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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-09-09Clarington If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact the Accessibility Co-ordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131 Active Transportation and Safe Roads Advisory Committee September 9, 2020 7:00 pm Microsoft Teams Meeting MINUTES Draft minutes not yet approved by Committee Present: Jim Boate, Angela Bramley, Bart Hawkins Kreps, Councillor Janice Jones, Arnold Mostert, Richard Oldfield, Jerry Petryshyn, Rick Stockman, Jeanne Winters Regrets: Frank Barter, Melissa Claxton-Oldfield Staff Present: Ron Albright, Rob Brezina, Kristin Bullied, Greg Bunker, Peter Windolf 1. Agenda Moved by Rick Stockman seconded by Jerry Petryshyn. That the agenda be altered to add Liberty St and Hwy 401 bridge, Canada Post grant and walking trials. Carried 2. Minutes of March 11, 2020 Moved by Jim Boate seconded by Jeanne Winters. That the minutes of the ATSR meeting held on March 11, 2020 be approved. Carried 3. Discussion Items 3.1. Prestonvale Road Temporary Bike Lanes Per Council's direction, temporary Bike lanes and no parking were placed on Prestonvale Road for approx. six weeks and will be removed soon. Staff received mixed reviews from residents. If temporary bike lanes will be considered in the future, staff recommend public consultation. 3.2. Trail Project Updates Bowmanville Valley Trail tender closes September 23. The contract is expected to be awarded in October. Some work may be done before/during winter with the majority taking place in the spring. Time constrains are built into the schedule due to work in the creek and the expected completion date is June 2021. The Municipality received approval from CN and are finalizing approvals with MTO. Project budget is just over $1 million. CLOCA has been involved throughout the design process and a permit is expected to be granted. Farewell Creek Phase 2A, the section from the existing bridge to the edge of the Ecological Gift lands, should be ready for tender in September. ATSR would like to work with Oshawa as a joint project to connect their trails. Farewell Creek Phase 2B is the section of trail through the Ecological Gift lands. Currently working with Environment Canada to confirm the value of the land. Once confirmed, the Municipality will have to pay a penalty of half the value, estimated at $16,000, in order to build the trail. A slope stability study was completed by a geotechnical consultant for the Council preferred route. The report indicates soil conditions are not favourable for a standard armor stone retaining wall. Staff have asked the geotechnical consultant for further input on potential wall solutions. Initially, Council approved an additional $450,000 of funding for the Council preferred route, however this cost will likely increase to address the poor soil conditions. The Staff recommended route is still a viable alternative, but Council directed staff to pursue the Council recommended route, despite the nearly 50% increase in cost. Question raised regarding accessibility of the Council preferred route, staff indicated that there would be no switchbacks and grades would be up to 12%, steeper than grades along the staff recommended route. Toyota Trail The Toyota Tail has been split into two sections: (1) from Haines to Lambs; and (2) on the Toyota site. The contract has been awarded and work is expected to begin in the next few weeks. The trail will exit onto Lambs Rd, which is wide enough to accommodate bike lanes. Bowmanville Ave CNR Bridge The rehabilitation of the Bowmanville Ave bridge over CNR will include a 3m platform on the west side to accommodate the waterfront trail. 3.3. Bicycle lane markings at Nash Rd and Trulls Rd intersection Heavy bike traffic at this intersection and have been 2-3 incidents Committee member is aware of where cyclists have been caught in the `right hook' situation. Would like to see safety measures in place at this intersection e.g., bike lanes all the way through the intersection to indicate that cyclists have right of way. Because it's a signalized intersection, staff have to work with the Region to determine the best way to move forward. The intersection is not wide enough to accommodate dedicated bike lanes — widening would need to be done. Committee member to mention this location to Vision Zero. 3.4. Trail entry/exit database Committee member suggested a database be created to list trail entry/exit points and improvements needed for each location. Staff suggested a simple solution may be for committee members to notify staff of trouble locations so they can be incorporated into our annual improvement program. Committee members will send locations to staff. 3.5. Bicycle lane markings and signage to the WFT using Courtice Rd DR34 under the 401 This is the only route to get to the WFT in Courtice and committee member would like to see markings and/or lighting at the bridge. Courtice Road is under MTO jurisdiction at this location. Jim Boate to send request to staff who will work with the Region and MTO to paint and/or include additional lighting. 3.6. WFT paving completion Bowmanville Ave to W Beach Rd Thanks to staff for paving this part of the trail, Committee members have received positive feedback from many users on this project. Suggested more signage (e.g., at caution points) to improve safety. Staff to look into removal of bollard at CLOCA parking lot. 4. Presentation 4.1. Accessibility and Active Transportation - Tim Van Leeuwen and Shea -Lea Latchford Accessibility challenges: sidewalks are not smooth and make travel uncomfortable, will use roads where safe. Unpaved trails are difficult to navigate. Location of curbs and easy access to trails, also consider line of sight especially where entry/exit is roadside. A MUP is planned from Foster Creek subdivision to the Newcastle Go Bus Station. Consider charging station for electric wheelchairs, electronic scooters/e-bikes may also be able to use these stations. Install extended concrete pads for benches that can accommodate wheelchairs, strollers, etc. Staff confirmed this has been adopted for all new benches. Suggested lines on trails. Staff confirmed a center line is included on all new paved trails. Erica Mittag offered to consult with other Municipalities regarding their standards and best practices and report back to ATSR; Municipality now includes AODA signage on new trials with info such as distance to next street, grades, etc. would be beneficial on existing trails as well. Continued communication between committees would be beneficial. 5. Other Business 5.1. Liberty St. bridge at 401 Consider sharrows on both sides going under the bridge. Narrow bridge and no signage to share the road. Staff to include in discussion with MTO, along with Courtice Rd. 5.2. Canada Post Grant Program Canada Post has a grant that funds community projects for children, submissions are accepted between March/April. Committee may be interested in submitting an application. 5.3. Additional Walking Trails Committee member notes need for more walking trails in Clarington. Suggested that CLOCA be encouraged to create additional trails in forested areas that are unpaved but still accessible, similar to Orono Crown Land trails. Municipality focuses on developing multi -use trails (walking, cycling, skateboarding, wheelchairs, etc.) as staff have found that residents prefer these types of paved trails. Committee provided comments to CLOCA on their Master Plan, one of which was to see more trails. Clarington has some walking trails e.g., trails by Courtice Community Centre, however the Municipality does not typically have large areas of land for these kinds of trails. These types of trails would typically fall under a conservation authority such as CLOCK The Active Transportation Master Plan may be a good place to address this. 6. Next Meeting The next regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 7.00pm via Microsoft Teams. 7. Adjournment Moved by Jeanne Winters seconded by Bart Hawkins Kreps That the meeting adjourn at 8:53 PM Carried