In the Rockway area, there is only one design option for the proposed improvements on:

  • Floral Crescent (Iron Horse Trail to Rockway Drive)
  • Floral Crescent (Doon Road to Dixon Street)
  • Dixon Street
  • Eckert Street

We are also making improvements to Floral Crescent (Rockway Drive to Doon Road). There, we are looking for your feedback on the three design options presented.

Map of Rockway Fairway connections
  • Only one option has been provided for each of these sections.
  • The proposed design for each one can balance all needs of road users.
  • The infrastructure on Dixon Street and Eckert Street will use temporary materials until roads are reconstructed.
  • For each section, use the slider to compare the current conditions and proposed changes for each section.

Rockway area map

Rockway area map

Floral Crescent (Iron Horse Trail to Rockway Drive)

Current Proposed

  • Current condition

    • No safe route for people walking, rolling or cycling

  • Proposed change

    • Continuing Iron Horse Trail on west side with 3-metre multi-use path to Rockway Drive

Floral Crescent (Doon Road to Dixon Street)

Current Proposed

  • Current condition

    • Traffic speed and volume on this section support a “neighbourhood bikeway” (shared space with bicycles and motor vehicles)

  • Proposed change

    • Wayfinding signage and sharrows would be installed.
    • A pathway would be added to connect the end of Floral Crescent with Dixon Road for people on bikes

Eckert Street

Current Proposed

  • Current condition

    • Painted unidirectional bike lanes

  • Proposed change

    • Bi-directional bike lanes on west side, to connect to Wilson Park Trail.
    • Physically separated with concrete jersey barriers.
    • Additional sidewalk added on east side, connecting to the bus stop.

Dixon Street

Current Proposed

  • Current condition

    • Traffic data shows low traffic volumes on Dixon Street which could be serviced with one lane in each direction.

  • Proposed change

    • Bi-directional cycle track on north side of Dixon Street.
    • Reducing a lane of traffic increases safety of the all-way stop at Eckert Street intersection and matches the rest of Dixon Street.
    • Additional turning lanes would be retained at King Street intersection.
  • Two options are being presented in this section for public feedback.
  • Public feedback will help to guide staff on the preferred direction.
  • Use the tabs below to explore the current conditions, three options, and our options analysis.

Design options map

Map showing the pathways for each option, plus the proposed trail and bikeway for all three options.

Current conditions

Current conditions

A two-way street with no sidewalks or bike lanes
  • Currently there is no sidewalk for pedestrians accessing or moving through Rockway Gardens.
  • Traffic speed is considered moderately high, given the need for vulnerable road users to share the street with motor vehicles. Data collected this summer with traffic calming in place showed that the 85th percentile speed is 40.3km/h.
  • 35-45 on-street parking spaces on the west side.
  • Parking use peaks significantly with events or special occasions (and is minimal otherwise).
  • Rockway Gardens is one of Kitchener’s most beautiful and well-loved destinations. Protecting the gardens, trees and heritage of the area is an important consideration. Solutions should enhance accessibility and enjoyment of Rockway Gardens.

Option B

Option B: Sharrows on Floral Crescent

Image of sidewalk and sharrows on Floral 
  • A new 1.8-metre sidewalk would provide an accessible pedestrian route.
  • Additional traffic calming would be required to reduce traffic speeds to be safe for cyclists to share the road with motor vehicles
  • The volume of parking - during special events especially – reduces the safety and comfort for people cycling.

Option C

Option C: Charles and King multi-use path

Image of Charles and King multi-use path
  • Multi-use path through Rockway Garden along existing pedestrian path
  • Along Charles Street and King Street, the sidewalk would be converted to 3m multi-use pathway.
  • Another variation of this option could:
    • Extend the Iron Horse Trail along Preston Street.
    • Convert Charles Street East into a multi-use trail between Preston Street and King Street East.
    • Motor vehicles would use Preston Street and King Street East as the alternative.
    • The Charles Street East driveway access to Rockway Centre would be closed.

Options analysis

We assessed Floral Crescent's current condition and the design options based on these criteria:

  • Pedestrian safety and comfort
  • Cyclist safety and comfort
  • Motor vehicle delays
  • Impact to parking
  • Impact to gardens and landscaping
Options analysis for Floral Crescent
  • Green = Excellent result
  • Yellow = Good result
  • Orange = Fair result
  • Red = Poor result

Option A (cancelled)

Option A: Multi-use path on Floral Crescent

In response to public feedback, we are no longer considering this option.

Image of multi-use path on Floral Crescent
  • 3m multi-use path would continue on Floral Crescent to Doon Road, for the use of people walking, rolling and cycling
  • Multi-use path would reduce to 2.4m to limit impacts to garden landscaping at the fountains
  • This option has a loss of 10-15 parking spaces in order to narrow the roadway to limit impacts to landscaping

Fairway transportation connections

Learn more and share your feedback about the improvements coming to the Fairway area.