Trails have become a defining feature of our landscapes. Trails connect residents to nature and to each other, and provide opportunities for community, recreation, active transportation, and healthy living.
About the TRCA Trail Strategy
The Trail Strategy for the Greater Toronto Region outlines Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) plan to work with partners to complete, expand, manage and celebrate the Greater Toronto Region Trail Network, a connected trail network in our regional greenspace system. It serves as a framework to protect potential trail alignments, and to guide the planning, development, and management of these trails. Single-page and full-spread digital copies of the Trail Strategy can be accessed below.
The Vision of the TRCA Trail Strategy
The Vision of the TRCA Trail Strategy sees a complete regional trail network in greenspace and along the Lake Ontario shoreline that connects our growing communities to nature, to culture, and to each other, contributing to active living and enhancing our conservation legacy.
The Greater Toronto Region Trail Network Concept
There are approximately 520 km of regional trails in our greenspace system. The concept of the Greater Toronto Region Trail Network proposes almost 480 additional kilometres of trail to complete a regional trail system of 1,000 linear kilometres that connects greenspace to conservation destinations, neighbourhoods, employment lands, and transit and mobility hubs.
It also proposes investment in 10 conservation destination areas to enhance the trail network and provide amenities.
Potential Outcomes of the TRCA Trail Strategy
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What Does the TRCA Trail Strategy Mean for You?
Connecting people to recreational and active transportation opportunities in greenspace supports healthy lifestyles. This is a key resiliency strategy that supports climate change adaptation and mitigation for our region by helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The advancement of the Greater Toronto Region Trail Network will help contribute to active living by providing a safe off-road network within greenspace for people to move about their daily lives, linking them to greenspace, neighbourhoods, employment lands, and transit and mobility hubs.
It will help to address the first-and last-mile regional transit issue, and combat road congestion. It will create more equitable access to trails and greenspace by improving accessibility to conservation areas and greenspace across our region.
It will also allow a wider population to access a backyard nature experience and move us closer towards building sustainable communities that minimize our collective impact on the environment.
How Will TRCA Use the Trail Strategy?
TRCA will leverage the Trail Strategy to partner with municipal, provincial, and federal colleagues, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community partners, and the development industry to inform our efforts to acquire, protect, and enhance natural assets, and to achieve new and upgraded trails, while connecting people to nature.
Open Data
Trail Strategy data has been made available under the TRCA Open Data Licence v. 1.0
