Northfield / 85 Exchange upgrades?

[ijmorlan]

Unfortunately they didn’t take seriously my suggestion that instead of sidewalks across the bridge there should be a single wide multi-use trail running between the two LRT tracks (and no “side” walks at all). This would run from the point where the LRT tracks swing onto Northfield all the way to Conestogo Rd. and would eliminate conflicts between traffic using the expressway ramps and pedestrian/cycle traffic. Note that the trail would not cross any other lane -– regular traffic or LRT – between a point near the Waterloo Spur and Conestogo Rd. Overall pedestrians would have to make either the same or a smaller number of crossings of traffic as they will in the actual plan (depending on their route), and these crossings would take place at signal-controlled safe locations.

While MUT trails are a great resource for cyclists where appropriate, they constitute undue hazards and a lack of accessibility for others when not meeting the required planning act provisions.  MUT are NOT replacements for sidewalks. Placing only a trail down the middle of the road would be in contravention of the Ontario Planning Act, 1990 (Revised) as well as the Official Plan of the City of Waterloo and the Region of Waterloo. 

It had occurred to me that having separate lanes for bicycles in each direction, plus a pedestrian lane, would be a good idea. So your observation in no way invalidates the concept, it merely points out some necessary design considerations. The point is to take advantage of the fact that there is absolutely no traffic crossing the space between the two tracks for a long distance to put non-vehicular traffic in that space. Next I suppose somebody will complain that I haven’t explained exactly how bikes are supposed to get on and off the centre path at each end. Well, I don’t have a detailed design. I have an idea. And I haven’t seen any serious attempt at explaining a fundamental problem with the idea. There is, however, a fundamental problem with what is actually being built: pedestrians must walk immediately next to regular vehicular lanes and cross expressway on- and off-ramps, and I don’t even know what if any provision is being made for bicycles.

Hmmm, it just occurred to me that if we take what you wrote literally, then all those places on Fischer-Hallman and Weber where the “sidewalk” is actually a MUT are in contravention as well. Not sure what to think of that…