City to make Iron Horse Trail crossings safer

Expect to see painted crosswalks on the road, and yield signs — some with a beacon light, if approved

KITCHENER — Safety will be improved at all city-owned crossings on the Iron Horse Trail with the addition of pedestrian crossovers.

These crossovers include a painted crosswalk on the road and a sign with a beacon light warning drivers to stop. Triangles painted on the road also warn motorists of an upcoming trail crossing.

The crossovers are slated for eight city-owned crossings across the entire trail corridor in Kitchener. Some will have the flashing lights on the yield sign, while some will have the signs with no lights. Others will have a raised crossing.

“Our goal is to improve the safety and accessibility at all city-owned trail crossings,” Darren Kropf, Kitchener’s active transportation planning project manager.

The crossovers will be discussed at a committee meeting on Monday. The recommendation requires council approval.

If approved, construction of the crossovers is expected in the fall, Kropf said.

“Pedestrian crossovers are the best tool in the tool box to improve trail crossings,” he said.

“If you are a young child or someone with a walker, it can be really hard to make that crossing without the assistance of a pedestrian crossover,” he said.

One of the trail crossings getting a pedestrian crossover is at Glasgow Street near Belmont Avenue. The pedestrian sign will include a beacon light.

“The beacons are very helpful on busier streets to provide that extra awareness to drivers,” Kropf said.

Currently, it has no markings and pedestrians must wait for a gap in traffic, making crossing a challenge.

According to the Ontario traffic manual, pedestrian crossovers are recommended when 100 or more pedestrians cross during an eight-hour period and 750 vehicles cross during the same period.

At the Glasgow Street crossing, up to 200 pedestrians cross in an eight-hour period, while 3,440 vehicles drive by the crossing in eight hours, Kropf said.

The Iron Horse Trail is also the city’s busiest trail. Before the pandemic, the trail marked 250,000 trips a year by pedestrians and cyclists. Those numbers are much higher now as more people have been using the trail system during the pandemic.

The cost of the improvements is projected at $250,000. Previously allocated monies and a provincial grant will cover the costs.