Region re-examining escarpment road crossings in West Niagara
Regional councillors from west Niagara are experiencing déjà vu after the region announced it is undertaking an environmental assessment of north-south roadways in Grimsby and Beamsville.
The Niagara Escarpment Crossing Comprehensive Environmental Assessment sets the stage for improving the movement of goods across the escarpment and redirecting truck traffic away from residential areas, Frank Tassone, the region’s transportation services director, said Tuesday.
Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton wanted to know why the region needed a new assessment that could delay a solution for years.
“Lincoln provides two northsouth routes,” Easton said. “Would you like us to provide another one? Is this the game plan? I’m just being a bit facetious so you understand what this is doing to our community and the economics in our downtown area.”
The region’s associate director of transportation planning, Scott Fraser, said staff is well aware the Bartlett Avenue and Park Road corridor was the previously preferred option. He said the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Niagara Escarpment Commission need assurance the region has examined every reasonable alternative.
The new assessment’s possible solutions include:
Maintaining the status quo, the average baseline for any project;
Implementing additional traffic management measures;
Extending Bartlett Avenue and utilizing the Park Road corridor;
Constructing a new route somewhere between Grimsby and Beamsville.
Tassone said the escarpment crossing study will position the region to capitalize on grant funding when it becomes available. It is separate from the proposed eastwest Hamilton trade corridor, connecting the GTA to the U.S. border through south Niagara.
“Most times when big programs come out from the federal and provincial government, they’re looking for projects that are shovel ready,” Tassone said. “We’re doing our homework at the onset to try to have something ready to apply for those funds. This is the starting point of the process, and recognizes that this is likely not a project that we could undertake alone given our current constraints as a region.”
Tassone said the region never finished or filed a 2016 assessment — likely because there wasn’t enough consultation, and the staff feared the preferred solution would be rejected.
Discussions with the environment ministry and escarpment commission informed the decision to restart the process.
“They’re really driving home to us that any options that don’t look at a fulsome picture would likely not be supported,” Tassone said. “Although we still anticipate that Park and Bartlett will be where we go at the end of the day, we can’t presuppose that to the extent that we’re drawing conclusions before we go through the process.”
The region expects to hold a public information session and make presentations to councils in Lincoln on May 15, Grimsby on May 21, and West Lincoln on May 27, followed by a public information centre at the West Niagara Fairgrounds on May 29.
Lincoln Coun. Rob Foster said shovels wouldn’t be hitting the ground any time soon because of the expense of the project.
“I’ll be fascinated as we see how this shapes up over the next little while,” Foster said. “We’ve been developing like crazy in the Beamsville area. Grimsby is developing like crazy, and we have problems getting people in and out of town, let alone trying to handle the truck traffic.
“This is really important, and we need to be sure we do it right.”
Grimsby Coun. Michelle Seaborn said she lives off Ridge Road near Mountain Street, and truck traffic is a nonstop issue.
“I think it’s going to be an expensive project, but I agree something needs to be done,” Seaborn said. “The number of vehicles going up and down is ridiculous.”