Route 104 Corridor Trail Feasibility Study - Genesee Transportation ...

INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS
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Route 104 Corridor Trail Feasibility Study
D. ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONSTRAINTS
1. Key Issues
The following issues and opportunities were identified for the study area:
Access and Community Connectivity. The Route 104 Corridor Trail presents an opportunity to improve access in the
northeastern part of Wayne County and increase connectivity between communities in Wayne and Monroe Counties.
There are potential driveway conflicts and property access issues, but the overall vision of an active transportation
corridor that parallels the automobile-dominated Route 104 is one that will provide many benefits to local residents.
Healthy Living to Address Preventable Health Problems. Open space and trails can play a key role in a healthy
lifestyle, and offer tools for addressing preventable factors of various health problems. Poor diet and a lack of
physical activity can lead to preventable health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The Route
104 Corridor Trail can be used to help promote an active lifestyle, whether the trail is used for active transportation
and commuting, or for recreational pursuits, such as walking, biking, or cross country skiing.
Safety. Developing an active transportation route in the Route 104 corridor presents an opportunity to significantly
improve safe non-motorized travel options for local residents. Portions of Route 104 and the Ontario-Midland
Railroad corridor are used by pedestrians, bicyclists, and others. Neither of these corridors currently encourages
bicycle or pedestrian travel due to the lack of bicycle accommodations and/or sidewalks, high speeds, and substantial
truck traffic.
Sustainability. The option of using active transportation instead of a vehicle offers sustainable options for the
residents of Wayne and Monroe Counties who regularly traverse the Route 104 Corridor. In addition, construction
and maintenance of the Route 104 Corridor Trail could utilize a sustainable approach. Possible strategies include:
ecologically sensitive maintenance practices, using locally available materials, utilizing reclaimed or recycled
materials, and using materials that can be reused or reconfigured in the future, if necessary.
User Conflicts. People who participate in outdoor recreation activities do so because they hope to gain certain
rewards or outcomes. The trail experience that is desired varies a great deal across activities, among people
participating in the same activity, and even within the same individual on different outings. Proper trail design, layout
and maintenance are essential for user safety and resource protection, and are important contributors to user
satisfaction, too. User conflicts have been identified as a potential issue, particularly with respect to snowmobiles and
equestrians. The Route 104 Corridor Trail will need to be designed and managed with varied users in mind.
2. Constraints
As the information in this chapter has illustrated, there are a number of factors to consider when locating a trail.
Topography, soils, ecological character, habitat, drainage, wetlands, land use, destinations, property ownership,
access, circulation and transportation are all matters that were evaluated. Of these factors, only a few presented
significant constraints to the development of a trail in the Route 104 Corridor. Figure 11 illustrates these constraints:
road crossings, stream crossings, wetland areas, concentrated truck traffic, and density of driveway and property
conflicts. Providing safe access to a trail located in the Route 104 R.O.W. did not seem promising once the
constraints were mapped. Due to the large number of driveways that would need to cross the trail and the
corresponding potential for conflicts between trail users and driveway users, a trail that would be safe for users, cost
effective, and pleasant to use was determined to be unfeasible in this location and the alternative was removed from
further analysis. This led to the consideration of other alternatives, which are discussed in the following chapter.
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