The section of the Martin Goodman Trail through Marilyn Bell Park is starting to see some of the improvements that were promised as part of the revitalization for the Toronto Waterfront. (See previous article). Currently the Martin Goodman Trail, which runs along Aquatic Drive through the park, is closed due to the construction of a new breakwall and dragon boat course. Once the break wall is completed construction will start on a promenade along the water's edge consisting of a 4 metre wide boardwalk and a 7.0 meter recreational trail where Aquatic Drive is now. Another part of this project is a new 4.5 metre trail that will, over the short term, give cyclists a detour while the project is being built and, over the long term, form part of a twinned trail that will allow cyclists and other trail users to have an alternate route through the area when the lakeside Martin Goodman Trail is blocked off for events such as the 2006 Dragon Boat Championships. As you can see in the photo the base of the new trail is being prepared through the park.

This photo take on January 28, 2006 shows work is well underway on the Marilyn Bell park bypass trail.

This is the first phase of the trail construction project that will give cyclists and other trail users a safe alternate route when the water's edge trail is closed for events such as the Air Show or The Ex. The next phase is the section south of Exhibition Place between Marilyn Bell Park and Ontario Place. This is the section that closes due to the Ex forcing trail users out on to the narrow sidewalk along Lake Shore Blvd. Here a twin trail will also be constructed. Construction is slated to begin in June 2006. The project will involve making a new 4.5 metre path along Lake Shore Blvd. and putting up a new fence closer to the water. The old trail will still be useable, but would be closed for events as it is now. The graphic below shows the new design.

This graphic shows the plans for the section of the MGT West of Ontario Place. (From the Toronto Waterfront Corporation's presentation of November 23rd, 2005).

There are also plans to realign the trail through Coronation Park in the fall of 2006 and make improvements to the trail through Ontario Place in the summer of 2007. You can see all of the plans in the document that was presented by the Waterfront Revitilization Corporation on November 23, 2005: Martin Goodman Trail - Public Forum Presentation - November 23, 2005(PDF).