The City of Toronto and the Government of Canada recently announced a partnership to extend a popular West Toronto multi-use trail by 2 km to connect Toronto residents with new areas of the city — but the near-$150 million cost of the project has some councillors critical.
Under the funding agreement announced earlier this month by Alejandra Bravo (Toronto Councillor for Davenport) and Julie Dzerowicz (MP for Davenport), the Government of Canada will provide $23 million while the City of Toronto will contribute a staggering $125.7 million to extend the West Toronto Railpath.
The project will see the existing 2.1-kilometre trail doubled in length, with the additional two kilometres of trail extending south from Dundas Street West at Sterling Road to Abell Street at Sudbury Street. Four new pedestrian-cycle bridges will also be constructed.
The extension is meant to encourage sustainable transportation options by making it easier for commuters to connect to the Bloor GO Station and the upcoming King-Liberty Station. It’s also part of the City’s Cycling Network Plan, so the extension should make walking and cycling safer and more inviting — this has become a top priority for the city, especially in the wake of a cyclist who was tragically killed after being hit by the driver of a large dump truck near Queen’s Park last month, making it the fifth cyclist who was killed this year in the city.
In a statement, Councillor Bravo stated that residents of Davenport have long dreamed of and advocated for this project, which will benefit those walking, rolling, and cycling on the Railpath in the coming years.
“The West Toronto Railpath’s innovative use of public land connects members of our community to local parks, schools, and other community hubs. [This] investment will help the West Toronto Railpath reach even more people and encourage active transportation that will help Toronto meet our climate action goals,” Bravo said.
Still, as first reported by the Toronto Star, some councillors are speaking up about the costs associated with the project. In a recent council meeting, Councillor Brad Bradford admitted that although it’s important to expand cycling and walking infrastructure, the city can’t do that “at any cost”. He predicted that “heads are going to explode” when Toronto residents learn about the cost of extending the trail by two kilometres.
Councillor Josh Matlow also called the extension important but added that spending $150 million on a two-kilometre walking trail “is completely insane.”
When the partnership to fund the extension was announced earlier this month, Mayor Chow said in a statement that expanding the Railpath would connect even more communities and make it easier for people to enjoy our city by walking, cycling, and taking transit.
“Partnership between all levels of government made this possible. Working together, we can connect communities, provide more active transportation options and create new opportunities for sustainable travel,” Chow noted.
According to the City, the first phase of the West Toronto Railpath from Cariboo Avenue to the Dundas Street West Overpass was completed in 2008. Realignment of the existing Railpath between Wallace Avenue and Bloor Street West began in August 2022.
Metrolinx will build the West Toronto Railpath Extension on behalf of the City, and construction will begin in mid-2025.
