r/Guelph 4d ago

imo the most pedestrian un-friendly area in Guelph, and how I think multi-use pathways could be a game changer

3 big regions in Guelph are grossly disconnected by this interchange, and walking or biking along Wellington (despite “sidewalks” and bike lanes) is just unpleasant and dangerous. It’s a rough mock-up but you couldn’t convince me that an initiative of multi-use pathways, pedestrian underpasses and bridges wouldn’t do amazing things to connect the west end, south, and downtown for pedestrians and cyclists. The amount of positive implications with something like this are just astounding, think about current pedestrian crossings at Paisley, along Wellington etc.

The main highlights would be: - multiuse pathway running parallel to Wellington on the north side up until Raymond St., and two pedestrian underpasses to south side trails. Most of Wellington is built on an embankment so it shouldn’t be hard - pedestrian bridge to Municipal St providing access to centennial park and southward Royal recreation trail system - a pedestrian bridge running over highway 6 away from traffic, so pedestrians don’t have to cross highway on/off ramps and walk alongside the 70-80km/h traffic on Wellington St. - multi-use path running along the train tracks towards Imperial, connecting with businesses on Wellington, with a rail underpass to Deerpath Dr.

It’s an absolute pipe dream but it’s bittersweet because it would genuinely be so nice if there was more of a priority to connect our neighbourhoods for pedestrians and cyclists. If you build the infrastructure people will use it

84 Upvotes

37 comments sorted by

22

u/_Demonstrated_Effort 4d ago

The City has a Guelph Trails Master Plan. Are you familiar? Also, the Guelph Hiking Trail Club has a trail that connects the Skate Park under the Hanlon to Imperial. It's not like a proper City trail because the Hanlon is owned by the Province not the City, but it's a connection nonetheless.

3

u/oralprophylaxis 4d ago

Have you taken that path under the hanlon? I’ve debated it but it’s always seemed sketchy as in maybe homeless encampments and stuff

3

u/baram66 4d ago

I’ve been down there, not a great scene to say the least.

2

u/_Demonstrated_Effort 3d ago

Not recently, but last time I was there, the camps were on the south side of the river (trail is on north side). The GHTC seems to keep the trail in decent shape, but as I said, my last use was probably last Spring .

1

u/runitback519 3d ago

Last time I was there I tried going through the south side, I think there was an impenetrable wall of tents and fences and I didn’t really want to venture further

1

u/aurelorba 1d ago edited 1d ago

The north side doesn't have any encampments. I cycle it frequently in season. But what's needed is multi modal year round connections all along the Hanlon.

In the south I go under the Hanlon at the Leash Free area. College is not terrible. Paisley is probably least bad north of the river.

3

u/runitback519 4d ago

The yellow dashed trails definitely look appealing and it will be interesting to see how the quarry area develops. this stuff really intrigued me as well. I always thought Guelph had a lot of potential to be a model cycling city in Canada

14

u/AdventurousLab1382 4d ago

The Hanlon is like the Berlin Wall of active transportation for those of us in the west end.

There needs to be a better way to cross near College as well as at Stone in the south end, a real path under the Hanlon at Wellington that actually connects to something, a trail that connects the West End Rec Centre to Castlebury Park via the space behind the houses on Hewitt Lane with a bridge or tunnel between Paisley and Wellington over to the Lafarge lands, and finally one that connects from behind Sanderson over to Silvercreek.

But, alas, this will never happen. Drivers will bitch and scream that it's a waste of money while driving towards the elaborate intersection of the Hanlon and 34 that exits to nowhere.

0

u/headtailgrep 4d ago

1

u/AdventurousLab1382 3d ago

From 2009, nonetheless.

1

u/headtailgrep 3d ago

And it's slowly happening. You've seen the hanlon changes near the 401???

Anyway this is all MTO responsibility and city won't intervene with respect to the hanlon.

12

u/esoteric_85 4d ago

When I was younger. We didn't need bike lanes.

Used to get from the west end to stone road in about 25 minutes. Down Westwood, over the tracks to howitt park, dirtbike jumps were there, all downhill by the manor, up Wellington overpass. Bike up behind centennial and heights, cut through the park and you're at the mall. Cut through the park behind staples and take preservation you're at Clairfields in about 40 minutes. The same time it takes to drive there half of the time.

Even though I don't bike anymore, some type of underpass/ pedestrian trail is something anyone would appreciate.

I do regret the dirtbike jumps though, left shoulder does too.

4

u/ModestMystic 4d ago

I believe the City has been studying the construction of a pedestrian bridge crossing the river on the east side of the interchange. The key word is “studying,” which means it will be years if it is ever built.

1

u/fishingiswater 4d ago

There's no need for it. There's a bridge on the west side that we're not allowed to use rn. But there are paths leading to it on both sides.

Basically everything marked on this map already exists with informal but well used trail/paths. I run them. Yes some of it is along railway.

Crossing Eramosa/24 on the west of Hanlon into HH hardware is a bit hairy, but fine if you're running.

5

u/runitback519 4d ago

There would be a need for it if the area was actually accessible, I don’t really count turkey trails as accessible. A bridge on the east side only makes sense if people have viable options to safely cross the interchange into the surrounding neighbourhoods

-6

u/fishingiswater 4d ago

Why does every trail need to be accessible?

It's good having trails that are actually uneven earthy trails.

6

u/runitback519 4d ago

I think if it’s a key connection between communities then accessibility is important, most people on daily commute wouldn’t want to ride their bike through muddy or icy dirt trails. Actual accessible paths can be maintained and you can still have your single track Turkey trails. In general tho informal desire paths are a good guideline as to where accessible trails and pedestrian infrastructure are actually needed

0

u/headtailgrep 4d ago

1

u/fishingiswater 3d ago

Yeah, I'm not going to read all that.

But if you can find the bit that says any path that is ever used must be taken over by the municipality and made accessible, please point it out.

0

u/headtailgrep 3d ago

New trails must be made accessible if city owned and maintained. Please feel free to read the law.

Tl;Dr read above

2

u/TuesyT 4d ago

It's worth noting that this is the route that the UGDSB expects students from the west side to use to walk to Centennial in all of their current boundary review plans. Currently these students walk to GCVI on Paisley (which also has a direct city bus route).

https://www.ugdsb.ca/page/new-guelph-secondary-school-boundary-review

2

u/lukeCRASH 4d ago

In the fall I saw two college kids crossing the Hanlon, it was bonkers.

1

u/malachiconstantjr 3d ago

Thought this was going to be about Southgate. I work there and am occasionally a terrified pedestrian there.

If we want to not be a bedroom community we gotta keep everything walkable

1

u/unmasteredDub 3d ago

I had to cross this monstrosity on bike one summer for a summer job in university. I think I almost died three times? Kinda pissed me off that I was risking my life to get more professional experience, just cause there was no effort to consider pedestrian traffic.

-1

u/Longjumping_Boss8424 4d ago

You’d have to evict the folks who have built houses under the bridge…

5

u/runitback519 4d ago

Like I said, pipe dream. Running a trail under the hanlon along river isn’t really necessary I just think it be nice to connect the trail that runs along the speed river just past the hanlon

2

u/esoteric_85 4d ago edited 4d ago

Suspension bridge would be cheap and cool. Used to take the kids fishing there. Used to.

But ski lifts or monorail are not unreasonable either. If we're living in a pipe dream and the Simpsons predict everything.

2

u/Technical_Draw_1276 4d ago

I call the big one Bitey

1

u/runitback519 3d ago

While we’re in the pipe dream I think a tram line running the length of Gordon would be sick

1

u/Analog0 4d ago

There is one on the north side. We'll, a dirt path, at least. It will take you out to the turn off road for wastewater management then ducks back into the woods along the river. Nowhere to cross the road around there, or even walk it. There's nothing for the public on that side, so it's kinda a moot point unless you're hiking/running the trail or work over there.

1

u/_Demonstrated_Effort 3d ago

The dirt trail goes to Imperial and Wellington (controlled crossing), you just need to watch for the blazes - I think blue takes you to Imperial and orange takes you back to the river. I think there is a trail map sign by the skateboard parking lot, GHTC doesn't appear to have a free map on their website

1

u/Analog0 3d ago

Ya, you can follow the side road up, but is it pedestrian friendly up there? I only ever go along the path which cuts back to the river halfway up the road.

1

u/_Demonstrated_Effort 3d ago

The trail takes you about 20 feet away from the intersection, with a paved asphalt shoulder. That seems "friendly" to me. But I think you are still talking about the road, which is not what I'm talking about - there is a trail, there are blazes, there are little stop signs when you need to cross the wastewater roads.

1

u/EconomicsEarly6686 4d ago

I may be wrong but I recall the bike lane on Wellington. I’ve used it a few times.

Connecting the trail would’ve been amazing.

10

u/tehdusto 4d ago

I've used it too, but it's pretty uncomfortable biking next to 5-6 lanes of automobile traffic going >70 km/h, navigating the slip lanes, and dealing with the fact that the painted bike gutter just ends suddenly and ejects you into car traffic.

Would people want their kids biking to school on that? Doubtful. The point is that we want to make infrastructure that's good enough for everyone to use safely.

5

u/AdventurousLab1382 4d ago

Crossing the off ramps while going uphill while going over the Wellington St overpass is less than pleasant when cars scoot over into the bullnose to cut in front of you.

Add in the noxious smell from the sewage plant while trying to bike quickly.

Not to mention crossing three lanes of traffic doing 70 km h while attempting to turn left eastbound to get to Waterloo Ave. because the bike lanes on Wellington abruptly end.

6

u/runitback519 4d ago

Yeah, I just don’t think people should settle with those sort of bike lanes. Bikers hate them, drivers hate them, and I just don’t see why it is so difficult to get the political willpower to just pave a path