the municipality of chatham-kent transportation master ... · a transportation master plan (tmp) is...

September, 2019

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent Transportation Master Plan Update

Study Design Report FINAL

BT Eng Project 18-037

Municipality of Chatham-Kent Transportation Master Plan Study Design Report – September 2019

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Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................ 1

2.0 Study Approach .............................................................................................................. 5

2.1 Need and Justification ........................................................................................................... 5

2.2 Study Issues ........................................................................................................................... 5

3.0 Study Process ................................................................................................................. 7

3.1 Public Consultation Approach .............................................................................................. 7

3.2 Work Program ........................................................................................................................ 7

4.0 Project Schedule ........................................................................................................... 13

List of Figures

Figure 1: Study Area ...................................................................................................................1

List of Tables

Table 1: Preliminary Study Schedule ........................................................................................ 13

List of Photos

Photo 1: Community Café Event ................................................................................................8

Glossary of Terms


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1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is a large diverse community that covers an area of over

2,500 square kilometers with a population of approximately 102,000. The municipality contains

a mix of urban and rural communities, and in recent years has slowly experienced a slow and

steady population growth. The overall study area is illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Study Area

A Transportation Master Plan (TMP) is used to conduct the future planning and development

of the municipality. The coordination of land use planning, transportation system planning and

transportation infrastructure investment is required to address Provincial, County and

municipal planning and transportation related needs. This study will update the previous TMP

and provide recommendations to the Municipality to prioritize the implementation of

transportation related infrastructure within the current planning horizon.


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The TMP will provide direction for the planning, coordination and implementation of the road

network as well as active transportation facilities. This plan will also guide the development

and implementation of policies to address the existing and future transportation needs within

the municipality.

The TMP planning process will consider a number of built improvements to the transportation

network that may have impacts on the natural, social and cultural environments. As such, it is

subject to the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process (Class EA), under the

Province of Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act.

This document, the initial public document for the Municipal Class EA, presents a blueprint of

the Work Plan and Study Process for this Transportation Master Plan. It provides an early

opportunity for public and agency input. It will identify an initial list of issues, and outline the

key activities required to complete the study including the EA planning process and the

anticipated schedule for completion. This report will be available on the Municipality’s website,

and will be circulated at the initiation of the study to various stakeholders and presented to the

Advisory Committee and the general public at the first public consultation event – a community

café in the winter of 2019.

The TMP will review a number of issues including:

Network Connectivity;

Cost/Affordability;

Maintenance;

Safety;

Facilities; and

Transit Options.

For any physical improvements subject to the Municipal Class EA process, the TMP will

complete Phases 1 and 2 of Class EA by establishing the need and justification for the project,

considering all reasonable alternatives with acceptable effects on the natural, social and

cultural environments, and proactively involving the public in defining a recommended plan for

improvements. Dependent on the scale of TMP recommendations, further phases of the Class

EA may be associated with individual projects and will be completed at a later date. The

previous 2007 TMP included a summary of proposed projects and these are summarized in

Exhibit 1. This study will review the previous TMP recommendations and update the projects,

programs, and policies for the current Municipal Land Use Plan.


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Exhibit 1: 2007 TMP Recommended Roadway Network Improvements


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2.0 Study Approach

2.1 Need and Justification

The Transportation Master plan will define transportation projects, programs and policies that

will integrate Municipal transportation planning and land use planning. The TMP will build

upon previous TMP priorities and recommendations to identify policy and infrastructure

improvements. The updated TMP will aim to increase the mode share of forms of Active

Transportation; primarily cycling and walking throughout the Municipality.

2.2 Study Issues

Transportation Master Plan

Chatham-Kent is seeking to update its vision for transportation for a 20 year planning horizon

and beyond. The study will examine future travel demands to confirm the required

improvements and policies, while revisiting the recommendations of the 2007 TMP to

determine which elements remain current. Issues are expected to include:

Truck routes within Chatham-Kent including the current routing of Highway 40 through downtown Chatham and the use of the Prairie Siding Bridge by provincial truck traffic between Windsor and Sarnia

The proposed Western Transportation Link connecting a realigned Bloomfield Road and Bear Line Road to address traffic growth and provide additional redundancy in the roadway network, crossing barriers such as the Thames River to stage replacement of the Parry Bridge

The decision by MTO that a Highway 40 by-pass of Wallaceburg is not warranted

The promotion of multi-modal transportation integrating the TMP with recommendations from the Cycling and Trails Master Plans

Consideration of the impacts that the Highway 401 Emergency Detour Routes have on the municipal road network

Parking needs to support area businesses in the downtown core areas

Examining the demographics and changing needs to address the mobility of an aging society, particularly in smaller rural communities

Confirming appropriate geometric design standards for the different roadway classifications

Prioritizing improvement requirements (short, medium and longer term) and the cost of those improvements to be identified in the Official Plan

The affordability of implementing a transportation plan is a growing concern for all municipalities

A public consultation plan to reach across the 2500 km2 municipality

The provision of public transit will pay an important role in developing a TMP that will promote

equitable transportation choice, sustainable modes and enhancement of multi-modal

connectivity for both urban and rural residents. The trend, in areas with very low demand for

public transit, is to employ demand-responsive service as an alternative to fixed-route service.


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Demand-responsive transit service could potentially be provided by contracted taxi companies

or a ride-hailing program provided by firms such as Uber or Lyft. These types of transit

services will play an important role in addressing rural transit service opportunities, intra-

community transit services and meeting the Smart Cities Challenge mobility goals and

objectives.


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3.0 Study Process

3.1 Public Consultation Approach

Several techniques to proactively involve the public will be used. The work program proposes the

following key elements:

Preparation of this draft Study Design Report that documents our consultation plan,

technical work plan and study schedule.

Advertise the commencement of the study (members of the public can review the Study

Design).

A Community Café / focus group workshop will be held early in the study to obtain input

from the public/stakeholders, assist in defining a vision for transportation, and identify

issues/constraints.

Consultation and communication with external agencies.

PIC No. 1 to introduce the draft Study Design and seek public/agency input. The

opportunity will be explored to coordinate the timing and location with other

events/festivals to increase participation and attract a broader range of stakeholders.

PIC No. 2 to present a coarse screening of alternatives and a preliminary prioritization

of proposed policies and improvements (updating the previous TMP).

Public presentation to Council to present and seek endorsement of the TMP

recommendations.

Advertise a Notice of Completion and posting of the TMP report for public review.

3.2 Work Program

The following sections summarize major elements of the technical work program:

Task 1: Project Start-Up

Upon initiation of the project, the Project Team will meet to review study scope, budget and

schedule, meeting dates, and prepare all required agreements. The Project Team will provide

guidance into the technical elements of the study including the study issues, data collection and

prioritization of alternative projects and transportation strategies.

Task 2: Information Gathering

This task involves the collection and organization of the data necessary for the analysis and

evaluation of transportation projects/strategies. Sources of information and activities may include:

Assembly and preliminary review of study materials;

Obtain digital mapping, photographs and associated drawings;

Field reviews of key corridors and destinations, existing infrastructure and growth areas;

Obtain input from Municipal staff regarding known issues/public concerns;

Initial preliminary consultation scheduled in conjunction with other existing events;


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Collect and review background reports and any existing plans/policies related to

transportation;

Collection of turning movement counts at up to 20 locations; and

Review programs and policies of other comparable municipalities.

Task 3: Study Design

The Study Design describes, at the outset of the study, the intended approach in completing

this assignment. The Study Design document will help establish the foundation for the

transportation and environmental planning and public consultation processes. This document

will be posted on Chatham-Kent’s website at the outset of the study and sent to external

agencies as a draft for public review and comment. The draft Study Design allows the early

identification of the major issues and concerns, and in addition, recognizes areas of consensus

or agreement.

Task 4: Community Café

The Community Café is scheduled at the beginning of the study to provide stakeholders and

community members an opportunity to provide input to the project team. The input provided is

used to generate and develop alternatives, and then later in evaluating the alternatives and in

the preliminary and detail design. The Community Café will:

Confirm existing constraints;

Document the existing profile of transportation users;

Determine deficiencies (existing /future operational problems) in the current network;

and;

Generate operational improvement alternatives or strategies.

The format at the Café will be round table discussions. See Photo 1 for a recent Community Café event.

Photo 1: Community Café Event


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Task 5: Development of Network Improvements

The assessment of transportation network requirements will be carried out to ensure the

development of an integrated multi-modal plan. The work plan will include:

Review/update the inventory of existing roadway networks and roadway improvements

and protection

Assessment of roadway classifications

Review of existing travel demands and development of growth factors to forecast future

demands

Traffic screenline analysis to confirm capacity constraints of existing roadway network

Identification of intersection safety improvements

Review of the Municipality’s existing transit services and proposed future service

requirements

Review/update the inventory of existing pedestrian and cycling facilities based on

information provided by the municipality

Identify community destinations to be served by the pedestrian/cycling network

Review background reports and any existing plans/policies related to active

transportation

Obtain input from Municipal staff regarding known issues/public concerns

Review the existing policies for the provision of sidewalks on Municipal streets based on

roadway classification, vehicular and pedestrian demand

Review existing policy or practice for sidewalk and roadway design criteria

Transit Needs

To address the existing and future transit service needs, multi-modal connectivity and TMP policy development, the proposed work program will include the following:

Existing Service Review and the Way Forward

Meetings will be held with Transportation and Urban Transit staff to obtain available background information as well as discuss existing conventional and inter-urban transit policies, constraints, issues and opportunities. The review of background information will also include a review of relevant by-laws and Provincial transit initiatives to provide an understanding of the transit options and opportunities. This information will form the framework to identify specific transit policies and implementation directions to be incorporated into the TMP. A technical memorandum will be prepared and circulated for staff comment and sign-off.

Maximizing Intra-Community Travel

In order to understand the role, involvement, needs and wants of existing and potential intra-community travel, a survey questionnaire will be designed that solicits information on current uses, needs and wants from a transit service perspective. With the survey information as a backdrop, a Workshop will be conducted with the various organizations, School Board, local employers and community leaders with the intent of building a consensus of what service is


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required, what services can be shared and what policies will assist in on-going implementation strategies for affordable, accessible and safe public transit. Results from the Workshop will be used to develop draft TMP Public Transit policies and specific Intra-community Transit policies.

Rural Transit – Flexible Transit – Ride-Hailing

Several communities have started initiatives to address rural transit / small municipality service by using different forms of demand-responsive service and ride-hailing. A Best Practice review will be undertaken to identify what forms of transit services are being used and what benefits are being attained. The Best Practice task will include interviews with ride-hailing firms such as Uber, Lyft and taxi operators. In assessing rural transit opportunities, a review of emerging technologies will complement the current experiences to assist in developing a rural transit opportunity strategy that will be incorporated into the TMP.

Multi-Mode Transportation Review

The development of an integrated multi-mode transportation system and associated polices will include the goals, objectives and policies of the Public Transit analysis of Way Forward vision, intra-community travel and rural transit/flexible transit.

Task 6: Evaluate Connectivity with Adjacent Municipalities

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent was formed through the amalgamation of 23 individual

communities. It is a diverse municipality of urban and rural areas covering approximately 2,500

square kilometres. The local communities do not exist in isolation. Linkages connecting these

urban and rural areas within the municipality and connections to the provincial highway network

between the London, Windsor and Sarnia Areas are essential to support the movement of people

within, to and from the Municipality. In developing the TMP, linkages will be reviewed from a multi-

modal perspective, taking into account any network improvements being planned by other

jurisdictions including Highway 40 and the expansion of Highway 401.

Task 7: Best Practises Review and Policy Development

This task will complete a review of best practises considering policies currently being used by

other municipalities. Some of the best practises involve the following:

Transportation policy within the Municipality

Active transportation policy along transit routes and designated cycling corridors

documented in the Draft Cycling Master Plan

Transit service

Parking

Traffic signage

Route designation

Environmental protection

Bicycle lanes, sidewalks and multi-use trails

Accessibility standards

Safety performance factors


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Task 8: Development, Analysis and Prioritization of Alternative Roadway Projects and

Strategies

Task 8.1 Development of Alternative Improvement Projects, Programs and Policies

The alternatives will be generated through technical analysis and discussions with the Municipality,

Advisory Committee, agencies and the general public. The list of alternative projects, programs,

policies and strategies will be confirmed with the public, as required as part of the EA process,

including the “Do Nothing” option. The forecast needs of the system (short term and long term)

will be prioritized. This will include traffic operations, safety, illumination, active transportation,

asset management and preservation as well as level of service standards (considering affordability

constraints).

Alternative improvements may include:

Intersection improvements such as roundabouts

Roadway reclassification

Road widening or contractions

Bridge replacement

Traffic control measures including audible signals

New sidewalks or recreational pedestrian links

Potential bypasses for Highway 40

Task 8.2 Prioritization of Alternatives

This study will include a systematic, traceable analysis and evaluation of the active transportation

needs in the Municipality, (based on the generation, analysis and evaluation of alternative projects

or strategies). It will include input received as part of the public consultation program in the

development of a TMP.

The prioritization will include the affordability of the future projects/ strategies and conformance/

integration with the Municipality’s Transportation Master Plan.

The ability to implement future projects in the Municipality will be constrained by funding. Our

team includes experts in value engineering and life cycle costing. A key component of the

prioritization of projects and traffic management measures will be the evaluation of these options

and the long term life cycle cost to construct and maintain this infrastructure.

Output:

The objective will be to define a long term vision for transportation within the

Municipality

Listing of capital need and priority of projects by planning horizons in 5 year increments,

up to 25 years

Financial Plan (order of magnitude) of costs of the plan per year in current dollars

Develop a financial strategy that matches the plan


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Identify potential sources of funding or partnering or alternative delivery methods.

Task 9: Public Information Centres

The Study will have an expanded consultation program that will include the use of the Municipal

website and Social Media Channels. Draft notices will be provided to the Municipality for

publication and distribution. The expanded public consultation plan is expected to include:

A Study Design Report circulated to major stakeholders and posted on the Chatham-

Kent website.

A Community Café.

Public Information Centre (PIC) No. 1 to collect public opinion surveys while presenting

the long list of alternatives, traffic and safety analysis, and coarse screening of

alternatives.

An Advisory Committee workshop will then be held to consider the input from the public

and agencies.

PIC No. 2 will present the analysis and evaluation and potential priorities of projects,

transportation policies and strategies to carry forward.

The PIC’s will include coloured graphics and text boards to describe the process and provide an

opportunity for the public to provide comment. A briefing package of the materials will be provided

for elected officials prior to the meeting.

Task 10: Preparation of Transportation Master Plan

The preparation of the draft and final active transportation planning reports will meet the

requirements of the Class EA. The report will document the study methodology, findings, public

involvement and recommendations. A draft version will be submitted to the Municipality for review

prior to the preparation of the final document.


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4.0 Project Schedule

The proposed Project Schedule is shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Preliminary Study Schedule

Task Date

Project Start-Up Meeting November 2018

Final Study Design December 2018 – January 2019

Study Commencement Notice December 2018 – January 2019

Information Gathering November 2018 – January 2019

Community Café December 2018 – January 2019

Development of Network Improvements (Projects)

February – June 2019

Evaluate Connectivity with Area Municipalities

February – June 2019

Best Practices Review and Policy/Program Development

March – May 2019

PIC No. 1 Spring/Summer 2019

Prioritization of Alternatives Summer 2019

PIC No. 2 Fall 2019

Draft TMP/ATP Fall 2019

Final TMP submission to Municipality November 2019


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Glossary of Terms

AADT Annual Average Daily Traffic – the average 24-hour, two-way traffic per day for the period from January 1st to December 31st.

Active Transportation (AT) Refers to any form of human-powered transportation – walking, cycling, using a wheelchair, in-line skating or skateboarding

Alignment The vertical and horizontal position of a road.

Alternative Well-defined and distinct course of action that fulfils a given set of requirements. The EA Act distinguishes between alternatives to the undertaking and alternative methods of carrying out the undertaking.

Alternative Planning Solutions Alternative ways of solving problems or meeting demand (Alternatives to the Undertaking).

Alternative Design Concepts Alternative ways of solving a documented transportation deficiency or taking advantage of an opportunity. (Alternative methods of carrying out the undertaking).

Alternative Project Alternative Planning Solution, see above.

ANSI Area of Natural or Scientific Interest

ATP Active Transportation Plan

Berm Earth landform used to screen areas.

BMP Best management practice.

Bump-Up The act of requesting that an environmental assessment initiated as a class EA be required to follow the individual EA process. The change is a result of a decision by the proponent or by the Minister of Environment to require that an individual environmental assessment be conducted.

Bypass A form of realignment in which the route is intended to go around a particular feature or collection of features.

Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA)

The CEAA applies to projects for which the federal government holds decision-making authority. It is legislation that identifies the responsibilities and procedures for the environmental assessment.


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Class Environmental Assessment Document

An individual environmental report documenting a planning process which is formally submitted under the EA Act. Once the Class EA document is approved, projects covered by the class can be implemented without having to seek further approvals under the EA Act provided the Class EA process is followed.

Class Environmental Assessment Process

A planning process established for a group of projects in order to ensure compliance with the Environmental Assessment (EA) Act. The EA Act, in Section 13 makes provision for the establishment of Class Environmental Assessments.

Compensation The replacement of natural habitat lost through implementation of a project, where implementation techniques and other measures could not alleviate the effects.

Consortium A group of businesses or organizations allied to take on a project.

Corridor A band of variable width between two locations. In transportation studies a corridor is a defined area where a new or improved transportation facility might be located.

Criterion Explicit feature or consideration used for comparison of alternatives.

Cumulative Effects Assessment Cumulative Effects Assessment assesses the interaction and combination of the residual environmental effects of the project during its construction and operational phases on measures to prevent or lessen the predicted impacts with the same environmental effects from other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future projects and activities.

Decibel (dB) A logarithmic unit of measure used for expressing level of sound.

dBA ‘A’ weighted sound level; the human ear cannot hear the very high and the very low sound frequencies as well as the mid-frequencies of sound, and hence the predicted sound levels, measured in dBA, are a reasonable accurate approximation of sound levels heard by the human ear.


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Detail Design The final stage in the design process in which the engineering and environmental components of preliminary design are refined and details concerning, for example, property, drainage, utility relocations and quantity estimate requirements are prepared, and contract documents and drawings are produced.

DFO Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

EA Environmental Assessment

EA Act Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (as amended by S.O. 1996 C.27), RSO 1980.

Environment Air, land or water,

Plant and animal life, including human life,

The social, economic and cultural conditions that influence the life of humans or a community,

Any building structure, machine or other device or thing made by humans,

Any solid, liquid, gas, odour, heat, sound, vibration or radiation resulting directly or indirectly from human activities, or

Any part or combination of the foregoing and the interrelationships between any two or more of them, in or of Ontario.

Environmental Effect A change in the existing conditions of the environment which may have either beneficial (positive) or detrimental (negative) effects.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA’s)

Those areas identified by any agency or level of government which contain natural features, ecological functions or cultural, historical or visual amenities which are susceptible to disturbance from human activities and which warrant protection.

Equivalent Sound Level (Leq) The level of a continuous sound having the same energy as a fluctuating sound in a given time period. In this report Leq refers to 24-hour, 16 or 18-hour averages.

ESR Environmental Study Report. The final documentation for Schedule C project, defining the project, consultation process, preferred solution and mitigation measures.


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Evaluation The outcome of a process that appraises the advantages and disadvantages of alternatives.

Evaluation Process The process involving the identification of criteria, rating of predicted impacts, assignment of weights to criteria, and aggregation of weights, rates and criteria to produce an ordering of alternatives.

External Agencies Include Federal departments and agencies, Provincial ministries and agencies, conservation authorities, municipalities, Crown corporations or other agencies other than MTO.

General Arrangement Structural plan of the bridge and proposed works including elevations and cross-sectional views of the bridge.

Factor A category of sub-factors.

HADD Harmful Alternation, Disturbance or Destruction of fish habitat.

Harmonized EA Process Harmonized planning process for this project that will meet both the Provincial and Federal EA requirements.

Individual Environmental Assessment

An environmental Assessment requiring the submission of a document for approval by the Minister, pursuant to the EA Act and which is neither exempt from the EA Act nor covered by a Class EA approval.

Mitigating Measure A measure that is incorporated into a project to reduce, eliminate or ameliorate detrimental environmental effects.

Mitigation Taking actions that either remove or alleviate to some degree the negative impacts associated with the implementation of alternatives.

MNRF Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

MOECC Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.

MTCS Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport.

MTO Ministry of Transportation Ontario.


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Noise Attenuation A mitigation measure used to lessen the intensity of the noise level (dBA) where the noise level is increased in a noise sensitive area greater than 5 dBA 10 years after completion.

NSA Noise Sensitive Area is a noise sensitive land use, which has an outdoor living area associated with the residential unit.

OLA Outdoor Living Area is the part of an outdoor amenity area provided for the quiet enjoyment of the outdoor environment.

Planning Alternatives Planning alternatives are “alternative methods” under the EA Act. Identification of significant transportation engineering opportunities while protecting significant environmental features as much as possible.

Planning Solutions That part of the planning and design process where alternatives to the undertaking and alternative routes are identified and assessed. Also described as “Alternative Project” under the federal EA Act.

PIC Public Information Centre

Prime Agricultural Areas Prime agricultural areas as defined in municipal official plans and other government policy sources.

Project A specific undertaking planned and implemented in accordance with the Class EA including all those activities necessary to solve a specific problem.

Project File The final product of a Schedule B project. This is a completion of all data/reports produced for the project.

Proponent A person or agency that carries or proposes to carry out an undertaking, or is the owner or person having charge, management, or control of an undertaking.

Public Includes the general public, interest groups, associates, community groups, and individuals, including property owners.

Realignment Replacement or upgrading of an existing roadway on a new or revised alignment.


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Recommended Plan That part of the planning and design process, during which various alternative solutions are examined and evaluated including consideration of environmental effects and mitigation; the recommended design solution is then developed in sufficient detail to ensure that the horizontal and vertical controls are physically compatible with the proposed site, that the requirements of lands and rights-of-way are satisfactorily identified, and that the basic design criteria or features to be contained in the design, have been fully recognized and documented in sufficient graphic detail to ensure their feasibility.

Route Alternatives Location alternatives within a corridor.

SADT

Summer Average Daily Traffic – the average 24-hour, two-way traffic for the period from July 1st to August 31st including weekends.

Screening Process of eliminating alternatives from further consideration, which do not meet minimum conditions or categorical requirements.

Sub-factor A single criterion used for the evaluation. Each sub-factor is grouped under one of the factors.

TMP Transportation Master Plan

Traceability Characteristics of an evaluation process which enables its development and implementation to be followed with ease.

Undertaking In keeping with the definition of the Environmental Assessment Act, a project or activity subject to an Environmental Assessment.

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