(02-24-2019, 01:40 PM)KevinL Wrote: It'll be redone in the spring, hopefully with something more durable.

(02-24-2019, 12:56 PM)Canard Wrote: Disappointed to see how poorly the trail markings have lasted. These went down in mid September, 2018, so that's about 5 months.

(02-24-2019, 03:40 PM)clasher Wrote:

(02-24-2019, 12:56 PM)Canard Wrote: Disappointed to see how poorly the trail markings have lasted.  These went down in mid September, 2018, so that's about 5 months.

This is most likely because they can't use older style paint that had a lot of VOCs in it... I wonder how much benefit it really is to have paint that flakes off into the environment every season rather than just have one hit of VOCs in the atmosphere every 4-5 years. I have no idea if that is going on here or not but it seems like a lot of road markings don't last long anymore.

Quote:Kitchener wants to hear from the silent majority as it maps out its cycling and trails priorities for the next 20 years.

The city is trying a novel approach in an effort to hear from a broader swath of the community. First, it is creating a community working group that will play a key role in shaping the new plan. Second, over the next year or so, the city plans to go beyond the standard evening public meetings, to reach out to residents in creative ways to hear what would get them using the city's trails more.

A key push over the next year will be to hear from the 60 per cent of people considered "interested but concerned," who say they would like to cycle more, but don't feel comfortable sharing the road with cars and trucks.
...
City staff are sifting through 16 or 17 applications for the five to seven spots on the community working group. Pimentel hopes the group will include not only committed bicycle commuters, but also people who cycle for fun, and people who don't bike and can shed light on what the city would need to do to get them out on two wheels.

He wants to hear from men and women, young and old, and from all kinds of trail users, beyond cyclists.

"This plan isn't just about biking," he stressed. "It's people in walkers, people walking dogs, people in mobility devices."

(03-12-2019, 01:23 PM)KevinL Wrote: A relatively small connection, but one that was promised in earlier diagrams - a trail from the south corner of Barwood up the hill to the main McLennan park facilities has just started work. Location: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4190584,-80.4848113,71m/data=!3m1!1e3

(03-12-2019, 01:23 PM)KevinL Wrote: A relatively small connection, but one that was promised in earlier diagrams - a trail from the south corner of Barwood up the hill to the main McLennan park facilities has just started work. Location: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4190584,-80.4848113,71m/data=!3m1!1e3

(03-12-2019, 01:30 PM)danbrotherston Wrote:

(03-12-2019, 01:23 PM)KevinL Wrote: A relatively small connection, but one that was promised in earlier diagrams - a trail from the south corner of Barwood up the hill to the main McLennan park facilities has just started work. Location: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4190584,-80.4848113,71m/data=!3m1!1e3

These kind of small connections are hugely meaningful, because they really improve the walking conditions.  However, they're usually very hard to retrofit, because they require land.  I wonder why this section of land that the city apparently owns exists.

And on that point, they should also connect the parking lot of the Newport towers to the south.

But I could probably come up with a list of hundreds of other examples where this type of enhancement would be helpful.

For that matter, many others around that side of McClellan park alone.  Of course, there's also this beauty:  https://www.google.com/maps/@43.415355,-80.483626,3a,60y,329.93h,74.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sapFUmW5_KI-tAua5ctw0Iw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 . which has no sidewalk on either side...very confusing.

(03-12-2019, 01:58 PM)jamincan Wrote:

(03-12-2019, 01:23 PM)KevinL Wrote: A relatively small connection, but one that was promised in earlier diagrams - a trail from the south corner of Barwood up the hill to the main McLennan park facilities has just started work. Location: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4190584,-80.4848113,71m/data=!3m1!1e3

It's a curious improvement. It doesn't really improve connectivity for anyone but those on the crescent who already had reasonably good access to the trail network from the bike lanes on Strasbourg.

(03-12-2019, 02:08 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: It's not the most widespread improvement (it only helps those on the crescent), but it's more of a walking/all ages biking issue.  Most parents would not let their children bike on Strasbourg, and certainly not make the left onto the crescent.  And it cuts off about 3 minutes from the 7-10 minute walk to the park.

Like I said, the meaningful change is if you make this improvement in every neighbourhood for every amenity.

(03-12-2019, 05:08 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:

(03-12-2019, 02:08 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: It's not the most widespread improvement (it only helps those on the crescent), but it's more of a walking/all ages biking issue.  Most parents would not let their children bike on Strasbourg, and certainly not make the left onto the crescent.  And it cuts off about 3 minutes from the 7-10 minute walk to the park.

Like I said, the meaningful change is if you make this improvement in every neighbourhood for every amenity.

And the motor vehicle equivalent (paving every street, in front of every house, to a full 2-lane width, and then plowing it every winter) happens without question, even though it costs way more.