Function Junction Trails Strategy - Function Junction Cultural Task Force

FUNCTION JUNCTION

PEDESTRIAN SPINE

PURPOSE

Function Junction is pedestrian unfriendly. Conflicts between vehicles, especially large trucks and pedestrians are frequent. Pedestrian movements between businesses going for lunch, office supplies etc, can be down right dangerous. Rather than walk, many use their car or truck to move short distances between businesses within Function Junction.

GENERAL

The lack of shoulders, and need for ditches for snow storage make the addition of pedestrian sidewalks or pathways along edges of roads challenging. To address these challenges, we have agreed that, where possible, sidewalks or pathways are preferable along building frontages or adjacent Millar Creek rather than along road edges to avoid conflicts with traffic. Given the conflicts with snow clearing piles of snow, proximity to vehicles, particularly larger vehicles, sidewalks away from traffic are preferable. There is also a business interest for sidewalks along the fronts of buildings as potential customers are more likely to stop in when walking immediately outside a business or shop. Additionally, sidewalks along building faces are easier to cover from rain & snow.

ALPHA LAKE RD – HWY 99 to Olives / Lordco

Function Junction entrance connection to Cheakamus Crossing and existing Valley Trail network across Highway. Bus stop across highway has much more frequent service to/from Cheakamus Crossing than the bus stop at Function Junction.

Walkway to be on Squamish/Vancouver (southwest) side of Alpha Lake Road from Hwy 99 to Lordco.

Native Lands Gas Station:

Development of service station requires owner to establish this section of walkway. Interim, temporary trail could be achieved by widening of shoulder with gravel surface as a first step. There could be some separation of this trail from vehicle traffic with no-posts or large rocks. This trail may be on the First Nations land with permission or could be on road shoulder.

Railway Crossing:

Crossing is pinched

1010:

Walkway along road edge in front of 1010 may require filling of ditch & widening. No-posts may separate pedestrian from vehicle traffic. This is one of the few areas where we believe a ditch should be filled in as the shoulder is not wide enough.

Alpha Lake Rd Bus Stop:

Pedestrian walkway continues along shoulder of Alpha Lake Rd across Millar Creek & Flank Trail entrance. No-posts may separate pedestrian from vehicle traffic.

1200 Alpha - Olives/Lordco:

Walkway crosses to existing sidewalk at building front.Existing canopies provide great cover from rain & snow.

After the Lordco building, there is not a lot of connectivity to the buildings to the North (1208 & 1212). The owners of 1208 & 1212 could provide a pedestrian walkway along the frontage of their buildings and a pedestrian crosswalk at north end of 1212 could make a pedestrian loop to future bridge across Millar Creek at the rear of the Home Hardware property.


1216 – Storall:

Storall, SMD, Callaghan Concrete and Cardinal, do not present much opportunity for a pedestrian walkway on their side of Alpha Lake Rd. Crosswalk should be established before Storall at North end of 1212, crossing Alpha Lake Rd with pedestrian trail continuing to the North end of Function to Municipal park.Pedestrian trail through MunicipalPark on South side of Alpha Lake Road to reach the NE end of Function. A trail connection with bridge across Millar Creek to the rear of Home Hardware property would bring pedestrians in a loop back to the bus stop at the junction of Alpha Lake Rd & Millar Creek Rd.

NE FUNCTION (PROTECH North):

Trail through Municipal Park ends at Protech. This section is difficult. Tight curve with poor visibility and Van West Creek make any trail or sidewalk on west side of road difficult. Perhaps best solution would be some green paint marking along road edge on Protech side which could continue past 1345 & 1365 Alpha Lake Rd, and so on, to end of Alpha Lake Rd. More work needs to be done on planning this section.

Possibility of railway crossing at end of Alpha Lake Rd stub. This crossing could connect to Lynham road and back to Function entrance to South and, to north, to new university trails as well as trail following sewer line up to West-Side Road (Alta Lake Rd W).

HOME HARDWARE LOOP:

Suggest a second crosswalk from the bus stop side of Alpha Lake Rd in front of CME across Alpha Lake Rd to corner of Home Hardware property adjacent Millar Creek A gravel pedestrian trail to follow along creek edge of Home Hardware Property to a pedestrian bridge crossing Millar Creek to Municipal Park on Alpha Lake Rd. The crosswalks could be raised as a traffic-calming mechanism.

Tom Barrett Design has created a preliminary plan for the Millar Creek bridge. This trail will be in riparian setback area so should come under Municipality’s ability to establish trail in a riparian area.

A riverwalk trail could be developed along the back of the Home Hardware plaza accessing this collection of offices, studios and warehouses. This could lead to another potential bridge crossing Millare Creek to Alpha Lake Road.

MILLAR CREEK RD

A pedestrian loop along the front of buildings on the odd-numbered (north side) is likely easier to establish. A sidewalk on the even-numbered (south side) is more difficult on several properties. Despite the challenges, we believe the plan should include both sides.

CME:Starting at the bus stop on the corner of Alpha Lake Rd & Millar Creek Rd in front of CME , the Millar Creek pedestrian walkway could follow along side the shoulder of the road outside the existing CME landscaping.

In front of the existing CME building, the trail could run immediately adjacent the building between the building and the existing landscaping/parking area.

This section of walkway could be gravel, asphalt, or concrete. A no-post separation of walkway and road may help at the corner. The addition of awnings on the CME building could provide cover from snow & rain.

Whistler Brewery:

A sidewalk could be established along the front of the brewery under the existing canopies. Some sidewalk or pavers would be required through the two landscaped planters.

Possible sidewalk along North wall of Brewery to access a rear beer garden area on Millar Creek and possibility of connection over Millar Creek to Flank Trail.

Bounce:

The Brewery’s walkway extended in front of Bounce. A canopy in front of Bounce may add rain/snow protection.

Trail under drive through against Bounce (Unit 100) a painted walkway to the rear areawith possible connection over Millar Creek to Flank Trail.

Windsor Mountain Paint:

Pedestrian walkway uses existing sidewalk along building front of 1055 Millar Creek Rd. The addition of awnings provide cover from rain & snow as well as livening up/animating building front.

Pet, Martial Arts, Wildwood:

Pedestrian walkway uses existing sidewalk along front of 1085 Millar Creek Rd. Existing canopies provide great cover from rain & snow but could be livened up with paint or graphics. At the corner of the martial arts, the sidewalk could be extended straight across the ditch to roadside.

Another possible access trail to Millar Creek and a crossing to the Flank Trail could be developed in this location.

Adjacent to the Garden Centre, reliable access could be developed to create a south end parking lot on the old highway right-of-way.

Cul-de-Sac /Garden Centre:

A green-paint walkway around circumference of cul-de-sac could simply be delineated with green paint. This painted walkway could continue until 1080 Millar Creek Road. 1110 & 1092 (Vet clinic/Garden Centre) may wish to delineate a walkway from the cul-de-sac to the front face of their building.

Auto shop:

1090 may wish to delineate a walkway from the cul-de-sac to the front face of their building.

1080 Millar Creek Rd:

1080 may wish to delineate a walkway from the road edge OR bring all pedestrian traffic along their store frontage and through a possible opening in the fence, to connect to 1078.

1062-1078 Millar Creek Rd:

Pedestrian walkway uses existing sidewalk along building front.Existing canopies provide great cover from rain & snow. In front of 1062 a connection in the corner whether by sidewalk or boardwalk along the wall of 1050 would help flow of pedestrian traffic.

1050 Millar Creek Rd:

A need for canopies for cover from rain & snow. Walkway painted across drive aisle and parking area to front face of 1040.

1040 Millar Creek Rd:

Walkway across front face of building

1030 Millar Creek Rd:

Need for delineated sidewalks and perhaps awnings for cover from rain & snow. Also a walkway connecting 1030 & 1020 with opening though fence would allow for foot traffic between buildings.

1020 Millar Creek Rd:

Existing canopies provide cover from rain & snow. Walkway could be brought back to roadside along the rear of 1010.

1010 Millar Creek Rd:

Walkway moves to edge of road and connects to Alpha Lake Road walkway.

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