Why are road improvements being planned for Rathburn Road and Ponytrail Drive?
- The improvements are supported by current City plans and policies. In particular, this project will help us advance the City’s Vision Zero policy and reduce serious injuries by prioritizing the safety and access of our most vulnerable road users.
- The City plans for road resurfacing along Rathburn Road and Ponytrail Drive as part of the Annual Resurfacing program. This has provided an opportunity to identify and implement various safety improvements along the road corridors including new pedestrian crossings, new cycling facilities and intersection improvements.
- Bundling these projects into a single construction contract reduces the overall construction cost of the improvements and the nuisance or fatigue for local residents.
Has there been any loss of life or collisions in the subject area?
- Yes, there have been collisions in the study area. Collision and loss of life data are on file with the Peel Regional Police.
Why is a conventional intersection preferred over a roundabout intersection at Rathburn Road and Ponytrail Drive?
- The alternatives for a roundabout and a conventional intersection were considered during the study. The roundabout alternative would have greater direct impact to existing private properties because of the larger footprint.
- Also when we reviewed the overall life cycle cost of a potential roundabout, it was considered to be less economically desirable compared to a conventional intersection because of the implementation costs including construction, design, and utility relocations.
Where will cars park at the east end of Rathburn Road East by Etobicoke Creek? Are there any plans to construct additional parking spaces or a lot?
- There are no changes proposed to the existing parking by-laws.
- Parking bays will be provided east of Garnetwood Chase on Rathburn Road East up the cul-de-sac as shown on the Preferred Design Concept plan. Parking will continue to be prohibited on the cul-de-sac.
Will the City implement traffic calming initiatives on Rathburn Road and on Ponytrail Drive?
- The City’s current traffic calming policy only provides for the installation of traffic calming devices on local and minor collector roadways. Rathburn Road East and Ponytrail Drive are classified as a major collector roadways and therefore are not suitable for physical traffic calming measures due to potential negative impact on traffic movement and safety. However, the introduction of other design features such as reduced lanes and lane widths could promote speed reduction in the study area.
What can be done about the left turn lane and right turn lane at Burnhamthorpe Road and Ponytrail Drive to address traffic issues there?
- Physical changes to the turning lanes at the Burnhamthorpe Road and Ponytrail Drive intersection are outside the scope of the Rathburn Road Integrated Project. However, a review of the signal timing may be completed as part of the detail design phase of the project to optimize traffic operations at the intersection.
How will the City manage rodents during construction?
- The City has adopted a pest control program that gets implemented on medium and large construction projects. We anticipate that the pest control measures in the program will also be implemented for the Rathburn Road Integrated Road Project.