City Council and Standing Committee Motion
Moved by: Councillor Bédard
Date: 19 May 2004 – Transportation Committee
RE: AVTC EA Status Update #2Whereas on September 13, 2000, RMOC Council directed Staff “to ensure that when doing the Environmental Assessment, the Alta Vista Parkway be studied as a "bus/light rail only" route and as a "transit/vehicles" route;”
Whereas the Hospitals area is a key connection in the City’s rapid transit network;
Whereas during the February 2003 RTES debate Council directed that “given the concerns of the Riverview Park Community Association and area residents…staff review corridor options other than the Browning Avenue corridor;”
Whereas there is an ongoing OMB challenge of the Browning Ave. corridor portion of the City’s rapid transit network in the TMP/OP;
Whereas should the current Browning Ave. corridor portion of the TMP be removed by the OMB, a portion of the AVTC could be used to replace the required rapid transit connection from the Hospitals area to the Innes east-end hub;
Whereas the September 2000 RMOC Council-approved Alta Vista Drive/Smyth Road Transportation Strategy recommended that “…further study should be undertaken to determine the feasibility of a centrally located transit-only spine road running east-west through the middle of the campus;”
Whereas the March 2003 AVTC EA Study document Evaluation of Transit Alternatives ruled out any further evaluation and comparison of transit-only as an alternative within the Alta Vista corridor;
Whereas the ongoing MTO 417 EA’s preliminary recommendation is for no widenings of the Queensway in the core between Metcalfe and Island Park Drive, meaning a maximum of less than one kilometre of new through-lane capacity from Nicholas to Metcalfe to absorb the estimated 70% of westbound drivers from a future AVTC/Queensway interchange;
Be it resolved that staff be directed to complete the comparisons of the AVTC as a bus-only route and transit/vehicles route, as directed by Council in September 2000.