Brighton Trailhead and Laurel Trail Pedestrian Lighting

1) As currently proposed, the project design puts the main project goals, place making and improved trail safety, at odds with each other. The creation of the trail head space as spanning the trail will decrease trail safety as it will create many potential crashes as trail users will have to dodge trail head space users. It will result in an unsafe and overall poor user experience for both groups of users. If the trail head is built it should be built on one side or the other of the trail, not spanning the trail, to keep it separated from the trail like the different modes are separated in Waterloo Park.

2) I would rather resources for the trailhead, especially given the proximity of Brighton Park, be re-directed towards fixing the monstrosity of a trail crossing at Weber and McKay.

3) There should be two trail connections from Brighton St to the trail. One should be near the co-op’s driveway (note the desire line that currently goes through the co-op’s driveway and across the grass), and the other should be near the present day trail connection (or if only one connection is possible a small trail-sized traffic circle / roundabout for trail users).

4) The trail connections to Brighton St should be gentle curves and very smooth curb cut transitions. Ninety degree turns are not a good user experience especially for cyclists, especially cyclists with trailers (of which there are a larger number of travelling to and from the daycare up the street and down to the public school on Moore). We have giant, sweeping turning radiuses for all of the roads in this community, when they actually need to be sharp to slow motorists down, but sharp turning radiuses on trails when there is much lower risk; it is completely backwards.

5) I am in favour of improved lighting provided it does not result in extensive loss of vegetation or trees. This particular trail section actually gets a fair bit of light already from the light spilling over from Walmart plaza across the creek, the street lighting at the end of Brighton St, and the lighting from the co-op’s parking lot, and additional lighting might not be needed at this time.

6) I know it is out of the project limits, but it would be good to future proof any plans by ensuring a trail connection and a bridge could be built across the creek to the plaza (which will eventually be redeveloped with a large residential component. This would greatly increase the connectivity of the neighbourhood, especially If the trail could continue along the plaza’s property line to the future Bridgeport cycling lanes, and Moore Ave, and would reduce the travel distance to the plaza for the entire Brighton neighbourhood by 600m, and the travel distance to the school on Moore Ave.

Thanks Emily Brown for spearheading this project.

1 - It would be great if these proposed plans were united with the efforts of The Uptown North Neighbourhood Association's (UNNA) plans to improve Brighton Park.
UNNA has submitted plans and funding for improvements to the park and entrance including: extra seating, signage, more trees, more pollinator plants, and improved infrastructure.


2 - with observation of the current trailhead has an obvious pathway where traffic currently flows -- please preserve and improve this connection

3 - retain existing trees in roundabout green space -- recently several of the trees on this boulevard/trailhead have been damaged due to the elements/pests and require more permaculture planting. What currently exists are trees with no supporting plants and terrible grass that in the middle of summer is like a brown desert. Each project should consider how permaculture principles and starting thinking of plants more food forest investment and canopy succession growth.

4 - The Weber street crossing is scary. One only needs to try and use this crossing to understand how terrible it is. It is incredibly unsafe. Unfortunately, traffic in this area is rarely considerate of pedestrians in this section.

5 - It would be great to see an Eco-passage (insect/animal tunnel) at the Trailhead like those implemented in Cyprus National Park. There is quite a vibrant ecosystem along the creek and this could also serve as a drainage tunnel where the trail seasonally is under water or ice.
Although many may scoff at this idea, eco-passages are documenting great success in creature usage and can reduce the number of animals that get hit on this trail by cyclists and electric transports.

6 - Instead of adding seating at the Trailhead -- collaborate with UNNA and invite trail users into Brighton Park ... in reality the Trailhead to anyone outside the community would be considered the same as the park itself.

7 - consider having consultation with people in the park and on the trailhead before implementing any proposed changes

Thank you for the proposed design and focus on improving this area of the trail. I have several concerns/comments on the proposed design:
1 - retain the existing path connection from the trail to the roundabout AND add the proposed pathway at the Brighton Yards entrance (following the desire path that has been made by users. Please do not remove the existing pathway. Active transportation flow is from both directions, and paved pathways need to reflect that. Consider the desire path as this is where users do and will continue to access the trail, regardless of improvements/changes made.
2 - retain existing trees in roundabout green space
3 - It is critically important to improve the Weber Street crossing. The current island barely fits a bike or person w/ stroller or pet. The bollards are often damaged and larger/more secure setup (preferably with signalized beg buttons or other lit-visual indicator, like on Bridgeport) for active transportation user safety
4 - Improvements to drainage and/or grading along the greenspace/swale between the trail and Brighton yards is also essential. It floods regularly making walking a challenge.
5 - Adding 'placemaking' and benches here seems unusual/unnecessary given the proximity of the proposed locations to the actual Brighton Park and Moses Springer Park.
6 - the sharp angle of the 'trail connection to Brighton Street' does not work well for cyclists - coming on to the trail from Brighton St will result in a wide turn cutting into the opposite lane. A gentle curve (see desire path) would be preferable.

Smooth access between the trail and Brighton St is essential. The sharp corner in the proposed layout looks like it will lead to cyclists and pedestrians cutting the corner to get on or off the path.
Improving the path is nice but without improving the safety and ease of use of the Weber St crossing the Laurel trail will be under-utilized. The crossing is confusing and dangerous because of the speed of the vehicles in that area, the narrowness and lack of strong bollards on the traffic island, and the circuitous route that people using the trail are supposed to take.
It would also be nice if the path were wider than it currently is so that people can walk side by side and a cyclist can safely and comfortably pass them.

Please stop killing the trees. We need them I am horrified by how many trees the city has cut down in the past few years. Please at least don't kill the beautiful willow.