City to look at clearing snow from cycling paths
The committee voted Tuesday, May 13 to ask city staff to report on the feasibility of clearing snow from bike trails in city parks at the same time as snow is cleared from streets and sidewalks.
"We're asking both transportation and parks managers to look at clearing paths in parks so that when you're coming from a road to a park and back to a road, you should be able to do that year round on your bike," said committee chair Paula Fletcher (Ward 30, Toronto-Danforth).
The request comes a week after the city's public works and infrastructure committee voted to push ahead with a plan to clear snow from on-street bicycle lanes at the request of the Toronto cycling committee.
Fletcher said the park element would be an enhancement to that request. She said it was unlikely the city would be able to clear all of its off-road bicycle trails but would choose the most practical and best-used trails.
"It wouldn't be all of the trails," Fletcher said. "But there are larger recreational tracks through parks that could be cleared to allow people to cycle in the winter. The major one is the Martin Goodman Trail along the waterfront."
Fletcher said the committee will have a report from staff on which trails might be cleared, and an estimate of cost, within three months.
