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HomeMy WebLinkAboutATTAC Minutes 2022-02-08 ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES CITY OF KITCHENER February 8, 2022 The Active Transportation and Trails Advisory Committee met electronically on Tuesday February 8, 2022, at 4 pm. Present: M. Rodrigues, G. Kirk, E. Bennett, L. Dramnitzki, R. Hunsberger, G. Piccini, B. Forwell, Councillor S. Marsh, B. Tracey, M. Jackson-Brown Staff: D. Kropf, Active Transportation Planning Project Manager L. Christensen, Multi-Use Pathways & Trails Project Manager I. Balaban, Active Transportation Planning Project Manager S. Syed, Parks Engagement Liaison 1. Duke Street Cycling Feasibility D. Spencer, Region of Waterloo and D. Kropf, City of Kitchener, gave a presentation on efforts to improve cycling conditions along Duke Street. There are three main considerations for this street, including space constraints, maintaining high-quality transit and maintaining direct vehicular access for 1,600+ parking spaces. Following a comprehensive review of eleven types of cycling infrastructure, the Region and City are proposing two designs. For the section from Francis Street to College Street, the preliminary design includes two-way separated bike lanes. For the section from College Street to Frederick Street, the preliminary design involves converting Duke Street to a neighbourhood bikeway via traffic calming measures. Community feedback is being sought on these proposed designs via a survey at https://www.engagewr.ca/duke- street-cycling-improvements between February 14 and March 13. The committee agreed to review this information more closely and then formulate formal comments at next month’s meeting. G. Kirk commented that it seems ambitious to reduce that much traffic. Has there been a study of where those vehicles are going to go instead?. D. Spencer responded that there is excess capacity along Weber Street based on recent studies. Adjustments could be made to those signals to accommodate new movements. T. Slomke noted the plan appears to reduce vehicles but what is done to make people on bikes happier? D. Spencer shared that there would be new bike route signage, markings, and possibly bike signals. It won’t be the same experience as separated facilities but the environment will feel more conducive to the area. T. Slomke asked if a driver would get a ticket if they drive through the straight restrictions. D. Spencer responded that yes, there would be a bylaw change and going straight through becomes a traffic offense that can be enforced by police. B. Forwell requested a more detailed plan, plans for the transitions and what the minimum sidewalk widths could be for this area. D. Kropf responded that the ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES CITY OF KITCHENER February 8, 2022 presentation can be circulated after the meeting. D. Spencer noted that 1.8 m is the minimum sidewalk width but given context with high order transit and downtown environment, staff want to go higher than that as much possible. M. Rodrigues commented that traffic volumes are likely to be reduced but there will still be some straight through volume. Is there anything beyond a sign that makes it very obvious that drivers aren’t able to go through? And what is the thought on westbound transition from Duke? D. Spencer explained it can be a challenge to physically restrict straight traffic because there needs to be allowance for buses and emergency vehicles to pass through. D. Kropf noted there would be a two-stage straight at Duke and Frederick to make the cycling transition. B. Forwell suggested the city should give up land behind city hall in order to fit separated bike lanes to at least Young Street which has bike lanes too. S. Marsh noted those plans are already set and contract is drawn but maybe it’s worth the discussion. S. Marsh asked if there is a one-way street approach to fit separated bike lanes. D. Kropf noted that would be the best solution for cycling, but a one-way street would have a significant impact on transit, causing several routes to be split or moved altogether. S. Marsh shared that it doesn’t feel like there is a good win for anyone here. What about a multi-use trail? D. Spencer noted that a trail was looked at very closely but still couldn’t fit the minimum 3.0 m and the context of transit makes it difficult to combine pedestrian and cyclists. S. Marsh requested that staff look at side streets where turns off King aren’t allowed and that pedestrian buttons be reviewed in light of this proposal. 2. Places and Spaces S. Syed sought feedback on winter use of parks, as part of on-going consultations for Places and Spaces, an update to the existing Parks Strategic Plan. There are close to 30 future topics to be explored in the Places and Spaces consultations. It is a year-long engagement with several blocks of discussion. The first block is Winter Use, Trails and Education and Engagement. The committee voted on a poll for topics they’d like to discuss at a future meeting. Top responses included trails, signage, safety, accessibility alternative open spaces, design philosophy, play, and community culture and placemaking. A lot of consultation on trails already occurred for the Cycling and Trails Master Plan so a lot of that feedback will be considered again. For this round of consultation, the focus is on winter use of trails. ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES CITY OF KITCHENER February 8, 2022 M. Rodrigues shared that he was at Rockway on the weekend and it was full of people skiing, tobogganing, etc. It would be great to have more programming like that in our parks, encouraging people to get out and embrace winter. Build snow tables or counters to serve food. G. Piccini spends a lot of time sledding with kids. It becomes a real social activity between kids and parents. Encourage winter activities while making it safe. G. Kirk took a walk in Monarch Woods and it was great. Trail was the width of people’s feet but it could have been cleared by a snow mobile just to pack it down. B. Forwell noted there are a lot of great parks and underused parks. Perhaps identify a specific use that becomes a draw to that park. It would be great to have an oval skating trail or a cross-country ski park that works for each unique park context. E. Bennett suggested different associations could promote use or sponsor a park- focused activity, like a skating group adopting a particular skating rink. Some hiking clubs prefer winter because there’s no bugs. It’s not good to combine cross-country and hiking/snowshoeing because it ruins the trail so there needs to be a place that’s for one type only. L. Dramnitzki shared that a lot of trails are impassable in winter because they are a sheet of ice and need to be cleared more regularly. S. Marsh suggested staff collaborate with the All Trails app to crowdsource about trail maintenance issues. R. Hunsberger noted that raking can be just as good without salt and could be used to grind up the ice surface on a trail. S. Syed reminded committee members to please fill out the engage survey and subscribe for new survey topics. 3. Complete Streets 2023 Implementation G. Piccini walked the group through a document that summarized the committees’ comments for street reconstructions and staff responses to those comments. B. Forwell encouraged staff to review if cycle tracks can fit behind the parking bays on Highland Avenue. 4. Building Equitable Cities L. Dramnitzki shared about a presentation on How Cities Fail Women: Towards Safety and Inclusion in a Feminist City. She found it very thought provoking. The speaker’s book can be found at https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/feminist-city-claiming- ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES CITY OF KITCHENER February 8, 2022 space-in/9781788739825-item.html Gender exclusion is built into the very fabric of cities. Historically men were the planners, engineers, architects and built around their experience. Those standards remain and there’s not enough input from women. In terms of transportation, assumptions are made that people are primarily commuting 9-5, making linear journeys (vs many stops in between), travelling alone, single purpose trips, and that people have cars for part of journey. This is not how women experience transportation. Cities need to provide more equitable transportation for women. Other major aspect is personal safety. Women relate higher levels of fear of crime or violence in public spaces. Women and girls are taught to fear sexual assault in public places, and told onus is on women to keep themselves safe. Solution is often more policing and surveillance, but research shows that doesn’t make women safer. Perception of danger can be a barrier to use of streets. Deeper engagement is needed to develop more equitable plans. Examples of better city building include transit consultations on how women travel on transit, digital apps to report safety concerns and give data for women to see where women perceive dangerous streets, and superblocks in Barcelona. Improvements for women can benefit the entire community. L. Dramnitzki would love to see more focus on equitable city building by this committee and others in the city. 5. Subcommittee updates No updates provided. 6. Staff updates D. Kropf noted the following updates:  DSD-2022-53: Sidewalk infill through street reconstructions in 2022 was presented to Finance and Corporate Services Committee on Feb 7, 2022. City Council approved sidewalks on both sides of Becker Street and sidewalk/BMUT on both sides of Southdale Avenue. City Council declined staff’s recommendation for sidewalks on both sides of Ann Street. One sidewalk will remain. Sidewalk and/or boulevard multi-use trail was pre-approved for Joseph Street and Stewart Street. Council ratification is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2022.  The Downtown Cycling Grid tender is posted, including work on Cedar and Ontario streets. Upgrades for Margaret/Otto were deferred to 2023.  The Federal Active Transportation Fund is now open and accepting applications.  The Region of Waterloo shared a list of active transportation construction projects in 2022. B. Forwell requested designs for the Iron Horse Trail crossings at Courtland/Stirling. Meeting adjourned at 6:00 pm.