New sidewalk on Midale Road
About this project
The City of London is committed to providing safe, convenient, and accessible mobility choices for all residents. As part of this commitment, new sidewalks are added each year on streets that currently lack them, to bolster connectivity and provide more mobility options.
In February 2023, City Council approved a Neighbourhood Connectivity Plan for the Grenfell neighbourhood that includes adding a sidewalk on one side of Midale Road between Midale Crescent and Grenfell Drive.
This new sidewalk is planned to be constructed in spring or summer of 2024. It will complete a gap in the sidewalk network and help improve mobility choices for nearby residents.
In the fall of 2023, the City sent a notice to residents that land surveyors would be collecting information in the area for a future sidewalk construction project on Midale Road. After reviewing the land survey, City staff have completed an assessment of the different design options possible. The assessment looked at a range of factors, including walking connectivity, pedestrian comfort, street lighting, grading, and potential impacts to trees, utilities, and driveways.
Above: A map of the project area limits of Midale Road between Midale Crescent and Grenfell Drive. A sidewalk is being planned for the northeast side of the street. Blue indicates a proposed sidewalk with grass boulevard. Orange shows a proposed sidewalk adjacent to the back of the curb.
Design options
The standard location for sidewalks is behind the curb with 2 metres of grass boulevard between the curb and sidewalk. This sidewalk location is what already exists on Midale Road west of Midale Crescent and would match the rest of the street.
Another typical location for sidewalks is behind the curb, immediately adjacent to the curb. This would not match the rest of Midale Road but would have less impact to driveway lengths.
The third option assessed is to narrow the roadway for vehicles and build the sidewalk in a location that would be in front of the existing curb. This option was ruled out by the City due to the presence of a sanitary sewer underground that would conflict with the relocated drainage catch basins.
The examples pictured below show the three different options of sidewalks assessed by the City.
| Grass Boulevard example - the sidewalk is behind the curb with 2 metres of grass boulevard between the curb and sidewalk. | Curb Adjacent Sidewalk example - the sidewalk is behind the curb and immediately adjacent to the curb. |
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Grass Boulevard versus Curb Adjacent Sidewalk
There are a few differences between the two sidewalk options that should be considered:
A sidewalk with grass boulevard will match the existing sidewalk on Midale Road and would allow a natural location for new trees to be planted between the sidewalk and curb
A curb adjacent sidewalk requires the streetlights to be relocated further from the roadway. The streetlights can stay where they are with a sidewalk with grass boulevard.
A sidewalk with grass boulevard will require the removal of six (6) trees while the curb adjacent sidewalk would only require five (5) trees to be removed
A sidewalk further from the road offers a more comfortable walking experience and more space for snow storage in the winter
A sidewalk with grass boulevard will shorten the usable driveway length by approximately 3.5 metres, while a curb adjacent sidewalk would only shorten driveway lengths by approximately 1.8 metres
People walking on a curb adjacent sidewalk will experience more ups and downs at each driveway crossing
Complete this feedback form to share comments about which design you prefer.
On-street and indoor meeting
An on-street meeting is planned to help answer questions and receive further feedback from residents. Given the cold weather, an indoor meeting location will also be provided after the on-street meeting.
City staff will be available to discuss the sidewalk design options with residents of Midale Road on Tuesday, February 27th, between 5:00 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Staff will be at the northeast corner of Midale Road and Midale Crescent, wearing orange reflective clothing.
City staff will also be available at the Stoney Creek Public School, from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27th.
If you cannot attend either of these meeting options and wish to provide feedback, you can complete this feedback form online or please contact the City Project Manager directly by phone or email.