HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-12-028 - Multi-use Pathways & Trails Master Plan1
Staff Report
I~TCx~,~.R Infrastructure Services Department www.kitchenerca
REPORT T0: Community & Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: May 7, 2012
SUBMITTED BY: Jim Witmer, Director of Operations, ext. 4657
PREPARED BY: William Sleeth, Landscape Architect, ext. 4401
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: April 20, 2012
REPORT NO.: INS-12-028
SUBJECT: MULTI-USE PATHWAYS AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Multi-use Pathways and Trails Master Plan (March 2012) be approved: and,
That the implementation of the Multi-use Pathways and Trails Master Plan
recommendations be referred to the 2013 capital and operating budget processes for
consideration; and further,
That staff report back to Council with an annual update on the implementation of the
Multi-use Pathways and Trails Master Plan starting in 2014.
BACKGROUND:
Since the 1970's with the City of Kitchener's "Linked Open Spaces" report, the City of Kitchener
has embraced the importance of developing and providing off-road pedestrian and cycling
routes and facilities throughout the city. This original master plan created a vision for the
concept of linked open spaces in the Official Plan. This vision served as the basis for the
development of approximately 125 kilometres of Community Trails in existence today including
the Walter Bean Trail and the Iron Horse Trail.
This original vision placed Kitchener among the leaders in providing multi-use trails in the
1970's and 1980's, however, since that time many municipalities have surpassed Kitchener in
terms of the extent, quality and funding of their "off-road" walking and cycling networks.
In June 2010, a study Steering Committee consisting of staff who managed the Parks Strategic
Plan, Strategic Plan for the Environment and the Cycling Master Plan for the 21St Century was
formed to guide the development of the City of Kitchener Multi-use Pathways and Trails Master
Plan. Trail planning and design specialists from MMM Group and Ecoplans Limited were
retained by the City in June 2010 to undertake the development of the master plan with city
staff.
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REPORT:
The implementation of recommendations in this Master Plan over the next 10-15 years will see
Kitchener begin to keep pace with the growing public demand for a high quality, connected
system of multi-use pathways that connect neighbourhoods with places of recreation, shopping
and employment. In addition, well developed multi-use pathway and trail systems provide a
variety of other transportation, economic, environmental and community health benefits. The
Kitchener Multi-use Pathways and Trails Master Plan builds upon past and current trail
development efforts, and is intended as a blueprint to guide the development and operation of
multi-use pathways throughout Kitchener in the short, medium and long term.
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This Plan has been prepared with consideration for the Transportation Master Plan (currently in
process} and the Council adopted Cycling Master Plan for the 21St Century (2010). The focus
and emphasis on the Pathways and Trails Master Plan is the `off-road' cycling and pedestrian
network and its links and connections to the `on-road' cycling network.
Multi-use pathways form the primary continuous off-road walking and cycling network that
provides residents of all ages and abilities the means to travel easily and safely throughout their
neighbourhood, across the City and to neighbouring municipalities. Multi-use pathways offer
year-round opportunities for active recreation and active transportation.
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Public Consultation -Key Points
Some of the key areas of interest identified by the public through the master plan consultation
program included:
• Multi-use pathways and trails are important to the citizens of Kitchener and are the most
heavily used recreational facility by all groups;
• The existing network of multi-use pathways and trails is poorly connected and disjointed in a
number of locations;
• A lack of way finding aids such as maps and quality signage exacerbates this discontinuity;
• The Iron Horse Trail is very popular and there is a high level of public interest in seeing it
completed as a connected north-south route from Waterloo through central Kitchener to
Cambridge;
• The existing east-west routes leading into the urban core form a good basis for acity-wide
network, but they need to be better connected, more consistent, and signed more
effectively;
• Existing multi-use pathways and trails are highly variable in their surfacing and need to have
a consistent and higher level of maintenance.
• Trails which form connected loops through parks and natural areas, easily accessible from
neighbourhoods, provide for high quality recreational experiences.
Key Master Plan Objectives
This Master Plan includes the following key objectives which were clarified through both the
public consultation process and workshops with stakeholders in the community:
• Implement a continuous and connected multi-use pathway system throughout the City of
Kitchener within open space corridors outside of road rights of way;
• Build upon, enhance and improve the continuity and connections to existing and previously
developed Multi-use Pathways (Community Trails) including connections to adjacent
municipalities;
• Ensure the implementation of multi-use pathways within all new neighbourhoods as part of
the subdivision development process;
• Consult with the public and key stakeholders that could have a role in the development,
maintenance and promotion of trails in the City;
• Coordinate and link the City's recently approved cycling network, which also includes the
approved Region of Waterloo cycling network;
• Assess the current condition and function of Multi-use Pathways (Community Trails} in
Kitchener;
• Examine current design standards and maintenance practices and make recommendations
for changes based on best practice research;
• Identify and recommend potential policies, strategies, and programs that Kitchener and its
partners can support and implement to encourage more people to use the Multi-use
Pathways (Community Trail} system more often for recreation and transportation purposes;
• Examine corporate planning and development process and policies to ensure that pathways
are routinely considered in the process in an appropriate and timely manner; and
• Develop an implementation strategy that will identify trail development costs and prioritize
projects for construction.
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ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The Multi-use Pathways and Trails Master Plan contributes toward the community vision of
building an innovative, caring and vibrant Kitchener with safe and thriving neighbourhoods and
the corporate mission of providing valued services to our community.
A well designed network of multi-use pathways within neighbourhoods and throughout the city
contributes to the realization of Quality of Life, one of the six community priorities of Kitchener's
Strategic Plan and A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener.
The Community Priority for the Environment includes the Citizen's Vision for the Environment,
2027 - "Our shared vision is for Kitchener to be a community that focuses significant energy
and resources on becoming more environmentally friendly through investments in things like
bike trails, improved transit systems, tougher environmental bylaws and stricter growth
management policies that limit sprawl."
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Capital costs for the implementation of the recommendations of the Multi-use Pathways and
Trails Master Plan including the proposed city wide network, as detailed in the map Figure 4-1,
Chapter 4 of the Master Plan, are outlined in the following table:
Year 1- 5 Year 6-10 Year 10+
Total Capital Total Capital Total Capital
Upgrade Existing Multi-Use Pathways $400,000 $1,860,000 $1,200,000
~
~ NewlProposed Off Street Multi-Use
$3,750,000
$2,225,000
$1,475,000
Q Pathwa s
y
~ NewlProposed Within Road R.O.W.
$5,400
$0
$0
~/ (not included in Cycling Master Plan Network)
a
Sub to fal Primary $2, 720, 400 $3, 755, 000 $2, 775, 000
Upgrade Existing Multi-Use Pathways $28,000 $1,169,000 $3,472,000
~
Q NewlProposed Off Street Multi-Use
$1,218,000
$3,990,000
$3,794,000
o Pathwa s
y
Z
~ NewlProposed Within Road R.O.W.
$1,200
$17,400
$25, 200
V not included in Cycling Master Plan Network
W
~ Subtotal Secondary $862,200 $3, 538,400 $6, 766,200
Total by Phase $3,582,600 $7,293,400 $9,541,200
Grand Total (all phases) $20,417,200
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Currently, through the annual capital budget process,
Council commits approximately $372,000 per year
(2011 = $327,000 capital plus $45,000 Development
Charges) for pathway and trail development and
maintenance.
The Master Plan recommends a total annual increase
of approximately $328,000 to a total of $700,000
annually for the first five year period of 2013-2017
and a further increase to $1,400,000 annually for the
second five year period of 2018-2022.
Community Trails Capital
Investment 2007-2011
2007 $268,000
2008 $272,000
2009 $292,000
2010 $500,000
2011 $372,000
Total $1,704,000
Annual operating budgets are recommended to increase in concert with the number of
additional kilometers of multi-use pathways, estimated at $4,000.00 per kilometer as detailed in
Chapter 6 of the Master Plan.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
An important component of the Multi-use Pathways and Trails Master Plan study was consulting
with City staff, members of the public, local committees and interest groups as well as
stakeholder groups. The Master Plan draws upon the knowledge and work already completed
by various committees such as the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee, Environment
Committee and the Cycling Advisory Committee. Broader consultation with the public was
undertaken through a number of avenues including posting study information on the City's
webpage, an online questionnaire to which almost 300 responses were received, two
stakeholder workshops and two Public Information Centres at key points in the study.
In addition, residents had the opportunity to submit comments and ideas to the study team over
the course of the study through comments forms and email exchange. A detailed summary of
the consultation program is contained in Appendix D of the Multi-Use Pathways & Trails Master
Plan.
The Master Plan also includes recommendations for consultation with residents during detailed
design and implementation of multi-use pathways and facilities prior to implementation.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO, Infrastructure Services Department
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