Municipal Class Environmental Assessment
Part B - Municipal Road Projects
B.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECTS, PURPOSE AND ALTERNATIVES
.2.2 ROAD WIDENINGS, ADJUSTMENTS AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS

B.2.2.1 Description of the Projects


Projects in this group will generally involve one or more of the following types of project: 

 

The development and implementation of a project will often involve additional work and activities incidental to the primary purpose of the project, but which must be included in the project. These may include, for example: 

B.2.2.2 Purpose of the Project

Projects developed under this Class EA will be proposed to resolve problems affecting the operation and efficiency of existing systems, to accommodate future growth of communities, or to address specific traffic or transportation problems or opportunities. 

One or more of the following general problems may be addressed: 

a) structural deficiencies
b) capacity deficiencies
c) unsafe conditions
d) changes in land use 

The purpose or objective of a specific project will be determined by the nature and severity of the problem(s) being addressed. For the deficiencies identified above, the following types of problems would be resolved: 

a) Structural Deficiencies: 

Inadequacies in the pavement surface, the roadway base, or surface or subsurface drainage characteristics, may result in poor rideability which, if not corrected, may cause unsafe conditions or may result in the untimely failure of the roadway. An existing roadway may have sections where abnormally high maintenance requirements are necessary and which may result in large numbers of public complaints. 

b) Capacity Deficiencies: 

The existing roadway may be providing poor service to the user due to traffic congestion, resulting in frequent traffic delays. Alternatively, traffic projections may indicate that this condition will occur in the near future. Traffic increases may be the result of normal growth and may be predicted on the basis of past trends and known future developments; or they may be substantial and sudden as a result of a specific development. 

Traffic carrying capacity of a roadway may be affected by numerous turning and stopping movements which give rise to slow moving or congested traffic conditions at certain times of day or at certain locations 

Traffic congestion and a low level of service on an existing roadway may also be due to undesirable or outdated design features; for example, narrow traffic lanes, a lack of passing opportunities, or the absence of bus bays in heavily trafficked areas. 

c) Unsafe Conditions: 

A section of roadway may have been constructed to a lesser standard than adjacent sections of the same roadway. For example, the end of an urban roadway may be adjacent to a rural highway of considerably higher design standards, or vice versa. Depending on the nature of the transportation system and of traffic patterns, such situations can be confusing or annoying to a driver and may lead to problems in road safety, as well as restrictions in traffic flow.

An existing roadway may exhibit undesirable collision experience which may be caused, for example, by the following: 

 
d)  Changes in Land Use: 

Land development and other changes in land use may give rise to a number of traffic problems and deficiencies which may relate to safety, roadway capacity problems, increased traffic, increases in noise.

B.2.2.3 Alternative Solutions

In many instances, there may be more than one way of solving problems or meeting the demands on existing road and traffic facilities. A number of solutions, termed “Alternative Solutions” may include, for example:

a) Structural Deficiencies:

Where a structural deficiency is identified, possible alternatives for consideration are:

Where a resurfacing or minor reconstruction will resolve a problem, a more complex alternative solution is neither required nor appropriate. However, where safety or geometric problems exist in addition to structural deficiencies other alternatives may need to be considered, such as:


b) Capacity Deficiencies:

Where capacity problems exist, the following alternatives may be considered:


c) Unsafe Conditions:

The following alternatives may be considered to address a number of possible conditions or situations which give rise to a safety deficiency:

i) enact by-law to control turns
ii) delayed or advanced green traffic signal
iii) creation of turning lanes

i) by-law control
ii) provision of off-street parking
iii) provision of off-street parking

 

i) pedestrian grade separation
ii) walk phase on traffic signalization
iii) improved sidewalks
iv) increase traffic lane widths

i) modify grade and/or alignment
ii) remove sightline obstruction
iii)improve street lighting

i) reduce speed limit
ii) modify grade and/or alignment

i) resurface/reconstruct existing roadway
ii) modify grade and/or alignment

i) modify traffic patterns by by-law, e.g. no turns, one-way streets
ii) modify traffic patterns by restraint, e.g. traffic lights, stop signs
iii) modify traffic by additions to roadway, e.g. add turning lanes

In most cases where unsafe conditions have been identified the Do nothing alternative is unacceptable.

d) Changes in Land Use:

Changes in land use may give rise to a number of deficiencies in the road network and in traffic conditions. Alternative activities to resolve a road deficiency are generally those described in the preceding paragraphs.

e) Noise Problems:

Whether or not traffic noise is a problem will depend on such variables as:

To address noise problems, the following possible alternative solutions may be considered: