Waterloo Region Connected
Trails - Printable Version

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RE: Trails - danbrotherston - 01-29-2017

(01-29-2017, 06:07 PM)Markster Wrote:
(01-29-2017, 05:56 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: There is a MUT along the East and West sides of King St. from the mall, south to Weber St.  This allows access up to the mall from the location where Canard turned back.  Connections are far from obvious, but it does exist.  It is frustrating that even when trails are within meters (yes, single digit meters) of each other, connections are not clear or obvious or even not on a awkward piece of sidewalk and (illegal to use) crosswalk.

And now that I look at it, I see that they did "connect" the trails.  There's a concrete sidewalk that connects them together.  Though it means waiting at the traffic light to go north.

I've taken that trail south on King before, and it never occurred to me that that there was another trail so nearby.

Well, define "connect", there's a sidewalk, it's neither obvious that the trail continues for cyclists, nor how to safely cross.  The lack of a safe crossing is mostly due to the high capacity high speed exit ramp (into the parking lot).  But that's not so unusual, but there's no signage, no obvious directional markers, and no obvious cyclist path.  In fact, at the top of the trail, one must almost look behind them to find the continuation.

But they are effectively close enough together to be called "connected" in a network sense, there is continuity, and you don't have to ride on a busy road for any distance (merely technically walk your bike across the sidewalk and crosswalk).


RE: Trails - danbrotherston - 01-29-2017

(01-29-2017, 05:55 PM)Markster Wrote: Clearly a bit of a missed connection.  King St has MUTs on either side now.
The trails are so close to each other, but you wouldn't know it when you're there.

You just do this, and it's a breeze to get up to the mall.

Actually these directions that you give are probably as good as any other way to make that connection.

Although looking at the streetview for this trail I'm reminded of the fact that the curb cuts were basically left as is when the trail was put in, or to put it another way, are a bad joke for cyclists.


RE: Trails - Markster - 01-29-2017

(01-29-2017, 06:11 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Well, define "connect", there's a sidewalk, it's neither obvious that the trail continues for cyclists, nor how to safely cross.  The lack of a safe crossing is mostly due to the high capacity high speed exit ramp (into the parking lot).  But that's not so unusual, but there's no signage, no obvious directional markers, and no obvious cyclist path.  In fact, at the top of the trail, one must almost look behind them to find the continuation.

I think my use of scare-quotes around "connect" should have made my intention clear.


RE: Trails - timio - 01-29-2017

(01-29-2017, 05:08 PM)Canard Wrote: Further along, around Lexington, I believe - I was very surprised to see a "London Solution" tunnel!  London, Ontario has these everywhere on their waterfront trail system... I I had no idea we had any in Waterloo Region!

Two other locations I can think of:

1.  Filsinger Park underneath Westmount (sort of).  It's a culvert beside the creeek, but still takes the trail under the road.  If coming from the Iron Horse Trail, take the path along the creek... the official trail goes up  a steep hill just before.  https://goo.gl/maps/cdYf9dDdZ3u
2.  Blair on the Trans-Canada Trail just south of the rare Nature Reserve, along Devil's Creek underneath George Street.  Bonus:  Neat waterfall heading down to the Grand River and a wall with fossils in it further south  https://goo.gl/maps/h2XcqPwXgfT2

As a side note, I'd like to bike from Pioneer Tower down to Galt sometime via the Grand River Trail.


RE: Trails - KevinL - 01-29-2017

Quote:I was very surprised to see a "London Solution" tunnel!  London, Ontario has these everywhere on their waterfront trail system... 

Another London you will find these in is the original (in England). Towpaths along the canals mean most small waterways are accompanied by a pedestrian walkway.


RE: Trails - Canard - 01-29-2017

(01-29-2017, 06:58 PM)timio Wrote: As a side note, I'd like to bike from Pioneer Tower down to Galt sometime via the Grand River Trail.

I did a part of that this summer - from Pioneer Tower to the bridge over 401 and back. I had intended to start at the lot across King from Freeport Hospital, but found that this section here was essentially impassable - like a boulder field. I ended up heading back to the parking lot and then driving down to the lot at Pioneer Tower and proceeded South from there. The leg by the Golf Course is really nice.

Thanks for the tip about the tunnel off Blair Road - that section is also on my "To Do" list!


RE: Trails - danbrotherston - 01-29-2017

(01-29-2017, 06:43 PM)Markster Wrote: I think my use of scare-quotes around "connect" should have made my intention clear.

Ahh fair enough, at this point though, they're so overused that I don't even see scare quotes. Tongue


RE: Trails - clasher - 01-29-2017

Also if you are riding during rush hour and want to cross Weber the lights at Marshall are easy to get to if you exit the trail at Brighton street.

There's another trail tunnel under Westmount Road in Kitchener just north of Highland. It's not hard to get to from the IHT


RE: Trails - Canard - 01-29-2017

(01-29-2017, 09:39 PM)clasher Wrote: Also if you are riding during rush hour and want to cross Weber the lights at Marshall are easy to get to if you exit the trail at Brighton street.

There's another trail tunnel under Westmount Road in Kitchener just north of Highland. It's not hard to get to from the IHT

I see - like so? https://goo.gl/maps/DmHKiYAkp3t


RE: Trails - timio - 01-29-2017

(01-29-2017, 10:16 PM)Canard Wrote:
(01-29-2017, 09:39 PM)clasher Wrote: Also if you are riding during rush hour and want to cross Weber the lights at Marshall are easy to get to if you exit the trail at Brighton street.

There's another trail tunnel under Westmount Road in Kitchener just north of Highland. It's not hard to get to from the IHT

I see - like so? https://goo.gl/maps/DmHKiYAkp3t

Yep.  The main trail goes up a hill between Lawrence and Westmount, but there is a bypass that stays at creek level


RE: Trails - timc - 01-30-2017

There is a trail tunnel on the west side that goes under the rails between Resurrection and Westforest, just west of Monarch Woods. I haven't been there in ages, but there is also a waterway that runs under there, so if I remember, it's kind of a two level underpass, one level for the trail and the other for water.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.4366276,-80.5455562,134a,20y,275.53h,45.03t/data=!3m1!1e3


RE: Trails - jamincan - 01-30-2017

I ran through that tunnel every week this past summer and somehow I don't think I ever noticed that. I might need to pay better attention to my surroundings!


RE: Trails - clasher - 01-30-2017

Yeah it's a nice trail and both ways at the fork are woth exploring, especially through Monarch woods out to the hydrocut. It's rough going near the end but I'm also guilty of not paying attention to the rail underpass out that way.


RE: Trails - Canard - 02-04-2017

Thanks to the tips you guys shared, I went down toward the Filsinger Natural Area this morning on my bike ride.

The trail became unploughed after Lawrence, but it was heavily packed so wasn't too much trouble:

   

Getting down to the tunnel is pretty tricky.  It looked to me based on the footprints and packing of the snow that most people are opting to cross the road instead of go through the tunnel.

   

It's quite long!

   

There are some lights inside.

I have completely fallen in love with the (too short!) Forwell Trail.

   

   

Thanks to Markster's tip I easily found the continuation of the MUT up under the Conestoga Overpass.  I feel so dumb I didn't see it there last weekend - but this weekend it was ploughed, so it was totally obvious.  I also now see the frustration with how it just ends at the LRT platform, with no obvious way to continue North along King.  I can't help but wonder if it won't be mid to late spring before they finish up the general landscaping in the area.

I also rode across Northfield down along the LRT tracks... I hadn't planned on doing that.  I took Conestogo over and then noticed when I got to Northfield that there are actually bike lanes there... but I don't think I'll ride again over the overpass.  Traffic wasn't too bad (I was out pretty early) but it is a bit unnerving biking along with cars whizzing by at 60-70 km/h on both sides in the narrow bike lane sandwiched between the two travel lanes and the off ramp merge lane. I really wish the sidewalk could have been widened a bit and been designated a "Shared Pathway" or "MUT" here. :/


RE: Trails - jamincan - 02-05-2017

I went for a run with some friends in Columbia Forest today. Trail conditions were actually fantastic; I highly recommend it if you want to go for a walk or run.

We stumbled up on this creepy well in the woods too. We fortunately did not encounter Samara crawling out of it.

[Image: GWhu0ywl.jpg]