Another perspective on the Iron Horse Trail

It can be insightful to take another perspective on something we’re used to. Yesterday I walked the length of Kitchener-Waterloo’s Iron Horse Trail and photographed it from its most common vantage points – the roads crossing it. There is little immediately evident in these photos, but I will explain below.

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What these photos show is the absence of anything to indicate the presence of the Iron Horse Trail. Which is a problem. How can we expect motorists to be mindful of a major path crossing if they cannot see it? Pedestrian infrastructure for the crossings is needed in order for motorists to give due attention to trail users, for the safety and improved experience of those trail users, and for better awareness of the Iron Horse Trail itself.

The Iron Horse Trail warrants raised crossings that are visually distinct from the rest of the road, but at the very least it should have zebra crossings.

(This entry is cross-posted to my personal blog.)