This holiday season, several of our local municipalities are gifting us public consultations on important road works projects. Our gift to you is a summary of each and links where you can comment.
Consider your response a gift to yourself and to other people who walk and who ride bicycles in your community. It takes only a few minutes to add your voice to ours — review the background information and provide your comments with as much detail as you can muster. Remember, a street redesign without due consideration of the bicycle rider may end up becoming an even more dangerous roadway than it was before the ‘improvements’.
Here’s the list of the latest surveys and links for your comments (in order of the survey closing date);
CWATS Master Plan. Survey closes January 8
CWATS is looking for feedback on its master plan update. This is an opportunity to provide your thoughts on missing links or gaps in the proposed network, to suggest routes that should be modified or removed, and to identify routes you think should be prioritized in the next 5 years.
We suggest you review this CWATS Master Plan presentation before you comment; you’ll find some good background information there.
You can take a look at the map of planned projects using the Miro tool and add your comments HERE. You can also find information on more CWATS Planned Projects and Project Highlights HERE.
Windsor – University and Wyandotte CIP. Survey closes January 8
The City of Windsor is currently developing a community improvement plan (CIP) for the University Avenue and Wyandotte Street corridors. You can read the Draft CIP plan HERE. The plan aims to improve the physical, economic, and social conditions in the area and will include recommendations based on goals and objectives that are formed from the City’s Official Plan and public consultation.
Why should cyclists take an interest? University Avenue could be the highest density cycling corridor in the County and it is one of the few streets with a right-of-way wide enough to comfortably accommodate cars, buses, and bikes. Work on reconstructing University Avenue won’t begin until this CIP is complete. We want the planners to know that cycling is a vital part of transportation and it improves the physical, economic, and social conditions of a city. Complete the survey HERE.
Lakeshore – County Road 22. Survey closes January 15
The County of Essex and the Town of Lakeshore are working on a corridor study of County Road 22 between East Puce Road (County Road 25) and Belle River Road (County Road 27). The study hopes to plan for future traffic needs and accommodate all road users (including cyclists).
You can provide your comments to this poorly-constructed (leading questions, little context or background) survey until January 15th at Placespeak.com/countyroad22design
Lasalle – Malden Road. Survey closes February 5
The Town of LaSalle is working with Stantec to complete a 10-year review of the 2009 Schedule C Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) for Malden Road. Watch the video presentation HERE to familiarize yourself with the project.
The plan proposes some upgrades to Malden Road that will improve safety for cyclists BUT we are concerned that these changes only seem to apply from Normandy Street to Meagan Drive.
The recommendations tell us that “No changes are being recommended for the section of Malden Road between Normandy and the city limits (the work associated with this part of the 2009 EA has already been constructed)”
In our opinion, the ‘downtown’ section of Malden Road from Todd Lane to Normandy Street is in dire need of an active transportation makeover! At a minimum, we recommend a reduction in the speed limit through this area and coloured paint on the road advising pedestrians, cyclists and drivers where they belong on the road.
Please tell the consultant that you would like to see considerable improvements to the cycling infrastructure and amenities north of Normandy street. Fill in this SURVEY.
Alternatively, you can contact the Engineer or consultant directly at;
Paula Hohner, M.Sc.Pl, MCIP, RPP
Senior Environmental Planner, Stantec Consulting Ltd.
Direct: 519-675-6666
Email: paula.hohner@stantec.com
Peter Marra, P.Eng.
Director of Public Works
Town of LaSalle
519-969-7770, ext 1475