Waterloo Park trail’s popular promenade project gets city approval
WATERLOO — Council has voted to move ahead with improvement plans for the promenade through Waterloo Park.
The long-awaited project was delayed until light rail transit work at the park was finished.
“This is one of the most used trails in Waterloo Region,” said Coun. Melissa Durrell.
“We’ve been waiting to do this. We’re there now. We know what’s going on with the LRT.”
This one-kilometre trail runs parallel to the nearby LRT route and is a segment of the Laurel/ Trans Canada Trail.
About 400,000 cyclists and pedestrians used the trail last year, according to a staff report.
Not only does the city hope to make improvements to the widely-used trail, but it also wants to limit vehicular access through the park between Young and Central streets.
It’s part of the city’s plan to make the park’s central pathway more pedestrian friendly.
The project will transform the roadway into a multi-use trail by only allowing pedestrians, cyclists and service vehicles through.
The idea, according to city staff, is to remove “dangerous cut-through traffic” from inside the park.
A small bit of roadway will be maintained as two-way vehicular access from Central Street to a parking lot that serves the Waterloo Tennis Club.
It’s a contentious issue for nearby residents like Luke Anthony Greatrex, who think it’s unfair to keep the road open for the sake of tennis club users.
“This road should be shut down immediately for safety concerns at the very least,” he said at the council meeting Monday before councillors approved the project.
Greatrex and his neighbours started a petition to completely shut down access.
The city is about halfway through a 99-year lease agreement with the tennis club and agreed to maintain access to its parking lot.
“I don’t think the burden of building this road should be placed on the taxpayer,” Greatrex said.
Patricia Craton, president of the Waterloo Tennis Club, also spoke to council. She said the realignment of Central Street is not just for the club’s parking lot.
“No one has spoken about emergency services yet, coming through when in need,” she told council.
However, Mayor Dave Jaworsky reminded the public that this design process is in the preliminary phase, and that a detailed design process will follow.
“I want you to understand this isn’t the end game. This is still a work in progress,” Durrell told Greatrex.
A detailed design is expected early next year with project completion expected in 2018.
Other improvements in the area include replacing the promenade trail’s surface material and improve lighting along the promenade. The entire project is expected to cost $1.4 million.