City Seeks Input on Burlington Draft Rural Active Transportation Network
*Please see below a news release issued by the City of Burlington.
Burlington, Ont. — Nov. 9, 2021 — The City of Burlington is developing a Rural Active Transportation Strategy. Phase 2 has now launched and the City is asking for feedback on the draft rural active transportation network. This feedback will be used to refine the network and presented to City Council next spring.Feedback can be shared by visiting GetInvolvedBurlington.ca/RuralAT and pinning comments on the map and taking the survey. The map and survey are open for comment until Monday, Dec. 6, 2021.Click here to view a copy of the map showing the proposed options for enhanced active transportation in rural Burlington.Thanks to feedback from the first round of engagement, staff have worked with Atlas consulting to prepare a draft active transportation network. The proposed network should improve safety using realistic and cost-effective solutions for active transportation. It also bridges gaps and address barriers that have prevented active transportation in rural Burlington.The proposed improvements are:
- Multi-use Path – a paved path that is physically separated from the roadway for use by people walking, rolling and cycling
- Paved Shoulder – a paved space at the edge of the roadway outside of the white edge line for people walking, rolling and cycling
- Sidewalk – a physically separated space for people walking beside the road
- Traffic Calming – can include a variety of measures to slow down vehicles and the number of vehicles on roads to make conditions more comfortable for people walking, rolling and cycling
- Spot Improvement – location-specific improvements to improve comfort, safety and connectivity for people walking, rolling and cycling.
Other treatments can also be used to help make active transportation safer and easier such as bike route signage and wayfinding, which helps with orientation and navigation on the active transportation network.About the ProjectThe City is developing a Rural Active Transportation Strategy to address the lack of facilities for active transportation in rural Burlington. This area of Burlington is a popular place for hiking and cycling. But the roads were designed for cars, not cyclists or pedestrians. Most are two vehicle lane roads and do not have sidewalks or paved shoulders.Staff are working to create safe walking and cycling options in rural Burlington that will focus on safe, connected active transportation infrastructure. This will allow people to go places they want to walk, cycle, etc. in rural Burlington.Phase 1 – Winter 2019In winter 2019, two meetings were held to hear about rural active transportation in Burlington in its current state. This helped staff confirm and learn about opportunities and challenges that can be looked at through the Strategy. Participants were asked:
- Where do you like to go using active transportation?
- Where would you like to go using active transportation?
- What is your current comfort level with walking and biking in rural Burlington?
This feedback helped in the creation of the draft network now being looked at during Phase 2 of the project.Links and Resources:
--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist