Making connections
Kitchener holding information meeting on the sidewalk to discuss new trail connection
KITCHENER — City officials are taking to the sidewalks to hear what people think about planned improvements to the local trails network.
They’re holding a drop-in information centre on Wednesday on the sidewalk at the corner of Bedford Road and Sydney Street South to hear comments from the public about how the city should connect the Iron Horse Trail to new trails linking to south Kitchener.
The Iron Horse Trail now ends at Ottawa Street, and a short bike lane links up to Sydney, but after that the bike lanes die out and cyclists must simply make their way along city streets.
But the city says a short link on Bedford would tie the Iron Horse trail with another project to improve cycling. That project will build a wide multi-use trail along Courtland Avenue, under the Conestoga Parkway overpass, and beyond to link with facilities like A.R. Kaufman Family YMCA, Wilson Park and the Peter Hallman Ball Yard.
“This (link) will tie downtown Kitchener to neighbourhoods south of the expressway, so it’s really quite significant,” said Darren Kropf, a project manager for active transportation. The connection was identified as a priority in the city’s cycling master plan, approved in 2010.
It’s a bit unusual for the city to hold an information session on the sidewalk. The city has done it for some projects, such as consultations on the Iron Horse Trail.
Kropf said it makes sense to hold the information session as close as possible to the homes that will be most affected by the project, and to the cyclists that use that stretch of road. Being on-site makes it easy for people to visualize the proposed changes.
“Residents can point out if there’s a particular issue, with sightlines or something, and we’re on the site. We can talk about it, walk to the area, take a picture or whatever, and hopefully that leads to stronger engagement with the public,” he said.
The project could affect traffic flow and parking, especially on Bedford. Options include making Bedford a one-way street but retaining parking on the street, or keeping it a two-way street, but without parking. The city is also considering installing flexible posts to separate trail users from cars and trucks on the road.
The project is expected to cost $20,000 to $40,000, with the province paying 80 per cent of that; work would start either late this year or early in 2019.
The information session runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. If it rains, it will move to the AR Kaufman YMCA at 333 Carwood Ave. Details about the project will be available on the Engage Kitchener website after the info session.