In Northeastern Ontario,…

In Northeastern Ontario, provincial highways are often the only connections between the residential communities and urban centres. In Northeastern Ontario priority should be given to providing infrastructure improvements such as paved shoulders to the secondary highways with low to moderate traffic volumes that serve urban centres. Where no alternative exists to the high traffic volume highways such as Highway 17, these highways create a barrier between communities. Priority should be given to creating a separated facility for cyclists to access the amenities and destinations of the larger urban centres. Service roads under provincial jurisdiction may provide an alternative to a paved shoulder scenario on high-volume highways. In certain cases, municipal roads with a gravel surface may be the only alternative to high-volume highways connecting communities. Cycling infrastructure may include hard-surfacing these roads. Abandoned rail corridors present another alternative to high-volume highways that should be explored especially in cases where they parallel high-volume highways and no alternative exists. However it needs to be recognized that municipalities in Northeastern Ontario do not have the resources to maintain these long stretches of infrastructure. Provincial ownership of abandoned rail corridors would remove the burden from already economically depressed municipalities.
Transit does not play a significant role in transportation networks between communities in Northeastern Ontario. However it may be worthwhile to explore the possibility of transportation hubs on the outskirts of urban centres to enable active transportation into urban centres from outlying areas.

[Original Comment ID: 202859]