Cars back up at the intersection of Spencer Street and Kingsway Avenue on May 13.--News Photo CollinGallant
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A new city Transportation Plan that would insert active priorities like cycling and trailways into long-term network planning – including maligned changes on Division Avenue – will go to a public hearing later this spring.
The masterplan, written over the last year by the municipal works department, will be postponed until after the hearing in late June or early July, after council voted 5-2 Tuesday to delay its passage.
Coun. Shila Sharps had previously called for a hearing which she said could clear the air and find common ground.
“We’ve been inundated, and we’re also hearing people in favour, but (both sides) are extremes,” said Sharps. “Our job as council is to find something that works for everybody.”
About 50 residents attended council’s meeting after growing online sentiment against the plan began last week.
Coun. Alison Van Dyke voted against the hearing saying it wouldn’t address residents’ problems with road design or engineering.
“It’s not a plan specific to any project,” she said, noting that specific projects come in the budget envelope and potential amendments. “That’s the appropriate time to have public input on specific projects. I’m not sure a public hearing would alter anything specific in the plan.”
Other councillors felt the already long-delayed plan could be discussed further.
“I’ve heard a lot about Division and the rumours about Kingsway and now Third Street,” said Coun. Andy McGrogan, who chaired the meeting. “I don’t see any problem with have a public hearing to let residents have a say.”
Administrators say the plan, outlining long-term road and network development against population growth projections and maintenance schedules, was last updated 12 years ago.
Included in the new proposal is filling in sections of the trail and sidewalk network and improving “active transportation,” as were outlined in public feedback before the review was completed.
Since major changes on Division Avenue last year however, some opposition has grown against losing vehicle lanes in favour of trailway on major arteries.
“I’m in favour of active transportation, but I’m not deaf to the concerns of the community,” said Coun. Allison Knodel. “How do we role it out in a slow, thoughtful way that makes sense. When it happens quickly, it’s a lot for people to process.”
Coun. Cassi Hider said she has heard both for and against comments regarding Division Avenue, and she moved to hold a non-statutory public hearing before hearing the plan.
“It’s important for us to have a place where people who reside in the community have a place to voice concerns and maybe learn from each other,” she said.
On Division Avenue S., planners eliminated two seldom used parking lanes and left two standard-sized lanes (one in either direction). That allowed the city to add a wide walking and cycling trail to the road corridor that has irregular, uncontrolled intersections between the Southeast and Southwest Hill communities.
Some factions have lambasted the changes, stating the turns are too tight and the city should prioritize traffic flow in new road designs.
City engineering manager Stan Nowakowski said the masterplan is a high-level document that doesn’t go down to the street levels design such as on Division or Third Street in Riverside, which is due for upgrades next year. In the 2027-28 budget cycle the city would look at upgrades on Kingsway Avenue.
He said those project processes are not different than what happened on a S. Railway Street in the late 2010s, when engineers knew the road was failing but some reconfiguration of irregular intersections and extending trail network on the narrow roadway was included.
“A masterplan is a scaffold that lays out how reviews happen at future points,” said Coun. Robert Dumanowski. “It’s very intentional and it takes in to account the business community and residents who use the roads.
“The South Railway process and Kingsway, or others, is that there needs to be improvements and reconstruction. The question isn’t what, but how.”
