Report Purpose To seek Council s approval of the Wye Road Functional Planning Study (January 2015).

Transcription

1 COUNCIL MEETING Meeting Date: March 10, 2015 Agenda Item #: 13.1 Wye Road Functional Planning Study (January 2015) Report Purpose To seek Council s approval of the Wye Road Functional Planning Study (January 2015). Recommendation THAT Council approve the Wye Road Functional Planning Study (January 2015) as the guide for future transportation improvements for the Wye Road corridor. Council History December 2005 Council approved the Business Plan and 2006 Budgets, for the Wye Road (Ordze Road to Highway 21) Urbanization Evaluation & Design Study here after referred to as the Wye Road Functional Planning Study. September Council was provided with an update on the status of the Wye Road Functional Planning Study and directed administration to proceed with a Stakeholder Engagement Process for the Wye Commercial area. March 2014 Council was provided with the results of the Stakeholder Engagement Process for the Wye Road commercial area (Wye Road Stakeholder Engagement Summary Report, February 2014). Council directed administration to update the Wye Road Functional Planning Study accordingly and present the final version at two engagement opportunities: 1) for the Wye commercial area business stakeholders and 2) for the general public. Strategic Plan Priority Areas Effective and efficient municipal infrastructure The implementation of the long-term Wye Road corridor plan will permit orderly and timely staged upgrades, i.e., trails, turning lanes, through lanes, traffic signals, for Wye Road and ensure the motoring public is not subjected to traffic congestion and delays while providing safe and efficient access to business precincts and residential neighbourhoods. Economy: Safe and efficient transportation services and infrastructure benefits the economy. Governance: Approved functional transportation plans of the major road network provides guidance and limits for orderly development. Social: Mobility is an essential component of well-being. Culture: n/a Environment: Traffic congestion or delays use up more energy resulting in additional vehicular exhaust, which impacts the natural environment. Other Impacts Policy: n/a Legislative/Legal: n/a Interdepartmental: Transportation & Agriculture Services; Planning & Development Services. Document: Page 1 of 3

2 COUNCIL MEETING Summary Strathcona County is committed to providing a safe and efficient transportation network for the community. The Wye Road Functional Planning Study for Wye Road between Ordze Road and Highway 21 was initiated in 2006 with a mandate to identify future upgrade needs for Wye Road. The study was deferred in 2008 prior to completion based on Wye commercial area business owner concerns related to the County s roadway upgrades and proposed traffic control concepts in the Wye commercial area. In September 2012, Council approved reactivation of the project starting with a Stakeholder Engagement Process for the Wye commercial area, empowering business stakeholders to develop recommended concepts and plans for future roadway upgrades and traffic controls in the business precinct situated between Ordze Road and Hawthorne Street (see Enclosure 1, Business Stakeholder Engagement Area outlined in red). Engaging the business community was fundamental to creating a plan for the Wye Road corridor through the Wye commercial area. The engagement plan was developed to provide potential stakeholders with many opportunities for thorough input on the project, which included door-to-door notifications, face-to-face meetings, and stakeholder feedback sessions. The final phase of engagement consisted of developing a plan with the final stakeholder recommendations. This plan was presented at two stakeholder meetings. The vast majority of participants were positive and supportive of the recommendations. The business stakeholder recommendations were presented to Strathcona County s Priority Committee on March 11, The recommendations were subsequently reviewed and vetted by administration and then incorporated into the overall Wye Road Functional Planning Study, virtually unchanged from the stakeholder recommended plan, with implementation horizons added by administration. The overall planning study, and specifically the roadway functional plan, was presented at a business stakeholder open house on June 3, 2014 followed by a general public open house on June 16, The business stakeholder open house was lightly attended. Seventeen people signed in and two comment forms were returned. In general, the attendees were pleased that all of the stakeholder recommendations were adopted into the final functional plan. The majority of stakeholders who attended, and who also had concerns with the original plan, expressed favourable opinions of the presented final plan. The public open house was well attended, approximately 150 people came out and 70 comments forms were received. Generally speaking, the public was supportive of the additional lanes and the pedestrian facilities, and expressed a desire for the recommended staged upgrades to be completed as quickly as possible. Among the concerns expressed were increased traffic, additional traffic lights, noise and the length of time for the proposed upgrades to be complete. Document: Page 2 of 3

3 COUNCIL MEETING Next Steps: Following the March 10, 2015 Council Meeting, administration will update the Transportation Capital Plan to reflect the planning study recommendations. Individual capital projects will be presented to Council for approval through the annual Capital Budget process. Communication Plan Letter Media Release Newspaper Advertisement Meeting Other: Open Houses Enclosures 1 Wye Road Original Study Area Project Limits and Current Focus Area Map (Document: ) 2 Wye Road Functional Planning Study (January 2015) (Document: ) (Provided electronically via to Council and Executive Team) 3 PowerPoint presentation (Document: ) Author: Dan Schilbe, Capital Planning & Construction Director: Dan Schilbe, Capital Planning & Construction Associate Commissioner, Division: Kevin Glebe, Infrastructure & Planning Services Date: January 26, 2015 Document: Page 3 of 3

4 Document: Enclosure 1

5 Enclosure 3 Wye Road Functional Planning Study Council Meeting March 10, 2015 Document:

6 Agenda 1) Introduction of the project team Dan Schilbe 2) Brief history of the Wye Road project Dan Schilbe 3) Wye Road Planning Study Process Corry Broks and Dana Leithead 4) Questions: Mayor and Council 5) Recommendation Dan Schilbe 2

7 Introduction of project team Al-Terra: Corry Broks, Dana Leithead Stantec: Shawn Bravender Strathcona County: Dan Schilbe, Jocelyn Thrasher-Haug, Ryan Anders, Dawn Green, Ross Etches Thanks to Chamber of Commerce President, Todd Banks 3

8 Wye Road Functional Planning Study Developments south of Wye Road begins in 1991 (South of Wye Area Structure Plan) Wye Road Functional Planning Study initiated in 2007 Public engagement and multiple public information open houses ( ) On-going developments and increased traffic demands 4

9 Wye Road Planning Study Process Presentation focus topics: Study objectives and approach Traffic estimates and analysis Land use Utilities, noise and pedestrians Communications Recommendations and plans 5

10 Study Area 6

11 Study Objectives Primary Objective determine a configuration for Wye Road and intersections that will maintain an acceptable level of operating service (LOS) for the foreseeable future 7

12 Study Objectives Secondary Objectives access management plan that balances business viability and corridor integrity (maintains acceptable level of service) condition assessment and capacity analysis of storm sewers noise assessment and mitigation trail connections, boulevard and median landscaping, streetscaping utility and pipeline relocations 8

13 Approach Identify deficiencies existing and future traffic Wye Road intersections pedestrian circulation 9

14 Traffic Estimates Existing traffic and operating conditions current traffic ±25,000 vpd 20-year horizon background traffic growth model values potential land use and developments (full development of the area) total traffic estimate by 2035 ±40,000 vehicles per day 10

15 Future Land Use 11

16 Traffic Analysis Existing traffic operations AM and PM peak hour Design peak hour selected PM peak Existing roadway network with 20-year traffic Do Nothing option operations Road improvements (additional lanes) - operations 12

17 Analysis Results Wye Road six through lanes auxiliary lanes adjacent to commercial trails for pedestrians Capacity issues all major intersections Constraints high pressure pipelines south side noise attenuation fence north side CBC property 13

18 Other Considerations Storm / sewer / drainage Lighting Utilities (pipelines, overhead power, watermain) Noise Wall Assessment Pedestrian connectivity 14

19 Communication Initial consultation stakeholders meeting March 19, 2008 Executive Summary Report public open house May 7, 2008 Additional consultation business stakeholder engagement presentation open house June 3 & 16,

20 Functional Plan Recommendations Six lanes Auxiliary lanes and double lefts where required Continuous multi-use trail connection Streetscaping 16

21 Functional Plan Recommendations Sherwood Drive / Wye Road double lefts required in all quadrants except northbound to westbound Petro-Can and Walmart access modifications improvements in keeping with stakeholder recommendations 17

22 Functional Plan Recommendations Brentwood Boulevard / Wye Road double lefts required in all quadrants except northbound to westbound 18

23 Functional Plan Recommendations Clover Bar Road / Wye Road double lefts required for eastbound to northbound, and southbound to eastbound 19

24 Proposed Plans 20

25 Proposed Plans 21

26 Proposed Plans 22

27 Wye Road Staging Short term: 1 10 Years Medium term: Years Long term: 20+ Years 23

28 Thank you and questions 24

29 Recommendation March 10, 2015 THAT Council approve the Wye Road Functional Planning Study (January 2015) as the guide for future transportation improvements for the Wye Road corridor. 25