Revisiting Toronto’s 2012 Trails Plan

Back in 2012 when the late Rob Ford was Mayor, Toronto approved a 77-kilometre Bikeway Trails Implementation Plan. While the City of Toronto has since issued a Ten-Year Cycling Network Plan (2016) and a series of three-year plans, it’s worth revisiting which of the trails have been completed since then and which ones have not. Let’s dive in!

The following projects have been completed since that plan was approved. Note “O” indicates projects led by others such as the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority and Waterfront Toronto.

• #7 – Finch Hydro Corridor from Yonge Street to the Don River Trail -> One caveat about this project is there is still a short gap at Yonge that needs to be filled in
• #10 - Don Mills Trail from Bond Park Trail to York Mills Road (Identified as 10A in the report)
• #12 – Lower Highland Creek Trail -> Includes a connection to the Gatineau Hydro Corridor (a.k.a. The Meadoway)
• #13 – Etobicoke Creek North Trail from Centennial Park to Eglinton Avenue
• #17 – Clareville Extension of the West Humber River Trail
• #18 – Chorley Park Switchback Trail from Chorley Park to the Beltline Trail
• #19 – Duncan Creek Trail Connection
• #24A – Eglinton Avenue West Trail from Renforth Drive to Etobicoke Creek
• #24B – Eglinton Avenue West Trail from Jane Street to Eglinton Flats
• #O1 – Waterfront Trail from Humber Bay Shores to Superior Avenue
• #O2 – Waterfront Trail from Rouge Hill GO station to Rouge River
• #O3 – Etobicoke Creek South Trail from Thames Avenue to Sherway Drive -> However, there were some recent trail closures under the Queen Elizabeth Way.
• #O4 – Queen’s Quay Revitalization from Stadium Avenue to Parliament Street

The following projects have been partially completed.

• #5 – Gatineau Hydro Corridor from Victoria Park to Bermondsey Avenues -> The stretch from Victoria Park to Eglinton is done, while the last I heard about the Eglinton to Bermondsey stretch is construction could start in late 2025 or early 2026.
• #8 – Finch Hydro Corridor from Don River Trail to Birchmount Road -> The Birchmount to Pharmacy stretch is substantially completed with some finishing touches remaining. The Don River Trail to Don Mills stretch is included in the 2025-27 Bike Plan, while the Don Mills to Pharmacy stretch has a study planned during that time.
• #11 – East Don Trail from Wynford Drive Trail Access to Forks of the Don –> Phase 2 from the Wynford trail access to Wigmore Park is done, while Phase 1 from Forks of the Don to Bermondsey is expected to be done this year. Phase 3 from south of the Bermondsey Transfer Station to Anewen Greenbelt has a study planned in the 2025-27 plan.
• #14 – Mid Humber Gap –> 600 metres of this gap from Cruickshank Park to the Mallaby Park staircase has been completed which leaves 800 metres from the Mallaby Park staircase to Cardell Avenue. That gap is in detailed design and included in the 2025-27 plan.
• #21 – Humber River Trail to Finch Hydro Corridor Connection –> The trail along Emery Creek to Weston Road has been completed, while the bridge over Highway 400 is not expected anytime soon. An interim solution is under way with a multi-use path built from Oakdale-Norfinch to Signet-Arrow which will be extended to Weston. A multi-use path on Weston from Finch to Lanyard Road has a study planned for the 2025-27 plan.
• #22 – Gatineau Hydro Corridor from Ellesmere to Conlins Roads –> Two stretches from Ellesmere to Neilson and from Military Trail to Morningside have been completed. The Neilson to Military Trail and Morningside to Conlins stretches are approved but not expected to be built before 2027.
• #O5 – South Mimico Creek Trail -> A short trail has been built north of Lake Shore West, but it doesn’t go all the way to the Gardiner Expressway. Not sure about the utility of this trail.

The following projects are not completed, but are expected to start in the short term.

• #1A – West Toronto Railpath from Dundas to Abell Streets -> Construction was supposed to start this year, but the $150 million price tag has caused some concern.
• #1B – West Toronto Railpath from Cariboo Street to Weston-Black Creek -> This proposal appears to have been scrapped in favour of a Davenport-Union-Gunns bikeway as part of the St. Clair – Keele Transportation Master Plan which is included in the 2025-27 plan.
• #2 – Etobicoke Hydro Corridor from Humber River Trail to Kipling Avenue -> Included in the 2025-27 plan and a project website was created, but no update on public consultations.
• #4 – Warden Hydro Corridor from the Gatineau Hydro Corridor to Highway 401 -> Included in the 2025-27 plan with a project website created, but nothing regarding public consultations.
• #15 – Scarborough Waterfront from Bluffer's Park to Morningside Avenue -> The latest update in January 2025 suggests the Brimley Road trail could start construction in Fall 2025 followed by the western stretch of this trail which is subject to funding.

The remaining projects are not expected to happen anytime soon.

• #3 – G Ross Lord Park connection to Earl Bales Park
• #6 – West Scarborough Rail Path –> This one is truly unfortunate despite years of advocacy on this issue. Supporters are encouraged to sign and share the petition.
• #9 – Finch Hydro Corridor East to Scarborough Rail Path
• #10B – Don Mills Trail Crossing to West Don Trail -> This trail was not identified on the map, but was included in the report and an environmental assessment has been completed.
• #16 – Scarborough Waterfront from East Point Park to Copperfield Road
• #20 – Black Creek Drive from Weston Road to Lawrence Avenue West
• #23 – Allen Greenway from Eglinton Avenue to Highway 401

For easier viewing, here is the trails plan map with the status of each project marked as green for completed, brown for partially completed, and red for not completed.

Another trail document that can be consulted for future trails is the TRCA Trail Strategy. It includes some trails as part of Toronto’s 2012 trails plan, but there are some notable additions.

• Etobicoke Greenway –> Currently under construction
• West Toronto Railpath Northern Extension to the Humber River Trail
• West Don Trail from Sunnybrook Park to Earl Bales Park
• East Don Trail from Lawrence Avenue East to Betty Sutherland Trail
• Extensions of the Gatineau and Finch Hydro Corridors to the Rouge River and Durham Region
• Warden Hydro Corridor from Highway 401 to Finch Hydro Corridor
• Scarborough Bluffs West Project from Eastern Beaches to Bluffer’s Park

A trail along the Rouge River also shows on this map, but it’s not a cycling trail and therefore doesn’t count. Parks Canada was considering the possibility of adding bike trails within Rouge National Urban Park, but nothing was ever made publicly available.

There are two additional trails in Etobicoke which neither plan showed but I think should be considered. The first is the Mimico Creek Trail from Lake Shore West to Kipling Avenue including the existing trail through Tom Riley Park marked in purple. However, the Islington Golf Club hinders the possibility of this happening anytime soon. The other is extending the Etobicoke Hydro Corridor southwest to the Etobicoke Greenway marked in red, though there are crossings of the Kitchener GO line as well as Highways 409 and 401 to contend with.

The Etobicoke Creek Trail gap is another one that needs to be filled, but it falls within the City of Mississauga and therefore out of scope.

Given thirteen years had passed since the last trails plan was developed and a lot of work remains to be done, we need to hold the City of Toronto accountable to ensure the remaining trails get done. The City should seriously consider developing a new trail plan to account for completed sections, the TRCA’s Trail Strategy, and other missing gaps in the trail network. A new trail plan should also look at other elements such as lighting, wayfinding, seating, and other amenities to ensure they are applied consistently across the trail network.

Are there any trails you feel need to be considered in Toronto, but are missing? Let’s hear them!