Riverside Drive (Windsor, Ontario)
Encyclopedia
Riverside Drive is one of the main road
s in Windsor, Ontario
, travelling along the Detroit River
, between its riverfront park
s and high-rise office towers and apartment buildings. The road travels through Downtown
, and towards the east end. The road is roughly 17.5 km in length, and is quite busy.
The road continues as Riverside Drive through the town of Tecumseh, Ontario
, and through the village of St. Clair Beach, Ontario
, where it ends at Brighton Road (Essex
County Road 21).
For around 3 km of its length (from Rankin Avenue to Crawford Avenue (in front of CBET-TV's studios), there are bike lanes, with the Riverfront Bike Trail
just to the north in the parkland. Much of Windsor's most expensive residential real estate is housed on the waterfront side of Riverside Drive, with many homes valued in excess of $1 million.
Power Plant, Black Oak Heritage Park, and the Brighton Beach neighbourhood of Windsor.
The vista project will be a multi-million dollar beautification project to plant trees, re-surface Riverside Drive, and re-surface sidewalks, possibly installing either bike lanes, or a bike trail along the road.
Residents who reside on the eastern portion of Riverside Drive are angry that the road is treated like a two-lane freeway
, with drivers speeding well above the posted speed limit of 50 km/h, and are calling for the City of Windsor to honour the promise made to them ten years ago to improve other roadways and divert the commuter traffic from their residential area.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, travelling along the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
, between its riverfront park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s and high-rise office towers and apartment buildings. The road travels through Downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
, and towards the east end. The road is roughly 17.5 km in length, and is quite busy.
The road continues as Riverside Drive through the town of Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh is a town on Lake St. Clair east of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It has a population of just over 24,000.Tecumseh enjoys long summers and mild winters...
, and through the village of St. Clair Beach, Ontario
St. Clair Beach, Ontario
St. Clair Beach is a community in the town of Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada. Until 1998, the village was a separate entity, but was amalgamated into Tecumseh.St...
, where it ends at Brighton Road (Essex
Essex County, Ontario
Essex County is a county and census division located in Southwestern Ontario and covers an area at the southernmost tip of Canada. The administrative seat is Essex...
County Road 21).
For around 3 km of its length (from Rankin Avenue to Crawford Avenue (in front of CBET-TV's studios), there are bike lanes, with the Riverfront Bike Trail
Riverfront Bike Trail
The Roy A. Battagello River Walk Bike Trail is the current backbone of the "Windsor Loop" bike trail network in Windsor, Ontario. The bike trail travels from the foot of the Ambassador Bridge , to traffic lights at Riverside Drive and Lincoln Avenue...
just to the north in the parkland. Much of Windsor's most expensive residential real estate is housed on the waterfront side of Riverside Drive, with many homes valued in excess of $1 million.
Sandwich Street
The road was once named Sandwich Street, for the former community and now neighbourhood on the west end of Windsor. The road continues as Sandwich Street from the intersection with Huron Church Road, and continues past Ojibway Parkway to the Brighton BeachBrighton Beach
Brighton Beach is an oceanside neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. As of 2000, it has a population of 75,692 with a total of 31,228 households.-Location:...
Power Plant, Black Oak Heritage Park, and the Brighton Beach neighbourhood of Windsor.
Riverside Drive Vista Project
Throughout late 2005, and all of 2006, Windsor City Council has been trying to convert and widen the sidewalk along Riverside Drive (from Strabane Avenue to roughly Lauzon Road), to improve cycling access from the west side and downtown to the east side. The road is currently two lanes for most of its length, having either bike lanes or upscale residential properties that extend from the riverfront to the roadway.The vista project will be a multi-million dollar beautification project to plant trees, re-surface Riverside Drive, and re-surface sidewalks, possibly installing either bike lanes, or a bike trail along the road.
Residents who reside on the eastern portion of Riverside Drive are angry that the road is treated like a two-lane freeway
Two-lane freeway
A two-lane expressway is an expressway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes rise. The term super two is often used by roadgeeks for this type of road, but traffic...
, with drivers speeding well above the posted speed limit of 50 km/h, and are calling for the City of Windsor to honour the promise made to them ten years ago to improve other roadways and divert the commuter traffic from their residential area.
See also
- Ganatchio TrailGanatchio TrailThe Ganatchio Trail is a bike trail in Windsor, Ontario, the second to be built in the city. Construction on the trail started upon the closure of Clairview Avenue. The trail currently extends over 5.3 km, and passes through several neighbourhoods, such as Riverside and Little River, and...
- Little River ExtensionLittle River ExtensionThe Little River Extension is one of the newest and busiest recreational trails in Windsor, Ontario, having been built in 1996. The trail is used mainly as a link between the large subdivision of Forest Glade, to Ganatchio Trail, Sandpoint Beach, Stop 26 Beach, and Lakeview Park And Marina...
- Devonwood Bike TrailDevonwood Bike TrailThe Devonwood Bike Trail is a fairly straight and flat bike trail in the southern end of the city of Windsor, Ontario. The path starts just south of E.C. Row Expressway at the intersection of Hallmark Avenue and Conservation Drive. The path has several short branches less than 100 m long to connect...
- Riverside Drive Vista Project
- Bike Trails in the City of Windsor
- Trans-Canada Trail