Trails

[Canard]

Waitwaitwait. What's being done at West/Victoria/Strange? Are they finally going to cut through the Lai Lai parking lot? Or still force people onto the road to make a dangerous left (if heading West/North) through traffic?

(I now fully admit that in the last month or two I've switched to ignoring the "Please cross at signalized intersection" signs and just cut through the parking lot, crossing Victoria directly. I actually feel it's safer for me - merging into traffic on West on that corner to wait in the left turn bay to turn left is kind of hectic and I kept thinking "Welp, this is the day I get smucked". I actually used to get mad when I'd end up passing the same people who "cheated" and cut through the lot when I tried to follow the rules... now I get it.)

[KevinL]

Waitwaitwait.  What's being done at West/Victoria/Strange?  Are they finally going to cut through the Lai Lai parking lot? 

Exactly. I believe this had been going though planning for some time now.

[danbrotherston]

Waitwaitwait.  What's being done at West/Victoria/Strange?  Are they finally going to cut through the Lai Lai parking lot? 

Exactly. I believe this had been going though planning for some time now.

This is the plan for that intersection.  I believe the region is even capitulating and considering improvements to the crossing, which is the biggest challenge.  The city has always been more or less on board with that routing.

[Canard]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is AWESOME!

Would love to know more details. Assuming an island and a Level 2 crosswalk or something on Victoria?

[danbrotherston]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is AWESOME!

Would love to know more details.  Assuming an island and a Level 2 crosswalk or something on Victoria?

It's more or less TBD.  The region is still developing a plan, the city planned their trail work, and the region is only grudgingly being dragged along so they're behind.  Chances are good it will be an ped refuge island and nothing else.  I will be following this closely, because I don't want another fiasco like Weber St.  I will push for a crosswalk, but only if the crossing island is already an acceptable design.  Still, I hope to be surprised.

[Canard]

Do you think it's on the docket for 2018 work, or is this one of those things that's still way out?

[clasher]

I hate the steam engine logo, there were never any steam engines running on that rail line, it was an electric. The rest of the sings are cool though.

[Pheidippides]

Here are the proposed crossings (north to south):

Gage Ave:
   

Victoria St S:
   

West Ave:
   

New trail and bridge near West:
   

Queen St S (looks like the are removing the vegetation portion of the island and switching the bench and repair station location on the north side):
   

[Canard]

Thank you!

I find this one really interesting:

   

I guess this formalizes a worn-in path.  Whenever I bike by here I see people coming to or from there, and I never knew where they were going or coming from.

Sad to see the old wooden railway bridge there will be replaced, though.  I like the look and smell of the wood as-is.  It certainly seems sturdy enough, I wonder why it's being replaced.

[Canard]

Oh, I love this.  So much!

   

Now I have a perfect detour into and out-of Victoria Park to go see ducks on my bike rides.

[KevinL]

Sad to see the old wooden railway bridge there will be replaced, though.  I like the look and smell of the wood as-is.  It certainly seems sturdy enough, I wonder why it's being replaced.

They're doubling the width and taking over the 'rail' bridge to the south. It seems it was decided to rebuild both spans.

[Pheidippides]

Sad to see the old wooden railway bridge there will be replaced, though.  I like the look and smell of the wood as-is.  It certainly seems sturdy enough, I wonder why it's being replaced.

They're doubling the width and taking over the 'rail' bridge to the south. It seems it was decided to rebuild both spans.

Based on the drawings in the document it will be a steel and concrete with asphalt on top.

I agree with Canard that consisten trail marking across the entire regional network would be nice. It could have been one of those amalgamation by stealth activities accomplished over the next twenty years.

It looks like the lighting is going to be identical to the Spur line though:
   

Interesting benches with bike rests built in:
   

   

[GtwoK]

Maybe I'm missing it, but the plan doesn't seem to mention lighting anywhere... is that not a thing they're doing?

[Pheidippides]

If you go to the link I originally posted and click the download button next to the "T18-001 Drawings" document you can find the lighting plan on the pages 38-42 of the PDF that are labelled:
   

The document can be a bit overwhelming until you realize the drawings are grouped, removals, lighting, landscaping, etc. which allows you to focus on the content of each page.

[Viewfromthe42]

Very disappointing to not see any refuge island at Victoria, the lanes there are already plenty wide, and visually seems like more than enough space to make a University-style refuge (rather than Weber's narrow one).