CWATS Pilot Project Promotes Safer Cycling

The County of Essex is launching an active transportation pilot project to enhance safety on County Road 2 in Lakeshore through the use of bollards, curbing and increased signage.

The County Wide Active Transportation System pilot project will more clearly separate the active transportation corridor from the roadway, creating protected bike lanes and promoting an improved user experience for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

“The CWATS network is ever expanding and ever improving in response to active transportation best practices and feedback from residents,” said Diana Radulescu, Active Transportation Coordinator for the County of Essex. “This pilot project is modeled after successful initiatives in other jurisdictions and designed to promote safety by more clearly separating vehicular and active transportation traffic.”

County crews are installing rubber curbing and temporary bollards along a 5-kilometre stretch of County Road 2 from East Pike Creek Road to County Road 22. County crews are also applying green paint, further differentiating the bicycle lanes from the roadway. As well, signage is being enhanced along the route and barriers placed at intersections.

Since the bollards and curbing are only temporary, the construction impact on residents is expected to be minimal. Residents should have no issues accessing their homes during the set-up phase. Residents with questions or concerns are invited to view the project page or email the project team.

Following the completion in 2020 of a multi-use pathway along that stretch of County Road 2, residents voiced concerns that vehicular traffic was encroaching on the multi-use pathway, using it to pass other vehicles and for parking. Residents also expressed concerns with the speed of vehicular traffic in the corridor and about garbage bins being left on the pathway.

This pilot project is meant to address those concerns. Since it is just a pilot project, the County of Essex wants feedback from residents, cyclists and pedestrians about the effectiveness of the changes and whether other solutions or ideas could be explored.

Members of the public are encouraged to provide their feedback, ideas and suggestions by visiting the project page and using this online form.

The CWATS network spans some 400 km across all seven local municipalities in Essex County and links to trail systems in Windsor and Chatham-Kent. Construction over the next 15 years will see the network of trails, pathways and signed routes expand to about 800 km.

For more information, contact:

Diana Radulescu
Active Transportation Coordinator
getactive@cwats.ca