07-29-2016, 07:37 AM
(07-28-2016, 07:52 PM)MacBerry Wrote: You are mostly correct.
It is the Ontario Building Code that dictates sidewalks. The official city/region plans must be approved by the province. If asphalt sidewalks/pathways were permitted you would see them everywhere because it is significantly cheaper to stick in an asphalt path but in a few years these will not meet access or safety standards as they heave and potholes become prevalent. Developers would love to stick in a pathway and then the city would be responsible for fixing every pathway that would constitute a hazard that could result in insurance claims after they are laid and signed off on.
I don't know the expected lifespan of a sidewalk but suggest it is 10-20+ years compared to an asphalt pathway.
The reality is the rights of persons with disabilities trump all the naysayers here.
Reading the Ontario building code, asphalt sidewalks are allowed. There is a requirement for a stable surface, which I presume the run of the mill asphalt trail doesn't meet, but if built to road grade stability standards, asphalt lasts for a long time. The asphalt paths in the university, with heavy usage, have lifespans of 15 to 20 years.