Public invited to report accessibility issues on Greenway trails

ESSEX COUNTY – The Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee, in partnership with the Essex Region Conservation Authority, has launched a web page where the public can provide feedback about Greenway trails.

The first phase of the committee’s WE Check the Trails project focuses on ERCA’s 80 kilometres of trails, which include the Chrysler Canada Greenway, the Cypher Systems Group Greenway and the Rotary (1918) Centennial Hub.

Trail users can learn more about the initiative on the WE Check the Trails project page and use an online form to report issues that affect accessibility to the committee and the conservation authority at the same time.

“We are grateful to the Essex Region Conservation Authority for its support and look forward to making local trails more inclusive and accessible for all,” said Christine Easterbrook, chair of the Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee.

“Accessibility is often more complex than people who don’t have challenges can imagine. That is why we want everyone to look at these wonderful trails from that perspective.”

The Greenway trails were designed for uses that include hiking, cycling, nature observation and, in some areas, horseback riding. The trail surface of tightly packed limestone screening is designed to meet provincial accessibility standards, as well as be environmentally sustainable.

The WE Check the Trails project will provide ERCA with data and information it can use to assess and maintain the trails in ways that enhance accessibility.

Examples of questions trail users can address when they are completing the WE Check the Trails form are:

• Is the trail wide enough for someone using a mobility aid?

• Are there any physical barriers, such as tree branches and roots, on the trail?

• Are there potholes or crevices where someone could fall or get stuck?

• Are there railings where the edge of the trail drops off?

• Are there shaded areas to get out of the sun?

• Are there places to rest?

• Are there accessible washrooms nearby?

“Visiting trails and green spaces is just as vital to the health of those with disabilities as those without,” said Easterbrook. “They are public spaces where we should all have equal access – now and in the future.”