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+--- Thread: Walking in Waterloo Region (/showthread.php?tid=189)
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 12-08-2020
(12-08-2020, 01:42 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:(12-08-2020, 01:10 PM)panamaniac Wrote: Interesting that they don't seem to be getting much traction at City Hall. New money?
It is interesting. What about Waterloo vs. Kitchener? Glasgow St. is in Kitchener.
It may differ by the city, I'm definitely more familiar with Kitchener, but I also know that property owners on Lexington managed to kill a sidewalk on their street despite it being extremely dangerous for the school children walking on the roadway there. And like, no jokes at council, pictures of children on the road walking to school.
So, given that they didn't build sidewalks on both sides there, but did overrule homeowners here, is surprising. It shows progress.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Bob_McBob - 12-08-2020
https://www.therecord.com/news/crime/2020/12/08/victoria-street-closed-north-of-kitchener-after-pedestrians-struck.html
Two pedestrians struck on Victoria St N, one driver arrested.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - panamaniac - 12-08-2020
(12-08-2020, 01:42 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:Glasgow was old money.(12-08-2020, 01:10 PM)panamaniac Wrote: Interesting that they don't seem to be getting much traction at City Hall. New money?
It is interesting. What about Waterloo vs. Kitchener? Glasgow St. is in Kitchener.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - ac3r - 12-08-2020
(12-08-2020, 03:19 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: https://www.therecord.com/news/crime/2020/12/08/victoria-street-closed-north-of-kitchener-after-pedestrians-struck.html
Two pedestrians struck on Victoria St N, one driver arrested.
We really, really could use a sidewalk along that stretch of road or at the very least a gravel path to the side. To get to the neighbourhood of Breslau you basically need a car. It's definitely not a nice place to get to on foot. It's strange we don't even have a bus that goes out there...the Bridgeport neighbourhood just a few minutes away has the 5 route that runs through it. There still seems to be this 20th century mentality that anything on the other side of the river isn't in the city when they are.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - taylortbb - 12-08-2020
(12-08-2020, 08:15 PM)ac3r Wrote: It's strange we don't even have a bus that goes out there...the Bridgeport neighbourhood just a few minutes away has the 5 route that runs through it. There still seems to be this 20th century mentality that anything on the other side of the river isn't in the city when they are.
Breslau isn't legally a part of the city, while Bridgeport is, and transit is area-rated to just the cities.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 12-08-2020
(12-08-2020, 08:33 PM)taylortbb Wrote:(12-08-2020, 08:15 PM)ac3r Wrote: It's strange we don't even have a bus that goes out there...the Bridgeport neighbourhood just a few minutes away has the 5 route that runs through it. There still seems to be this 20th century mentality that anything on the other side of the river isn't in the city when they are.
Breslau isn't legally a part of the city, while Bridgeport is, and transit is area-rated to just the cities.
This is very on point. I believe New Hamburg AND Elmira both pay higher taxes explicitly to pay for transit service.
Ultimately, I'm sick and tired of tax whining, but here we are.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - tomh009 - 12-08-2020
(12-08-2020, 08:33 PM)taylortbb Wrote:(12-08-2020, 08:15 PM)ac3r Wrote: It's strange we don't even have a bus that goes out there...the Bridgeport neighbourhood just a few minutes away has the 5 route that runs through it. There still seems to be this 20th century mentality that anything on the other side of the river isn't in the city when they are.
Breslau isn't legally a part of the city, while Bridgeport is, and transit is area-rated to just the cities.
Yeah. And Woolwich really is not big on sidewalks.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 12-08-2020
(12-08-2020, 09:36 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(12-08-2020, 08:33 PM)taylortbb Wrote: Breslau isn't legally a part of the city, while Bridgeport is, and transit is area-rated to just the cities.
Yeah. And Woolwich really is not big on sidewalks.
No...it isn't.
That being said, here's a plan that would for very very little money extend the Victoria St. MUTs into Breslau. That would make it possible to get from Breslau to the city without a car. Right now, if you don't have a car, and you're across the river, you're quite literally trapped.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1vQ51xDjpt0MSns4gQvNR42Ij6Jl7etJS&ll=43.485817544373106%2C-80.41488749999999&z=15
This kind of thing is a cheap effective no brainer for me. And I have almost zero faith that such a thing would be implemented.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - tomh009 - 12-09-2020
It's a bit hard for me to see the green MUT on the map background. It looks like one MUT from Centennial to the Walter Bean Trail, and then a second one from the other side of the bridge, curving onto Woolwich St. And a third one starting on Fountain St, continuing on Hwy 7 until Greenhouse Rd?
The first two look logical to me, but I'm a bit confused about how they connect to what, and whether there is a MUT on the bridge.
The third piece ... is there cycling infra on Greenhouse Rd? Or why would people cycle to Greenhouse Rd, and not any further?
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - neonjoe - 12-09-2020
Annex Breslau and fix it that way. It’s far more connected to Kitchener than the other communities in woolwich, it already gets its water and sanitation from Kitchener.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 12-09-2020
(12-09-2020, 08:41 AM)tomh009 Wrote: It's a bit hard for me to see the green MUT on the map background. It looks like one MUT from Centennial to the Walter Bean Trail, and then a second one from the other side of the bridge, curving onto Woolwich St. And a third one starting on Fountain St, continuing on Hwy 7 until Greenhouse Rd?
The first two look logical to me, but I'm a bit confused about how they connect to what, and whether there is a MUT on the bridge.
The third piece ... is there cycling infra on Greenhouse Rd? Or why would people cycle to Greenhouse Rd, and not any further?
Sorry, I suppose the map isn't too clear. The goal was to very cheaply connect Breslau using existing road space. I'm suggesting using a treatment similar to Blair Rd. in Cambridge which puts a MUT along a widened shoulder of the road, segregated with bollards. I'd hope for a bit stonger of a treatment here due to the increased traffic, but something similarly doable using the existing wide shoulder.
The planned MUT ends at Centenial and there is sufficient shoulder until the bridge over the Grand. On the Grand River bridge, I think they'd have to widen the sidewalk (ha, why is there even a sidewalk) using the excess space in the curbs in order to accomodate a MUT (maybe only 2.5 meters). Beyond the bridge, there is sufficient shoulder space to continue the MUT until the right turn lane for Woolwich St. S. where I once again show a MUT constructed in the boulevard. This MUT connects through to the sidewalks on Woolwich St. S. that go into Woolwich and just end outside of town. It also connects to the trail south of Woolwich St. N. (and also to Woolwich St. N. itself) to connect over to the new suburban development along Fountain St..
Phase 2 just shows connecting up the residential areas on Fountain St. to the trails and to Woolwich St.N. to provide a safe AAA connection with a MUT along Fountain St. as well as some enhanced crossings.
Honestly this is what I argue would be a fiscally conservative plan. It uses resources we have more efficiently, and by only spending a little money we get a significant improvement to connectivity. Self proclaimed fiscal conservatives should be all over stuff like this.
Phase 3 is just a connection to the new under construction development at Greenhouse Rd. I'm not sure what it looks like on a map, so I wasn't sure where to connect the trail too. It would be more expensive because the shoulder on that section is mostly not paved. That being said some connection to Greenhouse Rd. would probably be good. It has no cycling infra, but compared with riding on Highway 7, it does provide a much safer route to several connections (e.g., if someone doesn't mind riding on Shantz Station Rd. (which I *do* mind, but many wouldn't), you can get to both Guelph and Maryhill).
Ultimately, I'm not exactly in a position to estimate these things, but Phase 1, should be on the order of 100,000 - 150,000 even for a fairly significant (more than just a bollard ever 60 feet) treatment of the roadway if the costs for previous projects is anything to go on. That's pennies to the region...why don't we do it!
(12-09-2020, 09:15 AM)neonjoe Wrote: Annex Breslau and fix it that way. It’s far more connected to Kitchener than the other communities in woolwich, it already gets its water and sanitation from Kitchener.
Same fundamental problem. It would be very unpopular. You are talking about a significant tax increase, being in the City of Kitchener. I remember looking at a house in Breslau once...and the seller told me the best thing about the house was the taxes were low because it wasn't in the CoK. I thought, low taxes are great and all, but if that's the best thing about a home, then that place is probably pretty shitty. But I'm guessing a lot of people don't think like me.
Honestly, I don't really understand how our annexations work. I know London ON annexed many of it's neighbours (you'll still find people who declare they live in "Byron"...and that is fully enclosed in the city now). Where as in other countries (maybe other provinces) you have cities which basically starve because people live around the perifery, benefit from the services of the city, but don't pay towards those services. But I cannot imagine it is ever popular.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - panamaniac - 12-09-2020
(12-09-2020, 09:15 AM)neonjoe Wrote: Annex Breslau and fix it that way. It’s far more connected to Kitchener than the other communities in woolwich, it already gets its water and sanitation from Kitchener.
The era of annexations ended with the creation of the Region, no?
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - jamincan - 12-09-2020
Speaking as someone who does occasionally take Victoria St. from Breslau to Kitchener, the most dangerous bit is actually east of the bridge to Ebycrest/Woolwich St. There is absolutely no shoulder to speak of, and a curb so that you're forced to ride in the lane. Over the bridge, there is a small shoulder between the sidewalk and the lane which, while not to the standards of a bike lane, is at least nicer to ride in than a car lane with traffic going 80+kph. West of the bridge, there is a comfortably-sized shoulder. I normal switch to the Walter Bean Trailer at Shirley Dr.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 12-09-2020
(12-09-2020, 11:16 AM)jamincan Wrote: Speaking as someone who does occasionally take Victoria St. from Breslau to Kitchener, the most dangerous bit is actually east of the bridge to Ebycrest/Woolwich St. There is absolutely no shoulder to speak of, and a curb so that you're forced to ride in the lane. Over the bridge, there is a small shoulder between the sidewalk and the lane which, while not to the standards of a bike lane, is at least nicer to ride in than a car lane with traffic going 80+kph. West of the bridge, there is a comfortably-sized shoulder. I normal switch to the Walter Bean Trailer at Shirley Dr.
I haven't been out there in a while, but unless the street view data is out of date there is only a curb on the north side, with the south side having a wide shoulder from the bridge until Woolwich St. I am onl proposing creating a MUT on the south side where there is already a wide shoulder.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - ac3r - 12-09-2020
(12-08-2020, 08:33 PM)taylortbb Wrote:(12-08-2020, 08:15 PM)ac3r Wrote: It's strange we don't even have a bus that goes out there...the Bridgeport neighbourhood just a few minutes away has the 5 route that runs through it. There still seems to be this 20th century mentality that anything on the other side of the river isn't in the city when they are.
Breslau isn't legally a part of the city, while Bridgeport is, and transit is area-rated to just the cities.
Interesting, I didn't know. Looks like it's still an unincorporated community belonging to Woolwich. For some I thought it was absorbed into the city at some point.