Online Consultation: North Halton Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Study

Minimizing impacts to properties (including residential, business, institutional and recreational) is a key design consideration in the development of alternative design concepts.  As the study progresses to Phase 3 of the MCEA process, alternative design concepts will include for example widening alternatives, intersection improvements, as well as active transportation improvements.

Noise and air quality assessments will be undertaken as part of the study to assess existing and future conditions within the study area and the impacts associated with the proposed improvements on James Snow Parkway, Steeles Avenue and Regional Road 25. If warranted, the noise and air quality assessments will include recommendations for mitigation measures, for example noise walls may be recommended where warranted. These studies will be initiated in the next stage of the study.

Safety remains Halton Region's top priority for all transportation improvements. The recommended solution for the three corridors is intended to improve traffic operations and accessibility for all modes of travel at corridor intersections. Specific improvements will be considered in the development and evaluation of the design alternatives in the next phase of the study, for example improvements to address pedestrian and cyclist movements at intersections.

Access to and from the three corridors will follow Halton Region's Access Management Guideline (January 2015) to maintain a high level of service for travel along the corridors while providing access to adjacent properties.

We encourage you to report your concerns and to request additional enforcement through the Halton Regional Police Services’ Road Watch program (external link). Your observations related to safety are very important in our data collection and the enforcement work that the Halton Regional Police Service does.

Walking and cycling facilities are a key component to support a transportation system that is safe, continuous, connected, and coordinated for all users and abilities. This will be reviewed for each of the corridors in consideration of the corridor’s specific needs and character (urban versus rural). The type of facility (e.g., sidewalks, cycle tracks, multi-use paths) will be confirmed as the study progresses. The types of facilities we are considering include:

• Cycle Track – typically horizontally and vertically separated from vehicle lanes by a curb and buffer or boulevard. A cycle track may be one way or two-way;
• Multi-Use Path – horizontally and vertically separated from vehicular lanes by a curb and buffer and shared by cyclists and pedestrians; and
• Paved shoulder – often found on rural roads, providing vertical separation from vehicle lanes.

There are many strategies that may be used to improve intersection crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. Some sample strategies include:

• Pavement markings and solid green surface treatment
• Signs
• Bicycle signals
• Setback crossings

An example of a pavement marking is a crossride, which provides a designated space where cyclists are permitted to ride across an intersection or crossing. Several different pavement markings may be used.  For example, green surface treatment may be applied to increase the visibility of a cycling facility, highlight conflict areas and reinforce the priority of people riding bikes in conflict areas. In the next phase of the study, these strategies will be reviewed for each of the corridors depending on the corridor’s specific needs and character (urban versus rural).

The next phase of this study will include reviewing improvements to active transportation along Steeles Avenue, including the crossing over Highway 401. The recommended solution for Steeles Avenue includes improving facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, mobility device users and other non-vehicular travel to create a safe and accessible network.

In 2019, the Defining Major Transit Requirements in Halton Region Study was completed and  James Snow Parkway and Steeles Avenue are identified as transit priority corridors. James Snow Parkway was identified as a priority bus corridor (in 2031 and 2041) including transit signal priority, queue jump lanes, bus shelters and other transit stop improvements. Steeles Avenue is identified as mixed traffic (in 2031) and a priority bus corridor (in 2041) which includes the opportunity to implement transit supportive infrastructure such as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, transit priority, queue jump lanes and bus shelters. These infrastructure features will be considered in the development of the improvement alternatives for the two corridors.

Based on the transportation analysis completed to-date, the preferred solution includes a combination of active transportation improvements, and intersection/operational improvements. Improvements to Regional Road 25 include localized widening, such as turn lanes to help alleviate the queuing and congestion. Active transportation facilities will also be reviewed as part of the proposed improvements to Regional Road 25.

The recommended solution for Regional Road 25 includes improving overall operations at intersections, as well as localized widening and the addition of turning lanes. The design will accommodate farming vehicles as part of the overall operations for Regional Road 25.

Curbs are not being planned for Regional Road 25 within the study limits, as the intent is to keep the roadway rural with ditches to accommodate stormwater and drainage.

As part of the MCEA process, there are a number of technical studies that will be undertaken for the preferred design, including a stormwater management and drainage study. This study will review the existing conditions for the study area and identify the proposed stormwater and drainage design to support the preliminary design for the improved corridor.

The Regional road system connects the Region’s rural and urban centres and provides connectivity to the provincial highway system, as well as the local road network. Regional roads are designed to support all modes of travel including truck traffic.