Talwood Neighbourhood
Click the numbers below to explore the design concepts
Goodfellow Rd. and Clonsilla Ave. Intersection
Neighbourhood Greenspace
Talwood Dr. and Talwood Crt.
Goodfellow Rd. and Talwood Dr. Intersection
#1 Goodfellow Rd. and Clonsilla Ave. Intersection
Clonsilla Ave. is a high capacity arterial, and Goodfellow Rd. is a high capacity collector. This means that both roads are designed to move high volumes of vehicles, and therefore this is a very busy intersection. People expressed that Clonsilla Ave. and Goodfellow Rd. are currently designed for car travel.
However, this intersection is also a key school crossing route for children from Keith Wightman PS and St. Alphonsus CES, and is an important crossing for other residents to access stores and amenities. Many residents are concerned about safety at this intersection–it has been one of the most commonly raised areas of concern in the neighbourhood.
The sidewalks at this intersection are narrow and next to the traffic lanes with no buffer or boulevard, particularly the sidewalk on the west side of Goodfellow Rd. which runs alongside a concrete retaining wall. As there is no crossing further north on Goodfellow Rd., families walk south from the neighbourhood on the west side of the street. Parents and crossing guards are worried that the crowding on this sidewalk could cause kids to fall or walk into traffic.
Residents would like to see a Complete Streets approach to the design with better crossing infrastructure, improved sidewalks, and the addition of cycling infrastructure and other amenities to make the area more beautiful and comfortable to travel through.
Design Concepts
Improve pedestrian signaling
This intersection is a busy school crossing for children that attend St. Alphonsus CES and Keith Wightman PS, and there is rarely enough time to safely cross Clonsilla Ave. Ideas include installing pedestrian countdown lights that display the time remaining to cross the road, and/or creating a leading pedestrian interval, where the walk signals turn green several seconds before the traffic signals.
Re-design the intersection
Fix some of the underlying challenges at this site. Tighten the turning radius at the northeast corner of the intersection, in order to slow down eastbound traffic turning right off of Clonsilla Ave. on to Goodfellow Rd. Remove the right turn slip lane at the south west corner, so cars making right hand turns off of Clonsilla Ave. drive slower. In the long term, re-align Goodfellow Rd. south of Clonsilla Ave. so that the roads meet at a right angle.
In this picture you can see how the original curb has been extended and re-shaped. A tighter turning radius makes drivers take the turn slowly and creates a shorter crossing distance.
Improve the sidewalks
Ensure sidewalks are an adequate width to accommodate busy school travel periods, and add buffers or boulevards to provide additional safety and comfort to pedestrians. Along the west side of Goodfellow Rd., consider shifting the base of the retaining wall so that there is space for a wider sidewalk, or narrowing the traffic lanes to free up space.
Goodfellow Rd, looking south to Clonsilla Ave.
This picture illustrates how a boulevard between the sidewalk and traffic lane can help create a more pleasant and safer environment for pedestrians.
Re-design the streets with a Complete Streets approach
“Complete Streets” are streets that are designed for all ages, abilities, and modes of travel, including pedestrians, people on bikes, and transit users. This idea requires a larger conversation about the future of these streets as corridors that support active transportation, transit, and enhanced accessibility, in order to bring them in-line with the City’s Official Plan. Residents are keen to contribute to the larger conversation, since we didn’t tackle this wider community need within our neighbourhood discussions.
These pictures show an example of a Complete Street re-design on Cannon St. in Hamilton ON.
Green the intersection
Depave the boulevard on the southeast side of Clonsilla Ave. and add street trees, gardens, or grass boulevards to remove impermeable surfaces, delineate driveways, and create a more people-friendly intersection.
SPOTLIGHT: Julie & Jessica
#2 Neighbourhood Greenspace
The Talwood community is among the most dense neighbourhoods in Peterborough. It is seven times more dense than the Peterborough average, and over 90% of residents live in apartment buildings. Therefore, most people do not have private lawns and gardens, and it is very important to residents that people living in the dense tower environment have access to outdoor spaces.
The Talwood neighbourhood currently has a lot of greenspace, but few of these spaces are protected public park land. An informal trail network linking the neighbourhood to amenities at Clonsilla Ave. & The Parkway in the south and Sherbrooke St. & Medical Dr. corridor is well used for active transportation and recreation. It is currently zoned as public service and is reserved for a potential roadway extension.
Many greenspaces in the neighbourhood are privately owned by the owners of the Talwood Towers. The only municipal parks in the area are Nevin Park and Whitefield Park.
Whitefield Park has a playground and a thriving community garden, however, because of the natural features and layout of the park, some tower residents do not feel connected to the playground area of the park and have stressed the desire for outdoor park amenities closer to the towers. Whitefield Park has been identified in the City of Peterborough’s parks review as a high priority park for upgrades.
The Byersville Creek also runs through the greenspaces in the neighbourhood. People love having the creek close by, and it is an important habitat for species like brook trout. Unfortunately, residents have noted that it can become full of garbage.
Given the zoning and ownership structures of the greenspaces in the neighbourhood, there are some challenges to enhancing and managing the greenspace, and ensuring that the Talwood residents have access to greenspaces in the future.
Design Concepts
Formalize the trail
Enhance trail network with accessible surfaces, signage, and official recognition as a multi-use trail corridor. Address the main trail in the short-term, and later explore enhancing the small side paths that allow people to enjoy the creek and woodlands.
This example of a formalized trail shows a segment of the Rotary Trail with a paved path and amenities like waste disposal bins and signage.
Enhance safety and lighting
Add lighting along the trails so that they feel safer at night. Consider installing emergency phones in the more remote areas of the trail network similar to the type found on university grounds.
As pictured here, some university campuses have safety features that include lighting and an easy way to reach campus security or local law enforcement.
Create Indigenous gardens and spaces for Indigenous communities
Partner with local organizations and Indigenous communities to develop Indigenous plant gardens and/or a small park in the area that celebrates the Indigenous history and ongoing presence on the land. The park may include signage and names that honour and reflect the Michi Saagig stewardship of this land, and would provide a space for urban Indigenous folks living in the Talwood neighbourhood to connect with the land.
This picture shows a project of the Ojibiikaan Indigenous Cultural Network in partnership with Conservation Halton where a Three Sisters demonstration garden was planted.
Add park and trail amenities
Add features that help people feel comfortable and engaged when using the greenspaces in the neighbourhood. Features suggested by residents include benches or picnic tables, garbage and recycling receptacles, shade structures, and wayfinding signs.
In this picture you can see amenities that allow for different uses at a park. Having picnic facilities can help facilitate larger family and community gatherings which can be especially important in high density areas.
Care for Byersville Creek
The creek flows through both private and public land, which can cause some challenges with stewardship and upkeep. Explore joint efforts between stakeholders and residents to help steward the creek. Activities may include community litter pick-ups, shoreline plantings, and invasive species removal.
In this picture volunteers take a break while working on a stream rehabilitation project.
SPOTLIGHT: Kayla
#3 Talwood Dr. and Talwood Crt.
Talwood Dr. and Talwood Crt. are at the heart of the neighbourhood. They merge at the Kingswood Centre, home to the busy Talwood Variety, local day care centre, and the Kawartha Potters Guild. The streets also connect the thousands of residents with nearby shops and services, and transit and transportation networks.
Talwood Dr. and Talwood Crt. are well-travelled by all types of transportation, including transit and active transportation. Currently, there are sidewalks missing on the north side of Talwood Dr., and the street lacks infrastructure to support cycling.
Residents are concerned about vehicle speed, missing sidewalks, and the lack of safe crossings. Residents are also concerned with cleanliness at the bus stops, and general attractiveness of Talwood Dr. as a place for walking and gathering.
Design Concepts
Green and beautify the street
Add street trees, planters, and gardens to make Talwood Dr. a more inviting public space and slow traffic. Residents are keen to achieve this vision through community planting events.
Add sidewalk and bike lanes
Add facilities for all travel modes along this neighbourhood corridor to accommodate the people who walk, bike, take transit, and drive on Talwood in large numbers each day. The wide road allowance provides space to accommodate sidewalks and bike lanes.
Reduce speeds
Add street features that calm neighbourhood traffic. The most popular option from surveys was curb extensions or chicanes. These features narrow the roadway to slow drivers, but have an added bonus of creating spaces that can become small pocket gardens.
These images, taken from the National Association of City Transportation Officials website, help to illustrate how adding bumpouts, chicanes and raised crosswalks to the streetscape can create more pedestrian space which can be further enhanced through the addition of plantings and street furniture. Explore nacto.org for more ideas.
Add a crosswalk at the Talwood Variety
Add a crosswalk to allow safe access to transit stops, shops, and services. Give consideration to a painted mural crossing, which would add some colour to the street and would signal to drivers to slow down, and/or a raised crossing, which would bring the crosswalk up to sidewalk-level and serve as a traffic calming feature.
Provide inviting street features
As a central hub for the neighbourhood, create a friendlier place to gather and connect with neighbours by providing features such as benches, public artwork, community boards, and community ‘free’ libraries.
SPOTLIGHT: John
#4 Goodfellow Rd. and Talwood Dr. Intersection
Goodfellow Rd. runs through the neighbourhood, dividing much of the residential area from shops and services to the east. Currently, there are no signalized crossings along Goodfellow Rd. between Sherbrooke St. and Clonsilla Ave., a stretch of nearly 600 meters. This cuts the towers off from key amenities and affects students’ walking route to school.
Many residents have explained that they cross Goodfellow Rd. mid-block at Talwood Dr. rather than walking to Sherbrooke St. or Clonsilla Ave. Crossing mid-block in this manner poses a risk because Goodfellow Rd. is a high capacity collector, with high vehicle volumes and speeds.
There are many reasons for wanting to cross here. Families would like to cross here to avoid the tricky west sidewalk on Goodfellow Rd. at Clonsilla Ave. Transit users need to cross here to access transit stops that support the neighbourhood. The neighbourhood trails that lead on a diagonal to the Kinsmen Center and Foodland cross Goodfellow Rd. just south of Talwood Dr.
Residents have also described that the intersection poses concerns for drivers, too. They note poor sightlines when they are trying to turn off of Talwood Dr. onto Goodfellow Rd, and difficulty turning left onto Talwood Dr. from Goodfellow Dr.
Overall, residents find this intersection has very minimal infrastructure for the diversity and volume of traffic it sees vehicles, transit users, cyclists, pedestrians, people with mobility devices, ambulances, and more travel through this intersection at high volumes every day.
Design Concepts
Provide a pedestrian crossover
Install a signalized crossing, or pedestrian crossover, on Goodfellow Rd. at Talwood Dr. Include a crosswalk and pedestrian-controlled lights to help pedestrians to safely navigate crossing this busy collector. When considering intersection design, investigate possibility of curb extensions to reduce crossing distance, and a left-turn lane to ease flow north on Goodfellow Rd.
Improve the transit stops
Many residents use transit in the Talwood neighbourhood. Add garbage and recycling bins, shelters, better lighting, and concrete accessibility pads at key stops to aid residents in their daily transportation.
This example of a transit stop taken from the National Association of Transportation Officials includes displaying real-time transit data to help riders know when to expect the next transit vehicle.
Formalize the trail crossing
Create a refuge island at the trail crossing on Goodfellow Rd. to provide pedestrians and cyclists with a spot to wait for gaps in traffic. This allows them to cross one lane of traffic at a time.
The pedestrian crossover on George St. just south of Dalhousie St. includes a refuge island that helps pedestrians cross safely mid block.
Add protected bike lanes on Goodfellow Rd.
Goodfellow Rd. is included in the City of Peterborough’s Proposed Ultimate Cycling Network as a location for bike lanes. Add protected bike lanes on Goodfellow Rd. to allow people of all-ages and abilities to travel bike to destinations like Foodland and St. Peter CSS to the north or Walmart and elementary schools to the south.
SPOTLIGHT: Jackie
