Kitchener councillors oppose closing Highway 85 ramps at Lancaster Street

Kitchener city councillors oppose a Region of Waterloo plan to close the Highway 85 ramps at Lancaster Street.

Staff with the region have recommended the ramps be closed to make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians in the area. Regional councillors are set to discuss the proposal Tuesday afternoon during a planning and works committee meeting.

A report from regional staff notes the stretch between Lancaster Street and Bridgeport Road on Highway 85 is short, but fraught with collisions.

Steve van De Keere, director of transportation for the region, gave a presentation at Monday night's Kitchener council meeting and said the Ministry of Transportation is changing the way it thinks about transportation.

"It was all about the car not that long ago," van De Keere said. "But they're starting to think differently as well and that's why they've been very co-operative on this project and other projects that we have along 85 to look at every single one of the interchanges to make them much more easier to use and less of a barrier to those on foot and on bicycle."

The regional staff report says the Ontario Ministry of Transportation is prepared to pay the construction costs to close the ramps during a planned rehabilitation project on Highway 85.

Van De Keere said removing the ramps would add approximately two to three minutes to a driver's trip, requiring they divert to either the Bridgeport Road or Wellington Street interchanges.

He also noted that in public consultations, the majority of people the Region of Waterloo heard from were either in favour of the idea or were neutral about a potential closure.

Ramps provide important link

The highway, commonly known as the Conestoga Expressway, was built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Coun. Scott Davey said during Monday night's special council meeting that it sees average daily traffic volumes of 85,000 vehicles.

Davey put forward a motion that listed a few reasons the region shouldn't close the ramps. They included:

• Expected, planned growth in the area with an anticipated increase of approximately 50 per cent by 2051.
• It closes an access point to a provincial highway system when often municipalities fight to open that kind of access.

Coun. Paul Singh said the ramps provide access to an important transportation corridor and are an asset to the neighbouring community.

Just one councillor opposed the motion: Aislinn Clancy. 

She said she hoped the city would promote cycling and active transportation, and show people the benefits of choosing that method of travel. That way, when projects like this come up in the future, it doesn't feel so much like the city or region is pitting vehicles against cyclists.

Region should have asked city council for input: Mayor

Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said he was surprised to find the issue was before regional council without city council having had an opportunity to provide input.

"A change this significant, in my mind, should have had the region come to council looking for some direction," he said.

He said he understands the desire and need for active transportation options and supports them, "but it needs to be done in a way … that the community can accept and adopt."

He said he's heard frustration from businesses in the area that they weren't properly informed about this project.

Vrbanovic said he will express his and council's concerns when regional council meets Tuesday for committee meetings.

A final vote on the project is expected to take place during the April 12 Region of Waterloo council meeting.