90-804: The Beltline Trail is a 9-kilometre (5.6 mi)-long cycling and walking rail trail in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. It consists of three sections, the York Beltline Trail west of Allen Road , the Kay Gardner Beltline Park from the Allen to Mount Pleasant Road , and the Ravine Beltline Trail south of Mount Pleasant Cemetery through the Moore Park Ravine. Built on the former right-of-way of
180-616: A corridor to be " Rail Banked " or placed on hold for possible conversion back to active status when or if future need demands. While many rail trails have been built, other proposals have been cancelled by community opposition. The stature of the conversion organization, community involvement, and government willingness are key factors. On the other hand, there are a growing number of cases where existing rails and infrastructure, in service or not, are being called to be torn up for trails. Two cases of this are in New York State , against
270-549: A fairly recent addition to a complex network of roads. China's first expressway was built in 1988. Until 1993, very few expressways existed. The network is expanding rapidly after 2000. In 2011, 11,000 kilometres (6,800 mi) of expressways were added to the network. The Expressways of Pakistan are a network of multiple-lane, high-speed highways in Pakistan, which are owned, maintained and operated federally by Pakistan's National Highway Authority . They are one class lower than
360-439: A historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nationwide nonprofit group that advocates for rail trails and has many documents and advice on building a rail trail. Per their records, the U.S. currently has 22,107 miles of rail trail complete. As of 2015 , Michigan has the most total mileage (2,381) of any state. Germany has
450-581: A maximum design speed of more than 60 km/h (37 mph), excluding pedestrian, bicycle, moped or tractor traffic. Oversized vehicles are banned. The construction of transregional Kraftfahrstraßen highways ( Autostraßen ) rank below the standard of German autobahns . With regard to the general German speed limits , on roads with lanes separated by a median or with a minimum of two marked lanes per direction, an advisory speed limit ( Richtgeschwindigkeit ) of 130 km/h (81 mph) applies. At-grade intersections are admissible, regulation at junctions
540-521: A number of cities disused rail tracks have been converted into linear parks . One example is the High Line (also known as "High Line Park"), a 1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) elevated linear park created on an elevated section of a disused New York Central Railroad . Inspired by the 3-mile-long (4.8 km) Promenade plantée (tree-lined walkway), a similar project in Paris completed in 1993,
630-484: A pedestrian and bicycle trail. The development of rail trails in southeastern Australia can be traced to the gold rushes of the second half of the 19th century. Dozens of rail lines sprang up, aided by the overly enthusiastic " Octopus Act ", but soon became unprofitable as the gold ran out, leading to a decreased demand for timber in turn. Decades later, these easements found a new use as tourist drawcards, once converted to rail trails. Dozens exist in some form, like
720-588: A rail corridor that was originally built for the now-abandoned Kettle Valley Railway . The trail was developed during the 1990s after the Canadian Pacific Railway abandoned train service. The longest rail trail in Canada is the Newfoundland T'Railway that covers a distance of 883 km (549 mi). Protected as a linear park under the provincial park system, the T'Railway consists of
810-584: A rail to trail conversion. Even residents who are not encroaching on railway lands may oppose conversion on the grounds of increased traffic in the area and the possibility of a decline in personal security. Because linear corridors of land are only valuable if they are intact, special laws regulate the abandonment of a railroad corridor. In the United States, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) regulates railroads, and can allow
900-802: A railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail , or streetcars ( rails with trails ), or with disused track. As shared-use paths, rail trails are primarily for non-motorized traffic including pedestrians, bicycles, horseback riders, skaters, and cross-country skiers, although snowmobiles and ATVs may be allowed. The characteristics of abandoned railways —gentle grades, well-engineered rights of way and structures (bridges and tunnels), and passage through historical areas—lend themselves to rail trails and account for their popularity. Many rail trails are long-distance trails , while some shorter rail trails are known as greenways or linear parks . The Bermuda Railway ceased to operate as such when
990-442: A similar appearance to the existing installations, with a material palette reminiscent of the historical stations. 43°41′46″N 79°23′54″W / 43.695998°N 79.398397°W / 43.695998; -79.398397 "Beltline Trail Map" . Google My Maps . Retrieved 24 May 2015 . Rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on a railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after
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#17327730225271080-539: A small subset of rail trails in which a railway right-of-way remains in use by trains yet also has a parallel recreational trail . Hundreds of kilometers of rails with trails exist in Canada, Europe, the United States, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. Limited-access A limited-access road , known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway , dual-carriageway , expressway , and partial controlled-access highway ,
1170-850: A space that is not accessible to vehicles, the drivers may not drive on the lane opposite to them. In Croatia , the term brza cesta (lit. "fast road") is used to describe a motor vehicle-only road, usually grade-separated , without an emergency lane , with a speed limit of 110 km/h (68 mph), although it can be lowered, usually to 70 or 90 km/h (43 or 56 mph). They range from 2+2 lane dual carriageways with grade-separated intersections and 110 km/h (68 mph) speed limit ( D2 in Osijek ), four or six-lane urban streets with at-grade intersections with traffic lights ( D1 in Karlovac ) or two-lane single carriageways with grade-separated intersections ( D33 in Šibenik ). They are either
1260-610: A standalone state road ( D10 ) or a part of one (Southern Osijek bypass, D2 ). Some portions of motorways are expressways since they are either in construction ( A8 between Pazin and Matulji ) or designed as such ( A7 in Rijeka ). As a rule, the expressways are not tolled, however major tunnels on expressways are tolled. Expressways in the Czech Republic ( Czech : Silnice pro motorová vozidla , are defined as dual carriageways with smaller emergency lane. The speed limit
1350-549: A total of 1,200 km (750 mi) , a significant figure considering the size of the country. The gradient is never more than six per cent, and the tracks are open to all forms of non-motorised travellers, including cyclists, horse-riders, hikers and even roller-bladers. There is also the Vennbahn , which runs along an unusual border between Belgium and Germany. Baana is an old cargo rail track in Helsinki converted into
1440-461: Is 100 km/h (summertime) and 80 km/h (wintertime). On motorways the speed limits are 120 and 100 km/h respectively. Especially during winter the speed limits can be changed due to weather conditions. A Kraftfahrstrasse ( German for "motor-power road", also colloquially called Schnellstraße , literally "fast road") in Germany is any road with access limited to motor vehicles with
1530-594: Is 110 km/h (70 mph). Expressway road signs are white on blue. In Denmark , a 'motortrafikvej' ( Danish for "motor traffic road") is a high-speed highway with a speed limit between 80–90 km/h (50–56 mph). The most common 'motortrafikvej' has two lanes (1+1) or 2+1. There is no grade intersections. The signs for 'motortrafikvej' have white text on blue background. In Finland , highways are separated into three categories: all-access valtatie ("main road"), limited-access moottoriliikennetie ("motor traffic road") and finally moottoritie ("motorway");
1620-755: Is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway (also known as a freeway or motorway ), including limited or no access to adjacent property, some degree of separation of opposing traffic flow , use of grade separated interchanges to some extent, prohibition of slow modes of transport, such as bicycles , horse-drawn vehicles or ridden horses, or self-propelled agricultural machines; and very few or no intersecting cross-streets or level crossings . The degree of isolation from local traffic allowed varies between countries and regions. The precise definition of these terms varies by jurisdiction. The first implementation of limited-access roadways in
1710-404: Is a public road, the beginning of which is indicated by the first signboard (F9) and the end by the second sign (F11). An important difference with an autosnelweg is that crossroads as well as traffic lights can be on an autoweg . In Belgium there is no specific speed regulation for an autoweg . Only motor vehicles and their trailers (with the exception of mopeds), agricultural vehicles and
1800-487: Is accessed via cross roads or frontage roads , while minor roads can cross at grade and farms can have direct access. This definition is also used by some states, some of which also restrict freeways only to motor vehicles capable of maintaining a certain speed. Some other states use "controlled access" to mean a higher standard than "limited access", while others reverse the two terms. While Australia 's larger capital cities feature controlled-access highway networks,
1890-643: Is between 50–70 km/h (31–43 mph) and in rural and desert areas between 90–110 km/h (56–68 mph). The term Expressway as used in English in Japan refers to both freeway -style highways and narrower, more winding, often undivided Regional High-Standard Highways 地域高規格道路 ( ちいきこうきかくどうろ ) . Both types of expressways have a combined length of 10,021 km (6,227 mi) as of April 2012. Limited-access roads in Malaysia usually, but not always, take
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#17327730225271980-402: Is dictated by the free market value of the land, so that land in urban and industrial cores is often impractical to purchase and convert. Therefore, rail trails may end on the fringes of urban areas or near industrial areas and resume later, as discontinuous portions of the same rail line, separated by unaffordable or inappropriate land. A railroad right-of-way (easement) width varies based on
2070-431: Is reduced to 110 km/h for vehicles under 3.5 tons, and 70 km/h for vehicles over 3.5 tons. In Hungary there are multiple types of dual carriageways. One part is almost identical with motorways, but the driving lanes are narrower. Parameters of a 2+2 lane dual carriageway off-habitat area: Parameters of a 2+2 lane dual carriageway in habitat (town/city) area: There are also semi-motorways with only one side of
2160-515: Is usually provided by traffic lights or roundabouts . U-turns and any deliberate stopping are prohibited. Kraftfahrstraßen are out of bounds to pedestrians , except for special crosswalks. Expressways in Hungary are called Autóút (Auto/car road). They are mostly dual carriageways. The main difference between Hungarian motorways and expressways is, that they are more cheaply built with narrower width and often undivided. Maximum speed limit
2250-652: The Beltline Trail and the West Toronto Railpath . In central Ontario, the former Victoria Railway line, which runs 89 kilometres (55 mi) from the town of Lindsay, Ontario , north to the village of Haliburton, in Haliburton County , serves as a public recreation trail. It can be used for cross country skiing, walking, and snowmobiling in the winter months, and walking, cycling, and horse riding from spring to autumn. The majority of
2340-796: The Catskill Mountain Railroad in Kingston, New York , and the Adirondack Scenic Railroad in Old Forge, New York . In Connecticut, the not-in-service section of track on the Valley Railroad has been proposed by locals to be converted to trail. Though perceived by residents to be, as it has not carried a train since the 1960s, the railroad has never been formally abandoned. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection acquired
2430-674: The Don River , passing the Don Valley Brick Works , up through Moore Park Ravine and along the northern edge of Mount Pleasant Cemetery . Crossing over Yonge Street and what is now the Davisville Subway Yard , the loop continued northwest until Spadina Avenue , where it crossed Eglinton Avenue and turned west, eventually meeting up with the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) railway tracks (now
2520-566: The GO Barrie line ) just west of Caledonia Road. From there, the route circled south back to Union Station. The passenger train service was never profitable and only lasted two years. Parts of the rail line then sat unused. In 1910, the GTR rebuilt the northern portion of the Yonge St. loop for freight service. Trains ran along this line until the late 1960s when a small part of the right-of-way
2610-692: The Indian National Highway System on which they are the highest class of road. The National Highways Development Project is underway to add an additional 18,637 km (11,580 mi) of expressways to the network by the year 2023. Expressways in Iran are one class lower than freeways and are used in large urban areas such as Isfahan , Mashhad , or Tehran and between other important cities (Usually two province capitals) in rural and desert areas. The speed limit in Urban areas
2700-924: The Middlewood Way in Cheshire and the Ebury Way in Watford . Notable rural rail trails include the Dava Way , running along the route of the former Highland Railway between Grantown and Forres in the Scottish Highlands , and the High Peak Trail in the English Peak District . In London , a more unusual scheme has been proposed to convert some disused London Underground tunnels into subterranean rail trails under
2790-747: The Milton Keynes redway system runs throughout Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England, in parts using the former trackbed of the defunct Wolverton to Newport Pagnell Line (closed 1962) and the Grand Union Canal towpath. Together, these paths form part of the long-distance National Cycle Network Route 6 and Route 51 . Other urban and suburban rail trails include the Fallowfield Loop Line in Manchester ,
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2880-598: The National Arts Council . The disused railway consists of the main line from the Tanjong Pagar railway station to Woodlands, extending either 24 km (15 mi) or 26 km (16 mi), depending on the source. There is also the Jurong spur line, 14 km (8.7 mi) in length. The area occupied by the railways is at least 80 ha (200 acres), and up to 173.7 ha (429 acres) when
2970-643: The Toronto Belt Line Railway , the linear park passes through the neighbourhoods of Rosedale , Moore Park , Forest Hill , Chaplin Estates , and Fairbank . The Toronto Belt Line Railway opened in 1892. It was constructed as a commuter railway line to service and promote new suburban neighbourhoods north of the then city limits. The railway consisted of two separate loops both starting and ending at Union Station . The east loop started at Union Station, running east until turning north along
3060-581: The Trans Canada Trail and other walking trails are abandoned railways. A small railway line from Musquodoboit Harbour ( Musquodoboit Trailway ) to Dartmouth are nearly fully used by community members and tourists. Another extremely large section is used from Halifax to New Germany to Yarmouth to Grand Pre . A considerable part of the Trans Canada Trail are repurposed defunct rail lines donated to provincial governments by CP and CN rail rebuilt as walking trails. The main section runs along
3150-1077: The federal government . Notable examples of limited-access roads are the Federal Highway , Skudai Highway , Gelugor Highway , Kuantan Bypass and Kuching Bypass . Limited-access roads in Singapore are formally known as semi-expressways (in contrast to controlled-access highways which are known as expressways ). While still functioning as high-speed roads, semi-expressways may still have at-grade intersections with traffic lights , and speed limits are not uniform. Grade separation is, however, still typical at major junctions. Five roads have been designated as semi-expressways: Bukit Timah Road , Jurong Island Highway , Nicoll Highway , Outer Ring Road System and West Coast Highway . Motorways in South Korea (자동차 전용 도로, jadongcha jeonyong doro , literally 'motor vehicle-only road') include various grades of highways other than expressways . Contrary to
3240-600: The 37-kilometre (23 mi) Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail , but only a few – such as the 95-kilometre (59 mi) Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail — have been fully developed. Progress is frequently hampered by trestle bridges in unsafe condition, easements that have been sold off to farmers, and lack of funds. Funding is typically contributed in roughly equal parts from federal, state, and local governments, with voluntary labour and in kind donations contributed by local groups. The latest addition to
3330-582: The Belt Line because "people have demonstrated they just won't use it", as well as echoing fears of the homeowners. After two years of talk, the land was purchased by the city in 1972 as part of a land swap with CN that included the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Front Street . One of the supporters of turning the rail bed into a bike path was alderman David Crombie , who was elected as mayor of Toronto soon after. CN sold
3420-752: The High Line has been redesigned and planted as an aerial greenway and rails-to-trails park. Railroads in North America were often built with a mix of purchased land, government land grants, and easements. The land deeds can be over a hundred years old, land grants might be conditional upon continuous operation of the line, and easements may have expired, all expensive and difficult issues to determine at law. Railroad property rights have often been poorly defined and sporadically enforced, with neighboring property owners intentionally or accidentally using land they do not own. Such encroachers often later oppose
3510-546: The M31 Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne, are almost all limited-access highways. In spite of this, 'freeway' terminology is used on signage for most regional limited access highways in the state of Victoria . The terms Motorway and Expressway in New Zealand both encompass multi-lane divided freeways as well as narrower 2 to 4-lane undivided expressways with varying degrees of grade separation ;
3600-710: The Moore Park Ravine alongside Mud Creek , a small tributary of the Don River. From this section, an alternate switchback trail through Chorley Park was opened in November 2018. The trail passes the Don Valley Brick Works and terminates shortly after reaching Bayview Avenue , at a crossroads with two other trails, Park Drive Reservation Trail and Milkman's Lane. A series of technical biking or hiking trails including Cudmore Creek and Crothers Woods can be reached from Bayview, making it possible to extend
3690-642: The Rail Trail scene in Victoria is The Great Victorian Rail Trail which is the longest rail trail in Victoria covering 134 km (83 mi). It has become popular with tourists as it meanders through steep valleys and open farm country. The Rail Trails Australia website is a good source of local information. about trails in Australia. A number of rail trails have been established through New Zealand;
Beltline Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue
3780-749: The Sarnia Bridge was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame . A railroad between Gateway Road and Raleigh Street (i.e. streets immediately parallel to the railway on each side) in Winnipeg , Manitoba , was turned into a 7 km (4.3 mi) asphalt trail in 2007. It is called the Northeast Pioneers Greenway, and there are plans for expansion into East St. Paul , and eventually to Birds Hill Park. In Nova Scotia , almost every section of
3870-665: The United States was the Bronx River Parkway in New York , in 1907. The New York State Parkway System was constructed as a network of high-speed roads in and around New York City . The first limited access highway built is thought to be the privately built Long Island Motor Parkway in Long Island , New York. The Southern State Parkway opened in 1927, while the Long Island Motor Parkway
3960-689: The abandonment of the Prince Edward Island Railway in 1989, the government of Prince Edward Island purchased the right-of-way to the entire railway system. The Confederation Trail was developed as a tip-to-tip walking/cycling gravel rail trail which doubles as a monitored and groomed snowmobile trail during the winter months, operated by the PEI Snowmobile Association. In Quebec, Le P'tit Train du Nord runs 200 km (120 mi) from Saint-Jérôme to Mont-Laurier . In Toronto , there are two rail trails,
4050-618: The best known are the Hauraki Rail Trail (linking Thames, Paeroa, Te Aroha and Waikino/Waihi), Otago Central Rail Trail and the Little River Rail Trail . The New Zealand Cycle Trail project, a Government-led initiative, will greatly accelerate the establishment of new trails. The first seven projects (not all of them rail trails, though) were announced in July 2009 and will receive NZ$ 9 million in funding of
4140-651: The border from Malaysia. Government agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) have taken responsibility for developing and implementing ideas and activities for the former rail lands. The URA has a dedicated web site on Rail Corridor. An example of activities permitted include street art on a section of the disused railway, supported by the SLA, URA, Land Transport Authority and
4230-602: The city, but this scheme has not been officially approved. With more than 2,500 kilometers of rail trails (Via Verde) in a network of 117 cycling and walking itineraries, Spain ranks high in the European greenways scene. The trails are managed or coordinated by the Spanish Railways Foundation, an institution created in 1985. Many of the converted tracks were originally built for the mining industry, connecting remote mountain sites with port locations on
4320-457: The coast, now offering picturesque rides from wild interior landscapes to the seaside, following near-flat routes with long-spanning viaducts and bridges, plus a number of tunnels. Cuts to Ireland's once expansive rail network in the mid 20th century left Ireland with a vast network of disused railways. While many lines were ripped up and the sections of the land acquired by private owners, a number of former railways do exist intact, thus providing
4410-492: The country's motorways and are usually upgraded versions of the national highways. The total length of Pakistan's expressways is 260-kilometre (160 mi) as of November, 2016. Around 770-kilometre (480 mi) of expressways are currently under construction in different parts of country. Most of these expressways will be complete between 2017 and 2020. Expressways in India make up more than 5,579 km (3,467 mi ) of
4500-414: The difference being that in New Zealand a Motorway has certain additional legal traffic restrictions. The Expressway Network of the People's Republic of China is the longest highway system in the world. The network is also known as National Trunk Highway System (NTHS). By the end of 2016, the total length of China's expressway network reached 131,000 kilometers (82,000 mi). Expressways in China are
4590-500: The expressway in South Korea, the status of motorway is a measure of traffic control rather than a class of road. For example, Jayu-ro is a segment of national route 77 as well as a motorway. As of June 2011, 1,610 km of highways in total were designated as motorways. (1,052 km national highways, 351 km metropolitan highways, 185 km regional highways and 20 km municipal highways) Like on expressways, motorcycles are not permitted. Sri Lanka has ensured to classify
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#17327730225274680-427: The expressways in reference to the connotation of E grades. As of 2014 , three expressways namely the E01 Southern Expressway , E02 Outer Circular Expressway and the E03 Colombo – Katunayake Expressway have been created. A tax levying structure is proposed for travelling via the expressways. Speed limits in the range of 80–100 km/h is attested for travelling through
4770-512: The expressways. Up to now two expressways namely the Northern Expressway and the Ruwanpura Expressway are in process to satisfy the needs of public transport. [REDACTED] Expressways in Taiwan may be controlled-access highways similar to National Freeways or limited-access roads. Most have Provincial (as opposed to National) Highway status, although some are built and maintained by cities. All provincial expressways run east–west except for Provincial Highway No. 61 , which runs north–south along
4860-426: The federal government passing legislation promoting the use of railbanking for abandoned railroad corridors in 1983 which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990. This process preserves rail corridors for possible future rail use with interim use as a trail. By the 1970s, even main lines were being sold or abandoned. This was especially true when regional rail lines merged and streamlined their operations. As both
4950-488: The former Galway to Clifden railway into a greenway, but negotiations are still underway with landowners regarding its routing. A section of the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway railway line, from Claremorris to Collooney has been touted for redevelopment as a greenway, but has met with some recent opposition from groups wishing for reestablishment of the railway itself. The RAVeL network in Belgium combines converted tracks, byways and towpaths , adding up to
5040-516: The history of the railroad. Their primary revenue is tourist operations, so rail traffic is seasonal; though all three have been granted rights to carry freight, should customers show interest. Though rare, there are several cases in which trails convert back to active railroads. One example occurred in 2012 in Clarence, Pennsylvania , where the R.J. Corman Railroad Company received permission to rebuild 20 miles (32 km) of railbanked line to serve new industries. Conrail had ceased operating over
5130-434: The land around the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and other nodes are included. Given the location of the railway lands in land scarce Singapore, there was concern that the lands would be developed. Organisations such as the Nature Society Singapore developed comprehensive plans to maintain the rail lands for nature-related pursuits. The Green Corridor web site is a campaign website dedicated to preserving its natural form. In
5220-405: The land to extend their backyards, complaining of safety issues, vandals, and lovers. Metro Toronto parks officials and York Mayor Phil White saw it as an opportunity to build a bike path. Toronto Mayor William Dennison and his executive committee favoured buying portions of the Belt Line to expand roads and existing parks. Dennison told the Toronto Star that he opposed a continuous path along
5310-433: The largest number of rail trails in Europe, with 677 rail trails with a total length of 5,020 kilometres (3,120 mi) (as at February 2015). 80 more projects are being planned or under construction. Some of the longest rail trails are in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate . These are the Maare-Mosel-Radweg with 39 kilometres (24 mi) on the old rail track, the Ruwer-Hochwald-Radweg with 44 kilometres (27 mi) on
5400-469: The latter two are marked with green signage, while valtatie signage is blue. While most of the network is all-access road, 779 km (484 mi) of it is motorway, and 124 km (77 mi) is limited-access road. The access is limited to motor vehicles faster than 50 km/h, thus excluding pedestrian, bicycle, moped or tractor traffic; furthermore, towing is not allowed. Limited-access roads are generally similar to motorways, but do not fulfill all
5490-458: The line from Penn Central in 1969, and subsequently signed a long-term lease with the railroad. The railroad has been continually working to bring this section of the line back into service. Both Departments strongly support the preservation of the line, and have provided support to the railroad with property encroachment from abutters and the provision of railroad ties . All three of these examples are heritage railroads , which serve to protect
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#17327730225275580-540: The line in 1990, and 10 miles (16 km) was converted to the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails. Most original rail lines were surveyed for ease of transport and gentle (often less than 2%) grades . Therefore, the rail trails that succeeded them are often fairly straight and ideally suited to overcome steep or awkward terrain such as hills, escarpments, rivers, swamps, etc. Rail trails often share space with linear utilities such as pipelines, electrical transmission wires, and telephone lines. Most purchase of railway land
5670-494: The majority of rail trails are maintained by either the local authority or charitable organisations such as Sustrans , the Railway Ramblers or Railway Paths . A 31-mile (50 km) section (between Braunton and Meeth ) of the Tarka Trail in Devon is one of the longest of these. Many of these former railway lines form part of the British National Cycle Network , connecting with long-distance paths and towpaths along Britain's extensive network of canals . For example,
5760-403: The motorway built. After the missing lanes are built, they will become standard motorways. A High-quality dual carriageway (HQDC) in Ireland is normally completed to a motorway standard, including no right-turns, but with no motorway restrictions. These are common on the final stretches of motorways nearing a major city, generally in order to enable use of bus stops and city bus services on
5850-401: The name highway ( Malay : lebuhraya – this is also the name for expressways ). Highways normally have a lower speed limit than expressways (but still higher than the rest of the local road network), and permit at-grade intersections and junctions to residential roads and shopfronts, although grade separation is still typical. Highways are normally toll-free and are owned and operated by
5940-516: The old iron bridge that crosses Dufferin Street , between Castlefield Ave. and Eglinton Ave. There is no crossing over the Allen, and trail users must use footpaths parallel to the Allen to reach the nearest road bridge a half- block north or south. The Kay Gardner Beltline Park trail heads east, crossing the bridge over Yonge Street and the Davisville Subway Yard south of Davisville Avenue, passes through Mount Pleasant Cemetery and ends at Mount Pleasant Road. The trail then continues southwards through
6030-406: The old rail track and the Schinderhannes-Radweg with 36 kilometres (22 mi) on the old track of the Hunsrück Railway . Up to date, the 23 km long Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal is still the rail trail with the highest standard in Germany and is a prime example of conversion of an abandoned railway track into a multiuser cycling path. With almost 150 lines in use, the United Kingdom has
6120-415: The old railway space from west of Caledonia Road east to the Don River. Most roads are crossed at grade, with no formal pedestrian crosswalks; the addition of crosswalks was recommended in a 2013 report. From the west, the York Belt Line trail section begins just west of Caledonia Road at the former GTR line, now GO Transit's Barrie line. It proceeds east to the limited-access Allen Road, first passing over
6210-482: The only carrier to exist in Bermuda folded in 1948. Some of the former right of way were converted for automobile traffic, and in 1984 18 miles were converted to a rail trail, reserved for pedestrian use and bicycles on paved portions. The rail bed spans the length of the island, and connected Hamilton to St. George's and several villages, though several bridges are derelict, causing the trail to be fragmented. The Kettle Valley Rail Trail in British Columbia uses
6300-505: The option for the development of many rail trails in the future. The rail-trail on the former Westport to Achill Island line, known as the Great Western Greenway , was completed in 2011. Much progress has been made on the development of a rail-trail on the former Limerick to Tralee / Fenit line, in the form of the Great Southern Trail . As of 2013, a 36-kilometre (22 mi) section from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale has been completed. Planning permission has been granted to redevelop
6390-431: The particular stretch of road. Speed limits are normally 100 km/h compared to 120 km/h on motorways In Italy there are: Type B highway (or strada extraurbana principale ), commonly but unofficially known as superstrada , is a divided highway with at least two lanes for each direction, paved shoulder on the right, no cross-traffic and no at-grade intersections. Access restrictions on such highways are exactly
6480-652: The rail industry led to the closure of a number of uneconomical branch lines and redundant mainlines. Some were maintained as short line railways , but many others were abandoned. The first abandoned rail corridor in the United States converted into a recreational trail was the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin , which opened in 1967. The following year the Illinois Prairie Path opened. The conversion of rails to trails hastened with
6570-644: The rail trail passes through sparsely populated areas of the Canadian Shield , with historic trestle bridges crossing several rivers. The old Sarnia Bridge in St. Marys, Ontario , was re-purposed as part of the Grand Trunk Trail . The former Grand Trunk Railway viaduct was purchased from Canadian National Railway in 1995. The Grand Trunk Trail was opened in 1998 with over 3 km (1.9 mi) of paved, accessible trail. In 2012, The re-purposing of
6660-427: The railbed of the historic Newfoundland Railway as transferred from its most recent owner, Canadian National Railway , to the provincial government after rail service was abandoned on the island of Newfoundland in 1988. The rail corridor stretches from Channel-Port aux Basques in the west to St. John's in the east with branches to Stephenville , Lewisporte , Bonavista , Placentia and Carbonear . Following
6750-441: The remaining line west of Allen Road to the city in 1988 and its conversion to a trail began. The bridge over Yonge Street had deteriorated and was refurbished in 1993. In 1999–2000 the part of the trail from Allen Road to Mount Pleasant Road was designated the Kay Gardner Beltline Park after a local councillor, Kay Gardner , who was also involved with the negotiations for that segment of the trail. The trail reuses almost all of
6840-581: The same of Italian motorways ( autostrade ), as well as signage at the beginning and the end of the highway (with the only difference being the background color, blue instead of green). Speed limit on type-B road is 110 km/h (68 mph). Type C highway (or strada extraurbana secondaria ), a single carriageway with at least one lane for each direction and shoulders. It may have at-grade, at-level crossings with railways , roundabouts and traffic lights . This category contains also dual carriageways that can not be classified as type-B highways because of
6930-880: The second-largest network of rail trails in Europe after Germany. The development of rail trails in the United Kingdom grew after a major programme of railway line closures in the 1960s known as the Beeching cuts . The scheme, named after Dr. Richard Beeching , the then chairman of British Railways , decommissioned approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of railway lines all over Great Britain. Many rural and suburban lines were closed along with selected main line trunk routes. Since then, approximately 1,200–2,200 miles (1,900–3,500 km) of disused railway lines in Britain have been converted to public leisure purposes, and today
7020-554: The second-longest, extending for 321 miles (517 km), the longest being the Ohio to Erie Trail in Ohio at 326 miles (525 km). The BeltLine , in Atlanta , Georgia, is currently under construction. In 2030, its anticipated year of completion, it will be one of the longest continuous trails. The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project that will provide a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along
7110-491: The smaller metropolitan areas mostly rely on limited-access highways for high-speed local traffic. In South Australia the terms "expressway" and "freeway" can be synonymous. The Southern and Northern Expressways are both controlled-access highways. However, perhaps confusingly, the Port River Expressway is a limited-access highway. Dual carriageways that connect capital cities and regional centres, such as
7200-416: The southern areas of Canada connecting most of Canada's major cities and most populous areas. There is also a long northern arm which runs through Alberta to Edmonton and then up through northern British Columbia to Yukon. The trail is multi-use and depending on the section may allow hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders, cross country skiers and snowmobilers. In North America, the decades-long consolidation of
7290-571: The supply of potential trails increased and awareness of the possibilities rose, state governments, municipalities, conservation authorities, and private organizations bought the rail corridors to create, expand or link green spaces . The longest developed rail trail is currently the 240 miles (390 km) Katy Trail in Missouri . When complete, the Cowboy Trail in Nebraska will become
7380-430: The technical requirements, such as several lanes in one direction or separation of opposite directions. Limited-access roads are usually built because the local population density is too low to justify a motorway. Often space has been left during construction for an eventual upgrade to a motorway. Limited-access roads also function as feeder routes for motorways. The general speed limit on main roads and limited-access roads
7470-553: The terrain, with a 100 feet (30 m) width being ample enough where little surface grading is required. The initial 705 miles (1,135 km) stretch of the Illinois Central Railroad is the most liberal in the world with a width of 200 feet (61 m) along the whole length of the line. Rail trails are often graded and covered in gravel or crushed stone, although some are paved with asphalt and others are left as dirt. Where rail bridges are incorporated into
7560-671: The total project budget of NZ$ 50 million. On 24 May 2010, the Singapore and Malaysia governments agreed to move the Singapore terminus of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) from the Tanjong Pagar railway station in southern Singapore to Woodlands Train Checkpoint in northern Singapore. This resulted in the railway lines in Singapore becoming surplus as the Woodlands terminus is just over
7650-407: The towing of fairground vehicles, as well as four-wheelers (without passenger compartment), are allowed to drive on an autoweg . An autoweg can consist of two or more lanes. The driving directions can be separated by a roadmarking, or by a central reservation. If a public road ( autosnelweg , autoweg , weg ) consists of two or more lanes that are clearly separated from each other by a roadside or
7740-557: The trail through to the Sunnybrook Estates to the north-west or Taylor Creek Park and Scarborough to the east. Three installations commemorating the former train stations of the Belt Line Railway were installed in 2021: Yonge Station, Upper Canada Station and Eglinton Station. The City of Toronto has a planned design to create two more "Lost Stations". Forest Hill and Fairbank commemorative stations will have
7830-480: The trail, the only alterations (if any) tend to be adding solid walking areas on top of ties or trestles, though bridges in poorer condition do receive new guardrails , paint, and reinforcement. If paved, they are especially suitable for people who use wheelchairs. Where applicable, the same trails used in the summer for walking, jogging, and inline skating can be used in the winter for Nordic skiing , snowshoeing , and sometimes snowmobiling . Rails with trails are
7920-421: The west coast. Some provincial expressway routes are still under construction. In Austria the speed limit on a Schnellstraße is 100–130 km/h (62–81 mph). Schnellstraßen are very similar to Austrian Autobahnen (freeways/motorways); the chief difference is that they are more cheaply built with smaller curve radius, often undivided and have fewer bridges and tunnels. In Belgium an autoweg
8010-599: Was closed in 1937 and replaced by the Northern State Parkway (opened in 1931) and the contiguous Grand Central Parkway (opened in 1936). In the United States , the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) uses "full control of access" only for freeways . Expressways are defined as having "partial control of access" (or semi-controlled access ). This means that major roads typically use interchanges and commercial development
8100-473: Was expropriated to build the Spadina Expressway , now Allen Road . This ended rail service east of Marlee Avenue, just before Allen Road. In 1970, Canadian National Railway (CN) tried to sell the right-of-way east of Allen Road for housing since the land was quite valuable. This set the stage for one of the first public battles on biking trails. Most homeowners adjacent to the line wished to buy
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