Item - 2023.IE2.4

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council endorse the Preferred Design for a new north-south complete street and realignment of Cowdray Court, generally as shown in Attachments 2, 3 and 4 to the report (March 7, 2023) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services to prepare the Environmental Study Report (ESR) for the Southwest Agincourt Transportation Connections Study, issue the Notice of Completion, and post the ESR in the public record in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process for Schedule C projects.

3. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to prepare an Official Plan Amendment to reflect the planned right-of-way width of 25 metres for Cowdray Court.

4. City Council endorse the additional transportation improvements identified as part of the Southwest Agincourt Connections Study and request the General Manager, Transportation Services to program the design and implementation of the improvements as part of future capital planning processes.

Southwest Agincourt is intensifying with areas transitioning from predominantly low-rise residential and employment uses to higher-density mixed-use buildings. Planned and proposed developments between Highway 401 and Sheppard Avenue East, from Kennedy Road to West Highland Creek, will result in approximately 12,000 new residents living in the area along with new retail and office spaces. Transportation infrastructure improvements are needed to support the growing number of people living and working in this area. Increased traffic from anticipated developments will lead to greater traffic congestion without alternative routes, and the area lacks safe active transportation routes.

The City's Official Plan and the Agincourt Secondary Plan identifies the need for a new north-south street between Sheppard Avenue East and Village Green Square. The provision of this new street will address some of the needed transportation improvements in the area. The street will improve transportation network safety, connectivity to local destinations, and emergency access, and has the potential to improve traffic flow along Kennedy Road and Sheppard Avenue East.

On July 23, 2018, City Council authorized the General Manager, Transportation Services to initiate the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for the extension of a new north-south street connecting Sheppard Avenue East and Village Green Square with funding provided by Gemterra (Cowdray) Inc., an area developer. The Southwest Agincourt Transportation Connections Study is satisfying Schedule 'C' Municipal Class Environmental Assessment requirements for the new north-south street, where alternative alignments and designs were assessed to arrive at a Preferred
Design for the street.

The Preferred Design for the street, referred to as the 'New Complete Street', will provide an alternate street connection from Sheppard Avenue East to Village Green Square by extending Gordon Avenue southward across the existing CP Rail corridor. The Preferred Design has one vehicle lane in each direction, sidewalks, protected cycle tracks, tree planting areas and space for green infrastructure, new signalized intersections at Cowdray Court and Sheppard Avenue East, and protects for potential future bus service. Cowdray Court is also proposed to be realigned to enable the street to connect at a 90 degree angle to the New Complete Street.

As part of the Study, other opportunities were identified to better connect intensifying mixed-use areas to transit through active transportation network improvements that would be pre-approved projects under the Municipal Class EA process. Additional transportation improvements recommended in the Study include:

· A north-south multi-use trail on the east side of Village Green Square to Sheppard     

  Avenue East, parallel to the Highland Creek under an existing CP Rail bridge

  connecting to key destinations including Agincourt GO station and Collingwood Park;

· Sidewalks along Collingwood Street;

· Cycle tracks along Sheppard Avenue East between Gordon Avenue and Agincourt GO

  station driveway;

· On-street parking and advisory bike lanes on Reidmount Avenue;

· An expanded public realm with enhanced pedestrian and cycling connections to the     

  GO Station through the closure of a portion of Dowry Street to motor vehicles; and

· Pedestrian and cycling safety enhancements at the Sheppard Avenue intersection at the

  Agincourt GO driveway.

Public involvement was an integral part of this Study. The project team engaged with a broad range of residents, businesses, and stakeholders through two rounds of public consultation, stakeholder meetings, online questionnaires, and other consultation activities.

This report summarizes the outcomes of the Southwest Agincourt Transportation Connections Study, and seeks Council endorsement on the Preferred Design for a new north-south complete street, authorization to proceed with filing the Environmental Study Report for the Southwest Agincourt Transportation Connections Study in accordance with the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process for Schedule C projects, and direction to proceed with the recommended transportation infrastructure projects identified in the Study as part of the future capital planning process.