Manitoba Street
Manitoba Street has been divided into two different segments—North of Taylor Road (Upper), and South of Taylor Rd (Lower). The feedback we received about Manitoba Street mainly pertained to pedestrians safety and accessibility, patios and retail spaces and the traffic corridor.
North of Taylor Rd, the user experience is poor. Where the unit pavers are meant to increase the pedestrian zone, they end up reducing the travel path, creating an uneven or sloped channel. The existing concrete sidewalk does not provide sufficient room for two way traffic or safe access for users with mobility aids or strollers.
For Upper Manitoba St, the design considerations include
- Removal of the unit pavers and widen the pedestrian sidewalk to 4m
- Allow for flexible parking stalls that can be converted to extended retail or patio spaces in the warmer months
- Develop a streetscape materials palette that contains benches, trash bins, light poles, bike parking, signage and planters
Lower Manitoba St (South of Taylor Rd) is characterized by the adjacent falls, historical buildings and a true sense of place. From the feedback received, we were tasked with increasing the pedestrian zones in the summer months, allow for expanded patios and retail space, and additional vegetation and greenery. For Lower Manitoba St, there are three design scenarios that can be tested through a pilot program and tested prior to installation.
1. Two-way traffic between Entrance Drive and Taylor Rd with no public parking stalls.
2. One-way traffic travelling North between Entrance Drive and Taylor Rd with one lane of parking stalls
3. Full closure between Entrance Drive and Taylor Rd
All three scenarios include a 4 metre space for outdoor dining and retail, with a 2.5 metre pedestrian walkway. In the full closure scenario, the entire street would transform into a pedestrian mall. This 2.5m space would act as the parking areas in the winter. There would be a mountable curb between the pedestrian area and the dining and retail space.
The winter concept for Manitoba Street is a two-way design, with parking on both sides of the street.
There are few safe crossing points along Manitoba St. We propose including bump outs in certain areas to allow for safe crossing. The bump outs would also encourage drivers to slow down, while enhancing stormwater management with the inclusion of bioswales.
We’d like to hear from you! Please share any feedback, comments or questions for the Project Team about Manitoba Street on this forum or you can also provide your comments directly to the Project Team by sending your comments to BracebridgeDMP@gmail.com.
