As Liberty Village's population grows, and the once-industrial area fills with condos and offices—including OpenFile's own—some infrastructure will be growing with it. The City's plans for the neighbourhood were discussed at a public consultation at Liberty Noodle on March 1. Among those plans: a way for pedestrians and cyclists to get across the railroad tracks near King West and Shaw, a new road along the neighbourhood's southernmost edge, and new plans for getting along Dufferin Street.

Here's what you need to know about each:

A pedestrian tunnel would run underneath the CN/CP railway tracks, connecting the Metro parking lot with the property being built at 1071 King Street West. No formal design has been proposed, but the City showed pictures of the downtown PATH as samples. Of the two options for building a pedestrian link (see below), this is the favoured one so far—City officials are citing a lower cost, at $5.8 million, and shorter walking distance.

Anticipated construction date: 2014

…or, instead of a pedestrian tunnel, a pedestrian bridge would run above the train tracks, featuring paths for both cyclists and walkers, and elevators for accessibility's sake. It is expected to cost $6.6 million. While the City prefers a tunnel, the option of a bridge will be carried forward in case a tunnel is rendered unfeasible by either construction—or City Council. After all of this planning and consultation, the proposed link must still pass council’s scrutiny. Construction of whichever link is decided on is slated to begin in 2014 at the latest, but whether or not work can go ahead depends in part on the progress of the nearby Strachan Avenue grade adjustments; councillor Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina) said it’s up to the engineers to decide if construction on the link can begin earlier.

Anticipated construction date: 2014

A new road would run along the south end of Liberty Village, providing relief for traffic woes and a new strip for retail. The Liberty Village BIA spearheaded the whole project, which is currently in the environmental assessment stage.

Anticipated construction date: The distant future

Engineers are looking at two existing bridges along Dufferin Street over the GO Transit rails and the Gardiner Expressway, making suggestions for future reconstruction, taking into account the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and GO Transit. It's part of necessary maintenance to the structure. Construction will disrupt traffic, Infrastructure Planning Manager Stephen Schijns explained, but they hope to complete the project in stages to minimize trouble.

Anticipated construction date: 2012