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+--- Thread: Walking in Waterloo Region (/showthread.php?tid=189)
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Pheidippides - 10-28-2017
Year-round Maintenance of Trails and Pathways Around Schools - Pilot Status as of Aug31st 2017: ONTRACK
Expected Completion: Dec-2018
Description: Implement the pilot project to asphalt and winter maintain trails around Glencairn Public School and that staff monitor the use of these trails through two winter seasons. Continue to meet with neighbourhood associations on school access routes and report back to council on the finding of the pilot project and future direction.
Recent Progress: Operating costs for first winter maintenance season of the trail were determined (continue tracking for 2017/18 winter season).
Next Steps: A trail count is planned to establish pre-winter trail usage data (gauge usage trends). Analysis of pedestrian usage data derived from trail counts will be undertaken. Staff will conduct spatial analysis of trail network surrounding school properties to understand citywide implications. Engagement of the neighbourhood association and school board to solicit input on pilot project is planned.
I had not heard of this pilot project; it seems like a waste - do they actually need to study this issue? Plus, the approach seems flawed to me. Wouldn't the comparison of interest be usage without clearing for one snow season vs. usage with clearing for a snow season not usage before winter vs. during winter with clearing?
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - ijmorlan - 10-28-2017
(10-28-2017, 07:51 AM)Pheidippides Wrote: I had not heard of this pilot project; it seems like a waste - do they actually need to study this issue? Plus, the approach seems flawed to me. Wouldn't the comparison of interest be usage without clearing for one snow season vs. usage with clearing for a snow season not usage before winter vs. during winter with clearing?
Also it’s a bit weird to study whether a transportation route needs to be maintained. Would we study whether one particular residential cul-de-sac needed to be paved and plowed?
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - darts - 10-28-2017
(10-28-2017, 09:42 AM)ijmorlan Wrote:(10-28-2017, 07:51 AM)Pheidippides Wrote: I had not heard of this pilot project; it seems like a waste - do they actually need to study this issue? Plus, the approach seems flawed to me. Wouldn't the comparison of interest be usage without clearing for one snow season vs. usage with clearing for a snow season not usage before winter vs. during winter with clearing?
Also it’s a bit weird to study whether a transportation route needs to be maintained. Would we study whether one particular residential cul-de-sac needed to be paved and plowed?
A cul de sac would have people who have no choice but to drive through there to get to their home while a trail isn't the only means for a person to get from one side to the other side since there would be an already existing sidewalk.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 10-28-2017
(10-28-2017, 11:08 AM)darts Wrote:(10-28-2017, 09:42 AM)ijmorlan Wrote: Also it’s a bit weird to study whether a transportation route needs to be maintained. Would we study whether one particular residential cul-de-sac needed to be paved and plowed?
A cul de sac would have people who have no choice but to drive through there to get to their home while a trail isn't the only means for a person to get from one side to the other side since there would be an already existing sidewalk.
It's pretty easy to say that when it isn't your walk which is being doubled or tripled in winter. The point is to get people to walk to school year round, that's pretty directly contradictory with that policy. I'm pretty sure drivers would be screaming bloody murder in similar situations.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - jgsz - 10-28-2017
I like this 3D pedestrian crossing in Iceland. Would they work in Waterloo Region?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=szJbz-z7iJw
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - darts - 10-28-2017
(10-28-2017, 11:18 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:(10-28-2017, 11:08 AM)darts Wrote: A cul de sac would have people who have no choice but to drive through there to get to their home while a trail isn't the only means for a person to get from one side to the other side since there would be an already existing sidewalk.
It's pretty easy to say that when it isn't your walk which is being doubled or tripled in winter. The point is to get people to walk to school year round, that's pretty directly contradictory with that policy. I'm pretty sure drivers would be screaming bloody murder in similar situations.
playing around with googlemaps in the area show 3 minutes extra time if the person lives right by a trail entrance.
I thought you wanted people to use active transportation for better health, giving them shortcuts won't help those fat little children burn any extra calories
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - KevinL - 10-28-2017
(10-28-2017, 02:32 PM)jgsz Wrote: I like this 3D pedestrian crossing in Iceland. Would they work in Waterloo Region?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=szJbz-z7iJw
The illusion only works in one direction, so it would have to be on a one-way street or have problematic traffic coming a particular way. But it's certainly a creative approach.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Canard - 11-07-2017
Was really surprised to see this! I thought the design had omitted the "oculus" from the centre - glad to see it there!
Another great angle of the central viewing area installation for the pedestrian bridge! https://t.co/u7DI0lD5ue #cbridge pic.twitter.com/joCxJ81yHK
— City of Cambridge (@cityofcambridge) November 7, 2017
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - DHLawrence - 11-07-2017
Is that a new bridge pier or did they encase the old one in concrete?
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Canard - 11-07-2017
Well, everyone kept saying that this bridge was "super cheap" because they re-used a pier... but, my experience in automation tells me that it's just as expensive (if not more so) to re-purpose an old machine than it is to just start from scratch.
So, if they did have to do any "beefing up" of the existing pier... I bet the savings were minimal, if anything.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - tomh009 - 11-07-2017
I can't speak for the cost, but there is less concrete in the landfill for sure!
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Canard - 11-07-2017
That's okay, we added lots from the LRT platform rework.
Nature's drywall.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - KevinL - 11-07-2017
(11-07-2017, 10:02 PM)Canard Wrote: Well, everyone kept saying that this bridge was "super cheap" because they re-used a pier... but, my experience in automation tells me that it's just as expensive (if not more so) to re-purpose an old machine than it is to just start from scratch.
So, if they did have to do any "beefing up" of the existing pier... I bet the savings were minimal, if anything.
I imagine there was significant savings in things like environmental assessment. There are many stakeholders when it comes to rivers like the Grand, the existing pier allowed them to skip a great deal of that.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Canard - 11-08-2017
That I could certainly believe!
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Pheidippides - 11-10-2017
I took a walk through uptown along King this week (still a long way to go but more concrete poured this week) and I can't believe with all that work they didn't take the opportunity to make as many of those businesses as possible accessible. Some of them actually seem worse than before.