Communication #5
January 30, 2019
Page 1 of 1
Concerns Regarding Proposed Route 1 changes
A wide range of concerns regarding the proposed changes to Route 1 have been raised and brought forward through the public input phase of the project. Among them include:
- Safety concerns regarding the turn from Regent to Colborne due to existing traffic-calming measures
- Impact on street parking on Regent Street
- Increased traffic generally through the neighbourhood
- Impact on Bicycle traffic on Colborne Street
- Noise, light pollution and litter in residential neighbourhood
In addition to these concerns, in speaking with neighbours, other points have come to light that require consideration:
Safety of Pedestrians, particularly Children walking to Ryerson, St. George’s and St. Michael’s schools:
One of the reasons we moved to Old North was the idealistic notion of our children being able to walk safely to school unaccompanied once they reach a certain age. As a parent, to be able to send your child out the door with relatively little worry is sadly rare in this day and age, and we feel fortunate to enjoy such a freedom. Adding a safety hazard to this route would take away a quality that makes this neighbourhood special, and one of the reasons why this neighbourhood has been so vocal about protecting it.
Impact of changing the existing route
We learned through the public input meetings that Route 1 is a popular connecting route at key locations including Richmond and Oxford. In fact, anecdotally in speaking with a few high school students who use Route 1, the Richmond and Oxford stop was observed to be the stop at which the largest number of riders boarded the bus. In addition, many residents of old north would lose access to transit as a result of the change. Residents west of Richmond, including high school and university students, as well as residents on Huron Street would be impacted. In addition, since the 32 bus that will run up Huron street runs less frequently, there will be less desirable connecting options for riders going anywhere but downtown. In addition, access to certain institutions may be negatively impacted by the route including Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre, Kings College and St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Aligning the location of transit services with potential riders
In speaking with neighbours, particularly those on Regent between Maitland and Colborne, the changes to Route 1 will result in little to no change in ridership for the route. With this in mind, if the LTC is looking to straighten the route and move the route off Richmond Street, there would likely be more benefit to potential riders if the route was accessible from more prominent arteries including Adelaide and Cheapside.
Thank you for your consideration on behalf of our family and our neighbours.
David & Dayna MacNeill