Active Transportation and Trails Advisory Committee

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 4:00 P.m. - 6:00 P.m.

Conestoga Room

City of Kitchener

200 King Street W, Kitchener, ON N2G 407

Present:

• V. Hand, Chair
• W. West, Member
• G. Piccini, Member
• L. Dramnitzki. Member
• J. Broschek, Member
• B. Forwell, Member
• Councillor P. Singh, Member
• J. Beech Falshaw, Member
• A. Agbaje, Member

Staff:

• D. Kropf, Manager, Active Transportation & Development
• A. Carlyle, Committee Administrator

Additional Staff:

• B. Cronkite

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1.

Commencement

2.

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and the General Nature Thereof

3.

Delegations

3.1

Delegation from L. Baltais

L. Baltais was unable to attend the meeting to delegate. 

4.

Discussion Items

4.1

Garage 529

A. Culquicondor delivered a presentation on Garage 529, a free program used by Guelph and other regions to help identify the rightful owners of stolen bikes. Cycle WR is requesting some support from the City of Kitchener to help promote Garage 529. The committee will discuss this opportunity at the next meeting. 

4.2

Vision Zero 2025 Hotspot Program

B. Cronkite shared an update on the Vision Zero staff report going to City Council in April. A list of interventions was presented with a variety of measures to improve safety, including speed humps, speed cushions, pedestrian crossovers, and sidewalks. The locations were selected based on data modelling that identifies the highest risk areas for serious collisions. 

Key takeaways:

• 18 Hot Spot Improvement locations (6 of which are within school zones) which include:
• 32 raised measures
• 1 Level 2 Type B pedestrian crossover location PXO – East at Borden in front of the aud
• 1 all way stop – Fairfield at St Leger
• 1 intersection pavement marking upgrade – Westheights at McGarry Ladder crossing
• approximately 500 meters of sidewalk/multi use trail infill – Howe, Keewatin, Wabanaki
• the continued use of seasonal flex signs at 18 locations per ward and 1 radar feedback board per ward.
• Pedestrian Skills Sheet for parent drop of and children walking/rolling to school
• 8 million impressions (not counting radio) though our education campaign last year
• 2023 hot spot before/after data shows a 8.2km or 15% average reduction in speeds
• 2023 and 2024 there were zero (0) fatalities on City of Kitchener municipal streets
• Overall and serious injury/fatality collisions both trending downward compared to previous year
• 20 streets being converted to complete streets through sixteen (16) reconstruction projects in 2025
• Looking to renew partnership with UW for the use of lidar to detect near misses and opportunity for intersection improvements

B. Cronkite will review if any actions remain for the pedestrian charter and report back to the committee.

• test

  Motion by M. Boos:

  "That ATTAC is pleased and supportive of the safety improvements being proposed by staff in the Vision Zero update report."  

  Carried

4.3

Subcommittee Forming

The committee identified three subcommittees for the 2025-2026 term, condensing the previous committees under the three categories. Members volunteered for the committees as follows:  

Safey (Vision Zero, Complete Streets Implementation and Data Collection & Sharing) - L. Dramnitzki, J. Beech-Falshaw, A. Agbaje, J. Broschek

Outreach (Events & promotion, Bike Parking and Education) - W. West, V. Hand

Infrastructure (Trail Standards, Hiking Improvements and City-Wide Routes) - G. Piccini, B. Forwell, M. Boos

4.4

Downtown Cycling Grid Celebration

D. Kropf led the committee in a brainstorming session, generating ideas to celebrate the completion of the Downtown Cycling Grid. Staff will follow up on the ideas with the Outreach subcommittee.

4.5

Mill Street Station Discussion

B. Forwell made a proposal for the commmittee to consider recommending that the intersections of Mill Street and Ottawa Street (south of Ottawa) and Mill Street and Courtland Street be closed to traffic. B. Forwell notes that Sydney Street provides access to this section of Mill Street and that both intersections have safety issues - with the LRT on Ottawa and poor sightlines on Courtland. 

• Motion by B. Forwell:

  "That staff investigate current conditions and policy direction on Mill Street between Ottawa and Courtland and report back for the committee to consider changes to traffic operations that improve safety." 

  Carried

5.

Information Items

5.1

Staff Updates

Schneider Creek Path - The Region is currently conducting public consultation on a multi-use path connection between Manitou Drive to an existing path on Block Line Road. Survey is open until March 17th. 

Neuron Update - Neuron mobility to relaunch ebikes and escooters in April. 

6.

Adjournment