Councillors slam $150-million cost of extending West Toronto Railpath by two kilometres

The project is spearheaded by the city but will be jointly funded, by a $125.7 million contribution from Toronto and $23 million from the federal government through its active transportation fund. 

The city describes the $148.7-million project as an “essential part” of its cycling network plan that will connect residents to nearby parks and amenities, and improve safety for riders and pedestrians. To many residents that last goal has recently taken on greater urgency — Toronto has already recorded five cyclist deaths in 2024, the highest single-year tally in recent years.

The extension’s supporters also say the price is justified given the project’s complexity: pushing the trail south to Abell and Sudbury Streets from its current end point at Dundas Street West will require building four new pedestrian/cycling bridges, among other work.

On a per-kilometre basis, the extension is expensive. According to a recent city report, Toronto budgeted $54 million for cycling network expansion over 2022 and 2023, and in those two years built 37 km of bikeways. That included 11 km of cycle tracks and six km of multi-use trails. 

Coun. Brad Bradford (Ward 19, Beaches-East York) said it’s important to expand cycling and walking infrastructure, “but you can’t be doing that at any cost.” 

Bradford, a centre-right critic of Mayor Olivia Chow, predicted residents’ “heads are going to explode” when they learn the city plans to spend so much to extend the trail by only two kilometres.

Those concerns were echoed by Coun. Josh Matlow (Ward 12, Toronto-St. Paul’s), an independent progressive who sits on Chow’s cabinetlike executive committee.

He called the extension “an important project” but argued that “spending $150 million on a two-kilometre walking trail is completely insane.”   

The first phase of the path, from Cariboo Avenue to Dundas, was completed in 2008. The extension would bring it just north of Liberty Village.

While the city and federal government will pay to build out the trail, it will be constructed by Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency already in the midst of expanding the rail corridor and realigning the existing railpath. Work on the extension is set to begin in mid-2025 and take three years. Metrolinx referred questions about the project to the city. 

The extension has been envisioned for more than a decade, and its cost has increased significantly since first being proposed. In 2016, it was estimated at just $23 million.

According Toronto’s 2024 capital budget, this year’s estimate was $74 million higher than a previous projection, a spike attributed in part to Metrolinx administrative costs.

The city said it couldn’t provide a detailed breakdown of the latest cost estimate, which will be refined as work progresses. But it said the estimate reflects the price of the new bridges across the Barrie Corridor rail line, Lansdowne Avenue, Brock Avenue, and Queen Street; property acquisition and remediation; building retaining walls; major utility relocation; material cost increases, and other factors. Designs for the extension also include new trees and the potential for shared community space.

Davenport Councillor Alejandra Bravo told reporters last week she initially had questions about the price tag, but concluded it was justified by the complicated work required. She described the estimate as an upper limit that would avert future budget overruns. 

Noting the collision at Bloor Street and Avenue Road that killed a 24-year-old cyclist last month, Bravo said it was “more crucial than ever” to build infrastructure to keep riders safe.

In a press release earlier this month, Chow praised the extension, predicting it would “connect even more communities and make it easier for people to enjoy our city by walking, cycling, or taking transit.” 

Asked specifically about the cost at an unrelated press conference Monday, Chow said it was being funded with federal assistance, and “I’m sure due diligence has been made into deciding whether financially it is appropriate or not.” 

Bradford told the Star Chow should be doing more to ensure “she’s delivering value for money for taxpayers” on projects like the extension. 

With files from Ben Cohen