Raise the Hammer

I am in complete disagreement regarding the mountain accesses. These are NOT pedestrian areas, and in many cases, not cyclist areas either, nor should they be designed as such. Nearly all of these accesses are over a KM in length and possess steep inclines which are capable of taxing even professional cyclists (which is why the last major cycling race here, we utilized the clairmont). There is no development along them and minimal development near them and are not exactly easy to expand or work on given the constant erosion of the escarpment. They typically lead to clearly marked and serviced major traffic veins, which feed very low density residential area's or institutions that do not lend themselves of high amounts of pedestrian traffic, like say in the city core nor cycling traffic, say at more level streets.

To further iterate these streets as non-pedestrain, sidewalks don't typical run even to them or around them (which I feel is a bit of a problem, espcially along Mountain Brow and West 5th, where their presence could better direct to pedestrain routes). These are streets that should never be "Complete" streets as RtH has often labeled mixed use traffic veins. The safer, more cost effective, alternative to trasversing the mountain is seperate infrastructure. Pedestrain stairs, bridges, trails and better, more frequent public transport options, and in many cases this infrastructure is already in place.

The base of the Kenniworth access is serviced by pedestrian stairs linking to the rail trail (which would be better if it had a linkage to the area around Oakcrest Dr.), the West 5th access is serviced (albiet poorly) by the nearby bruce trail connection (which could use a direct sidewalk path for access and a bridge/stairs to traverse Beckett Dr) the Clairmont is serviced by the Clairmont stairs (which at most could use better pedestrain crossing signage) and nearby trail connection and the Jolley Cut is serviced by a proper pedestrain path further down concession.

Comment edited by -Hammer- on 2013-01-25 17:09:42