Integrating streets, sidewalks, with ped-bike paths

There is a pedestrian-cyclist path along the east side of the Otrain cut from Carling to Young Street. Hopefully this path will be rebuilt and extended next year (a study is underway) to become a really useful cycling link “Cyclopiste de Preston”.
Some careful thought needs to be given to how the path will connect to the sidewalks and pavements of the adjacent dead-end streets – there are many of them.
Currently, only one street has its sidewalk (and only on one side) properly connect to the recreational path. This works well for pedestrians, but what are cyclists supposed to do? Walk their bike? (unlikely); ride on the sidewalk then swerve onto the road? (likely) and the movement is even more awkward for those going from the street to the path as the connection is only on the wrong (left) side of the road.
For many of the side streets, there simply isn’t a proper connection between the city sidewalk and city pedestrian path a few meters further along:
And sometimes the informal goat trail connection cannot align well with the sidewalk at all. These trails are muddy, some are steep, all are awkward and unmaintained.

One thought on “Integrating streets, sidewalks, with ped-bike paths

  1. I agree that some work could be done to improve how the bike path connects to the dead end streets along its way. Dipping sidewalks where the path crosses Beech (?) would be nice too. Also have you noticed at the North end of this planned route for this bike bath at bayview station that OC Transpo has just put up a do not enter sign at the border of the station along the path to the River. This at the exact same time when the only other access point to the River, the future extension of Preston, North of Albert, is being dug up by Tagart. This means we have to go to Laroche Park or Booth street to get to the River, both of which are a bit of a pain for a pedestrian living near the top of Preston.

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