Municipal Class Environmental Assessment

D.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECTS, PURPOSE AND ALTERNATIVES

D.2.2 LINEAR FACILITIES AND ASSOCIATED ELEMENTS

D.2.2.1 Description of the Projects

Projects of this type would typically involve one or more of the following:

• Construction or reconstruction of transit-only lanes or transit loops
• Construction of new localized operational improvements at specific locations (e.g. queue-jump lanes, turning lanes, etc.)
• Installation, construction, or reconstruction of traffic control devices
• Construction or reconstruction of grade-separations
• Reconstruction or replacement of water crossings and culverts to facilitate new or modified transit improvements
• New or modified Intelligent Transportation Systems elements for transit systems
• Installation, modification, or reconstruction of safety facilities (i.e. lighting, safety barriers, energy attenuation, etc.)
• Decommissioning of existing municipal transit facilities

D.2.2.2 Purpose of the Project

Linear facilities and associated elements will be undertaken for the following possible reasons:

1. to accommodate and support opportunities and policies for economic development and municipal growth
2. to support opportunities and policies for reducing auto dependency and increasing use of alternate modes of transportation, including transit
3. to address projected capacity deficiencies in transportation system
4. to provide greater transportation choice and basic mobility for those persons who do not have an alternative, including transit-dependent students, lower income workers, seniors and persons who do not drive.
5. to address deficiencies in current transportation infrastructure, including structural and capacity deficiencies
6. to support policies for reducing environmental and health impacts of transportation.
7. to provide access to existing or proposed land uses.

D.2.2.3 Alternative Solutions

In many instances, there may be more than one way of solving problems, addressing opportunities or meeting the demands on existing linear facilities. Possible “Alternative Solutions” may include, for example:

1. Widen or improve existing facilities for general traffic, High Occupancy Vehicles (HOVs) or transit vehicles
2. Transit operational changes (i.e. increased frequency of service or extended routes on existing roads)
3. Provide alternative transportation facilities such as train, ferry, etc.
4. Limit / manage growth
5. Develop alternative routes for existing or anticipated transit
6. “Do Nothing”

It should be noted that a combination of alternatives may be required to address the problem and/or opportunity (e.g. widen roadway for exclusive bus use in peak periods.