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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-18P a g e 1 | 6 If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131 Active Transportation and Safe Roads Advisory Committee Minutes Date: September 18, 2025 Time: 7:00 pm Location: Microsoft Teams Members Present: Ron Hooper, Connor Houston, Lori Moore, Richard Oldfield, Rick Stockman, Debbie Doiron (joined at 7:15 p.m.) Staff Present: Josh Gibson, Catherine Verhoog Absent: Councillor Elhajjeh, Jim Boate, Bart Hawkins-Kreps, Hawa Mire, Brad Whittle Indigenous Statement was read aloud. 1. AGENDA 1.1 Additions to Agenda No additions. 1.2 Acceptance of Agenda Motion to accept the agenda. Moved to approve by Ron Hooper, seconded by Lori Moore. CARRIED 2. MINUTES OF JUNE 19, 2025 2.1 Corrections Ron is listed in attendance and as absent. Please remove him from being in attendance. 2.2 Approval of Minutes Motion to accept the minutes of June 19, 2025. P a g e 2 | 6 Moved to approve by Lori Moore, seconded by Ron Hooper. CARRIED 3. PRESENTATION – Durham Rural Cycling – Kristyn Chambers, Rural Tourism Specialist  Kristyn introduced herself and explained the Rural Cycle Tourism program. The program has been created to help develop rural Durham Region into a cycling destination with the formation of rural on-road cycling loops and online promotion – DurhamTourism.ca/Cycling  The routes are broken down into different difficulties of leisure, intermediate and advanced, to attract cyclists of different experience levels.  Durham Tourism has been working in collaboration with the Ontario by Bike Certification Program to help increase cycle tourism in the rural areas. Ontario by Bike certifies businesses and locations as bicycle friendly, helping them to tap into the growing cycle tourism market and attracting more cyclists to their location. There are currently almost 100 tourism related businesses that have already become certified with Ontario by Bike. The program requires businesses to meet certain criteria which include access to bicycle racks with proper points to secure your bike, access to food and water, washroom facilities, bike repair kit, first aid etc.  Currently in the process of implementing a rural cycling route wayfinding signage program within north Durham, in consultation with the townships of Scugog, Brock and Uxbridge. Durham Tourism continues to work on this project with Transportation Options, a not-for-profit organization that supports Ontario by Bike. The wayfinding strategy includes signage audit, signage design, and sign installation, fabrication and maintenance. The rural cycling routes will be mapped and signed appropriately to allow visitors to the area to have a seamless experience when navigating to the numerous tourist destinations along the route. Included will also be directional signage for points of interest such as downtowns, parks and marinas.  Durhamtourism.ca/cycling – Four loops have been created for Clarington and are included in this site. These routes were created with the help of Jim Boate.  Lori – Asked whether the routes connect to trails and if the route maps could be accessed through a website.  The routes only include on-road routes, but Strava or Ride with GPS could assist cyclists in meeting up with the many trails. Krystyn will investigate possibly adding these routes to a web page so they can be accessed other than through Strava or Ride with GPS. P a g e 3 | 6  Krystyn let the committee know that they are open to any suggestions that the members might have to improve the routes, add additional routes etc.  Ron – Asked about connections between the routes.  Connections between the north and south routes will be looked at in the future to try and promote a smooth transition from one route to another and from one municipality or township to another. 4. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4.1 June 19th Meeting Follow Up Items: 4.1.1 Bike Repair Station Signage – West Beach Road Conservation Area - Rick Completed. 4.1.2 Safety Improvement Suggestions – West Beach Road – Meeting with Slav - Bart See 4.3 4.1.3 Winter Access to Waterfront Trail from Baseline Road - Lori/Rick Waiting for staff report to Council on consideration and cost. 4.1.4 Tooley Mill Park Items – Jim/Josh Josh – Discussion on site was very productive and there are some items that can be addressed at this time, and some will be looked at for future items to be included in the Capital Budget. 4.2 Board and Committee Meeting Recording Policy No issues. Accepted for information. 4.3 Update Re: Meeting with Slav (4.1.2) - Lori Lori – Rick and I and Richard met virtually with Slav to discuss this section of the waterfront trail that goes out onto West Beach Road. The bollards make it more dangerous, and the speed limits are too high. Slav was not very receptive and didn’t have options to provide going forward. The Municipality staff have cut back the brush where the trail goes south to the dog park, so that’s helpful. The area is still very narrow, and speeds are high. A speed camera was installed directed towards the east, but the data is not available yet. The speed bumps were removed and have not been re-installed. P a g e 4 | 6 Connor – When the cameras come down it takes a while to review the data. Connor will also be reviewing the Strava data as well. From the meeting it’s kind of a wait and hold position to see how fast the speeds are. Rick – He received an email notice from the Municipality regarding the installing of permanent speed bumps on Simpson Avenue. The speed bumps that were being used were defective and the fastening devices weren’t working. He is wondering why permanent ones aren’t being installed on West Beach Road at the same time. Item to be placed on next agenda. Lori – The speed bumps were re-installed on Mill Street, why not West Beach Road? The eastern part of West Beach Road, towards the marina, the Municipality has installed some speed control boxes, and they have helped to slow down the traffic. 4.4 Durham Region Active Transportation Update - Connor No update today, as the meeting is being held after today. 4.5 Applefest Event Update and Volunteers – Lori Lori – Approval has been given have a booth set up and she did request another location but was told that they cannot provide special placement, so it will probably be located near the library again. She will be unable to participate that day (October 18th) and is looking for volunteers to help set up, take down, and man the booth. Rick can help, Richard may be able to help with takedown, and Debbie can probably help in the afternoon. Rick will coordinate the setup and is also willing to help in the afternoon if needed. He has a ride in the morning and would really like to participate in that if possible. Connor might be able to float once he knows his schedule for the day. Ron can help with setup, but then he oversees entertainment for the day. Lori will put out an email to the group to organize. 4.6 Active Transportation Master Plan Update – Josh Nothing has changed since the last meeting so there are no updates currently. Councillor Elhajjeh had indicated at the last meeting that he would follow up with staff to try and assist in movement. Josh will reach out for an update and copy Rick and Connor on the email. Some of the committee members believe that the project seems to be stalled and they are becoming concerned. 4.7 Waterfront Trail Safety Concern – Richard Richard – Concerned with the section of the trail behind the Wilmot Creek community; the section of trail that comes over from Bennett Road over to South Service Road and up to Cobbledick and into the Wilmot Creek Conservation Area. When you get off the trail at the South Service Road there is a section of a couple of feet that is gravel. He is not sure who has jurisdiction in this area, but he has safety concerns with cyclists turning at the P a g e 5 | 6 point where you turn onto the trail. It is a very popular and well-used section of the Waterfront Trail. Would like to see asphalt put down. Josh – Asked Richard to submit a Service Request for the Public Works Department. Rick will submit the request, and Josh will send him the link by email. Rick - The area is more sand than gravel and it is very slippery. Lori - Thank you to the Municipality for repairing the west part of the trail between Bowmanville Avenue and the section connecting to West Beach. Very well done. 4.8 In-Person Meetings – Committee to Vote on Options Rick – At the last meeting, according to the minutes, it seemed that most people were in favour of a once-a-year meeting in person when the weather is decent. Rick polled each of the members: Richard – in support Ron – in support Connor – in support Lori – okay with virtual, but is okay with in-person once a year Debbie – in support Rick – in support Catherine and Josh – in support Rick will coordinate with Catherine and Josh the booking of a meeting room at the Town Hall to accommodate the next meeting in a hybrid session. 4.9 Project Updates – Josh Josh – The Region’s Regional Road 57/Bowmanville Avenue roadworks tender has closed, and they are in the midst of awarding the contract. Part of that contract includes a MUP (Multi-Use Path) from Baseline Road up to Highway 2. The tunnel under Regional Road 57 is included in the rehabilitation. The Region is still getting ready to tender their Liberty Street North construction project. The design of the MUP on Baseline Road from Green Road to Regional Road 57 is well underway. The Hetherington stormwater outfall works design has been awarded, but there are archaeological studies to be completed prior to commencement of construction. Josh will keep the committee updated with any construction impacts to the trail such as closures, detours etc. P a g e 6 | 6 Rick – Would the tunnel replacement would involve a square concrete structure? Josh – He is unsure of the extent of the work that is to be completed, but there is extensive work that will be done. Josh will confirm the extent of the construction for the update at the next meeting. Richard – The switchback is a great alternative to using the tunnel. 5. OTHER BUSINESS Ron – He has concerns with what goes on during the fishing season and the impact to active trails and the area. There are a significant number of unsafe practices that are going on with supposed fishermen that are utilizing our roads and totally unsafe practices. Vehicles were parked angled on the boulevard coming out onto Roenigk hill and all the way down both sides of the road, down the valley, into the valley all along the entrance, and all throughout the parking lot. The area is supposed to attract our residents who pay for that, and the people who are coming there have complete disrespect for our trail system and are destroying the area. They leave garbage everywhere, defecate in the woods, dead fish etc. and it is absolutely disgusting. The whole environment is embarrassing and is being destroyed and is unsafe for residents who live here and those who are visiting. You can’t even walk or ride your bike through there due to the smell of dead fish etc. Riding through there during the Terry Fox Run was an absolute embarrassment. We spend all this money making it such a beautiful place for residents and visitors, and these people are destroying it. Rick – The committee was forwarded an email regarding the Durham Region Bicycle Parking Guidelines Project and a Public Information Centre that is taking place in Whitby on September 25th. Rick encouraged members to attend. Lori – There was a large group of people in the Bowmanville Valley today picking up garbage and cleaning up the area. 6. NEXT MEETING Thursday November 27, 2025 - Hybrid 7. ADJOURNMENT Motion that the meeting be adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Moved by Richard Oldfield, seconded by Debbie Doiron. CARRIED