H4F33Z
Active Member
I'm assuming there will be only a midblock crosswalk and crossride at Eglinton. Has talks with Metrolinx started on the crossing of the Eglinton LRT, and if that could impact LRT service?
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The Meadoway, 200ha
- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
robmausser
Senior Member
Lol only in Toronto would there not be enough oversight to make them connect with a bike crossing...
Northern Light
Superstar
You'll be happy to know, that isn't the East Don alignment after all; That is the access road for building it.
I thought it was the trail as well there.
But I reviewed the technical specs and discerned otherwise.
The 2 will meet properly.
Here's where the East Don Trail is coming up to Bermondsey (hasn't yet arrived there in this photo).
That's odd, not usually the way TRCA builds. (typically they build their access to become the trail). I wonder if the other access will actually come out and be restored.
robmausser
Senior Member
Surprising, because even in the latest pdfs from the East Don Trail site they are still showing the access road as the trail location
Note the creek to the NORTH of the trail.
Northern Light
Superstar
Ok, this is giving me a headache...........
LOL
Now I've found a document that puts the Meadoway on the south side of the creek and links up to what I thought was the trail the first time.
Some days, the City can make your head spin! LOL
There is definitely an access under construction/in use on the north side, which is shown by a green line on this image.
robmausser
Senior Member
hahaha, well lets hope whatever they choose, it will be the right one.
Could you imagine if the Meadoway guys changed the location to line up with the East Don, only to find that the East Don guys changed their location to line up with the meadoway!!! haha.
robmausser
Senior Member
What really grinds my gears is why does the East Don Trail go to the west of the Richmond Hill tracks???
So it has to bridge over the river several times and the CN tracks twice??
Why on earth didnt they just do this? The trail would be done by now.
So it has to bridge over the river several times and the CN tracks twice??
Why on earth didnt they just do this? The trail would be done by now.
Northern Light
Superstar
That there is legitimate explanation for.
1) Avoiding this, behind the Northline Works Yard:
That's severe, and steep erosion.
I've hiked through there.........nowhere to put a trail at this point, really; on foot, with good foot gear, you can hoof up the hill before the erosion scar.
But the elevation changes break all the current trail-building rules which say to aim for a maximum 5% grade. (they will go over that in spots as it is)
2) A lot of the area leading up to that scar is also really high quality habitat, with older growth White Pines and a majestic Oak that I can't come close to getting my arms around (at least 150 years old).
Its also very uneven and steep.
The west side is much flatter there and easier to make work.
***
As to going further north; the preferred route is really the golf course side (west); though the EA suggests otherwise because the golf course didn't want to play ball, so to speak.
The East Side will mean traversing a sensitive wetland, used by local deer and other wildlife for drinking water.
It will also almost certainly mean felling several 70yr old plus White Pine and Black Cherry trees.
I would rather they they held out for the Golf Course side, rather than do environmental damage on the east side.
They have leverage (part of the course is on land leased from the TRCA).
But the lease isn't up for a very long time.
Sigh.
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robmausser
Senior Member
Thanks for the info. Hey on the bright side it will make for a more interesting trail to go over the river and train tracks.
Why dont they do the elevated type trail thats been done elsewhere through the wetlands? Its like a wooden boardwalk.
Northern Light
Superstar
Thanks for the info. Hey on the bright side it will make for a more interesting trail to go over the river and train tracks.
Why dont they do the elevated type trail thats been done elsewhere through the wetlands? Its like a wooden boardwalk.
That's more or less what you would get, if they follow that route. (probably mental 'planks' rather than wood).
But that still cuts the wetland in 1/2 (if you bisect it); at any rate it divides it. Lots of wildlife cannot or will not pass under such a boardwalk.
Also there's a lot of damage during construction. The boardwalk has to be supported by pilings of some kind.
You have to set up barriers, de-water, drill, etc.
More of disturbance if doing poured pilings vs Helical Piles, but either way, you make a pretty big mess.
The piles will modify the manner and extent of water exchange with the river, and also change sedimentation levels.
These types of things aren't evil; they're better than 'berms' or more intrusive choices; but they are less than ideal.
They also require extensive modelling so you can try to mitigate their effects.
I should note, the trail is here is required to be vehicle grade at all times; for ambulance/police and parks vehicles.
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Northern Light
Superstar
This is a non-vehicle grade design in Glen Stewart Ravine in the Beach area.
Northern Light
Superstar
I had a chance to get out today and enjoy the weather; so among other places, I walked the segment of the Meadoway from Victoria Park Avenue to Pharmacy Avenue.
Lets start at Pharmacy, looking west.
Nothing too exciting at first blush:
I'm standing on grass; but in front of us is a plowed and seeded field. All that's visible now is the cover crop, likely Rye Grass.
But next year we should be able to see Milkweed, Butterfly weed, Woodland sunflower, False Sunflower, Cup Plant, New England Aster, Wild Bergamot and many more wildflowers, sedges and grasses.
**
We now move along to the Bike path. This section pre-existed the Meadoway and it shows. Its narrow and in poor condition. I would hope reconstruction is forthcoming.
Just the signage to inform people about the Meadoway, placed about ever 100M along the trail.
Now we're closer to Victoria Park Avenue, and we can see the traffic through the established trees.
The trees have been planted around with a large number of new native shrubs.
Here's another shot looking west towards VP but further down the slope that now exists in this area; the land is leading down towards a small trickle of water, known to a few of us, as Wilson Brook.
This brook is a tributary of the East Don River which it meets after flowing both openly and through pipes, along the Hydro Corridor and under and beyond the transfer station at Bermondsey.
Now we're looking back the other way, south-easterly, with the gully of Wilson Brook clear in view. Note that it disappears into pipes before Pharmacy.
One more, same view, slight change of angle and closeness:
Lets start at Pharmacy, looking west.
Nothing too exciting at first blush:
I'm standing on grass; but in front of us is a plowed and seeded field. All that's visible now is the cover crop, likely Rye Grass.
But next year we should be able to see Milkweed, Butterfly weed, Woodland sunflower, False Sunflower, Cup Plant, New England Aster, Wild Bergamot and many more wildflowers, sedges and grasses.
**
We now move along to the Bike path. This section pre-existed the Meadoway and it shows. Its narrow and in poor condition. I would hope reconstruction is forthcoming.
Just the signage to inform people about the Meadoway, placed about ever 100M along the trail.
Now we're closer to Victoria Park Avenue, and we can see the traffic through the established trees.
The trees have been planted around with a large number of new native shrubs.
Here's another shot looking west towards VP but further down the slope that now exists in this area; the land is leading down towards a small trickle of water, known to a few of us, as Wilson Brook.
This brook is a tributary of the East Don River which it meets after flowing both openly and through pipes, along the Hydro Corridor and under and beyond the transfer station at Bermondsey.
Now we're looking back the other way, south-easterly, with the gully of Wilson Brook clear in view. Note that it disappears into pipes before Pharmacy.
One more, same view, slight change of angle and closeness:
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Northern Light
Superstar
In my pictures above, I note the trickle of water known as Wilson Brook.
That today, what's left of it, disappears before Pharmacy Avenue into pipes.
Here is an image from the Lost Rivers showing that Brook's historic reach.
Source: http://www.lostrivers.ca/disappearing.html
The creek were looking at is that branches off from the East Don in the lower left portion of the image, and then heads east (right-ward) across the upper-middle portion of the map.
I'm unclear if the red line was the same creek completely on a slightly different alignment, or if the creek once had a divergence.
At any rate, the bold grey in on a left to right angle, vertically across the approximate center is modern-day Victoria Park Avenue.
You can see the blue still reaches just beyond it.
But it used to reach much further.
A northern branch originated in what is the current hydro corridor north of Ashtonbee, almost on the exact site of a current City reservoir, just east of Pharmacy Avenue.
While a southern leg reached south of Eglinton to just east of Warden Avenue.
That today, what's left of it, disappears before Pharmacy Avenue into pipes.
Here is an image from the Lost Rivers showing that Brook's historic reach.
Source: http://www.lostrivers.ca/disappearing.html
The creek were looking at is that branches off from the East Don in the lower left portion of the image, and then heads east (right-ward) across the upper-middle portion of the map.
I'm unclear if the red line was the same creek completely on a slightly different alignment, or if the creek once had a divergence.
At any rate, the bold grey in on a left to right angle, vertically across the approximate center is modern-day Victoria Park Avenue.
You can see the blue still reaches just beyond it.
But it used to reach much further.
A northern branch originated in what is the current hydro corridor north of Ashtonbee, almost on the exact site of a current City reservoir, just east of Pharmacy Avenue.
While a southern leg reached south of Eglinton to just east of Warden Avenue.
Northern Light
Superstar
A report to the Nov 20th meeting of the TRCA Board of Directors recommended moving ahead with closing the trail gap at Highland Creek in 2021; continuing to create new habitat.
Together, these would substantially complete phase 1 works for the Meadoway, which would then proceed to phase 2 in subsequent years.
Of note in the report is the degree to which the Weston's retain effective control of the project.
Report here:
Area Map for new trail below:
Together, these would substantially complete phase 1 works for the Meadoway, which would then proceed to phase 2 in subsequent years.
Of note in the report is the degree to which the Weston's retain effective control of the project.
Report here:
Area Map for new trail below:
Northern Light
Superstar
Tender has been issues to proceed with the Highland Creek Gap segment of the Meadoway, including bridge and boardwalk.
As per this report, to the Feb 26th meeting of the TRCA Board of Directors:
As per this report, to the Feb 26th meeting of the TRCA Board of Directors: