Mayor Harry Hughes and Members of Township Council

September 10, 2015

Mayor Harry Hughes and Members of Township Council

Township of Oro-Medonte

148 Line 7 South

Oro-Medonte, ON L0L 2E0

Dear Mayor Hughes and members of Township Council:

Thank you for your letter dated August 14, 2015 putting forward safety concerns and areas of interest that you feel need to be considered during the design of the County Road 22 improvements. Please note this project is in Phase 3 of the Class Environmental Assessment, and no final detailed design will commence until Phases 3 and 4 of the Class EA study are completed and the EA is approved.

The County’s approach to this undertaking is in complete alignment with the issues and interests you have expressed in your letter. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic safety is of paramount concern to the County as it considers alternative designs under the ongoing Class Environmental Assessment. All of the issues you have listed are being considered by the project team as it moves forward in developing and evaluating alternative designs. Furthermore, the project team recognizes and appreciates the unique and challenging topography of Horseshoe Valley and the concerns of the local community.

The Table below provides a summary of the design opportunities being considered to address the safety concerns and areas of interest noted in your letter.

Safety Concerns and Areas of Interest / Design Concepts and Public Safety Improvements Currently Under Consideration
Excessive speed / -Reduction in the posted speed from 70 km/hr to 60 km/hr.
-Intersection upgrades, including potential roundabouts.
-Increase signage and pavement markings.
-Temporary/permanent speed radar display boards.
-Increased law enforcement.
-Public awareness and education initiatives.
Poor lighting at a number of intersections / -New partial illumination at all side road intersections as per current standards.
Inadequate shoulders (paved and soft) / -Reconstruction of CR 22 with concrete curb and gutter.
-Provision of 3.0 metre wide fully paved shoulders/boulevard behind the curb and gutter, on both sides of CR 22.
-Elimination of gravel shoulders on CR 22 between the 3rd Line and the 4th Line of Oro Medonte.
Poor site lines especially at Lines 3 and 4 / -Existing road profile on CR 22 meets appropriate design speed standards and thus will be maintained.
-3rd Line intersection to be upgraded with auxiliary turn lanes and traffic signals or roundabout to improve site lines, safety, capacity and operations.
-Minor profile improvements on west approach to 4th Line subject to property constraints.
-4th Line intersection to be upgraded with auxiliary turn lanes or roundabout to improve site lines, safety, capacity and operations.
-Potential closure of CR 22/Beechwood Road intersection with alternative access from Maplecrest subject to input from local residents.
-Realign Pine Ridge Trail to line up with Country Club Lane to improve site lines, subject to grading and property constraints.
-Clear tree/vegetation obstructions within CR 22 road allowance to improve site lines.
-Acquire daylighting triangles at intersections where possible to improve site lines and maintain safe visibility.
Deep roadside ditches / drainage / -Urbanize CR 22 with curb and gutter, storm sewers and/or concrete gutter outlets with asphalt spillways to existing / reconstructed ditches to alleviate embankment erosion and improve management of stormwater runoff.
Guard rails in need of upgrading / -Upgrade road side protection by replacing existing cable guide rail with steel beam guide rail complete with end treatments as per MTO Road Side Safety Manual.
Safety of school bus stops on CR 22 / -Provide right turn tapers at all intersections to allow school buses and vehicles to safely transition out of the through lane traffic stream.
-Intersection improvements at 3rd Line, Horseshoe Blvd and 4th Line will provide increase safety for school bus pick-ups and drop offs.
-Provide bus pull off lane (i.e. lay-by lane) on north side of CR 22 between Pine Ridge Trail and Maplecrest to facilitate safe loading and unloading of school kids.
-Provide continuous center median turn lane between Horseshoe Blvd and Country Club Lane to permit left turning school buses to exit the through lanes safely.
-Provide 3.0 m wide paved multi-use trail/walkway behind the curb and gutter on both sides of CR 22 to provide safe movements for school children and other pedestrians.
Any design that would increase speed / -Intersection upgrades will improve the management of traffic speeds and improve the overall safety for pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
-Reconstruction of CR 22 to provide a separate lane for slow moving vehicles up the steep hills is a widely accepted traffic safety measure and is not designed to increase traffic speeds.
-Other opportunities to provide traffic control measures aimed at reducing vehicle speeds, as noted above, are being considered.
Pedestrian crossings especially at Line 4 / -Intersection improvements and traffic control concepts (i.e. traffic signals and/or roundabout) for the 3rd Line, Horseshoe Blvd and 4th Line are designed to improve pedestrian crossing safety.
-3.0 m multi-use pathway will provide opportunity for pedestrians to safely access the main intersections and the dedicated crossing facilities.
Misalignment of intersections / -Geometric alignment and configuration of intersection improvements at 3rd Line, Horseshoe Blvd and 4th Line will comply with appropriate County and Provincial standards.
-Opportunities to improve the alignment of minor side road intersections, including Pine Ridge Trial (so it is opposite Country Club Lane) to be considered subject to grading and property constraints.
-All existing intersection alignments and connections to CR 22 have been reviewed from a traffic safety perspective and each are deemed acceptable based on current road classifications and standards.
That the road design incorporate future growth / -Existing and future traffic projections, having regard for future growth and development pressures, have been considered in the assessment and evaluation of road and intersection improvement options.
Traffic calming measures / -Increase signage; reduce posted speed, temporary/permanent speed radar display boards, pavement markings, increase law enforcement and public awareness initiatives are being considered having regard for the CR 22 arterial road classification and the rugged (steep) rural conditions.
Reduction of speed to include Trillium Trail entrance / -The proposed reduction in the posted speed limit (from 70 km/hr to 60 km/hr) will be extended to east of the entrance to the subdivision.
The design be “cycling friendly” / -A 3.0 metre wide fully paved shoulder/boulevard behind the new curb and gutter will be constructed on both sides of CR 22 to accommodate cyclist and pedestrians.
-The widening of CR 22 to provide a separate lane for slow moving vehicles up the steep hills will also improve the safety for cyclist by removing them from the through lane traffic stream.

A preliminary preferred design concept, together with an evaluation matrix summary of all alternatives considered, will be presented to the public in late Fall 2015. At least 2 weeks’ notice will be provided through newspaper advertisements and individuals that have provided contact information to us will be individually notified of the public information centre meeting. The County welcomes input from all interested individuals and stakeholders in this process, and we will continue to work cooperatively with the Township of Oro-Medonte.

Yours truly,

Debbie Korolnek, P.Eng.

County of Simcoe

General Manager – Engineer, Planning and Environment Division

705-726-9300 ext: 1462

c: Horseshoe Valley Property Owners Association