Public Engagement: Kelly’s Brook Shared Use Path

The public consultation process for Kelly’s Brook Shared-Use Path is now underway. A variety of engagement tools will be used to consult with residents and the city’s advisory committees until February 21.

• Visit engagestjohns.ca to learn more about this project, ask questions, and share your ideas. The page includes a survey on how you plan to use the pathway and will help inform design decisions around features like lighting, surface materials, path alignment, trailheads, rest areas, and wayfinding.
• Sign up for one of our live virtual public workshops on February 16 or February 18 to learn more about this project and share your ideas on what will make this pathway user-friendly for all.
• If you are a current trail user, or a potential trail user, and are interested in participating in a focus group to inform the project team about opportunities, issues and concerns please email engage@stjohns.ca with your name, street address, number of people in your household, age, and primary concern related to Kelly's Brook Shared-Use Path. The focus group session will take place Wednesday, February 10 at 6 p.m. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 5. The City thanks all those interested, however only 10 participants can be selected.
• For more information or to share your ideas over the phone, please contact Access St. John’s by calling 311 or 709-754-CITY (2489).

​Funding to upgrade Kelly’s Brook Shared-Use Path was announced in October. This $2.25-million-dollar project is being cost shared by all three levels of government for construction of a shared use path to connect neighborhoods, amenities, and popular destinations from east to west in St. John’s, while also building upon corridors and trails that already exist. The vision for the trail was first announced as part of the Bike Master Plan, adopted by City Council in 2019.

Since announcing plans for the Kelly’s Brook Shared-Use Path, staff and council have been listening closely to public feedback and the project team has collected important data in the area of the trail to the rear of Winter Avenue. This area overlaps with the planned Rennies River flood mitigation berm. Based on the impacts a combined berm and widened trail would have in this segment, Council has revised the plan for this project and will no longer pursue a path alignment that follows the river’s edge between King’s Bridge Road and Portugal Cove Road. Given that the path along the river’s edge between Rennies Mill Road and Carpasian Road is also not feasible, staff concluded that the Kelly’s Brook Shared-Use Path will need to follow a roadside alignment east of Carpasian Road. This new routing comes with significant obstacles, such as utility poles, on-street parking or travel lane reductions, and intersection alignments. Because of these obstacles, engaging with property owners and residents along these segments of Empire Avenue is critical to moving this plan forward.
 
The Kelly’s Brook Shared-Use Path project is just one of several catalyst and backbone projects identified in the Bike St. John’s Master Plan. Changes to the Rennies River Trail and Virginia River Trail, for example, are recommended in the plan but these trails are not currently under consideration and are not part of the Kelly’s Brook Shared-Use Path. Council is committed to focusing on accessibility for the full length of the project.