QEW Improvements QEW Improvements COMMUNITY WORKSHOP (CW) 3 February 21, 2015 1
WORKSHOP PURPOSE MOVING FORWARD Review of Technically Preferred alternative Seeking feed back for progressing to next design phase (detail design) Next Steps 2
WORKSHOP AGENDA Opening Remarks (9:00 a.m.) Study Overview Presentation (9:10 a.m.) Question Identification Exercise (9:30 a.m.) Information Stations and Break (9:45 a.m.) Q & A Discussions (10:30 a.m.) Next Steps (11:00 am) Closing Remarks (11:15 a.m.) 3
STUDY OVERVIEW / INTRODUCTION Purpose of this study: - Bridge rehabilitation/replacement long term needs - Dixie Road Interchange improvements - QEW mainline operational improvements 4
QEW Improvements RECAP - STUDY AREA CONTEXT Etobicoke Creek Bridge - oldest bridge along the QEW (1932, widened in 1955 & 1967) Dixie Road Bridge approaching end of service life (1953) Dixie Road Interchange - unconventional partial configuration Highly congested corridor - WB afternoon peak period Service Roads and Communities in close proximity to narrow QEW Right-of-Way (ROW) 5
MAJOR ACTIVITIES WE ARE HERE 6
PUBLIC CONSULTATION RECAP Project website: http://www.qewdixieea.ca Project email: project-team@qewdixieea.ca Significant community interest ~ 300+ people on mailing list 38 local interest and ratepayer groups on mailing list PIC 1 (October 11, 2012) ~ 160 people attended / ~ 60 written comments CW 1 (December 9, 2013) ~ 70 people attended PIC 2 (October 24, 2013) ~ 300 people attended / ~ 90 written comments CW 2 (November 16, 2013) ~ 37 people attended Ogden Avenue Pedestrian Bridge CIS (Community Information Session) ~ 45 people attended / ~ 2 written comments PIC 3 (January 22, 2015) ~ 300 people attended / ~34 written comments 7
KEY COMMENTS HEARD AT PRIOR CONSULTATION Property impacts Noise Air quality & loss of vegetation Need for improved multimodal infrastructure (i.e. sidewalks, cycling lanes/trails, transit) Traffic volumes and speeding on local road Concerns that reconfiguration will increase travel time QEW traffic and congestion Questions regarding the potential future widening of QEW Comments regarding reduced lanes on the North Service Road Questions regarding timing and financing for this project Comments regarding SWM ponds Length of construction, construction staging and construction impacts 8
TECHNICALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE Etobicoke Creek Bridge Replacement Dixie Road Bridge Replacement Ogden Avenue Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Reconfigured All-Moves Dixie Road Interchange North & South Service Roads east of Dixie Road removed and replaced with local road west of Dixie Road -realigned to accommodate new ramps to/from west & reduced from 3 to 2 lanes Improved 6-lane QEW cross-section New westbound auxiliary lane 1 from 427 to Cawthra Rd New eastbound auxiliary lane 1 from Cawthra Rd to Dixie Rd 1 Auxiliary Lanes supplementary or in addition to the main driving lanes of a roadway, such as turn lanes, merge lanes and passing lanes. 9
PRELIMINARY DESIGN Other Key Design Components: Noise assessment Air Quality assessment Archeology & Heritage Assessment Transit and Multimodal Considerations Drainage & Stormwater Management Landscape Concepts Foundations Investigations Pavement Investigations Structural Rehabilitation Construction Staging 10
NEXT STEPS Address comments received at PIC 3 and CW 3 Finalize Technically Preferred Alternative Prepare and File TESR Initiate Final Design Phase Additional Consultation 11
Thank You 12