The West Scarborough Railpath is a proposed walking trail from where Pilkington ends to the abandoned railroad line over St Clair to General Brock Public School. The official website & petition is at https://www.westscarboroughrailpath.ca/ There's also a second petition.
It is most recently advocated by Danforth Gardens/Scarborough Junction Community Group and promoted by Warden Station. On May 5, 2022, "Members of the newly formed Scarborough Junction Community steering committee met with Councillor Gary Crawford and Doly Begum today about the creation of a new Rail Trail Park along the old railway line and hydro corridor". Councillor Crawford further states:
"Had a great walk with the West Scarborough Community Group to join in their vision for a Scarborough West Rail Trail along the abandoned rail line that runs to Warden Subway Station and over the abandoned St. Clair rail bridge connecting north to St. Clair Ravine Park, Warden Hilltop CC and Upper Summerside.
"I am fully supportive and am working on next steps to make this vision a reality."
A local Jane's Walk promoted it with a wider audience. Local off road cyclists know this as the "Bando spur". Covered in July 12, 2022 in Scarborough Mirror. Official study initiated July 19, 2022. Community hike and election rally Sep 24. Community hike & greenbelt rally Nov 26 with MPP Begum.
History
Historically, others have seen merit in re-utilizing the abandoned bridge.
Brown & Storey, an architectural firm, have implied something similar in the recent past.
The 2017 Warden Woods Community Secondary Plan from the City of Toronto states:
The former Canadian National GECO Spur rail bridge over St Clair Avenue East will be considered for re-use to link the lands north of St. Clair Avenue with the Warden subway station, associated mixed use development on the southeast corner of Warden and St. Clair Avenues, and the community to the south of the station.
BY-LAW No. 994-2011: "Conveyance to the City . . . the former CN rail bridge over St. Clair Avenue East to implement a pedestrian/cycling trail system" https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/bylaws/2011/law0994.pdf
"Section 37 & 45 Community Benefits Secured from 1988 to 2018": "Conveyance of land &/or easements & CN Rail bridge for pedestrian/cycling trail system; easement over existing trail leading from St. Clair Ravine Park to St. Clair Ave. E" https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/8df2-Section-37-45-Community-Benefits-Secured-from-1988-to-Aug-22-2018.pdf
A Mar 9, 2007 City of Toronto report on the "Former CN Rail Spur North of St. Clair Avenue East between Warden Avenue and Birchmount Road" states:
Arrangements for the conveyance to the City of appropriate land and/or easements on the lands to the south shown as Part 1 and/or Part 3, Plan 66R-19316, and the former CN rail bridge over St. Clair Avenue East abutting Part 1 and/or Part 3, Plan 66R-19316, to implement a pedestrian/cycling trail system for the subject lands as generally set out in the Toronto Bike Plan and the Warden Woods Community Secondary Staff report for action – Final Report – Former CN Rail Spur North of St. Clair Avenue East 3 Plan, to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Transportation Services;
An easement on Part 1 and/or Part 3, Plan 66R-19316 for that portion of the existing trail which leads from St. Clair Ravine Park to St. Clair Avenue East to facilitate continued public access to the parkland, to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Parks, Forestry & Recreation and no credit will be given towards the parkland dedication requirement in return for such easement;
At its south limit, the site is connected to the rail bridge structure crossing above St. Clair Avenue. There is also a pedestrian path from the street which crosses the Rexton lands, the Hydro lands, and continues northeast along the St. Clair Ravine on the north side of Massey Creek. The former CN rail bridge and rail spur lands are used informally as a pathway connecting the areas north and south of St. Clair Avenue.
The Warden Woods Secondary Plan sets out that the connection objectives include, amongst others, “a continuous north-south green pedestrian corridor extending from Danforth Road to the north end of the Secondary Plan area. The green pedestrian corridor will consist of open spaces with walkways and/or trails, sidewalks along public streets, and other necessary elements. Appropriate landscaping and public amenities such as lighting and seating will be provided in the green pedestrian corridor, and public safety will be a key consideration. The green pedestrian corridor should be designed to be as direct as possible to encourage pedestrian movement in the area. The former Canadian National GECO spur rail bridge over St. Clair Avenue East should be considered for reuse to link the lands north of St. Clair Avenue with the Warden subway station, associated mixed use development on the southeast corner of Warden and St. Clair Avenues, and the community to the south of the station.”
The former CN Rail bridge over St. Clair Avenue is owned by CN Rail and is used informally as a pedestrian connection between the areas north and south of St. Clair Avenue. The applicant has indicated that their purchase arrangement with CN provides them with the opportunity to make the rail bridge available to the City, if the City wishes to secure it as part of a trail system, subject to fair and agreeable terms and conditions. This opportunity needs to be considered within the context of the pedestrian system objectives of the Warden Woods Community Secondary Plan and the Toronto Bike Plan. In particular, the Warden Woods Community Secondary Plan specifies that "the former Canadian National GECO Spur rail bridge over St Clair Avenue East should be considered for re-use to link the lands north of St. Clair Avenue with the Warden subway station, associated mixed use development on the southeast corner of Warden and St.Clair Avenues, and the community to the south of the station". The opportunity to secure the CN bridge over St. Clair Avenue as part of the trail system in Warden Woods in conjunction with these applications should be pursued, and is addressed in the recommendations of this report.
The Section 37 agreement should also provide for enhanced pedestrian connections by securing the conveyance of appropriate land and/or easements on the owner’s retained lands and the former CN rail bridge over St. Clair Avenue East to implement the pedestrian/cycling trail system set out in the Toronto Bike Plan and the Warden Woods Community Secondary Plan. In addition, the Section 37 agreement should provide for an easement over the owner’s lands for that portion of the existing trail which leads from St.Clair Ravine Park to St. Clair Avenue East to facilitate continued public access to the parkland.
Arrangements for the conveyance to the City of appropriate land and/or easements on the lands to the south shown as Part 1 and/or Part 3, Plan 66R-19316, and the former CN rail bridge over St. Clair Avenue East abutting Part 1 and/or Part 3, Plan 66R-19316, to implement a pedestrian/cycling trail system for the subject lands as generally set out in the Toronto Bike Plan and the Warden Woods Community Secondary Plan, to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Transportation Services.
August 28, 2006 report on "Former CN Rail Spur north of St. Clair Avenue East; between Warden Avenue and Birchmount Road" states: "The former Canadian National GECO Spur rail bridge over St. Clair Avenue East should be considered for re-use to link the lands north of St. Clair Avenue with the Warden subway station, associated mixed use development on the southeast corner of Warden and St. Clair Avenues, and the community to the south of the station"
October 28, 2005, BY-LAW No. 949-2005, "The former CN bridge over St Clair Avenue East should be considered for re-use as a pedestrian bridge to link the northern and southern portions of the “Green Pedestrian Corridor”."
September 21, 2005 "Final Report Phase 3 Warden Corridor Land Use Planning Study" states, "The former Canadian National GECO Spur rail bridge over St Clair Avenue East should be considered for re-use to link the lands north of St. Clair Avenue with the Warden subway station"
In the early 70's, "a wing of the fledgling environmental organization Pollution Probe . . . mapped out a bikeway system, including a hydro corridor route from the Warden subway station to the Metro Zoo," [Albert Koehl, "Scarborough’s First Bicycle Path – and the students behind it", Spacing Magazine, Jun 25, 2021]
"Reuse the former CN Bridge as a pedestrian bridge"
Map of proposed Railpath
