F.3 Removal of Perpendicular Parking Spaces in Lisgar Avenue Parking Lot Key Urban Design Issue and Ideas: Within the surface parking lot bounded by Bridge Street to the north, Lisgar Avenue to the east, and Harvey Street to the west, there are potential safety and circulation-related concerns pertaining to the perpendicular parking spaces located adjacent to the main pedestrian entrance of the Shoppers Drug Mart and the Tillsonburg Town Centre. This particular cluster of parking spaces has proven to be problematic in causing traffic congestion as well as accidents involving pedestrians and motorists. There is an interest in removing the above-mentioned parking spaces and replacing them with an extended pedestrian realm with a sidewalk treatment and boulevard along the length of the Shoppers Drug Mart frontage. Transportation Recommendation: Part of the “road” adjacent to the Shoppers Drug Mart site is not actually a “highway” within the meaning of the Highway Traffic Act, but is under municipal ownership, as is the land occupied by the Tillsonburg Town Centre Mall and adjacent parking lot. As it is desirable to maintain a grid road connection in this location, and as significant deviations are limited by the location of the Bell building and church, it is recommended that the row of perpendicular parking be removed. All parking should be located in rows parallel to the building face, as is the rest of the parking lot today, and the “road” through this location could be either a “shared street” or could have multiple speed tables for pedestrian crossings. A different surface would reinforce the shared use nature of the “street”.
F.4
Pedestrian Concerns Pertaining to
Rear Lane System
Key Urban Design Issue and Ideas: The Central Area, particularly the blocks adjacent to Broadway Street, contain a continuous system of rear lanes. These lanes are the cause of some concern for pedestrians between having blind corners, a lack of mirrors, and fast moving vehicle traffic. Transportation Recommendation: Mirrors may be considered where there is a building corner right at the exit to mount the mirror on. Mirrors on the opposite side of the street are not recommended, as they would have to be very large to be effective. This would affect relatively few alley entranced - both ends of Fox Alley between Ridout and Brock, the north entrance of Fox Alley between Brock and Baldwin, both ends of Cat Alley between Ridout and Brock, and the south entrance of Cat Alley between Brock and Oxford.
Image of perpendicular parking spaces and adjacent road in Shoppers Drug Mart surface parking lot.
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