The City is carrying out a study to identify ways to improve transportation connections from Village Green Square to Sheppard Avenue East between Kennedy Road and the Stouffville Metrolinx GO rail corridor.
Key objectives of the study:
Potential transportation improvements to be considered include:
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The study Focus Area is bounded by the dashed black line.
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The lands between Highway 401 to the south, Kennedy Road to the west, Sheppard Avenue East to the north, and the Stouffville Metrolinx GO rail corridor to the east are experiencing significant development growth. The number of people living and working in this area will grow as a result of planned and anticipated developments.
As the number of people using the transportation network increases, improvements will be needed to ensure that people can travel through the area and reach key destinations efficiently and safely. Without alternative routes, particularly to and from the Agincourt GO Station, increased traffic from anticipated developments will lead to greater congestion. The need for a new north-south street connecting Sheppard Avenue East with the streets east of Kennedy Road is identified in the City’s Official Plan and the Council-approved Agincourt Secondary Plan.
Constructed and natural barriers in the area present a number of challenges. The transportation network is constrained by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Stouffville Metrolinx GO rail corridor, and West Highland Creek, resulting in a disconnected local street network that limits the movement of people in the area. Currently, people traveling to and from Cowdray Court and Village Green Square must use Kennedy Road. Given that congestion on Kennedy Road is an existing concern, as is the safety of people walking and cycling, this study aims to address existing and future needs for all modes of transportation.
The Southwest Agincourt Transportation Connections study is being carried out under Schedule ‘C’ of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA), which is an approved planning process under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. Under this process, the study will define the problem(s) that are to be addressed, develop and evaluate potential solutions, review public and stakeholder feedback, recommend a preferred solution, and identify measures to minimize any impacts resulting from the preferred solution. Each potential transportation improvement (solution) will be assessed based on its anticipated impacts on the natural environment, traffic circulation, residents and property owners in the study focus area and the surrounding area, upfront and long term costs.
An Environmental Study Report (ESR) will be prepared and made publicly available at the end of the study process in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class EA. Members of the public will have a 30 day period to comment on the ESR.
The study was initiated in late 2019 and is anticipated to be completed by mid-2021.
The study will consider
Information used in the evaluation will be collected through existing reports, field studies, input from technical advisors and subject matter experts, and through public consultation.
The study will make recommendations for transportation improvements that will be presented to City Council for consideration. The final recommendation of this study could be a combination of improvements (for example, a new north-south street, a new, separate multi-use trail, as well as improvements to the existing road network improvements) or a single improvement (i.e. just a multi-use trail). As a result, it is necessary to study the impacts of all potential improvements, both individually and collectively.
The study will consider potential changes to the existing street network within the Focus Area to address problems and opportunities identified in Phase 1 of the study.
At this point in the study, the information is too preliminary to determine potential impacts to existing properties. Once there is additional information about the transportation improvements under consideration, owners of properties that could potentially be impacted by each alternative will be notified.
The Agincourt Mall site falls within the secondary study boundary, and the proposed redevelopment of the mall will be considered as part of the broader impact analysis (eg. impacts of the potential transportation improvements on traffic and the natural environment). Additional traffic that could be generated by the Agincourt Mall redevelopment will be considered as part of traffic modelling and used to evaluate potential transportation options.
Public consultation is an important part of the study. Members of the public and key stakeholders will have the opportunity to learn more about the study and provide feedback at two key points in the process.
Public consultation events will take place
During the first phase of public consultation, the public will have the opportunity to:
At the second event, the public will be invited to provide feedback on design options for the preferred improvements.
Advance notification about the public events will be distributed by mail to properties in and around the study area. Information about the events will also be posted on this web page and shared through various community channels. Event materials will also be posted on this web page. During the consultation period, the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback in person at events, through online surveys, by phone and email.