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East Don Trail Project

Question: why does the trail need to be tunneled or bridged? Why is a grade rail crossing with gates not sufficient. That rail corridor has only 6 trains a day during the week, and no train service on the weekend. Pottery road crossing works just fine and has heavy vehicle and foot/bike traffic.
 
dullturtle06 said:
Question: why does the trail need to be tunneled or bridged? Why is a grade rail crossing with gates not sufficient. That rail corridor has only 6 trains a day during the week, and no train service on the weekend. Pottery road crossing works just fine and has heavy vehicle and foot/bike traffic.
Click to expand...

I'm not 100% sure why the bridge is needed but for the section that is waiting for a tunnel, I think it has to do with the track not being at grade with the trail to start with. Because there are max grade % requirements on trails, it might have been decided that it was cheaper/easier to dig a tunnel than create a switch back or modify the land around the track to meet the track at the same level?
 
dullturtle06 said:
Question: why does the trail need to be tunneled or bridged? Why is a grade rail crossing with gates not sufficient. That rail corridor has only 6 trains a day during the week, and no train service on the weekend. Pottery road crossing works just fine and has heavy vehicle and foot/bike traffic.
Click to expand...

Pottery road is a legacy crossing at an existing road grade crossing with arm gates etc. I am assuming they don't want to setup crossing arms and lights in the middle of the ravine.

Having a simple crossing with no lights, etc I don't think is allowed anymore.
 
beatle04 said:
I'm not 100% sure why the bridge is needed but for the section that is waiting for a tunnel, I think it has to do with the track not being at grade with the trail to start with. Because there are max grade % requirements on trails, it might have been decided that it was cheaper/easier to dig a tunnel than create a switch back or modify the land around the track to meet the track at the same level?
Click to expand...
robmausser said:
Pottery road is a legacy crossing at an existing road grade crossing with arm gates etc. I am assuming they don't want to setup crossing arms and lights in the middle of the ravine.

Having a simple crossing with no lights, etc I don't think is allowed anymore.
Click to expand...

Grade Separation was not required on this trail except by Mx. There is no legal requirement.

Pottery does not require grade separation currently based on the number of train movements and their length, and in any even, separation of Pottery is a Big project.....as in the price tag likely starts with a B.

The issue is that because you're in a floodplain, next to the river, neither Pottery, nor the Railway can go under; and because of the proximity of both Bayview and the DVP, its impractical to take Pottery Road 'over'; that leaves only one option, the railway has to go over Pottery, and that requires a slow, gradual ascent and descent that has to begin/end a considerable distance away, it would be similar in scale to the Davenport separation project.

No one has any appetite to embark on that for anything like the current level of service on the R-H corridor.
 
On a different note..........19 months ago I posted my photos of the completed section of trail............and started off by expressing my annoyance that no effort was made at naturalizing the entrance from Wigmore Park:

1655829865576.png


Well, this spring, Forestry's Natural Environment and Community Programs unit was in with some volunteers:

1655830210371.png


Now, if they just come back in fall and next spring, and next fall etc. until they've done about 15x this, we'll be in a good spot! LOL But excellent start.
 
Allandale25 said:
East Don Trail news. Posted by the TRCA on August 15th.

trca.ca

News

VIEW POSTS Phase 1 Construction Update: Winter 2023 - March 1, 2023 Phase 1 Construction Update: Summer 2022 - August 15, 2022 Spring Construction Update
trca.ca trca.ca

View attachment 425003
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Awesome! I will point out that August is already past. Other projects in the valley (Taylor Creek repave, ET Seaton repave, O'Connor Bridge prep work) are weeks to months behind schedule. Until this is actually done I will be skeptical of the timeline. But I really hope it is open by summer!
 
Sorry to bump this without an update, but just wondering if it would be worth it to try and go for a walk here? I know its not done yet, but is there any completed sections south of Eglinton?
 
Tunafish13 said:
Sorry to bump this without an update, but just wondering if it would be worth it to try and go for a walk here? I know its not done yet, but is there any completed sections south of Eglinton?
Click to expand...

Ahem, I would never advise people to trespass on an ongoing construction site. ...............

But just as a passing observation, this is what's complete at the south end:

1674572011952.png


I'm not sure if the bailey bridge across the creek is in place right now, at the south end, but it would likely be fenced off anyway.

But, last I checked, one can arrive at that path via the informal walking trail along the north/east flank of Taylor Creek, heading up from the last pedestrian bridge over same.

* But I wouldn't know that; and you wouldn't actually use it, you're just curious.

Also, the latter path is 'informal' and subject to erosion, one would only use it if they were comfortable with the terrain and in proper foot gear, slipping and falling in the drink would not be desirable.
 
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I think this is the same path I biked down from the north along the dump site in the late summer; could only go as far as the railway tracks where they put up a fence. I assume most are aware of this given the relatively easy access
 
Construction of the pedestrian bridge is finally underway. I was checking around online to find out for sure what it was , and found this great forum. The work is predicted to be done by November. And I might add, just a week or two ago I saw trains on that line on a Saturday, which I think is new?? if so, it does speak to the need for a bridge rather than a level crossing as there will be a lot more recreational use on weekends. I'm still not aware of any solution to connect the route between Bermondsey and Eglinton though.
 
J B said:
Construction of the pedestrian bridge is finally underway. I was checking around online to find out for sure what it was , and found this great forum. The work is predicted to be done by November. And I might add, just a week or two ago I saw trains on that line on a Saturday, which I think is new?? if so, it does speak to the need for a bridge rather than a level crossing as there will be a lot more recreational use on weekends. I'm still not aware of any solution to connect the route between Bermondsey and Eglinton though.
Click to expand...

Hi @J B , welcome to UT.

In respect of your question about level crossings, the new path is to be 100% grade separated from the rail. That's been a huge hold up on the project.

**

In respect of your question on the Bermondsey to Eglinton section, that will be tied to the fate of the development proposal for the Flemingdon Golf Course.

155 St Dennis | 184.8m | 56s | Cityzen | Hariri Pontarini

I'm not sure what's going on here............but Dennis Timbrell is lobbying for something here.......... Seems a bit elaborate if the plan is merely for a new clubhouse or such. But maybe that's all it is.................or maybe not............. hmmmm Most of this course is in the...
urbantoronto.ca urbantoronto.ca

The trail was proposed to run on the course land, in part, originally, but the owners were not cooperative; so the official plan is to connect the trail on the east side of the river.

However, that proposal is environmentally reckless and would damage sensitive wetlands and habitats, which is why it was stalled.

The development proposal above would facilitate the trail connection on the course lands on the west side of the river.

Anything happening on that front is likely a minimum of 2 years away, but with any luck, the connection will be made by the latter 2020s.
 
The Flemingdon Golf Course section is vital, but I think the question may have been more about the section from Bermondsey to Eglinton towards the Meadoway

1681046375064.png
 
leopetr said:
The Flemingdon Golf Course section is vital, but I think the question may have been more about the section from Bermondsey to Eglinton towards the Meadoway

View attachment 467503
Click to expand...

The above is in the Meadoway, not the East Don as noted by @Coolibop

The section shown here is tentatively scheduled for construction this year. (Bermondsey to Eglinton + crossing of Eglinton) '
 
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