Assessing the impact of new access to Tunney’s Pasture

 The WVCA recently met with representatives from Councillor Jeff Leiper’s office, and the City’s Traffic Assessment Specialist for Kitchissippi Ward to discuss changes to the roadway network environs Tunney’s Pasture. 

As you may be aware, to help with the Stage 2 LRT detour, there are plans to install a new traffic signal at the intersection of Smirle Avenue and Scott Street. Plans also include adding a bridge over the transitway to connect Goldenrod Driveway to this intersection, providing new signalized access between Wellington Village and Tunney’s Pasture.

To determine how this new traffic signal and connection to Tunney’s Pasture may impact the traffic on Smirle Avenue and the surrounding streets, the WVCA requested that a traffic study be conducted. In the past, the WVCA has raised concerns repeatedly regarding the intersection of Ross and Scott, which — along with Holland Avenue — serves as one of the few access points from Tunney’s to Scott Street. A traffic study would also be useful in assessing the existing through traffic issues on all of the streets between Wellington and Scott. 

Unfortunately, the City has informed us that the affected streets do not currently meet the city’s criteria to be approved for a traffic study. As an alternative, they suggested that the neighbourhood could wait to see how the traffic responds to the LRT being up and running, and how the new Goldenrod connection is being used. They also raised the possibility of temporarily closing the street, with planters, as a pilot project. However, the WVCA is concerned that this might cause traffic to use adjacent streets instead, merely shifting the issue rather than addressing it.

Other options include requesting that the signal be programmed to prohibit straight through traffic in the north-south direction, as has been done at other intersections in the City (such as Baseline and Centrepointe Drive, for example). Looking into the future, the WVCA and the City both recognize the potential for new problems arising once the LRT detour is no longer needed, and Tunney’s Pasture is developed.  

The WVCA continues to maintain that a traffic study should be undertaken as part of the planning process for Tunney’s Pasture. Further, we would like to see how Wellington Village, and the other bordering communities are considered as part of this undertaking. Tunney’s Pasture is a Federal Government undertaking and therefore, may require some lobbying with them to achieve this.  If you are interested and available to assist the WVCA with this, please send an email to president@wvca.ca.

Summary:

City to conduct traffic study of Wellington Village – declined

City offered to conduct pilot closure of Smirle Avenue at Scott Street with planter boxes

WVCA request City to consider prohibiting North-South through traffic movements at the Smirle/Scott intersection – pending review

WVCA request to have community traffic impacts studied as part of Tunney’s Pasture redevelopment application – please indicate your availability to assist with this.