General Road and Highway Discussion

[rangersfan]

Public gets its say on Woolwich Street redesign
March 4, 2015 | James Jackson | Waterloo Chronicle | LINK

Residents near the Woolwich Street area of Waterloo will get a second opportunity to provide input on the proposed reconstruction of the road at a public meeting tonight.

The meeting, at RIM Park from 5-8 p.m., will give the public another chance to voice their comments and concerns on the redesign, which stretches from University Avenue to Bridle Trail. The city and its consultant will review the feedback to help develop a preferred design later this year.

The first public input meeting was back in November and 69 people attended, providing 140 comments on a range of issues, from requests to limit the impact on the environment to traffic calming measures and increased cycling options.

“The feedback was generally pretty positive,” said Phil Quickfall, manager of development engineering at the city, though some specifically mentioned several old trees along the road that they would like to see protected.

There are some space constraints — including the Melitzer Creek — along the road, meaning the street will likely remain two lanes wide. A total of five redesign options, including a do-nothing option, have been presented to the public.

Early ideas for the redesign include adding bicycle lanes or a multi-use trail, as well as replacing aging infrastructure beneath the road. The approximately 2.5-kilometre project will cost an estimated $5.7 million.

Ward councillor Mark Whaley said the feedback he’s heard on the project is also positive, and that people are excited about transforming Woolwich Street from an “old style country road” with gravel shoulders and narrow sections, to a modern city street with a wide range of transportation options.

The area has been the subject of intense environmental scrutiny in recent years, including a proposed 69-home subdivision plan approved in 2013. The subdivision plan from Cook Homes, at 353 Woolwich St., was criticized by area residents who were worried about the impact it would have on local groundwater, the coldwater creek and the local deer population.

The city also expanded its reach on this project, mailing notices to residents and businesses within 500 metres of the project, more than four times the typical 120-metre mailing distance used by the city.

At least one more public input session detailing the preferred design is expected some time this spring. If everything proceeds smoothly, the city hopes to start construction later this year.