RE:MTO Discussion Paper on…

RE:MTO Discussion Paper on Cycling Initiatives under the Climate Change Action Plan

Thank you for providing municipalities and stakeholders with the opportunity to comment on the strategies moving forward to integrate the CycleON strategy with the province’s new Climate Change Action Plan. City of Guelph staff have read the discussion paper and offer the following comments and opinions for consideration.

These comments reflect the views of professional staff in Engineering and Transportation, Parks and Recreation and Tourism, and are built on the experiences and feedback we have received over the years from our community of 126,000 residents. The City of Guelph is recognized as a Silver Bicycle-Friendly Community by Share the Road Coalition and strives to make continual improvements to the safety and convenience of cycling.

COMMUTER CYCLING NETWORKS

Prioritizing Infrastructure

Linear cycling infrastructure needs to be context-specific and should abide by the guidelines of the Ontario Traffic Manual Book 18 criteria. The infrastructure should aim to protect the most vulnerable users. It is a well-researched fact that separated off-road facilities are most effective at encouraging cycling and providing a heightened sense of safety and comfort in moderate to high-traffic areas. The goal should be to provide separated off-road or on-road facilities where primary connections are required, such as to major transit stations and along commuter routes serving as connections between residential areas and schools and employment areas.

Supportive intersection design is equally important: intersections often represent the most hazardous sections of a cyclist’s route. Preference for protected intersections such as the “dutch junction” that NACTO is implementing in the USA should be encouraged – an integrated approach to provincial and national guidelines for intersection design is required along with funding support for retrofits of existing intersections along high-volume cycling corridors. Bicycle signals for separated paths should also be required.

Where off-road separated facilities cross signalized streets, OTM Book 18 now recommends the “crossride”; however there is no mention of crossrides in the HTA (Highway Traffic Act) and greater clarity is required as to the expectations and rights of both driver and cyclist while using a crossride.

Bike share infrastructure for communities with Metrolinx Community Hubs and stations should be prioritized to support first/last mile trips to the train station. A recent study presented at the Ontario Bike Summit 2016 suggested that 30% of bike share members use bike share to connect to transit (source: Share the Road 2016).

Measuring Impact

The best evidence of the impact of cycling infrastructure investment on the number of cyclists is to conduct before-and-after cyclist counts using technology adapted to counting cyclists or using manually-collected data. The City of Guelph has recently acquired Eco-Counter equipment, which is also in use in many urban centers in Canada, including Hamilton, Waterloo Region and Ottawa.

Following these counts, estimates can be done of GHG emissions avoided as a result of new cycling infrastructure using the ICLEI-PMP protocol, which was recently adopted by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as the GHG emission measurement protocol for their evaluations. A standard approach ensures comparability across jurisdictions and project types.

LOCAL CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE

Priority should be given to finding off-road connections: off-road multi-use trails (can also serve as recreational trails), boulevard trails, physically separated/protected on-road lanes, and finally simple bike lanes. The more physically separated that bike facilities are from major traffic routes, the more safe and secure cyclists feel and the more likely the facilities are to attract new people to cycling, particularly seniors and women.

Guelph has recently identified a core network of off-road trails through parks, green space and open space where existing or planned trails will be upgraded and designed to meet commuter needs by ensuring proper surface treatments, sightlines, grading, crossings and amenities are provided. The network route selection prioritized “long” distance direct trips to help connect people to their destinations without having to use major arterial or collector roads.

PROVINCIAL CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE

Provincial highways often present barriers to local cycling networks due to their high speeds and volumes and their function for regional goods movement. Following the OTM Book 18 guidelines, multi-use paths or physically separated (e.g. curbs, bollards or guard rails) bike lanes would be most appropriate treatment, with particular design consideration given to on- and off-ramps. The best solution is a grade-separated solution that allows cyclists and pedestrians to pass below or above the highway.

Locally, the Hanlon Expressway (Highway 6 North) isolates approximately 1/8th of our community on the west from the rest of the city. The Hanlon presents significant barriers to east-west active transportation due to expansive and very busy at-grade intersections or overpasses without adequate facilities for cyclists and pedestrians to safely cross.

The City of Guelph received federal funding to extend the Silvercreek Park trail as an active transportation route along the north side of the Speed River up to the northbound off-ramp of the Hanlon Expressway at Wellington Street. This is an increasingly important connection to allow residents from the northwest of Guelph to access the river trail network, University of Guelph, hospitals, primary shopping nodes, recreational facilities and downtown safely. However, there are numerous challenges to allow cyclists and pedestrians across the Hanlon to/from the west side:
•property constraints prevent a trail connection under the interchange along the river’s north side;
•two-way cycling from the signalized intersection on the east side to the proposed new trail connection is not feasible due to right-of-way constraints; and
•there are currently no sidewalks within the MTO’s jurisdiction of Wellington Street on the south side of the overpass.

The Province can facilitate property access to allow shared-use facilities to pass underneath structures and / or can provide funding for retrofits of structures to add sidewalks and enhanced cycling facilities that support a safe crossing for all users. Planned future grade separation projects of the Hanlon will need to be more mindful of providing appropriate pedestrian and cycling facilities.

BICYCLE PARKING

Bike parking facility types depends on the destination it is at, and the Province may wish to consult recognized guidelines such as the ABPB Bicycle Parking Guidelines for consistent approach to bicycle parking.

Lockers should be provided at intermodal hubs, such as train and bus stations, where there may be long periods of time during the day where the bike parking area is unsupervised. Lockers provide addition protection from theft and vandalism.
In most other areas, this would be perceived as a barrier or disincentive to charge a fee for bicycle parking, with the possible exception of high-density urban communities with very high demand for bicycle parking.

Public Facilities

All publically accessible facilities should offer bicycle parking. The type of bike parking should depend on the length of time and type of visitor expected to the site and follow recognized guidelines, such as ABPB Bicycle Parking Guidelines.

Transit Facilities

Intermodal transportation terminals that provide inter-city transportation should have bicycle parking that is secure and weather protected. This includes GO and Via train Stations and intercity bus terminals.

Local transit services with Bus Rapid Transit or Light Rail Transit /subway service should offer bike racks at their stations to facilitate first and last mile commutes.

Other high-volume stations, such as at line termini for local transit services or stops that serve a larger than usual catchment, are also good candidates for bike racks. For instance, large, low-density residential areas with few transit routes may benefit from having a bicycle rack at a transit stop.

Private Facilities

Intercity bus terminals and stations should qualify for provincial funding for bicycle parking facilities. Local transit services may also be eligible provided they can demonstrate a strong case for the proposed capacity and locations of bicycle parking within their networks.

Funding sources or funding credits could be used to stimulate private corporations, businesses and service clubs to implement bicycle parking facilities and encourage the use of active transportation amenities by their employees, customers and/or clients.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Juste, Transportation Demand Management Coordinator
Engineering Services, Infrastructure, Development and Enterprise
City of Guelph

[Original Comment ID: 202186]