May 19, 2010 Good afternoon Ms. Noble, Thank you for your comments on the Regent Street project. I trust that the following information will answer your questions. There is an unsafe condition on Regent Street between Caswell Drive and Bouchard Street with rear end vehicle collisions due to left turning vehicles occupying a through lane. A summary of vehicle collisions is attached. Secondary issues include inadequacy of the pavement structure and minor intersection improvements at Telstar Avenue, and Caswell Drive. Alternatives to providing a continuous centre left turn lane, such as do-‐ nothing or prohibiting left turns, were considered, and the preferred alternative is the provision of a continuous centre left turn lane. A left turn lane at Arnold Street was identified as a requirement by the Moonglo Subdivision Traffic Impact Study and the Developer has made a contribution towards its construction. In widening Regent Street, the City has also included additional width (0.5 m) in the curb lane. This additional width assists bicycles and vehicles sharing the lane. This is referred to as a Shared Roadway. Bicycle lanes (1.5 m width both sides) were considered, however due to property constraints and major buried utility conflicts (Bell Canada and Union Gas), their construction was not feasible. In the latest draft of the Sustainability Mobility Plan (SMP) Regent Street is identified for a physically separated bicycle path. Based on this recommendation the wide curb lanes or bicycle lanes would not be considered. The physically separated bicycle path designation in the SMP does not have specific requirements for infrastructure and calls for the use of creativity in planning/designing of these paths. Options include clear boulevards, a path behind the sidewalk, or an alternate route bypassing the road right-‐of-‐way. The SMP has yet to be finalized or adopted by Council. Therefore, the City took the proactive approach of proposing the wide curb lanes as per City standards, and is proposing to remove as many obstacles from the boulevard as possible, such as street lights and utility poles.
Sidewalks are constructed to a standard 1.5 m minimum width. This minimum width is standard throughout the province and it is the width of the City sidewalk plows. If you require any additional information or have further questions, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Bicycling and walking are important modes of transportation in our community. The City considers all forms of travel when designing improvements to the transportation network. Regards, Dave David Shelsted, MBA, P.Eng. Roads Engineer Infrastructure Services Roads and Transportation 674-‐4455 Ext. 3688