Farther, Greener, Greater: Creating the Waterfront Trail

The Waterfront Trail Farther, Greener, Greater celebrating 20 years of regeneration March 2013 Marlaine Koehler Waterfront Regeneration Trust

Learining by doing • • • •

Waterfront Regeneration Trust Waterfront Trail—where we are today Lake Erie in 3 yearstemplate for action From 2009 to 2013

Evolution of the Organization 1988-1992

1992-1999

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Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront

Waterfront Regeneration Trust Agency

Waterfront Regeneration Trust

•Provincial Agency •Implement RCFTW recommendations •Create the Waterfront Trail •Lake Ontario Greenway StrategyMulti-disciplinary work groups on waterfront issues from brownfield remediation, shoreline management, natural heritage, tourism and economic development

•Registered Charity •Focus on the Provincially significant Waterfront Trail •Articulate the Vision •Coordinate partnership of 41 communities •Secure participation by senior government •Add value to local & regional initiatives by working on Trail-wide initiatives--promotional

•Federal & Provincial mandate •Hon. David Crombie, Commissioner •Public Hearingspublic wanted an accessible, healthy waterfront •Final Report Regeneration •Nine waterfront principlesClean, green, connected, affordable, useable, open, diverse, attractive and accessible

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Signage • Consistently Signed from Niagara to Quebec in 2007 – Directional and l Trail head – Signage installed at Quebec Border – Connections to VIA Rail Stations (Cobourg, Kingston, Brockville) – Welcome Cyclist Signage – Bike Train signage – Share the Road signage

• WRT conducts signage audits • Next priorities-signage TO the Trail and updating the Trailhead signs to show extension to the next Great Lake

Waterfront Trail -- Safety Priorities Niagara to Quebec •

6.8 km Lakeshore Rd from Shakespeare Rd to Town Line, Niagara-on-the-Lake – –

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3 km North Service Rd from Jordan Rd to Victoria Ave, Lincoln (Niagara Region) – –

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Share the Road signs Reduced speed limit

Long-term plan to move the trail to water’s edge Wide parking lots provide some room to move

2 km Lake Shore Blvd. from First St to Norris, Toronto 1.5 km Queen’s Quay from Spadina to Yonge, Toronto –

Waterfront Toronto leading work on rehabilitating Queen’s Quay. Will be a dedicated off road promenade.

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.6 km Kingston Rd, Toronto

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1.4 km Bayly/Victoria, Durham Region

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5.3 km Murray Canal, Trenton –

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17 km old HWY 2/Dundas St. between Trenton and Belleville –

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City of Trenton created detour around the site for cyclists.

Users detour through Prince Edward County

5.9 km Johnstown to Cardinal, United Leeds and Grenville –

Shoulders unpaved, no signage

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Thousand Island Bike Path—critical need of repair—($2 to $4M)

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Hamilton Pedestrian Bridge over the QEW Windermere Basin Restoration Brant Street Pier, Burlington New Trail in Oakville by Edgemere Estates Inspiration Lakeview, Mississauga250 acres of new waterfront Mimico Waterfront Park from Norris to Humber Bay Park (Opened 2012) Queen’s Quay Promenade in Toronto 6 New parks—Ireland Park, H2O, Sugar Beach, Sherbourne Common, Lake Ontario Park, wave decks Completion of the Waterfront Trail from Port Union to the Mouth of the Rouge Creation of the Rouge National Urban Park Frenchman’s Bay Master Plan Ajax Shoreline Improvement Plan Ajax acquires waterfront land east of Ontaro Rd. Iroquois Beach, Whitby Oshawa Harbour27 acres of new waterfront Port Granby Eco Reserve, Clarington/Port Hope Moving the Trail closer to the water’s edge in Port Hope and Cobourg Lovshin/Kerr Street Extension (Cobourg to Port Hope Waterfront Trail and Parks Committee) Acquisition of west beach lands, Cobourg Northumberland Regional loops—Cycle Master Plan Closing the Gap between Trenton and Deseronto—Hastings Trail Committee Waterfront Development, Prescott New international bridge in Cornwall

Cornwall International Bridge Before & After

New International Seaway Bridge-Approach to Cornwall looking North Expected completion date: Fall 2014

To Red Hill Trail and around the Bay

Queen’s Quay today

Queen’s Quay 2014

Queen’s Quay-north side today

Queen’s Quay – north side 2014

Wave Deck 2013

Wave Deck 2014

Template for Action • • • •

Goal -- Signed route in place by 2012-2013 Initiate discussions with waterfront communities Field research (OBR) Partners Meeting--May 18th – Map the draft route – 19 maps released today – verify the maps and route during the September 12 to 17 workshop

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Pilot cycling tour and workshop of the proposed route in Fall 2011 Coordinate trail-wide way-finding program Launch a GWTA-style cycling tour in 2012 once the route is signed Partners: – – – –

Carolinian Canada Coalition Transportation Options (Welcome Cyclists, Bike Train) Share the Road (Bike Friendly Communities) Funded by the Ontario Government (Ministry of Tourism)

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6th GWTA Town of Lakeshore to Fort Erie 7 days CampingComfy Campers or Hotels Fully supportedeveryone can do this Promote existing businesses and attractions along route People are discovering they can cycle much farther than they thought • Communities discovering benefits of cycle tourism

Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Develops local tourism 

95% agree that the Waterfront Trail offers wonderful holiday opportunities  95% great experience on GWTA will lead them to consider other cycling holidays  86% will return to visit communities in the next year • 48% come from the GTA • 52% come from outside the GTA • Creates great word of mouth Promotions and Media coverage  Getoutthere Magazine- East and West editions 300,000 nationally.  Toronto and Montreal Bike Shows  Outdoor Adventure Show/  Bike Safety Expo with SRT and CAA (100+ students)  Promoted extensively on cycling blogs and bulletin boards, cycling shops, fitness clubs  Local paper and radio coverage excellent (CBC, CFRB, CJSS Cornwall, Toronto Star, CHCH)  Full page features in the Hamilton Spectator (2011), Toronto Star (2010), Ottawa Citizen (2008, 2009)  3.3 M impressions in print media • RAGNAR—300km, 24 hr team running event coming to the Waterfront Trail June 2011

Tourism Potential-- what Quebec says 2012 Montreal Bike Survey • 88% say knowing about Waterfront Trail leads to planning a trip • 33% knew about the Waterfront Trail (13% from 2011) • 88% were interested in touring Lake Erie(9% from 2011)

• In 2011 Grande Tour introduced 2,200 Quebec cyclists to Ontario!

• 40% thinking about travelling to Ontario this year; 45% plan a trip in the next 1 to 3 years

… that between the 6 of us, the "Team Quebec" members as we like to call ourselves, there are to date some 20 to 25 people we talk to that are almost certain to go on the next GWTA. So what you guys are doing for the Waterfront Trail; getting people to know about it, use it, bringing tourism over, the development of it, it's working !!!

Tourism Potential--USA •

$46.9 billion is spent on meals, transportation, lodging, gifts and entertainment during bike trips and tours.

Source: League of American Bicyclists Darren Flusche Policy Analyst, June 2009

• Waterfront Trail recognized as one of Canada’s best cycling touring routes in recent edition of Adventure Cyclists (45,000 members) • RAGNAR-annual, 300 km, all night relay team running event coming to Canada in 2013 • Promote the Waterfront Trail to thousands in the US

Legacy Goal • As close to the water’s edge as environmentally feasible • Expression and demonstration of new approaches to the waterfront and a way to connect people to the work of regeneration – Integrate environment, economy and communityecosystem approach – Nine waterfront principles-clean, green, connected, diverse, affordable, open, useable, attractive and accessible

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Welcome Cyclists Share the Road Bike Summits Bike Friendly Communities GWTA is in its sixth year Hundreds of cycling events—Share the Road+ Partner communities are promoting cycling loops that connect to the Waterfront Trail Waterfront Trail along Lake Erie VIA has assumed operation of the BIKE train. GO transit operates a bike train.

MTO Provincial Cycle Tourism MOE Great Lakes Guardian Fund

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Pam Am Games—Legacy projects Ontario Parks Policy Rouge National Urban Park Revitalization of downtown Toronto Central Waterfront Bike Lanes Owen Sound to Tobermory and Manitoulin Is. Technology Google Maps OTC Trails application & Peel’s Walk and Roll Regional Master Plans—active transportation and trails TCT-complete by 2017 Detroit Cycling Hub Development

20. CAA Mobile Bike Assist