isn't a big deal. But the beauty of the trails, apart from a little dose of nature and an opportunity for a little outdoor exercise, is the opportunity to get away from Toronto's sould crushing and utterly ubiquitous traffic. So if there's on thing the trails need to get right is seperating the traffic from the non-traffic. Also, on the East side of this intersection, the cubr cut routs any wheeled traffic (bikes, strollers, rollerblades etc) off to one side and between the pole and guy wire. It's just sloppy.
