Traffic study looks at options for Broadway, truck bypass

About a dozen people turned out for an open house on the town’s Traffic Master Plan, which makes recommendations out to 2035. Community input is still available into the plan through the town’s web site. The entire presentation from the meeting is also available on the website. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Imagine Broadway with parallel parking, or a truck bypass route on Quarter Line Road or Tillson Ave. Although those alternatives may not be likely, they were examined in the town’s Traffic Master Plan and explained during an open house for the study last week.

Held on April 29 in the Lion’s Den, the open house provided the public with a chance to provide feedback on the possible scenarios.

The Traffic Master Plan is looking at traffic flows today, how growth will impact it, what changes are needed, and the investments council should be making today. It also assumes most travel in town will be car-based, but looks at the role transit will play. The plan projects traffic flows out to 2035.

The possibility of a truck bypass around downtown Tillsonburg was the largest suggestion in the report when looked at by dollar value. There are currently more than 250 trucks per day going through the downtown. Several options were looked at for a bypass, including routing down Quarter Line Road, Tillson Ave, and West Town Line, but the preferred option was to build a new road outside the town boundary from Highway 19 to Highway 3. The construction cost of this option was $12 to $22 million, and the suggestion was that the town should request the county to protect a corridor on the west side of town for a future bypass. Tillson Ave was rated as the number two option.

The reconfiguration of Broadway, with its angled parking, for which the town is known, was also examined in the study. Options for Broadway were: no change, reverse angle parking where drivers would back in, parallel parking with wider sidewalks with bike lanes, and removing all parking to add bike lanes with wider sidewalks.

Some of the other suggestions in the report are:

• Protect left turn lanes at Broadway and North Street and remove channelized turn lanes to improve pedestrian safety

• Install a traffic signal at Quarter Line Road and North Street

• New all-way stops at the intersections of Bidwell and Bridge and Bidwell and Brock.

• Remove the channelized right turn lane at Tillson and Oxford to improve pedestrian safety and consider a red-light camera for the intersection

• Remove the northbound left turn lane at Simcoe and Goshen Streets and realign the intersection to 90 degrees

• Possible traffic signals at Concession Street East and Lisgar Ave to reduce angle collisions

• Reconfigure Bridge Street for enhanced pedestrian access.

• Develop a network of connected trails and on-road cycling paths.

• Traffic calming measures in neighbourhoods, ranging from road narrowing to speed bumps and speed signs.

The study also looked into downtown parking, noting that 50 per cent of parking is used on weekdays. It acknowledged there will be some parking loss with the possibility of Bridge Street reconstruction.

Kevin Jones, who is managing the study for Paradigm Transportation Solutions Ltd., estimated about a dozen people attended the meeting.

“Some people like some of the stuff, and some people had some ideas about some of the stuff presented,” he said. “We’re hoping to get some feedback from other members of the public who couldn’t attend.”

The plan is posted on the town’s website at https://www.tillsonburg.ca/town-hall/plans-reports-and-studies/transportation-master-plan/, and e-mail feedback can be sent to TillsonburgTMP@ptsl.com

Mayor Deb Gilvesy said she has raised several concerns about the recommendations.

"I want the community to understand that the report released to the public was prepared by a consultant and contains recommendations only,” she emphasized. “ It will be coming forward to council for full discussion and debate, where no decisions have yet been made.”

The mayor said the status quo is one option for Broadway.

“Broadway is a defining feature of our community - recognized as the widest main street in Ontario - and its history and character are important to preserve as we consider any future changes,” she said.

Coun. Bob Parsons, who attended the meeting, is a member of the town’s Traffic Advisory Committee and was excited to see the plan moving forward. He calls being involved in the discussion about a truck by-pass route 30 years ago as a councillor and vice-president of the former Tillsonburg Business Association. He said this is the most complex of the recommendations and will likely need involvement from other levels of government.

“This may be the most futuristic of the 12 focus areas of the plan, likely past my lifetime,” he said.

“Proposals such as a bypass, particularly where they extend beyond town boundaries, would present significant financial and practical challenges that require careful evaluation,” Gilvesy added.

Coun. Chris Parker was also at the meeting and encouraged the public to provide comments on the plan. He saw positive elements in it, such as proposed community safety zones, additional controlled intersections and enhanced measures to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety.

“That said, there are also aspects that raise concerns,” he added. “In particular, the proposed truck by pass represents a significant financial investment and would require the acquisition of a substantial amount of agricultural land, which I believe warrants careful consideration. Additionally, I am not supportive of the suggestion to change the existing angle parking on Broadway, especially given the limited parking currently available in the downtown core.”

Jones described the procedure going forward as collecting more public feedback and council endorsement of the plan. Individual recommendations will then come back to future councils as they are dealt with.

“Council will get an opportunity to weigh in on individual planning recommendations as they come forward,” Jones said.