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HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-11-048 -Multi-use Pathways & Trail Master Plan1 Staff Re ort p Krr~.~-~~,i~iER ~nfrastru~ture Servrces Department www.kitthenerta REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: August 15, 2011 SUBMITTED BY: Jim Witmer, Director of Operations PREPARED BY: William Sleeth, Landscape Architect, 519-741-2600 x 4401 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: July 26, 2011 REPORT NO.: INS-11-048 SUBJECT: MULTI-USE PATHWAYS AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATION: For information only. BACKGROUND: City staff is seeking Council input into the Draft Multi-use Pathways and Trails Master Plan report before it is posted on the City web site for further public review. The review of the report will continue until the end of September at which time a final draft report will be prepared for presentation to the Community and Infrastructure Services Committee in November 2011 along with a staff report recommending its adoption. (The draft Multi-use Pathways and Trails Master Plan document is attached to this report). REPORT: Multi-use Pathway and Trails Master Plan and Implementation Strategy The goal of this project is to provide the City of Kitchener with a long term plan and strategy for the implementation of multi-use pathways (community trails) throughout the city. These off-road pedestrian and cycling routes are an important component of a `Healthy Kitchener'. The consultant, MMM Group/Ecoplans Ltd., in consultation with the public and city staff, will make recommendations on improvements to the existing city wide trail system, identify gaps in the system and identify strategies for the completion of the trails in all areas of the city, including existing built up areas and new neighbourhoods. Project Process to Date The project was initiated in June 2010 with Council's approval to hire our consultants MMM Group/Ecoplans Ltd. is - i During the summer of 2010 an extensive and detailed survey was completed of all existing trails throughout the city and the data generated will form the basis for the improvement and expansion of the trail system and provide a valuable resource for ongoing management. Public consultation was initiated in September 2010 with the publication on the city web site of a description of the master plan project, a public internet survey and the hosting of the first public open houses during minor sport registration at Conestoga Mall, September 6th and 7th, and at the Kitchener Market, September 18th. Another public open house was held at Kitchener City Hall in February 2011. A Stakeholder Working Group was established for the project with a broad representation of members of the public, groups with a specific interest in walking and cycling, representatives of accessibility and public health committees and the development industry. This group assisted the staff study team in examining the issues in greater detail and providing direction. Two workshop type meetings were held with the Stakeholder Working Group in November 2010 and February 2011. A presentation was made of the partially completed draft master plan report at the Community and Infrastructure Services Committee on April 11, 2011. The presentation was made by Jay Cranstone, Landscape Architect and project manager for our consulting team of MMM Group/Ecoplans Ltd. At that meeting a number of concerns were raised by committee members as follows: 1. Heritage Trail along the Grand River? Staff have spoken to Gordon Nichols and reviewed our proposed network with him. He is a proponent of a Heritage Trail along the Grand River and he likes our proposed trails in the network, which staff indicated were only Type 1 and 2. He has some suggestions for lower order trails, including hiking trails, which are very appropriate but are not proposed in the network. These would be addressed as more local parks and open space strategies. Also, several trails involve land acquisition which has been identified along the Grand River valley within the Parks Strategic Plan. He has also identified areas of Hidden Valley and its associated ESPA areas as good targets for municipal land acquisition. 2. Land Acquisition? There is a section in the Trails Master Plan on land acquisition. 3. Members of Council need more input. We are hoping to accomplish this through this round on consultation. 4. Need to ensure accessibility to both trails and mapping information, including good links to GPS and Google Maps etc, including points of interest. As a part of the master plan process we have made a complete inventory of the existing trail system which is referenced through GPS. Making the trail mapping available on the citywebsite may be accomplished following completion of the study for ease of public access. 5. Grand River Accessibility Committee should be consulted as a stakeholder to ensure all disabilities are represented. We will be making the draft report available to them as a Word file and consulting further with this committee in September. 1s-2 6. How does this plan dovetail with Parks Strategic Plan? The revised report has examined this as well as the Cycling Master Plan to identify the supporting relationships. 7. How does this plan address current backlog of trails and the development process. The trails master plan identifies the priority links and the phasing for accomplishing this. Ensuring that new development includes trails is addressed through the Official Plan update as well as recommended updates to our development manual to include trails up front in all new developments. 8. Need action statements in document. All recommendations within the plan will be expressed as action statements. These and any further questions may be discussed further with members of council as requested . ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: Investigation of opportunities for the continued improvement and expansion of the multi-use pathway community trail) system throughout Kitchener, through the Multi-use Pathway Master Plan and Implementation Strategy, coincides with the community vision: "Together, we build an innovative, caring and vibrant Kitchener with safe and thriving neighbourhoods". Multi-use pathways are the most frequently used recreational resource in Kitchener, used by the broadest demographic and a key component of these envisioned neighbourhoods. Multi-use pathways are an important component of the city wide active transportation system and address the Community Priority- Environment- Strategic Direction: Develop a Transportation Demand Management Strategy. A well designed and continuous `off-road' trail system for walking and cycling, well connected to the `on-road' cycling and transit systems is a component of this strategy. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Funding for improvement and expansion of the multi-use pathway network shall be addressed in the annual capital and operating budgets and 10 year capital forecasts of the Operations Division. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The community has been engaged throughout this project through web based media and surveys, public open houses, stakeholder working groups and committees of council. Consultation with the public will continue through August and September as the completed draft will be available to the public on the city web site. The Communications Division is assisting with advertising and articles to ensure the public is aware of the opportunities to comment on the trails master plan. Following this public consultation staff intends to bring the final draft of the study report to Infrastructure Services Committee and Council for review and adoption. 18-3 Sta~'Re ort p Krr~:~~,i~~R ~nfrastru~ture Servrces Department ~w.k~~~~~r~erca ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO, Infrastructure Services Department 18-4