Uptown Waterloo residents raise concerns over tree removal for new cycle path

Work on a new bike path has begun at the Waterloo intersection of Willow Street and William Street East, connecting the end of the cul de sac with the nearby Spur Line Trail.

But some residents aren’t happy with the city’s plan.

Two trees and a bench have been removed in order for the work to be done – prime greenspace, according to resident Paul Stickney.

“Both a healthy service berry tree and a healthy pear tree that both kids and seniors and neighbors, in the neighborhood, would often pick from,” he explained.

The Willow Street and William Street East intersection in Waterloo, before construction began on a new bike path. (Source: Google Maps)

Stickney doesn’t feel the cycle path is necessary since active transportation is just a few steps away.

“You've got the Spur Line Trail 10 meters up. And just behind us, on this same street here, Herbert Street cuts through. There's already a cycling bypass there into the neighborhood. It's really redundant,” he said.

But getting off William Street onto the trail by bike isn’t as easy as it sounds, some cyclists insist.

“You had to kind of jump the curb and get off the curb. So it's a little awkward,” cyclist Valerie Glofcheski explained.

She cycles in the area often and believes the more cycling infrastructure there is, the better.

Glofcheski believes cycle lanes and paths make a big difference in the community.

“When you can't connect to them, it's dangerous. It's really dangerous. So wherever you can put them, I think that's a great idea,” she said.

Stickney wasn’t the only one surprised that construction fences went up last week. He’s heard from several residents who shared the same frustrations online.

“[It] made me so sad to see that tree gone,” read one post in a Facebook community group.

Construction of a bike path at the Willow Street and William Street East intersection in Waterloo on Oct. 2, 2024. (Heather Senoran/CTV News)

City responds

Some residents said they were unaware of the cycle path construction.

The City of Waterloo sent CTV News a copy of a letter sent to neighbours at the end of August, warning them about the work.

They said a safe path for cyclists was needed and the construction would also include a new landscaping plan to replace and enhance what was removed during the initial work.

“The landscaping has been developed by a landscaping contractor, working with the city’s parks team, and will include trees and plantings, and the bench will be put back,” a spokesperson for the City of Waterloo explained.

Stickney said it’s a good sentiment, but the benefits to the community won’t be immediate.

“You replace them with seedlings and, years later perhaps. you have what you had. But [we] can't do anything about that now,” he said.

The work started last week and is expected to take three weeks to complete – weather permitting.