Staff Report #5
June 29, 2022
To All Commissioners
Re: 2022 Road Construction/Events Update
Recommendation
The report be NOTED and FILED.
Background
LTC administration continues to work closely with civic administration as well as the specific contractors on each major construction project to ensure regular communication regarding the status of the projects in an effort to mitigate the impact of construction on service and ridership by allowing buses to operate in work zones where it is deemed safe to do so. LTC administration attends weekly conference calls with civic administration specifically to discuss the impacts of ongoing and upcoming downtown construction projects.
Downtown Loop Phase II
Construction has started for phase two of the Downtown Loop as part of the London Rapid Transit Project. Ridout continues to be closed between Fullerton and Dundas resulting in detours for Routes 5 and 7. As of June 13, 2022 work began on Queens Ave between Talbot and Richmond. All routes normally operating along Queens Ave have been detoured via Wellington, Dufferin, Talbot and York.
The work at the Richmond and Queens intersection has been postponed and is now scheduled to commence on July 4, 2022. The closure will result in additional detours for north/south buses normally operating along Richmond to Talbot and Wellington. Stop level notifications will be posted on the closed stops to direct passengers to the detour routing and temporary stop locations.
East London Link Phase I
Construction began on the first phase of the East London Link for the London Rapid Transit project on March 21, 2022. Phase I includes King Street between Wellington and Lyle, which will be broken down into smaller sub-phases throughout the 2022 construction season. Work on the Wellington and King intersection commenced on April 19, 2022 resulting in all eastbound buses normally operating on King to be detoured. Due to construction on Ridout south of King, routes entering the downtown via Riverside/Dundas and Ridout are detoured via Wharncliffe, Springbank, Horton, Stanley and York. Temporary stops have been installed on York Street to try to minimize travel distance to a bus stop as much as possible. One lane of traffic northbound and southbound on Wellington is to be maintained through the project and as such northbound and southbound routes are able to maintain regular routing. However, as there is only one lane, stops are closed both northbound and southbound throughout the duration of the project to avoid transit vehicles stopping in the only travelled lane.
Work is also progressing at the eastern limits of Phase I. As of Monday May 16, work on Adelaide between York and Marshall has commenced resulting in a single lane of traffic in each direction. As a result the southbound stop at Adelaide and Dundas will be closed until this section of work is completed.
Victoria Bridge
Initial construction work has begun on the Victoria Bridge rehabilitation. At this time, the work does not require Routes 4 and 15 to be detoured; however, one southbound stop at Ridout and Horton is currently closed. Once construction progresses, detours will be required for all routes travelling through the area. Due to limited detour options in the area, Routes 4, 15 and 104 will be detoured off Ridout between Grand Ave and Horton along Carfrae and Richmond for the duration of the project, which is currently scheduled to be completed in May 2023.
Adelaide Street North Underpass
Construction began on the Adelaide Street Underpass on April 21, 2022. As Adelaide is a major north/south artery through the City, a temporary road will be constructed to allow vehicles to continue to travel along the corridor throughout the construction period. While major detours are not anticipated for Route 16, seven stops (three northbound and four southbound) will be closed through the duration of the project as the temporary road will only have a single lane in each direction. The construction is currently scheduled to continue through summer 2025.
Wavell Street- Dundas to Royal
Work commenced on June 12, 2022 and is expected to last until approximately September 23, 2022 on Wavell between Dundas and Royal. Route 7 is not able to service the Dundas/Wavell loop and as such will have extended layover times at Argyle Mall. Previously it was anticipated that the closure would extend to Clarke Road resulting in a detour for Route 35. The closure limits have since been modified and Route 35 is able to maintain regular routing at this time.
Wavell/Brydges – Highbury to Vancouver
Due to ongoing construction work, Brydges, Wavell and Hale will be closed until approximately mid-July. As a result Routes 2A and 7 are on detour via Clarke Road, Trafalgar and Highbury resulting in extended walk distance to transit for the residents in the Argyle Park neighbourhood.
Summer Events in the Core
Summer 2022 will see the return of many long-standing summer events to the core, which were cancelled over the past couple of years as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With the focus on Back to Business in the core area, the City of London is placing priority on having as many events in the centre of downtown as possible, which will result in some street closures and detours.
As mentioned above, there are also many major construction projects ongoing in the core this year as well. As a result, detour options for transit are limited.
With the delay in construction at the Richmond and Queens intersection, detour routing for the recent Beer Fest and upcoming Canada Day Festivities were able to be modified to allow service to remain on Richmond providing closer access to the events than originally anticipated.
A communication plan specifically focused on service impacts related to summer events being held in the downtown is being prepared to ensure passengers are as informed as possible of the detours and where to catch the bus during these events with as much advance notice as possible. As more details are known on specific events, updates will be provided to the Commission.
Communications
The underlying goals with respect to communications regarding detours are to provide passengers and Operators with as much information as far in advance as possible, noting that dates and impacts can change without notice. Accomplishing both of these goals requires a balanced approach.
With respect to the overall service impacts related construction and detours, a communication strategy has been developed and implemented with respect to service interruptions in an effort to ensure passengers and bus Operators are aware of the detours with as much advance notice as possible. This includes stop level notifications of upcoming closures, website and real-time/Infoweb alerts, social media and internal information boards.
Recommended by:
Katie Burns, Director of Planning
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager