TOWNSHIP OF CENTRE WELLINGTON TRAILS MASTER PLAN May 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Study Introduction 1.1 A Brief History of Trails in Centre Wellington .............................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Why Does Centre Wellington Need A Trails Master Plan? ........................................................... 1-3 1.3 Trail Vision & Objectives for Centre Wellington ........................................................................... 1-7 1.4 The Benefits of Trail Development ................................................................................................ 1-8 1.5 Study Process & Organization of the Report .................................................................................. 1-9 2.0 Community and Stakeholder Consultation and Engagement 2.1 The Community and Stakeholder Consultation Approach ........................................................... 2-1 2.2 Summary of Comments – What we Heard from the Public ........................................................... 2-6 2.2.1 Online Questionnaire Results and Key Findings ............................................................................ 2-6 2.2.2 Public Information Centres .......................................................................................................... 2-10 2.2.3 Stakeholder Workshops ................................................................................................................ 2-11 3.0 The Trails Network 3.1 The Network Development Process ............................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.1 Inventory of Existing Trails ........................................................................................................... 3-3 3.1.2 Guiding Principles for Route Selection .......................................................................................... 3-4 3.1.3 The Proposed Trails Network ......................................................................................................... 3-5 3.2 Designing Trails .............................................................................................................................. 3-8 3.2.1 Trails Users & Design Considerations ........................................................................................... 3-8 3.2.1.1 Facility Users & Needs ....................................................................................................... 3-9 3.2.1.2 Accessibility ...................................................................................................................... 3-11 3.2.2 Trail Facility Types & Selection ................................................................................................... 3-14 3.2.2.1 Shared Space on Road Cycling Facilities ......................................................................... 3-16 TOWNSHIP OF CENTRE WELLINGTON TRAILS MASTER PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS i MMM Group • MAY 2014 3.2.2.2 Dedicated Space on Road Cycling Facilities .................................................................... 3-18 3.2.2.3 On-Road Separated Cycling Facilities ............................................................................. 3-19 3.2.2.4 Off-Road Separated Walking and Cycling Facilities ........................................................ 3-20 3.2.3 Other Design Considerations ........................................................................................................ 3-23 3.2.3.1 Trail Types ........................................................................................................................ 3-23 3.2.3.2 Off-Road Trail Surfacing Options ..................................................................................... 3-23 3.2.3.3 Boardwalks ........................................................................................................................ 3-26 3.2.3.4 Trails on Slopes ................................................................................................................. 3-28 3.2.3.5 Trail Bridges ..................................................................................................................... 3-29 3.2.3.6 Trail Access and Barriers ................................................................................................. 3-31 3.2.3.7 Road Crossings ................................................................................................................. 3-33 3.2.3.8 Rest and Staging Areas ..................................................................................................... 3-35 3.2.3.9 Bicycle Parking Facilities ................................................................................................. 3-36 3.2.3.10 Trail Signs ....................................................................................................................... 3-37 4.0 Implementing the Plan 4.1 How to Implement the Trails Master Plan ...................................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 Who Does What? ............................................................................................................................. 4-2 4.2 The Network Implementation Strategy ........................................................................................... 4-3 4.2.1 Network Implementation Priorities ................................................................................................. 4-4 4.3 Network Implementation Cost and Funding .................................................................................. 4-6 4.3.1 A Network Management Tool .......................................................................................................... 4-8 4.3.2 A Five-Step Implementation Process .............................................................................................. 4-9 4.4 Planning for Trails in the Township of Centre Wellington ............................................................. 4-9 4.4.1 Trails and the Official Plan............................................................................................................. 4-9 4.4.2 Community Planning and Design Strategies to Support Trail Development ................................ 4-10 4.4.3 Ongoing Public Participation and Consultation .......................................................................... 4-11 4.4.4 Land Acquisition and Securement for Trail Routes ...................................................................... 4-12 4.5 Outreach and Promotion ............................................................................................................... 4-13 4.5.1 The Proposed 4-E Approach ......................................................................................................... 4-13 4.6 Managing Trails ............................................................................................................................ 4-16 4.6.1 Insurance, Liability and Risk Management .................................................................................. 4-16 4.6.2 A Trail Maintenance Plan for the Township of Centre Wellington .............................................. 4-18 4.6.2.1 Off Road Trail Maintenance ............................................................................................. 4-19 4.6.2.1 Maintenance of On-road Cycling Routes .......................................................................... 4-22 4.6.3 Monitoring Implementation and Performance Measures ............................................................. 4-23 4.6.4 Updating the Trails Master Plan .................................................................................................. 4-23 5.0 Summary of Recommendations and Next Steps Appendix A Unit Price Schedule Appendix B Official Plan Policy Suggestions ii List of Maps Map 3.1 Proposed Route Network With Facility Types (Township-wide) ............................................... 3-6 Map 3.2 Proposed Route Network With Facility Types (Fergus, Elora & Belwood ................................. 3-7 Map 3.3 Elora Cataract Trailway / Trans Canada Trail Signage Plan – Elora ........................................ 3-10 Map 3.4 Elora Cataract Trailway / Trans Canada Trail Signage Plan –Fergus ....................................... 3-11 Map 4.1 Proposed Network Phasing (Township –wide) .......................................................................... 4-5 Map 4.2 Proposed Network Phasing (Elora, Fergus & Belwood) ............................................................ 4-6 List of Tables Table 3.1 Network Summary – Length of Facilities (km) by Type and Ownership ................................ 3-8 Table 3.2 Typical Key User Groups ....................................................................................................... 3-13 Table 3.3 In-line Skating Design Grade Considerations ........................................................................ 3-14 Table 3.4 Trail Facility Design Alternatives .......................................................................................... 3-19 Table 3.5 Comparison of Trail Surfacing Materials ............................................................................... 3-27 Table 4.1 Network Implementation Costs by Phase as Illustrated on Maps 4.1 and 4.2 .......................... 4-8 Table 4.2 Potential Education Initiatives ...............................................................................................