Is Metrolinx Turning its Back on the Beltline Trail?

The Kay Gardner Beltline Trail is the busiest pedestrian and cycling corridor in our neighbourhood. It is heavily used at all times of the day.  Passing just west of the planned Chaplin Station, it carries far more cyclists and pedestrians than on Chaplin itself.

The preliminary design for Chaplin Station presented by Metrolinx last Wednesday does not include any direct connections with the Beltline trail.  The primary (accessible) entrance is on the north-east corner of Chaplin and Eglinton.  A secondary entrance is placed on the south-west corner of Chaplin and Eglinton, forcing LRT users to ascend a lengthy set of stairs to reach the street level, exit the station, and then descend another steep set of stairs to to reach the Beltline at path level.

Chaplin Station is an excellent opportunity to directly connect a busy, safe and accessible off-street trail to transit.  Effective design of transit stations emphasizes multiple modes of transportation. The TTC should be exploiting Chaplin Station’s proximity to the Beltline by making the connection between them easy, and making it direct.

A direct Beltline entrance to Chaplin Station would allow students to travel to the Forest Hill Collegiate Institute and the Forest Hill Library (located just to the west) without ever setting foot on a busy street or navigating the dangerous Chaplin-Eglinton intersection. The entrance could also be used by local residents in the homes and apartments nearby.  This section of the Beltline runs for 1 kilometre in both directions without intersecting a major road.  Users would not be vulnerable to automobile-caused collisions, which are a frequent occurrence on the busy and traffic-clogged Eglinton Ave.

ACT NOW!
Take 5 minutes and tell the TTC to connect the future Chaplin Station to the Beltline Trail using this online consultation form for the site design:
http://thecrosstown.ca/node/336

Do it now - the form will only be available until Wednesday May 9th!