Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[Northern Light]

Councillor Holyday....who else..made a motion to defer the expropriation while the Golf Course latest stall tactic is reviewed.

It initially lost 5-20.... with Councillor Fletcher accidentally voting the wrong way........again, LOL.......how many cycling facility vote accidents can one have?

The vote was redone with the result 4-21

****

That dispensed with, the expropriation passes 23-2

 

[JasonParis]

I think runnels are added after the stairway is largely completed.

 

[Mind_the_gap]

Way after the last post, but fascinating thread. I was a kid in Don Mills during this time period. My father learned to ski at that ski hill. The lessons were at night.

^ I recently came across this thread...

I've seriously been wondering what Woodbine Avenue used to look like before the DVP? I've looked for maps - found nothing proper.

I was an avid cyclist in the early 2010s, and always wondered what the purpose of this clear two-lane roadway had been prior:

Just north of Pottery Road.

Ps. An utterly fascinating thread!

AFAIK: Woodbine used to extend South to York Mills, and there was a train station there on the Bala sub at the former junction.

Mods please move this if approriate.

This history behind roads in the Don Valley I find just as fascinating as Hurricane Hazel in 1954 in Amesbury - only the abutments remain(ed) where people once lived.

 

[Milaisacat]

^ I recently came across this thread...

I've seriously been wondering what Woodbine Avenue used to look like before the DVP? I've looked for maps - found nothing proper.

I was an avid cyclist in the early 2010s, and always wondered what the purpose of this clear two-lane roadway had been prior:
View attachment 695699
Just north of Pottery Road.

Ps. An utterly fascinating thread!

AFAIK: Woodbine used to extend South to York Mills, and there was a train station there on the Bala sub at the former junction.

Mods please move this if approriate.

This history behind roads in the Don Valley I find just as fascinating as Hurricane Hazel in 1954 in Amesbury - only the abutments remain(ed) where people once lived.

At one time there were two railway ROWs beside each other on the west side of the Don. One was something like the Toronto Belt Line Railway (local line) while the other was what would ultimately become the CPR. To my knowledge, the Toronto Belt Line Railway later became Bayview Avenue. Perhaps part of this former ROW also became the road to which you are referring?

 

[TwoWheelPoli]

At one time there were two railway ROWs beside each other on the west side of the Don. One was something like the Toronto Belt Line Railway (local line) while the other was what would ultimately become the CPR. To my knowledge, the Toronto Belt Line Railway later became Bayview Avenue. Perhaps part of this former ROW also became the road to which you are referring?

Incorrect. Parts of the Toronto Belt Line Railway became the Belt Line Trail.

 

[Milaisacat]

Incorrect. Parts of the Toronto Belt Line Railway became the Belt Line Trail.

In the area I have knowledge about, which is in the vicinity of Dundas, as of 1890, the Toronto Belt Line Railway ROW was immediately west of the Canadian Pacific Railway (Don Branch) ROW along the west shore of the straightened Don River.

By 1910, in this location, the Toronto Belt Line Railway had been replaced by Don Esplanade West, precursor to Bayview Avenue.

 

[Northern Light]

At one time there were two railway ROWs beside each other on the west side of the Don. One was something like the Toronto Belt Line Railway (local line) while the other was what would ultimately become the CPR. To my knowledge, the Toronto Belt Line Railway later became Bayview Avenue. Perhaps part of this former ROW also became the road to which you are referring?

Incorrect. Parts of the Toronto Belt Line Railway became the Belt Line Trail.

Uh, Two Wheel........... he's right.

In reference to the portion of the Belt Line Railway that connected it down to the USRC.

Source: https://www.trha.ca/trha/history/railways/toronto-belt-line/

This is the 1947 aerial photo.....it will be a bit disorienting as there is no DVP or Bayview:

That's the Belt Line on the left labeled CNR, and its coming south to where it will merge into the Bala and the then CPR/Canadian Northern ROW to the south.

From: https://www.toronto.ca/ext/archives/s0012/fl1947/s0012_fl1947_it0018d.jpg

The aerial pic below should show how it came together, but they don't meet very cleanly.

This 1953 image provides some insight though:

The Bloor Viaduct is at the south end of the image. You can see the one railway track underneath. Now this will throw you a bit, the yellow and red lines were the proposed trajectory of the future Bayview Extension. The hill that you see there under the viaduct was removed as part of the construction of the Bayview Extension and the DVP. The big white blotch to the north in the image is the Brickworks, when it still made bricks. The Beltline runs along its left/south-west edge.

 

[Northern Light]

^ I recently came across this thread...

I've seriously been wondering what Woodbine Avenue used to look like before the DVP? I've looked for maps - found nothing proper.

I was an avid cyclist in the early 2010s, and always wondered what the purpose of this clear two-lane roadway had been prior:
View attachment 695699
Just north of Pottery Road.

Ps. An utterly fascinating thread!

AFAIK: Woodbine used to extend South to York Mills, and there was a train station there on the Bala sub at the former junction.

Mods please move this if approriate.

This history behind roads in the Don Valley I find just as fascinating as Hurricane Hazel in 1954 in Amesbury - only the abutments remain(ed) where people once lived.

First, the road you're asking about can be seen in this 1970 aerial photo:

The Brickworks occupies much of the left of the image, and you can now see The Bayview Extension coming down alongside it, and intersecting with Pottery Road which has 3 distinct channels at that intersection.

The road you asked about can be seen running north of Pottery Road to the old Domtar factory which operated until the early 80s.

It also served as a connection across the river, that giant gaping maw in the valley beside Crothers Woods is what we now call Sun Valley but was then a landfill (closed 1965, but not yet remediated)

The Domtar plant was also accessible by Beechwood Road from O'Connor.

 

[Northern Light]

And for @Mind_the_gap

Image below (contemporary google)

The line I have drawn is just to the right of Woodbine Heights Blvd...........which is the alignment of the former Woodbine Avenue in that location.

And

Here's Woodbine Avenue crossing Sheppard Avenue in this 1953 Aerial:

Closer look:

You can compare this with where Sheppard dips down today on approach to Victoria Park Avenue:

 

[GameOnBrad]

They recently added 14 bike posts (12 pictured) on Mill Street, right outside the main entrance to the Distillery District. I guess that's better than the 3 they had along this stretch for the longest time.

 

[Mind_the_gap]

^^ Not to derail this thread any further...

But, Thank You from the bottom of my heart @Northern Light for this, and everything you do for this City. You're so under-appreciated for all the good you do behind the scenes.

Kind of like a real-life Superman, lol.

 

[DSCToronto]

^^ Not to derail this thread any further...

But, Thank You from the bottom of my heart @Northern Light for this, and everything you do for this City. You're so under-appreciated for all the good you do behind the scenes.

Kind of like a real-life Superman, lol.

Indeed...

 

[GameOnBrad]

^^ Not to derail this thread any further...

But, Thank You from the bottom of my heart @Northern Light for this, and everything you do for this City. You're so under-appreciated for all the good you do behind the scenes.

Kind of like a real-life Superman, lol.

@Northern Light loves when people derail threads. It adds flavour and excitement to the day

 

[Northern Light]

@Northern Light loves when people derail threads. It adds flavour and excitement to the day

Often true.......depends on the derailer though. LOL

 

[max]

Here's Woodbine Avenue crossing Sheppard Avenue in this 1953 Aerial:

View attachment 695751

Just to derail this thread a bit further, is that a drive-in theatre on what becomes today's Sheppard?