Guelph Trans Canada TrailRail with Trail Design & Construction

Amanda Gebhardt BLA, OALA

Project Background

Completing the Missing Link… Part of the regional trail connection

◦ Identified in the Guelph Trails Master Plan as an important link connecting the Downtown to Riverside Park & Regional Trails.

A route informally used for generations by pedestrians & cyclist for commuting and leisure.

A challenge left to the last◦ Full of complex and unknown variables, many

safety and functional issues had to be addressed in legitimizing the route for use.

◦ Few precedents for Trails with Rail, one of the first of its kind in Canada.

◦ MMM Group was hired to tackle the design and construction challenges in 2007.

Process

Risk and Safety Audit by third party.◦ Determine acceptable means of integrating trail users and crossings within

the rail corridor.◦ Identify issues specific to the Guelph Junction Rail Corridor (frequency of use,

train speeds, liability & insurance)

Public Consultation◦ Assess preferred location of trail, access points, and desire for view screening.

Detailed Design & Approvals◦ Address physical limits of slopes and drainage.◦ Incorporate safety guidelines.◦ Negotiate flexibility between desire and cost.

Build it…◦ With all the complications that could possibly and unpredictably arise.

Design Approach

Offset elevation of Trail & Rail to increase separation.

Design a Barrier Fence that keeps people on the trail, but allows access on to the trail for stragglers.

Assess impact of alignment – costs vs. human desires/needs.

Marrying use patterns with safety & liability.

Challenges

NIMBY & Squatting◦ “We want a trail now, but please

build it over there.”◦ Addressing a history of parking,

storage, property access and encroaching structures.

Tight Spaces◦ Creating proper rail crossing

geometry in a narrow space.◦ “So you can’t shift that

apartment building for me?”◦ Introducing retaining walls &

infill to former drainage swales. Approvals

◦ Determining what approvals are needed.

◦ Involving various agencies and developing partnerships.

Public-Private Interface

Readying the Public◦ Transitioning perceptions from large scale

planning process to the actual impact and physical needs of construction.

◦ Sometimes you just need to stake out the alignment and take the neighbours for a walk.

Dealing with Encroachment◦ Re-establishing property boundaries.◦ When to push and when to walk away.◦ The benefits and consequences of compromise.

Screening Provisions ◦ Who gets what and how much?

Protecting Privacy and Mitigating Trespassing◦ When it is wanted?

Establishing an ongoing dialoge from design through implementation.

SafetyBig Picture:

Train vs. User

Short Term:Train vs. Contractor EmployeesTrain vs. Site Works (Excavation, etc.)Determined Users vs. Construction Process

Building the Trail

Until the barrier fence was erected, a railway flagman had to be on site at all times. $$

Two long retaining walls needed to be installed in tight spaces between the rail bed and private properties.

Coordinating & developing an installation method for fencing that would allow for a clean finish between posts and footings.

Challenges

Scheduling◦ Preparation works - clearing &

removals.◦ Getting a barrier up asap.

Limits of Equipment & Space◦ Excavating & building with no where

to go. Site Security

◦ Keeping people out is full time job. Termites

◦ Transferring cut and fill. ◦ Removals.◦ Public concern and perception.

Negotiating Access & Storage◦ Railway corridors don’t always offer

enough space for staging and storage.

◦ Agreements with landowners and provisions for remedying borrowed space.

Unforeseen Obstacles

Over Excavation◦ A long history of using the back of the

properties as a garbage pile resulted in layers of unstable soil.

◦ Added time to schedule. Storm Water Volumes

◦ City snow storage practices along the trail.

◦ Unique season of winter rains and impermeable frozen soil.

◦ Adjustments to corridor storage swales and street infrastructure were a late addition to keep trail from icing and neighbours dry.

Perceived Protected Green Space◦ Place of interment?

Unsavory Activities◦ Infrequent and informal use encourages

illicit activities, another reason a formal trail was being welcomed in this area.

◦ Bio-hazards and electrocution are sometimes things you have to work around.

SuccessesIt has been a long wait for residents, but now that they have their trail

they are taking advantage of it.

The trail is heavily use for leisure and commuter purposes.

Once a favorite place to explore, now a safe and accessible part of an active daily routine.

Lessons Learned

If we were to do it all again….

◦ Clearly identify and establish parameters for management of adjacent land owners early in the process.

◦ More public consultation during the design process and directly making contact with all adjacent property owners.

◦ Design a fence system that can be installed (partially or in full) prior to other site works. It may not always be possible, however the flagging cost savings are huge.

Guelph Trans Canada TrailRail with Trail Design & Construction

Thank you!