Environmental assessments for the Northwest Arterial roadway have been first performed within the Eighties and the town is at present updating these assessments in anticipation that the venture shall be wanted if provincial freeway enhancements go forward.
THUNDER BAY — Residents within the northwest finish of the town are questioning the plan to construct a significant new street via the world.
Dozens of residents spoke out at a public open home in Thunder Bay on Wednesday concerning the deliberate Northwest Arterial roadway.
The three.76-kilometre roadway would join Dawson Street and Golf Hyperlinks Street. It is a part of a plan to enhance the transportation within the metropolis in alignment with the potential four-laning of the Thunder Bay Expressway by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO).
Hannah Persichino, a resident who not too long ago moved to the world, attended the occasion together with her youngsters. She stated she understands that there must be infrastructure for elevated visitors, however stated placing it via a residential space ‘just doesn’t make sense.’
“The reason that we moved there was because it had a semi-rural feel, not a lot of traffic through the area, a lot of nature for our children to run in and now they’re talking about putting this big road that if we look at it is going to take a lot of traffic from the area and put it right beside us,” stated Persichino.
The town is at present updating its environmental evaluation for the venture, which was first performed in 1989 and added to in 1992.
Persichino stated she thinks it is problematic that work was performed so way back.
“The areas have grown exponentially since then and they have more buildings, more apartment buildings going up,” she said.
“So when we’re looking at all of that traffic that’s now going to come through our neighbourhood, the sound, the environment, all of that is going to be impacted, even the safety of our children. They just put it in a new park and now they’re going to have to cross this super busy road that right now is just a dirt road to get to a park that’s in the neighbourhood.”
Robbin Lavoie, a resident of Cherry Ridge Street, can also be involved with the adjustments to the world over the previous many years. He stated he acknowledges the need of the visitors movement however thinks there are different viable choices that, ‘given the length of time since this study was done, need to be looked at.’
“I was here with an open mind to try to get some information. I mean, obviously, I live in Cherry Ridge, so there will be an impact and recognizing that the city is growing, my concern has been why the city in its official plan 50 years ago, didn’t put the road in then, instead of building around it. Now we’re kind of shoehorning a road through to deal with traffic issues in residential neighbourhoods,” Lavoie stated.
He stated total, constructing the street could be a constructive consequence however because it’s virtually in his yard, it is going to, sadly, influence a wide range of issues, together with property values and issues of that nature, which he doesn’t suppose have been thought of sufficient within the design section of this program.
There have been numerous questions concerning the roads, entry to the roadway and why this venture is required, stated Matthew Miedema, the director of engineering with the Metropolis Thunder Bay, who spoke to residents on the open home.
“The big question we’re getting is, why do we need this arterial? And the answer is we need this arterial again tied to MTOs work. The city doesn’t need it today, for traffic is flowing okay in that northwest part of the city, but we need it if MTO proceeds with the interchange work on Thunder Bay’s expressway,” stated Miedema.
Miedema stated suggestions gathered on the open home will assist inform a closing environmental examine report, which the town will launch in Q1 of subsequent yr.
He stated one other remark interval will observe the report to permit the general public to additional touch upon it with closing suggestions.
“Any comment is a good comment. We won’t say no. We’ll just take that feedback, incorporate into the final recommendations of the project. So, we hope to proceed with the project. But again, it’s really tied to the MTOs project and if you have a concern with a particular issue with the Arterial Road, we’ll take it into the final design,” stated Miedema.
Miedema stated the hall would influence visitors within the northwest a part of the town, however they wouldn’t construct it with out the MTOs venture continuing on the freeway.
“The MTO is working on their project; they’ve updated their environmental study, so we want to update our environment study to be ready for design for this project so if MTO proceeds on the four lanes in the Thunder Bay expressway and interchange project, our project will be ready as well,” stated Miedema.
“Without this project, traffic will be severely congested in the northwest part of the city,” he stated. “So, this new arterial road will alleviate a lot of that traffic congestion and help traffic flow on the expressway south and connect.”
That is solely the primary public session, stated Miedema, and a second one will come within the new yr to assemble extra suggestions.
Residents can discover extra details about the venture and the environmental evaluation course of on the town’s web site.
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