948 
Dating back to 2012, plans have been in the works to improve cycling conditions along the Waterfront Trail which spans the Toronto waterfront from Etobicoke to Scarborough. While the central, Queens Quay portion of the trail has garnered the most attention over the last year since its completion, there remain sections—such as those that run through South Etobicoke—that require further action. In particular, as highlighted in a Staff Report from January of this year, two places are marked for improvement, including a short section along Waterfront Drive at Humber Bay Park, and 1.4km long stretch along Lake Shore Blvd from Norris Crescent to First Street.
At Humber Bay Park—over the last decade, Humber Bay Shores has transformed from a sleepy community of a few sparse towers to a bustling waterfront neighbourhood, complete with joggers, dog walkers, stroller pushers, and cyclists—the Waterfront Trail has become nearly as busy during the summer months as those found along the Central Waterfront and The Beaches. Travelling at a high speed, often 3-4 times the rate of a group of 6AM power walkers, cycle traffic along this small stretch of the Waterfront Trail has now exceeded the limits of safe travel. The proposed solution, as alluded to in the above image, is to move cyclists off of the Waterfront Trail, and onto nearby Waterfront Drive, for a short, 100m section of the one-way street which runs parallel to the Trail.
From Marine Parade Drive to Palace Pier Crescent, cyclists would ride in a marked, eastbound contra-flow lane along the south side of the street, while westbound cyclists would travel alongside vehicular traffic with aide of shadows: Waterfront Drive has very light traffic on it. The map (above) and diagram (below) highlight the context within which this change would occur. If adopted, this change would separate cyclists from other Trail users, while still allowing for a pleasant, waterfront ride through the affected section.
West to Lake Shore Blvd, plans to improve a much longer, 1.4km stretch of the Waterfront Trail, aim to close a gap that exists currently between Norris Crescent and First Street. If approved, the addition of a bi-directional cycle track, protected from vehicular traffic with a combination of planters, bollards, and cement curbs, would allow cyclists to travel safely along Lake Shore from Mimico Waterfront Park at Norris Crescent, to the substantially quieter and more scenic, Lakeshore Drive which begins at the foot of First Street.
As seen in the map above, the proposed cycle track would hug the south side of Lake Shore Blvd, an alignment that would allow cyclists to travel without the necessity of crossing busy Lake Shore Blvd, a wide arterial road which includes a high volume of traffic and a streetcar route. The diagram below highlights the proposed configuration of the street, including the new cycle track, which depending on the local conditions, will range slightly in width, with protection from cars provided by the aforementioned mix of planters, bollards, and cement curbs, with access points for private and public driveways remaining open to cars.
Seen in the image below, the illustrated rendering of the proposed Lake Shore Blvd cycle track highlights the potential for the busy thoroughfare to become a complete street, bringing an enhanced urban flair to this corner of South Etobicoke, extending the relatively pedestrian-friendly atmosphere of adjacent Mimico to the west.
News of the $555,000 dollar plan ($5000 for Waterfront Drive, $550,000 for Lake Shore Blvd), has already made a splash on both bikingtoronto.com and cycleto.ca, garnering high praise from both cycling enthusiast sites, the news a boon to anyone in the city who enjoys cycling along Toronto's fast-improving waterfront. In March, Biking Toronto proudly announced that the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC) unanimously approved both proposals.
For now, while painting a yellow stripe down Waterfront Drive will likely go forward without much complication, the longer, 1.4km stretch of Lake Shore Blvd will take some time to complete. The loss of 80 parking spaces is estimated to have little economic impact, the heightened cycle and related pedestrian traffic to more than make up for any lost revenues to local businesses. Also complicating the start time for construction, Toronto Water is scheduled to carry out a series of local improvements, which once compete, will leave a smooth, ideal surface for the creation of the cycle track. It seems the stars are aligning in a rare moment for Toronto City Planning, to move forward on this exciting new proposal.
