Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutATTAC Agenda 2022-07-12 Kitchener Active Transportation and Trails Advisory Committee: Agenda Tuesday, July 12, 2022 Office of the City Clerk 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Kitchener City Hall nd 200 King St.W. - 2 Floor 44 Gaukel Street, outside Kitchener ON N2G 4G7 Chair – Matthew Rodrigues Vice-Chair – Victoria Hand DELEGATIONS None. AGENDA ITEMS 1. Highland Road and Delaware Avenue Reconstruction (20 min) 2. Bike Month Recap (20 min) 3. Bike Parking (20 min) 4. Gaukel Street Update (20 min) 5. Explore Waterloo Region Cycling Tourism Survey (10 min) 6. Staff updates (10 min) 7. Downtown Cycling Grid and Transit Hub Trail progress (20 min) COMMITTEE ADMINISTRATORS  Darren Kropf  Liz Christensen  Ivan Balaban Kitchener Active Transportation and Trails Advisory Committee 1. Highland Road and Delaware Avenue Reconstruction From: Darren Kropf, Shailesh Shah, city staff Overview In previous meetings, the Complete Streets subcommittee prepared comments on the reconstruction of Highland Road and Delaware Avenue, and those comments were endorsed by the full ATTAC. Staff are currently conducting consultations with directly impacted residents, the wider neighbourhood and general public. More information and the survey link can be found at https://www.engagewr.ca/highland-and-delaware. The specific improvements scheduled for Highland Road East (Queen’s Blvd. to Stirling Ave. South) are:  Upgrade the existing storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and water mains as required.  Replace existing sanitary and water services from the new mains to the property line.  Reinstall existing curb and gutter, and sidewalks.  Upgrade the asphalt roadway.  Replace all driveway ramp entrances in concrete.  Guided by the city’s Complete Streets Guidelines (2019), several new features will improve safety for all forms of transportation:  Wider sidewalks and three new pedestrian refuge islands will allow safer pedestrian crossings and traffic calming.  Addition of cycle tracks, as directed by the city’s Cycling and Trails Master Plan (2021). Cycle tracks are outside of the roadway and separated by a barrier curb directly beside the sidewalk. They are attractive to all ages and abilities, due to the strong separation from motor vehicles.  The combination of adjacent sidewalks and cycle tracks makes winter maintenance more efficient. It also transfers the responsibility to clear sidewalks of snow from property owners to the city.  Improved bus stop access.  Narrower pavement widths and other traffic calming measures.  The existing parking bay with 11 spaces next to the townhouses at 110 Highland Road will be kept. The 2 spaces next to the Highland Courts Park entrance will be removed to add a pedestrian crossing connecting to the park. Approximately 23 spaces will be added in new parking bays near Woodside Park and between Delaware and Stirling. These designated parking bays will improve safety, reliability, and traffic flow. They will also be available throughout the day. The existing on-street parking spaces that are limited to off-peak use and/or Sundays will be removed. The specific improvements scheduled for Delaware Avenue (Highland Road East to Lorne Avenue) are:  Upgrade the existing storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and water mains as required.  Replace existing sanitary and water services from the new mains to the property line. Kitchener Active Transportation and Trails Advisory Committee  Installation of curb and gutter.  Upgrade the asphalt roadway.  Replace all driveway ramp entrances in concrete.  Sidewalk installed on the north side only, according to the city’s Sidewalk Infill Policy (2015). This street has been identified as Priority 1, which states that sidewalks are required on both sides of the roadway. However, City Council may authorize an exemption if staff are not able to reasonably mitigate constraints and address issues. For example, negative impacts on cultural heritage, the site, the environment, and maintenance. We have recommended a sidewalk on the north side only. This is to preserve existing trees and avoid conflicts with telecommunications equipment.  Reconstruct the laneway (off Delaware Avenue – Highland Road East). Expectations of Committee Please share comments on the proposed changes. The committee may choose to pass a motion in support of the proposed changes for Highland Road and the sidewalk infill for Delaware Avenue. 2. Bike Month Recap From: Ilektra Sota, Darren Kropf, Ivan Balaban, city staff Overview The City of Kitchener hosted three events for Bike Month: Bike Festivities, Family Bike Show and Pride Ride. Expectations of Committee For discussion: 1. Was it a useful event? 2. What did you like the most/the least? 3. Was the event too long/too short/about right? 4. Did it meet your expectations? 5. What can we improve? 6. What perception did the event give for the COK? 7. What event theme would you like to see in the future? 8. Additional comments/thoughts/suggestions? 3. Bike Parking From: Matt Rodrigues, Josh Orita, Bike Parking Subcommittee Overview Following a committee discussion in Spring 2022 about the provision of bike parking and bike parking resources, the Bike Parking Sub-committee has brainstormed some Kitchener Active Transportation and Trails Advisory Committee options for the City to pursue which will be presented at the meeting. Based on this further discussion with the Committee, the Bike Parking Sub-committee together with City staff will prepare a brief memo to provide an overview of the topic, some quick wins available, and longer-term options to consider as it relates to bike parking on both public and private lands. Proposed asks by the committee: 1. City staff to develop a process to document and respond to bicycle parking inquiries for both businesses and public spaces. The intention for private property requests is to point businesses to resources related to procurement, parking location/spacing, and other frequently asked questions. 2. City staff to consider a budget issue paper as part of the 2023 Budget process to fund bike parking facilities on public property / City facilities that are identified in the Cycling and Trails Master Plan and/or flagged in the tracking system. This process would be similar to the traffic calming request program whereby a series of criteria would be considered to rank and prioritize the installation of bike parking (e.g., proximity to AAA Cycling Routes, proximity to other parking, observed rate of use etc.) 3. City staff work to implement new bike parking standards in the Comprehensive Zoning By-law, including standards for cargo/larger bikes, electric bike parking standards, and guidelines for ground-oriented housing forms to accommodate bike parking. Expectations of Committee For discussion. The committee may choose to pass a motion in support of a final memo to Kitchener City Council regarding bike parking. 4. Gaukel Street update From: Darren Kropf, city staff Overview Transforming Gaukel Street into a pedestrian-first street has been ongoing for several years. With nearby construction nearing completion, further changes will be coming soon. Expectations of Committee For discussion. What would you like to see as Gaukel Street evolves? Committee members will be able to walk around the space to provide feedback. Kitchener Active Transportation and Trails Advisory Committee 5. Explore Waterloo Region Overview Explore Waterloo Region (local tourism organization) has received federal funding to develop new and enhance existing tourism products and experiences as part of Waterloo Region’s COVID-19 recovery. Some funds are available in 2022 to help position the region as a destination of choice for cyclists. They are currently gathering feedback through a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EWR_Cycling. Expectations of Committee For discussion:  How would you rate the quality of the overall cycling experience currently available in Waterloo Region?  What are the key strengths of Waterloo Region as a place to visit as a cyclist?  What are the key weaknesses of Waterloo Region as a place to visit as a cyclist?  What would you say is the single most important priority for Waterloo Region to position the region as a destination of choice for cyclists? Please limit your response to a single priority.  What other priorities are there for Waterloo Region to position itself as a destination of choice for cyclists?  Thinking about the various cycling marketing activities already in progress in Waterloo Region, please identify what you think is the best area for Explore Waterloo Region to focus its marketing efforts to help position the region as a destination of choice for cyclists. Please be as specific as possible.  thinking about possible areas of focus for Explore Waterloo Region in 2022, please evaluate the following priorities as possible areas of marketing investment for Explore Waterloo Region: creating compelling cycling content (photos and videos), improved cycling maps, increasing the number of bike-friendly businesses, digital marketing support, enhanced/more cycling itineraries, enhancing wayfinding on trails. 6. Staff updates From: Darren Kropf, Liz Christensen, Ivan Balaban, city staff Overview City staff will provide updates on a variety of projects underway. Expectations of Committee For information. Kitchener Active Transportation and Trails Advisory Committee 7. Downtown Cycling Grid and Transit Hub Trail progress Overview There has been considerable construction progress in the last few weeks that the committee can bike around to visit and, in some cases, try out for the first time. Expectations of Committee For fun!