By Email Sept 3rd: Jennifer Escott Bike Windsor Essex | When I saw the design drawings and the right-of-way width, I advised Bike Windsor Essex that this was a good design and we could not expect more. To be clear, Bike Windsor Essex is not interested in adding bollards or separators on Sandwich Street. We will send in a detailed comment supporting these designs and parking removal. Later, I will also write a post explaining to cyclists why it is unreasonable to expect bollards or separations, especially in the BIA. | Noted |
By Comment form through email Sept 4th: Josef and Anna Ruttinger. 456 Detroit Street | Excellent idea to promote biking. Please consider crosswalks. | Noted. Sidewalks (according to AODA), ramps with tactile surface indicators, crosswalks (At controlled crossings) and traffic striping will all be new. |
By Email Sept 4th: Tom, tbauer@gmail.com | If it is money well spent please focus on bike lanes from Chappell street South? People can ride on Russell from the bridge to Chappell with an excellent river view, so if the bike lanes can go there instead of on busy Sandwich St?? It would also create less construction congestion on Sandwich Street if the bike lanes are put in on Russell. What do you think? | Noted as not part of this scope of work, however feedback will be taken back for future consideration. |
By Email Sept 4th: Philippa von Ziegenweidt, 6396 Riverside Drive East, Windsor | Although I don't live in Sandwich, I have often cycled to the area. With the gentrification of the neighbourhood that started a couple of years ago, I can see reasons to visit the restaurants on Sandwich Street more often by bike, but safety is an important consideration. very glad to see that bike lanes being planned. The more bike infrastructure that is provided, the more people will be encouraged to use bicycles instead of cars to get around, thereby reducing the need for on-street parking. It seems to me that not all of the planned bike lanes have buffers. It is critically important to encourage people of all ages and cycling abilities to feel safe. I support buffers between the bike lanes and the rest of the road where completely separated trails are not possible. Green paint for the bike lanes would add a visual cue to motorists to be careful - thereby providing another layer of safety. | The existing narrow ROW including existing infrastructure such as hydro poles does not allow for widening of Sandwich Street and thus the reason for eliminating parking on one side of the street. However, every effort will be made to maximize the bike lane widths and buffers. |
By Email Sept 7th: Mary Ann Cuderman, Past Chair, Sandwich Business Improvement Area, Business Owner and Resident, 3118 Sandwich St., Windsor, ON N9C 1A6, 519-258-0361, macuderman@hotmail.com | Pros:
Cons:
| A multi-use trail is planned on the north side of Riverside Drive/Sandwich Street from McKee Park (near Chewett Street) to the Riverfront Trail (near Huron Church Road). Construction of this trail is planned to proceed once archaological issues are resolved. The Active Transportation Master Plan recommends a bike corral program; details of where and how bike corrals are placed will be addressed in the upcoming Bicycle Parking Policy. Russell Street was identified as the AAA ("all ages and abilities") route through this area primarily because: - providing protected bicycle facilities on Sandwich Street would be impossible without removing on-street parking. - AAA infrastructure is already provided on a significant length of Russell Street (Brock Street to Chewett Street). - the location of Russell Street lends itself to continuous AAA connections to the east and west. Truck traffic on the western part of Russell Street will be taken into account in that project. Truck Routes: The City does not sign truck routes and typically only sign 'no truck' where there is a physical impediment or is directly off a truck route. |
By Email Sept 8th: Jennifer Escott, Vice Chair, Bike Windsor Essex | SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION - Sandwich Street is a class II arterial road and a bus route. We recommend that the speed limit from the roundabout to Brock Street be reduced to a maximum of 40km/h. This will provide a measure of safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. Although jaywalking is not legal, shoppers and pedestrians WILL dash across the street between intersections and slower speeds will decrease the number and severity of potential collisions between vehicles entering and exiting parking spaces and driveways. | Speed limit changes, in and of themselves, do not tend to reduce operating speeds. The design incorporates speed reduction features that are appropriate for an arterial road, such as reduced lane widths and bump-outs. Crossing between intersections is generally legal in Ontario, provided the pedestrian waits for a gap. |
BIKE LANE PROTECTION - Bike Windsor Essex recommends protection for cyclists wherever possible, however, after a careful review of the right-of-way (ROW) issues between Detroit and Brock Street, we see that the installation of bollards, planters or other protections will not be feasible on this segment unless trees are removed and utilities are relocated. Considering a 20m ROW width, an average distance between utilities of less than 15m, parking issues and number of driveways - we conclude that protection with bollards is not possible if reasonable bike lane and traffic lane widths are to be maintained. | Noted | |
BIKE LANE STRIPES - We would like to see a stripe delineating BOTH sides of the bike lane, not just a single white line on the left side. Preferred would be 2 white stripes with a green paint fill. A single white line simply appears to be an extra wide parking spot. The added stripe (and fill) will clearly define the bike lane and alert drivers parking between the curb and the bike lane to watch for cyclists before opening their doors into the bike lane. | The request is not a typicall installation. Every effort will be made to maximize the bike lane widths including for buffers. Design to follow City and Provincial standards. | |
OPPORTUNITIES FOR NARROWING BUMP-OUTS - We understand this is the early design stage but it was mentioned in the PIC that all the curbs will stay as they are, that there were no plans to widen or narrow the street from the present profile. We have noticed there are a number of bump-outs within the BIA segment that could be narrowed slightly without the loss of trees or movement of utilities;
| Noted. The review and adjustment of all bump-outs vs bike lanes will be considered during detailed design | |
BICYCLE PARKING - Add at least 1 on-street bike corral located in the street area adjacent to the curb within the BIA. Any bike parking infrastructure must have the ability to lock both bicycle wheels. Bike corrals can sometimes make use of on-street areas that are unsuitable for auto parking. When replacing a single auto parking space, a corral can generally fit 8 to 12 bicycles. Consider locations for added free standing post and ring or inverted U racks to space out bicycle parking options. Below are some examples of good individual bicycle parking options. | Not part of this scope at this time. however city is working on a bike parking policy city wide which which include bike corrals. | |
SHADE PROTECTION - Limit any tree removal (and increase plantings) as the shade they provide is vital to cyclists and pedestrians. | At this time the scope appears to salvage existing trees as much as possible. Additional trees are not included in the scope at this time. | |
CHAPPELL STREET INTERSECTION - We are pleased to see what may be Windsor’s first cross rides included in this intersection but it is unclear how a cyclist should navigate from the bike lanes to the multiuse trail that begins/ends on the south-west corner. | Intersection to be a possible Signalized pedestrian crossover PXO and not a cross ride. If it is to be a PXO, then bikes will need to dismount and walk. | |
PRINCE ROAD INTERSECTION - Sandwich St. and Prince Rd. will become an intersection between 2 bike lanes. Located near Mic Mac Park, the Gordie Howe Bridge, the Herb Grey Trail and the Sandwich business district, it can be assumed that it may be a fairly high volume cycling corridor. At present, this is a dangerous intersection for cyclists. The bike lane striping ends well before the intersection and there is a continual issue with vehicles executing right turns on to Sandwich Street without being alert to cyclists on their right. The drawings provided at the September 3 PIC do not indicate how cyclists will be able to navigate from the north-east corner of Prince and Sandwich to the bike lanes on the west side of Sandwich Street. We recommend some directional paint on the pavement to illustrate to cyclists and vehicles where they should be as they make a turn. The new Gordie Howe Bridge will include bike lanes, and we must provide a route for tourists and residents to access the shops, restaurants and services Sandwich has to offer. Bike lanes along Sandwich street will provide transportation choices and help to build a more people-centred neighborhood. Re-routing cyclists away from the commercial area will have a negative economic impact on an already struggling sector. | Bike lanes on Prince Road will be considered for extention to Sandwich Street as part of this project. Cyclists turning from Prince Road to Sandwich Street will wait for gaps in traffic (as they do currently) to make a normal turn. The Active Transportation Master Plan calls for Prince Road to be upgraded to a AAA ("all ages and abilities") cycling route in future; as part of that project, the intersection will be reviewed to determine what upgrades are needed for it to suit all ages and abilities. | |
We conclude that bike lanes are absolutely needed on Sandwich Street and the loss of some on street parking is warranted. | Noted | |
A couple of notes about the comment sheet. | Noted. Encouraged to email or call with any comments. |