[Moncton] Active Transportation

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by Steelcowboy

I'm not sure if you are referring to the 4 mile rail line that goes from Painsec Jct into the Scoudouc industrial park but, if things go forward..that dormant piece of track may be getting reactivated. Recently the line was revisted because there are possibly 2 industries looking to set up shop in the industrial park. Also we are in the works down at the railway museum in Hillsborough to reactivate the rail line to Weldon Creek. We have started up one of the diesels at the museum (CN 1754) , the yard is suppose to be entirely rebuilt (was to be done this fall but CN decided to have a few incidents and kept the contractors busy) if you see machinery at the museum in the next few weeks, that's what's happenning, will be a rebuilt yard at the museum, next year we will work on that mainline which has just been cleared of stumps n trees from Grays Island to Weldon. We may be able to run a motorcar {putt putt} haha the entire 2 and a half mile leg. To view the start up of the locomotive its on youtube, just search for CN 1754. That was done mid September after over a years worth of prepping.. the track work inside the building and a small portion outside along with working on the locomotive mechanically. Just a note..that model of locomotive that we activated is the only 1 in North America that will be operating, it is the sister locomotive that is at Kensington Jct on PEI which is the 2nd of 2 left in North America but its just a shell.

Fascinating. Moncton-Shediac is about the only place in NB where passenger rail would be immediately 'viable' (AKA people would use it at all) and wouldn't conflict with freight, and Scoudouc is nearly halfway there. I wonder what industries Shediac lured that would need rail?

[MonctonRad]

For those who are interested, this is the Facebook page address for the Active Transportation Coalition in Moncton:

https://www.facebook.com/atmoncton/

[MonctonRad]

I'm placing this here, because it obliquely references a new link for the Panacadie Trail (City of Moncton Facebook post)

Curious to know what’s going on at Wheeler Boulevard and Botsford Street? ������

We’re working on upgrading the current stormwater infrastructure to help reduce the risk of flooding in the future.
This work also permits an extension to the City’s trail network, expanding the Panacadie Trail which will follow Halls Creek towards Mapleton Park. ������♂️������

To learn more about this project, and others like it, visit our Infrastructure Map: https://bit.ly/3XHkosm

This additional image from a comment on this Facebook post shows the location of the Panacadie Trail connector (through to UdeM).



Unfortunately, it appears that the new "connector" forces hikers and bikers to navigate the busiest intersection in the city via existing crosswalks. Sorry, but I find this tone deaf.

If the city wants a truly functional active transportation network, then they need to build grade separated trails over busy intersections like this. There are tens of thousands of impatient motorists navigating this intersection on any given day. If you start adding in hundreds of cyclists and walkers on top of this, then disaster is inevitable. Also, if active transportation enthusiasts view this intersection as dangerous (which it is), then this will seriously impact on usage.

The city of Moncton can do better...............

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I'm placing this here, because it obliquely references a new link for the Panacadie Trail (City of Moncton Facebook post)





This additional image from a comment on this Facebook post shows the location of the Panacadie Trail connector (through to UdeM).



Unfortunately, it appears that the new "connector" forces hikers and bikers to navigate the busiest intersection in the city via existing crosswalks. Sorry, but I find this tone deaf.

If the city wants a truly functional active transportation network, then they need to build grade separated trails over busy intersections like this. There are tens of thousands of impatient motorists navigating this intersection on any given day. If you start adding in hundreds of cyclists and walkers on top of this, then disaster is inevitable. Also, if active transportation enthusiasts view this intersection as dangerous (which it is), then this will seriously impact on usage.

The city of Moncton can do better...............

This should be a grade separated intersection for not just pedestrians and cyclists but for vehicles too. This is a tough one because of the train overpass and the halls creek both being right next to the intersection.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by josh_cat_eyes

This should be a grade separated intersection for not just pedestrians and cyclists but for vehicles too. This is a tough one because of the train overpass and the halls creek both being right next to the intersection.

Agreed, but it is infinitely easier to build a pedestrian/bicycle overpass than a vehicular overpass with connectors in this tight location.

[Sunnybrae]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I'm placing this here, because it obliquely references a new link for the Panacadie Trail (City of Moncton Facebook post)





This additional image from a comment on this Facebook post shows the location of the Panacadie Trail connector (through to UdeM).



Unfortunately, it appears that the new "connector" forces hikers and bikers to navigate the busiest intersection in the city via existing crosswalks. Sorry, but I find this tone deaf.

If the city wants a truly functional active transportation network, then they need to build grade separated trails over busy intersections like this. There are tens of thousands of impatient motorists navigating this intersection on any given day. If you start adding in hundreds of cyclists and walkers on top of this, then disaster is inevitable. Also, if active transportation enthusiasts view this intersection as dangerous (which it is), then this will seriously impact on usage.

The city of Moncton can do better...............

Whatever they figure out, they should use at the end of west main. I see many trying to get to Salisbury Rd. or Baig Blvd. from west main by running or cycling across the traffic circle or Wheeler or using the train track overpass.

[adamuptownsj]

'Hundreds of cyclists' gonna definitely need a citation on that one haha. A sidewalk down Clement Cormier would be more realistic of an ask than grade separation eh?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

'Hundreds of cyclists' gonna definitely need a citation on that one haha. A sidewalk down Clement Cormier would be more realistic of an ask than grade separation eh?

I'm not an active transportation zealot. Some of the active transportation community's asks are outrageous (like what they want done with St. George Street which would kill the business community on that street).

But, we need to connect our existing trail systems in the city in a much more organized manner. This should be done primarily for safety reasons, and would be good for both cyclists and motorists.

There are three problematic intersections (that I can think of) that will cause major problems in creating a city wide trail network.

1) - Botsford & Wheeler (described above)
2) - Causeway Traffic Circle ('cuz it is a traffic circle, and roundabouts are not bicycle friendly)
3) - Berry Mills & Edinburgh Drive (busy access route to the city, and the main traffic access point to the MID Industrial Park, and, on top of this, crossed by the Northwest Trail, the busiest active transportation corridor in the city).

All three of these intersections require grade separation.

I know this would cost millions of dollars, and, I would rather spend this money on other traffic improvements, but, if we are to be intellectually honest, an active transportation network needs to be interconnected, and, for safety reasons, I would prefer to have as little interaction between cars and bicycles as possible. I think this would be money well spent.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I'm not an active transportation zealot. Some of the active transportation community's asks are outrageous (like what they want done with St. George Street which would kill the business community on that street).

But, we need to connect our existing trail systems in the city in a much more organized manner. This should be done primarily for safety reasons, and would be good for both cyclists and motorists.

There are three problematic intersections (that I can think of) that will cause major problems in creating a city wide trail network.

1) - Botsford & Wheeler (described above)
2) - Causeway Traffic Circle ('cuz it is a traffic circle, and roundabouts are not bicycle friendly)
3) - Berry Mills & Edinburgh Drive (busy access route to the city, and the main traffic access point to the MID Industrial Park, and, on top of this, crossed by the Northwest Trail, the busiest active transportation corridor in the city).

All three of these intersections require grade separation.

I know this would cost millions of dollars, and, I would rather spend this money on other traffic improvements, but, if we are to be intellectually honest, an active transportation network needs to be interconnected, and, for safety reasons, I would prefer to have as little interaction between cars and bicycles as possible. I think this would be money well spent.

Botsford and Wheeler... Doesn't Church serve this same purpose? With this new path connecting Lewisville to Church, wouldn't improving the existing grade separation be cheaper?

Causeway, you got me there. Sure. If you could fund one big AT project would this be it?

The Edinburgh/Berry Mills intersection came up on the highway thread, I believe. It needs to become a proper four way stop with Jonathan realigned to meet it. I don't like how isolated that little hexagonal neighbourhood is by road or by foot. Connect Penrose to Westbrook at least. This would kill a few birds with one stone, no? Change three, three-way interchanges into a single four-way with proper pedestrian crossing, improve emergency services access and give commuters of all types a second route from NW Moncton to the industrial park, open up the north side of Berry Mills for development, etc.

[MonctonRad]

An active transportation link across the causeway traffic circle might actually be ridiculously easy to create. You could run it in parallel with the CNR mainline (which has an elevated ROW directly across the traffic circle). You could run a parallel bridge immediately adjacent to the CNR line, and this could connect directly to the trail network to the east of the traffic circle, and, the bicycle lane on the north side of Salisbury Road to the west! Easy peasy!

Of course, this would require negotiations with CNR, which can be notoriously difficult. On West Main, near the McDonald's, there is a pedestrian/bicycle connector leading across the CNR mainline to the trail network on the southside of the tracks, and CNR refused to allow this unless the city funded a full RR crossing including flashing lights and barricades - for a bicycle crossing!!!

At Botsford/Wheeler, there is a similar situation. The CNR mainline is immmediately adjacent to the intersection, and grade separated. You could put in a parallel grade separated pedestrian/bicycle bridge paralleling and immediately adjacent to the railway bridge, which would cross Wheeler Blvd. If you did this, then the only thing left to do would be to figure out a crossing across Botsford Street, but, the Wheeler crossing would be about 80% of the battle anyway.

[Sunnybrae]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

An active transportation link across the causeway traffic circle might actually be ridiculously easy to create. You could run it in parallel with the CNR mainline (which has an elevated ROW directly across the traffic circle). You could run a parallel bridge immediately adjacent to the CNR line, and this could connect directly to the trail network to the east of the traffic circle, and, the bicycle lane on the north side of Salisbury Road to the west! Easy peasy!

And on that note, just today at noon, a guy was walking and trying to cross at the entrance to Wheeler off the circle. It's just a matter of time before something bad happens.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Sunnybrae

And on that note, just today at noon, a guy was walking and trying to cross at the entrance to Wheeler off the circle. It's just a matter of time before something bad happens.

Indeed. The two big traffic circles in Moncton are not your everyday neighbourhood roundabouts!!!

They are large, multilane and high speed traffic circles. This is an entirely different type of beast. The only way to safely navigate them as a cyclist or a pedestrian is with a grade separated crossing.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

An active transportation link across the causeway traffic circle might actually be ridiculously easy to create. You could run it in parallel with the CNR mainline (which has an elevated ROW directly across the traffic circle). You could run a parallel bridge immediately adjacent to the CNR line, and this could connect directly to the trail network to the east of the traffic circle, and, the bicycle lane on the north side of Salisbury Road to the west! Easy peasy!

Of course, this would require negotiations with CNR, which can be notoriously difficult. On West Main, near the McDonald's, there is a pedestrian/bicycle connector leading across the CNR mainline to the trail network on the southside of the tracks, and CNR refused to allow this unless the city funded a full RR crossing including flashing lights and barricades - for a bicycle crossing!!!

At Botsford/Wheeler, there is a similar situation. The CNR mainline is immmediately adjacent to the intersection, and grade separated. You could put in a parallel grade separated pedestrian/bicycle bridge paralleling and immediately adjacent to the railway bridge, which would cross Wheeler Blvd. If you did this, then the only thing left to do would be to figure out a crossing across Botsford Street, but, the Wheeler crossing would be about 80% of the battle anyway.

For those of you who are visual learners (and I include Yours Truly amongst these ranks), here are my solutions to the active transportation conundrum at Wheeler/Botsford and at the causeway traffic circle:





In both cases, my solution includes grade separated crossings over high traffic and dangerous intersections, and, this is accomplished by pairing these crossings with pre-existing grade separated railway crossings. Of course this would necessitate problematic negotiations with CNR, but, if there are appropriate safeguards (fencing, barriers and the like), I think a compromise could be reached which would not involve increased liability concerns for the railway company.

For both situations, I have shown how these connections would feed into pre-existing trails and bike lanes. I think the solution to be simple and rather elegant. The cost should not be more than a few million dollars, and, as an active transportation initiative, it might be considered for federal and provincial funding support.

[Sunnybrae]

Do you think there is anyway to link Baig Blvd. into this? From my observations, there are workers from the industrial park crossing the north side of the circle at Wheeler.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Sunnybrae

Do you think there is anyway to link Baig Blvd. into this? From my observations, there are workers from the industrial park crossing the north side of the circle at Wheeler.

Not easily.

The easiest to accomplish is at Edinburgh Drive (which is status quo), If you wanted a closer connection, it would entail either an at grade or grade separated railway crossing, which would displease CNR greatly.