It is very nice to see the OTrain multi-user pathway being plowed this winter. The part that is paved, from Young to the Ottawa River, warms up nicely in the full south sun which yields a nice walking and cycling surface. Odds bits of grit and dog poo provide traction.
On the south side of Gladstone there is a large steel billboard. The platform used by the paperhangers extends out over the pathway. While intimidating, it seems to be above everyone’s head even when cycling. There used to be a bit of reflective material on the protruding end, but this is now gone.
However, plows must be significantly higher than cyclists, and they could hit the platform, so a temporary barricade has been put up to ensure our snowplow drivers aren’t decapitated. Could Jimmy Pattison be the new ISIS?
It puzzles me that this billboard can’t be relocated or the platform folded up to make a more permanent solution, but they city collects rent from Pattison for it so maybe it values the money (how much, curiou$ people might ask…) more than cyclists’ heads.
A bit further south, the snowplowing ends. At Young Street. Along with the pavement.
This is rather ironic, because until this winter it was only the point from Beech south to Carling that was plowed in the winter. Here’s a shot from a previous winter:
However, that section is exactly the one that isn’t plowed this winter. It used to be plowed by the city as it provided walk in access to the Carling OTrain Station.
________
next: Hickory Street
Well, I think that the “dog poo” is disgusting – not on the part of the dogs, but on the part of the irresponsible owners (who are, unfortunately, too numerous).
Last year I complained that the path wasn’t plowed and now it is as you say, up to a point. Seems odd. Surely it will be plowed? On the matter of doggy poo, it reminds me that up until about twelve years ago (maybe longer) we called the Byron pathway dogpoopath and we still do out of habit although it is so clean now (I find) What a heavenly difference it means to have had it free of dog poo more or less entirely, all these past years. Especially in spring. May the Otrain path soon have the same clean path soon. It took effort, signs, for Byron.
Margaret: I’m less sure about signs. As a society we have too many of them, too many ignored. People will pick up shit when they care about the place. I am disappointed the city didn’t do any weed control or mowing this year after they promised, in spring, to mow it biweekly. On my list of goals this summer is to get some more flowering plants into a few places, and Nature Canada or someone is talking about doing something at the city centre end. There are lots of neutralizable flowering plants we can start around the rock seating areas, to hide some of the more obtrusive fences, and lillies etc. This past summer, a bunch of boston ivy plants miraculously appeared on the walls beside the Somerset underpass and some of the concrete pillars at city centre building.
We rebelliously planted morning glory along the fence last spring, but it didn’t take. May have to try again. Very glad to hear the path is being plowed.
Heather, good for you ! Try again, if it takes, it would be good. The soil in most of the areas is terrible, and shallow. You may have to put down a bag of store bought soil, plant the seeds, then mulch with a bag of mulch all around the seed line but not covering the seeds, to allow in rain and to keep out weeds. This will set you back less than $10 but should make a difference to your success. Up on Booth, we have given up planting in the city supplied “soil” and now add 4″ or more of our own.
I am extremely happy to have the pathway plowed all the way up to Young Street and can’t wait for this to be extended to Carling and beyond and a year or two (fingers crossed). My winter bicycle commute from east Carlington to Phase IV has been made much safer, which pleases my wife to no end.
Here is what my Husband says: “They make an extra 500 or more signs. Then They say, now where should we put these?” Several years ago I read a little book with b/w photos about the excessive signage in Oxford, England. It is very true that too many signs, and misleading ones at that, are a bane.