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+--- Forum: Transportation and Infrastructure (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=25)
+--- Thread: Trails (/showthread.php?tid=378)
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RE: Trails - Canard - 08-29-2017
Oh cool! I wondered what that new concrete plinth was going to be for at the @SpurLineKW at Weber/Wilhelm. #WRawesome #engines #cool pic.twitter.com/1rdn5bfQ5I
— Iain Hendry (@Canardiain) August 29, 2017
RE: Trails - Canard - 08-29-2017
(08-29-2017, 05:40 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: Currently that is the case, but the (oft-maligned) new route will continue along Caroline until the north side of the SunLife parking garage, and then it will go in a 7 or 9m-wide gap between the parking garage and the 155 Caroline development (actual paved width likely to be closer to typical width), so it will eventually reconnect to the IHT at Park.
Okay, yeah. It used to go through that big construction zone - but I mean, for right now - it ends at Allen.
RE: Trails - danbrotherston - 08-29-2017
This is only one of two vehicles I saw on a city trail today, but it was by far the most annoying. Completely blocking the path through the square today. I have to wonder what people like this are thinking. They wouldn't block a road in this fashion.
RE: Trails - Canard - 08-29-2017
As much as it pains me to link to a Jeff Ouhit article:
New Waterloo trail will shine but not glow - The Record
RE: Trails - tomh009 - 08-29-2017
(08-29-2017, 09:36 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: This is only one of two vehicles I saw on a city trail today, but it was by far the most annoying. Completely blocking the path through the square today. I have to wonder what people like this are thinking. They wouldn't block a road in this fashion.
How well is the trail marked? I can't see any signage in the photo -- do we need better signs, or was the driver ignoring very obvious/visible signs?
RE: Trails - Canard - 08-29-2017
It's not marked as a trail there at all. The whole layout is confusing (to all users).
I just squeezed past the truck on my bike and intentionally knocked some of the guys stuff with my handlebars to get the point across he was being a dick.
RE: Trails - rangersfan - 08-29-2017
Is that stretch technically a trail along Waterloo Town Square? That is a question that has puzzled me all summer. I have come across the same situation numerous times and have since started taking Willis Way instead.
Another thing that has confused me recently is the intersection of Erb and Caroline.
When on Caroline heading towards Waterloo Park from Town Square ( I would call this north but what the official direction is I don't guess) what is the proper route to take to get on the Laurel Trail along the Clay and Glass Gallery ?
I have been avoiding this section by using Father David Bauer and taking the trail across the tracks near the bridges.
RE: Trails - Canard - 08-29-2017
No, that's the thing - the whole area is just a giant concrete and asphalt slab mishmash. Nothing's signposted or anything, so it's not clear what's Trail, what's Road, what's sidewalk, what's freight tracks, what's LRT tracks...
As for how to get to the Laurel Trail: I just ride on the sidewalk for ~20m there out the Town Square exit by Valumart, then cross at the first available crossing (I ride through), and then continue on the dirt path beside Clay and Glass.
RE: Trails - tomh009 - 08-29-2017
(08-29-2017, 10:28 PM)Canard Wrote: It's not marked as a trail there at all. The whole layout is confusing (to all users).
OK, so then it's not reasonable to blame the truck driver. The city/region needs to post proper signage.
RE: Trails - Canard - 08-30-2017
Correct Tom! A month or two ago, some event was going on in the same location - someone had set up a tent and chairs, tables etc., completely blocking anyone getting through. The organizers looked confused as to why all these bikers looked annoyed trying to get by!
RE: Trails - ijmorlan - 08-30-2017
(08-30-2017, 05:43 AM)Canard Wrote: Correct Tom! A month or two ago, some event was going on in the same location - someone had set up a tent and chairs, tables etc., completely blocking anyone getting through. The organizers looked confused as to why all these bikers looked annoyed trying to get by!
It’s more totally incompetent design. Personally, I ride along the freight track, where there is lots of space. I’ve noticed lots of people walk there. I don’t think it’s actually intended for pedestrians or cyclists, however. But if that is so, it means there is no direct path between King St./public square and that southeast corner of the parking lot — people are supposed to walk to the west end of the LRT stop to cross, I guess. But that is totally unreasonable given the overall situation.
At the west end of the parking lot, there is no proper path between the intersection and the end of the paved portion of the freight track. Usually westbound I use the driveway within the parking lot to get to the sidewalk on Erb, while eastbound I use the path which is near (but not along) the tracks.
Overall, it gives the impression that the design team didn’t understand that Laurel trail goes right through there. Again, as previously noted by me and others, more double standard — a design team would never fail to understand that a road went through an area and still needed to exist in the new design (a deliberate decision might be taken to close a road, but it wouldn’t happen accidentally).
A proper design would have the trail immediately parallel to the track on the north side from Erb/Caroline to where the tracks split up. A small number of additional parking spots (<10) would have to come out to fit this in.
While we’re talking about this intersection, anybody know what the extra traffic signal on top of the signal for northbound Caroline traffic is for? There is another mistake: they’ve used normal traffic signalling even though it’s a very special situation. Since no straight movements are allowed, and left turns are supposed to be transit only, there should be a regular traffic right arrow and a transit-activated transit left. As it is, the signal allows left turns even when there is no bus. Many people are still taking that left even though it’s not permitted. If the signal never allowed those left turns and was a transit signal I think we would see much higher compliance.
RE: Trails - danbrotherston - 08-30-2017
(08-29-2017, 10:46 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(08-29-2017, 10:28 PM)Canard Wrote: It's not marked as a trail there at all. The whole layout is confusing (to all users).
OK, so then it's not reasonable to blame the truck driver. The city/region needs to post proper signage.
I totally agree the design is bad and unmarked (as virtually all our trails are), but I entirely disagree that they were confused. That section at least, is up a curb, on a concrete portion. They knew they were in a pedestrian area, not a vehicle area. Moreover, they didn't set this up on a Sunday morning when there is nobody there, this was rush hour on Tuesday, and they were packing up, they're from there. You can even see they have blocked people's bikes into the bike rack.
It's unacceptable. They knew what they were doing, and they didn't care because it's only pedestrians and cyclists, they can go around. Nobody would block a one lane through road in that way.
RE: Trails - danbrotherston - 08-30-2017
(08-29-2017, 10:31 PM)rangersfan Wrote: Is that stretch technically a trail along Waterloo Town Square? That is a question that has puzzled me all summer. I have come across the same situation numerous times and have since started taking Willis Way instead.
Another thing that has confused me recently is the intersection of Erb and Caroline.
When on Caroline heading towards Waterloo Park from Town Square ( I would call this north but what the official direction is I don't guess) what is the proper route to take to get on the Laurel Trail along the Clay and Glass Gallery ?
I have been avoiding this section by using Father David Bauer and taking the trail across the tracks near the bridges.
The short answer is that biking this route is illegal. Yes, literally the two biggest trails in the region are illegal to bike between. Crazy no?
The long answer is, you have a choice, between turning left (yes away from the trail) and circling back on Father David Bauer Dr. as cars must, or "walking" on the sidewalk. I expect some cyclists to bike the sidewalk (what I will probably do, *PLEASE* by all means, give me a ticket), and making the illegal left (as all cars are doing now).
Pedestrians can walk through, and cross both ways at the intersection, a fairly time consuming route, but at least, technically legal.
Which is why I disagree with ijmorlan that they didn't know the trails were supposed to connect. Simply that the team provided zero consideration of cyclists. This is not an uncommon theme for the LRT project.
RE: Trails - timc - 08-30-2017
(08-29-2017, 09:36 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: This is only one of two vehicles I saw on a city trail today, but it was by far the most annoying. Completely blocking the path through the square today. I have to wonder what people like this are thinking. They wouldn't block a road in this fashion.
That's a trail?
RE: Trails - timc - 08-30-2017
Also, if the part farther east along the freight tracks is supposed to be a trail (and I've been using it as such), has anyone noticed how wavy the asphalt is there?