Advancing the West Scarborough Rail Trail - Connecting Scarborough, Enhancing Mobility Options - by Councillor Parthi Kandavel, seconded by Councillor Jamaal Myers

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The decision

2025-12-16 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on December 16 and 17, 2025, adopted the following: 1. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to initiate a study to advance the next steps for the West Scarborough Rail Trail including initiating a minimum of 10 percent functional design, identifying potential opportunities to achieve a continuous multi-use trail experience to address challenges that were identified in the feasibility assessment completed in 2024, as well as identifying property requirements and preliminary cost estimates for the rail trail project, and to consider including delivery of the trail as part of the next near-term Cycling Network Plan (2028 to 2030), subject to resolution of constraints identified in the feasibility study, and subject to available funding.

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2. City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, to reserve necessary rights in favour of Transportation Services to preserve options for a future West Scarborough Rail Trail development, including future pedestrian and cycling connections, in any future transfer of operational management decisions relating to the Warden Storage Track and associated Warden spur bridge. 3. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to work with Toronto Transit Commission staff to review opportunities to advance design and/or construction of the West Scarborough Rail Trail segment within or immediately adjacent to the limits of the Warden Storage Track Project in conjunction with the Toronto Transit Commission's Line 2 Capacity Enhancement Program's Warden Storage Track Project, subject to available funding for the West Scarborough Rail Trail project.

The vote

Adopt Item · Carried, 20-1

Against (1)Jon Burnside

Absent (5)Chris Moise, Michael Thompson, Mike Colle, Rachel Chernos Lin, Shelley Carroll

The whole record, all 26 members

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On the agenda

As the city filed it

The City of Toronto has implemented a number of successful off-street multi-use trails alongside rail corridors, including the Beltline Rail Trail, the Don Mills Rail Trail, the West Toronto Rail Trail, and the Etobicoke Creek Trail. In Scarborough, the corridor between Warden Subway Station and Kennedy Subway Station has long been advanced as a means of connecting the Scarborough Junction area, and Scarborough more broadly, to other recreational trails in Toronto.

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To the north, the Rail Trail would eventually connect to the east-west Meadoway linking Rouge Park and the central city, while to the south, the Rail Trail would present options for connecting to Taylor Massey Creek Trail. In July 2022, City Council adopted a motion directing Transportation Services to report on implementation recommendations from the Warden Woods Community Secondary Plan for a West Scarborough Rail Trail along the former GN-GECO rail spur line. City Council considered these recommendations in June 2024, with a subsequent feasibility study presented in quarter three of 2026. To advance the feasibility of the West Scarborough Rail Trail, this motion requests Transportation Services initiate a study to advance next steps, including preliminary design work and identifying property requirements and cost estimates. The motion would also direct city staff to work collaboratively with partners, including the Toronto Transit Commission, to reserve necessary rights relating to the Warden Storage track and associated Warden spur bridge, in order to implement the West Scarborough Rail Trail. The motion was developed by City Staff in Transportation Services and Corporate Real Estate Management, with Toronto Transit Commission awareness. Reason for Urgency: This motion is urgent as Council direction on this approach to support the West Scarborough Rail Trail is needed to inform the 30 percent design for the Warden Storage Track Project which Toronto Transit Commission is finalizing by the first quarter of 2026.

Staff recommended

Councillor Parthi Kandavel, seconded by Councillor Jamaal Myers, recommends that: 1. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to initiate a study to advance the next steps for the West Scarborough Rail Trail including initiating a minimum of 10 percent functional design, identifying potential opportunities to achieve a continuous multi-use trail experience to address challenges that were identified in the feasibility assessment completed in 2024, as well as identifying property requirements and preliminary cost estimates for the rail trail project, and to consider including delivery of the trail as part of the next near-term Cycling Network Plan (2028 to 2030), subject to resolution of constraints identified in the feasibility study, and subject to available funding.

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2. City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, to reserve necessary rights in favour of Transportation Services to preserve options for a future West Scarborough Rail Trail development, including future pedestrian and cycling connections, in any future transfer of operational management decisions relating to the Warden Storage Track and associated Warden spur bridge. 3. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to work with Toronto Transit Commission staff to review opportunities to advance design and / or construction of the West Scarborough Rail Trail segment within or immediately adjacent to the limits of the Warden Storage Track Project in conjunction with the Toronto Transit Commission's Line 2 Capacity Enhancement Program's Warden Storage Track Project, subject to available funding for the West Scarborough Rail Trail project.

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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