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City of Kitchener Budget Analysis: 2021

Posted on April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 by Laura McDonald
Posted in: Advocacy

In 2018, 16 elected representatives across Waterloo Region pledged to fund a minimum grid of cycling infrastructure within the next four years and a number of other councillors also expressed their support for CycleWR’s work. Since then, we’ve been digging into the municipal budgets each year to see how this support is translating into real investments in cycling infrastructure.

Achievements in 2020

In 2020, City of Kitchener’s Cycling and Trails Master Plan was approved by city council that aims to create a city-wide network grid of cycling facilities, routes, and trails. This includes strategic planning for a downtown cycling grid that will begin construction this year. The roundabout at Strasburg and Huron was updated with a “Dutch-inspired” design making it more intuitive for people to use. 

Coming up in 2021

We are excited to see construction of the 2.8 km downtown cycling grid begin in 2021. This year we can look forward to separated facilities being installed on Joseph Street and Water Street, as well as additional traffic diversion and wayfinding improvements. Cedar Street was also scheduled to have separated facilities installed this year but was unfortunately deferred to stay under budget. City staff hope to complete Cedar Street in 2022. 

Outside of the downtown core, the city will be improving connections by converting 3 gravel trails to snow-cleared, asphalt multi-use trails, as well as adding a new multi-use trail between Homer Watson and Kehl Street. Paving the Traynor-Vanier gravel trail was postponed in 2020. Construction plans have not yet been finalized but the city anticipates the trail will be paved in 2021.

Downtown grid – $1,657,000

  • Separated facilities on Joseph Street and Water Street.
  • Neighborhood bikeways on Lancaster St and Chapel St that include traffic diversion elements and wayfinding.

Trail improvements – $410,000

Gravel trails that will be converted to asphalt multi-use trails and winter maintained:

  • Stirling to Madison Trail – $155,000
  • Laurentian trail – $105,000
  • Alpine Park Trail – $150,000

Shoemaker Creek Rehabilitation – $700,000

A new multi-use trail that will run between Homer Watson and Kehl Street and connect to an existing multi-use trail. Construction of the new trail is included in the Shoemaker Creek rehabilitation project.

Rothsay Pedestrian Bridge – $651,000

A replacement bridge will be installed that connects the Rothsay Ave and Victoria St N multi-use trails. The existing bridge suffered structural failure and has been closed.

Trail maintenance – $2,000,000

  • Maintenance through winter – $1,500,000.
  • Non-winter maintenance – $500,000

Trails Project Manager – $115,000

The city plans to hire a full time Trails Project Manager. This is a temporary position converted to a full time position and has no additional impact on the city budget.

Additional infrastructure not identified in the budget

Engineering construction projects may include cycling and boulevard multi-use trail infrastructure. We can expect to see additional cycling infrastructure built that was not specifically identified in the budget. City staff highlighted these examples:

  • Delta Street will be rebuilt as a trail after underground services are replaced.
  • A boulevard multi-use trail on Sydney that connects the Nyberg contraflow lane and Iron Horse Trail.

The City of Kitchener has budgeted a total $5,533,000 in 2021. This is more than three times the amount we asked for in the election pledge. With the approval of the Cycling & Trails Master Plan last year and the city wasting no time kicking off construction of the downtown cycling grid this year, CycleWR is excited about the momentum in Kitchener. This success can be attributed to city staff who are strongly committed to public engagement and improving road safety for all users.

We’d love to hear from you about which completed or upcoming projects excite you the most! Photos and videos of trips on new facilities would be most welcome and would help spread the word. You can send those to hello@cyclewr.ca or tag us on Twitter using @Cycle_WR or #CycleWR.

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CycleWR
CycleWR is now a non-profit. Become a member today CycleWR is now a non-profit. Become a member today and help us change the conversation about cycling in Waterloo Region. Members help support and guide our work, get access to discounts, and more!Get your membership:
cyclewr.ca/join(Link in bio)
Cycling Risk SurveyCycleWR is keenly interested Cycling Risk SurveyCycleWR is keenly interested to learn more about how people in our community view cycling infrastructure. We have created a survey that delves into how people perceive the many infrastructure options that we find in Waterloo Region.We know that there is a lot of diversity in the comfort levels that people experience while cycling. We want to know: Will you only ride on trails and physically separated facilities? Which street designs do you find safest? How do you feel about one-way versus two-way cycle tracks? Which cycling facilities do you prefer to see when you are driving a car? We ask all these questions and more.This survey will inform our advocacy and the results will be shared both publicly and with municipal staff who are designing new facilities. The survey is quite detailed, so you’ll want to set aside 10-15 minutes to complete it. Please share it widely – we want to reach many people with varying levels of experience, from non-cyclists and beginners to daily riders.Start the survey now - the link is our bio (https://forms.gle/RLASz6joa27NUX8T7)Please respond by March 21st.Thank you!
What cycling projects are Waterloo, Kitchener, Cam What cycling projects are Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, and the Region funding in 2021? Find out in our budget analyses. Link in bio.
Join us online on Thursday, January 21, from 7:30 Join us online on Thursday, January 21, from 7:30 – 9:00pm for a look at what we accomplished in 2020 and what’s coming up for cycling in the region in 2021 and beyond.Active transportation leads from the three cities and the region who will be joining us:
• Lisa Chominiec
Sustainable Transportation Coordinator, City of Cambridge
• Liz Christensen
Design & Construction Project Manager, City of Kitchener
• Darren Kropf
Active Transportation Planning Project Manager, City of Kitchener
• Louise Finlay
Project Manager, Bikeways, Trails and Greenspaces, City of Waterloo
• Kornel Mucsi
Manager, Transportation Planning, Region of WaterlooCheck the link in our bio for meeting instructions.
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