07-02-2017, 01:56 PM
(07-02-2017, 07:43 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: The medical centre is a great example of why this is stupid. There's also the Church, which I think has even embraced the trail (they put signage next to the trail sometimes), but still has no actual paved path for I assume, historic, reasons. As for why you can't just branch off at the last road, you can, by why should we have too. No such excuse would be made for cars most of the time (even though it often makes much more sense for cars to detour), and when it comes to cyclists, well, there's no infra on Belmont, its not the scariest road, but it is still much more scary than the trail.Most of what is involved in security is based on fear, people lock their car doors when it is on their driveway because of fear even though rationally it should be fine, who would walk in and out of everyone's driveway and check car doors to try and steal some small change, but it happens a lot. Walking by on a trail that goes behind buildings that doesn't have a lot of eyeballs back there invites a lot of opportunity for something to happen and there are crimes that take place because the opportunity arises. I appreciate that you don't think it is an issue but there is a reason most people with backyards that back onto a trail or railway have a fence or some sort of barrier in place, otherwise stuff starts to go missing.
When it comes down too it, I was deliberate when I said "cultural". When the IHT was built, it was seen as a recreational feature only. Businesses wouldn't want to be connected too it, because the people on it wouldn't want to be connected to businesses. They aren't going anywhere, they're only going for a walk. If they were going to a business, they'd get in their car like a proper person.
Despite this sounding obviously stupid in this forum, it's still a pervasive belief among many, even many business owners. Even in uptown how many business owners believe that 90+% of their customers arrive by car? This is why the uptown business study that the city/university did before the bike lanes went in was so important.
As for the shenanigans issue, I think it's a fear, but I don't think it's an actual problem. In fact, I think making a unofficial desire line is worse, than an official entrance.
However, we will see how the trail re-build goes over. Making some of the unofficial accesses official was one goal of the project, maybe some of the businesses will get (or even want) a connection.