Thames Valley Parkway

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

the same nimbys in the same neighborhood that killed the planned 402 highway routing north of London.

The house with the trail access beside his second driveway has a Tommy Caldwell MBA sign on his lawn from the last municipal election on Google Earth, so I have less sympathy for him now lol

[tyeman200]

However, neighbours told the PEC meeting that upgrading the difficult-to-find trail might lead to more traffic on their isolated street of executive-style homes.

Oh wah wah wah. What a bunch of whiny babies. Tell them to all move then, too bad so sad for them.

[jammer139]

New funding for north shore link of the TVP in SOHO. Hopefully some of the other projects and dollars mentioned will complete the gap in the Medway Valley between Fanshawe Rd and Western.


https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/park...hood-revival-what-city-building-is-about


CBC article with map


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/ne...nd-other-london-neighbourhoods-1.7260609

[jammer139]

Portion of TVP to be closed for maintenance work north of Oxford up to Gibbons Park.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/detour-in-plac...alley-parkway-maintenance-work-1.6996697

[jammer139]

Construction of a 1.2 km multi-use pathway connecting the Stoney Creek Valley
Pathway to the Thames Valley Parkway was identified in the Thames Valley Parkway
North Branch Connection Environmental Assessment Study which was approved in
2017. The path is planned to be constructed along Windermere Road, through
Windermere Fields Park, and along Adelaide Street North.

Considering there is now a connection at Tetherwood Blvd to the new section of the TVP this is a minor improvement to Windermere Rd to Adelaide.


https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=110510

[bolognium]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport - Aug 14, 2016

dear god please build a pedestrian bridge over medway creek so I can get from Hyde Park to UWO faster....of course it is possible to walk, but you have to follow the bends of the creek, which makes it impractical from a time perspective. we need a pedestrian bridge right near Elsie Wayne Estate.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport - Jul 12, 2017

we badly need a pedestrian/bike crossing of Medway to link the trail sections from Windermere and Gainsborough roads.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport - Apr 16, 2018

Count me as an environmentalist (since when did this become an insult?) who supports the building of a pedestrian bridge across medway creek, so as to allow through access from the Gainsborough section to the Windermere section.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport - Jun 23, 2020

Medway Creek, near Gainsborough-Windermere, badly needs a crossing. Why has this been neglected for decades, while other places get multiple crossings?
Its been talked about since the 90s.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport - Aug 10, 2020

ped bridge at abouts Windermere and Gainsborough, for the love of god please. This area is getting overlooked, probably deliberately.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport - Oct 13, 2020

please build a pedestrian link between Gainsborough and Windermere areas. There is no way to cross Medway creek in that area, despite the obvious need.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport - Aug 27, 2021

Please, please, please, please, please,please, please,please, please,please, please,please, please build a pedestrian bridge over medway creek near the windermere-gainsborough axis. Please.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport - Feb 22, 2024

I want a pedestrian bridge over Medway creek, roughly where Windermere and Gainsborough (should) meet up. There are three (THREE) such crossings to the north of Fanshawe Park road, none below.

This is so sad. Give this man his damn bridge!

After your post the other day in the Mobility Master Plan thread, I spent an evening reading old news articles, looking through old planning docs, and just trying to understand why this vital link has been put on the back burner for so long. Gainsborough to Windermere should've been bridged decades ago. Why hasn't this happened? What can we do to help this happen?

I found this WordPress Medway NIMBY Blog from 2009 dedicated to stopping a multi-use trail in the Medway ESA. This is the kind of stuff Snark and I were talking about in the Mobility Master Plan thread.

Originally Posted by NIMBY blog - June 7, 2009

Neighborhood Concerns

The Orchard Park / Sherwood Forest Ratepayers (Lower Medway Ratepayers Inc) have voiced a number of concerns regarding this project:

• City staff did not even contact the neighborhood to tell them this project was planned.
• The plan is contrary to the recommendation in the 1996 site plan adopted by City Council specified that large structures were inappropriate was never rescinded by Council.
• The Medway Valley is a natural area, not a managed park, and should not be treated as a park
• Residents enjoy the undisturbed nature of the Valley, and are concerned about the impact on plants and animals
• Residents are concerned about a potential increase in environmental degradation caused by bringing more people into the valley
• City staff have asserted that the construction of the path would reduce the impact of pedestrians bicycles through the valley, but have not presented any evidence to back this assertion
• City staff have asserted that the pathway is mandated to provide access to residents with disabilities; however, there is no requirement to construct a path and bridge to provide accessibility, only that any construction must be built to city standards that accommodate those with mobility disabilities.
• Although a rationale for the construction of the path is that it would enable cyclists to more easily travel to the University of Western Ontario, there does not appear to have been consultation with commuters, nor does the plan take into account existing cycling routes to the University
• Due to construction and maintenance requirements, the construction of a 3-meter path would likely require additional clearance of trees and bushes for at least another meter on each side
• In a time of financial constraints, it is unclear why the City is so eager to spend taxpayers funds on a project which is not supported by many residents

As you can see, their main concerns are with how the project will affect them. They think of this valley as their own private natural area. They don't want other people enjoying it, or having easy access to it. They don't want other people traveling through it. Creating a link through Medway would be massive for encouraging active transportation in the area, and would likely benefit thousands of cyclists city-wide.

This is a good example of the kind of energy these people are putting out there:



They'll use the hyperbolic imagery of a transport truck to make it look like we're destroying the forest by putting a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 multi-use trail in there.

This may be a heritage forest and Environmentally Significant Area, but surely the benefits to the cycling network and better access to the valley outweigh the negative effects this trail may have.

This Youtube video is also embedded in that NIMBY blog. Just listen to the way that Ryner guy talks throughout the video. Can't believe there was this kind of organized opposition 15 years ago. No wonder nothing's been built. And we were pondering why the East sees all the investment.

• Video Link

It boils down to organized NIMBYs stopping this trail. Every old news article I read had some NIMBY voicing their concerns. Every news article made sure to mention "the significant opposition from local residents."

We would've had a trail through Medway 30 years ago if it wasn't for these meddling, entitled, privileged loudmouths on either side of this valley.

[ericmacm]

I find it funny how the Environmentally Significant Area designation is always used as a weapon by NIMBY groups to advocate against new paths and/or bridges when it is very clearly obvious that the intent is more about preventing public access than it is preserving nature. Kilally Meadows, Meadowlily, and the northern portion of the Medway Valley ESAs all have plenty of upgraded trails and bridges for access yet I don’t hear anyone complaining about how that infrastructure is damaging the environment.

It’s unfortunate that Medway Valley remains such a giant gap in the TVP system and will continue to remain as such for a while. I am disappointed to see that it was left off of the new draft cycling network map entirely for any future improvements.

[CanadianTalk]

I just noticed this! If you look at the pdf link under the proposed cycling network section on the Mobility Master Plan website, there are two cycling maps provided. One is the 10-year one, and one is the long-term one. The Gainsborough-Windermere link appears in the long-term one as a "proposed addition" to the 2016-approved cycling plan!

https://london.ca/sites/default/files/20...20Network%20Recommendation%20%281%29.pdf

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by bolognium

This is so sad. Give this man his damn bridge!

After your post the other day in the Mobility Master Plan thread, I spent an evening reading old news articles, looking through old planning docs, and just trying to understand why this vital link has been put on the back burner for so long. Gainsborough to Windermere should've been bridged decades ago. Why hasn't this happened? What can we do to help this happen?

I found this WordPress Medway NIMBY Blog from 2009 dedicated to stopping a multi-use trail in the Medway ESA. This is the kind of stuff Snark and I were talking about in the Mobility Master Plan thread.



As you can see, their main concerns are with how the project will affect them. They think of this valley as their own private natural area. They don't want other people enjoying it, or having easy access to it. They don't want other people traveling through it. Creating a link through Medway would be massive for encouraging active transportation in the area, and would likely benefit thousands of cyclists city-wide.

This is a good example of the kind of energy these people are putting out there:



They'll use the hyperbolic imagery of a transport truck to make it look like we're destroying the forest by putting a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 multi-use trail in there.

This may be a heritage forest and Environmentally Significant Area, but surely the benefits to the cycling network and better access to the valley outweigh the negative effects this trail may have.

This Youtube video is also embedded in that NIMBY blog. Just listen to the way that Ryner guy talks throughout the video. Can't believe there was this kind of organized opposition 15 years ago. No wonder nothing's been built. And we were pondering why the East sees all the investment.

• Video Link

It boils down to organized NIMBYs stopping this trail. Every old news article I read had some NIMBY voicing their concerns. Every news article made sure to mention "the significant opposition from local residents."

We would've had a trail through Medway 30 years ago if it wasn't for these meddling, entitled, privileged loudmouths on either side of this valley.

Thanks for digging this up. It is what I feared. "ratepayers association"...in other words, I've got mine, 🞵🞵🞵🞵 y'alls.

[jammer139]

From the MMP staff report this section on a Gainsborough-Windermere connection.

https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=114765

2.3.7 Windermere Road to Gainsborough Road Active Transportation
Connection

Throughout the development of the MMP, there were many who expressed support for
the proposed multi-use pathway connection over Medway valley between Gainsborough
Road and Windermere Road. East-west pedestrian and cycling connectivity between
the Medway and Masonville communities is limited, with active transportation linkages
restricted to high-volume arterial roads. Both of these communities also contain existing
and future residential and employment growth areas.

An active transportation connection between Windermere Road and Gainsborough
Road is a strategic linkage and a beneficial opportunity to provide infrastructure
supportive of the mode shift objectives of the MMP. With an appropriate design, a
pedestrian and cycling bridge could connect communities, support economic
development and tourism, improve accessibility, expand the pathway system and
reduce carbon emissions.

The Medway Valley Heritage Forest Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) is one of
London’s most important natural areas. It is vital that the ecological integrity and
ecosystem health of the ESA be preserved as the first principle for the proposed
Gainsborough-Windermere active transportation connection. This need was strongly
received through the community consultations, with understandable concerns about
previous proposals for a pathway connection that did not fully reflect landscape ecology
best practices. Through further evaluation, a bridge structure will need to avoid
localized ecological impacts as well as avoiding the potential of splitting the ESA into
two features. As such, the bridge structure will need to sit above the ESA, rather than
running through it. Encroachment into the valley will be avoided and supporting piers
will be only considered if technically necessary and based on robust ecological analysis.
The inclusion of this transformative project is only the beginning of the technical review
and community conversations, recognizing that it would be built more than a decade
from now. Future decision points will include inclusion of the linkage in The London
Plan mapping, updates to the Medway Heritage Forest ESA Conservation Master Plan,
and various environmental and engineering technical studies. While project funding is
anticipated to be from both tax and Development Charge sources, it is anticipated that
the scale and cost of the project will rely on external funding, such as community
contributions and senior government active transportation programs.

[MolsonExport]

I was excited until I read “more than a decade from now”
For gawd’s sake….

[jammer139]

Members of council’s planning committee unanimously voted on Tuesday to halt any work on a proposed trail in the environmentally sensitive region southeast of the Wonderland and Fanshawe Park roads intersection, behind properties on Attawandaron Road, which would connect to existing trails to the north and south.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/medw...st-london-neighbour-ire?itm_source=index

CBC article link
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/re...park-plan-in-north-west-london-1.7607948

[jammer139]

LFP update story on Medway Valley Trail debate next Tuesday.


https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/councils-plan-to-ditch-paved-medway-valley-trail-draws-backlash

[jammer139]

Letter from Accessibility group on the debate on the proposed trail in the Medway Valley.

https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=118380

[jammer139]

Council votes to stop planned trail in Medway Valley.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/coun...-accessibility-concerns?itm_source=index

[MolsonExport]

Of course they did. Disappointing.

[bolognium]

Those ratepayers strike again!

This area is doomed to stay disconnected from the greater trail network.

[Snark]

Originally Posted by bolognium

Those ratepayers strike again!

This area is doomed to stay disconnected from the greater trail network.

Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis was interviewed by CFPL radio yesterday about the matter. I usually like how this particular politician seems to operate, however in this case he took the slimy political low road.

He made only a very passing reference to the main opposition group to the project comprised of residents who have appropriated public land for their own exclusive private use (and not even paying property taxes for it), and lobbied to kill the project so that they could continue to do so. His only reference to that group was that there will be "future discussions on how we deal with some of the encroachment issues" - however he never made any statement directly connecting the opposition by the encroaching residents trying to stop the project and the killing of the project by himself and the rest of committee.

Instead, he very quickly spent most of the discussion pivoting to an argument that he and some other councillors had walked the site, and in their grossly untrained and uneducated minds had decided at that point that the proposed project was unfeasible from an engineering perspective. The real exposure to this dishonest reasoning being a facade is that later in committee (including Lewis), they denied moving forward with conducting an engineering feasibility study by actual engineers to assess the constructability and cost aspects of the proposed project, because he and the rest of committee unanimously felt that any such assessment would certainly come to the same conclusions and he the other esteemed highly trained councillors had made during their little stroll through the site.

This has the look and smell of throwing up a manufactured fallacy to provide cover for a very political decision based more on favouritism towards a small vocal group.

Gutless

[MolsonExport]

I have seen signs for "ratepayers association" in the Sherwood Forest area, including for advertising a ratepayers barbecue.

What is this group? Taxpayers by another name?

I live in Hyde Park, and I never saw anything about local ratepayers association.

[Djeffery]

That's very surprising of Lewis if that is how it went down because he has always come across as having a problem with residents of the city west of say, Highbury Ave. He's an east end guy, and nothing wrong with that, but he has often seemed like he played up to this "the east end always gets walked on" mentality that a lot of people have from that area (I know it was said a lot when I lived east of Highbury). I would be surprised that he would let a small group of entitled west-enders get away with something.

There's been talk about making the Deputy Mayor an actual elected position. I doubt it will be able to be done in time for next fall's election, but perhaps he is trying to 🞵🞵🞵🞵 up to other areas outside his ward to gain favour towards that goal. His ultimate goal is obviously to be Mayor someday but who knows how long Morgan is staying, and they are practically conjoined twins so no way would be run against Josh.