Open house held for town’s new transportation master plan

By Ron Giofu

The Town of Amherstburg is developing a transportation master plan and the consultants that have been hired staged an open house last week.

Representatives from TYLin and Mobycon were at the Libro Centre last Tuesday evening and joined town staff in answering questions from the public that showed up. Ridhita Ghose from TYLin said they will develop the plan based on the data they collect and the input they receive from the public. She indicated that more public feedback is welcome.

“We take all of the information back and analyze it to come back with something for the future,” said Ghose.

The transportation master plan (TMP) that is being developed is described as “a blueprint for long-term transportation planning and policy direction” that will analyze transportation issues up to 2041. According to material displayed at last Tuesday evening’s open house, the plan’s recommendations will “align with the town’s growth and support its vision for a future transportation system with creative and realistic solutions based on input. A TMP provides an assessment of the existing transportation network and identifies recommendations to optimize the system for people of all ages and abilities. The plan offers direction for improving multi-modal connections within and between communities.”

Ghose indicated they are looking at the entire town with a focus area being the downtown core and the more urban parts of the town. She said they are looking at everything from parking to intersections, using the example of the intersection of Simcoe St. and Meloche Road as one of the areas they are looking at. Whether people find it difficult to park in the downtown core is another issue being tackled.

Active transportation, such as cycling trails and sidewalks, is also being studied.

“It’s the entire Town of Amherstburg with a focus on the downtown core,” she said of the project area.

An online survey earlier this year resulted in nearly 300 responses, Ghose added. The firm she is with came down to Amherstburg last week to get a firsthand look at the study areas.

Another public open house is planned for the fall and the completed transportation master plan could be before town council shortly after that.

“The hope is, if everything goes smoothly, to have it by the end of the year,” said Ghose.

People can leave additional comments at www.talktheburg.ca/transportation, she continued.

Ghose added her Toronto-based firm as gone as far as Timiskaming and

Thunder Bay for such projects, adding they are “really excited” about working with Amherstburg.

Ed Debevc, an Amherstburg resident, came with wife Heather for the open house.

“I just wanted to understand what a transportation master plan was all about,” said Debevc. “I think it’s a good thing that they are doing a planning process.” Debevc said they are interested in the downtown core, making it more accessible and more convenient for members of the community.

Rob Trought, another member of the public that came out, said “I think it’s a positive” that the town and the consultants held an open house. He said he lives in the Meadowview subdivision and safety is an issue when walking in the direction of the Libro Centre or beyond.

“You take your life in your hands while trying to walk this way,” he said, adding he has seen accidents at the Simcoe St. and Meloche Road intersection.

A lack of trees was another issue Trought raised, believing if more trees were along sidewalks and trails, it would encourage people to walk and cycle more. He didn’t believe parking in the downtown core was a major issue, stating he usually finds a spot when coming downtown, but street lights were important to him. A street light in his subdivision has taken two years to repair, as there is an orange cone where the pole should be.