The closing of a municipally…

The closing of a municipally owned, arterial road that has provided a key intercounty transportation link for many years and the transferring of the road to the private sector is a questionable transaction and is rarely done. The MCEA process suggests that at least a Schedule A be undertaken for a road closure. In Clearview Township the Blue Mountain Watershed Trust made this concern known to the MOECP. Based on on the impact closure of this road has on the public and commercial interests BMWT believes a Schedule ’C’ undertaking is warranted. MOECP to date has accepted it as a Schedule A+ and we intend to ask for a bump up of the A+ schedule.

The closing of an existing inter county arterial road and replacing it with a steeper, substandard all weather gravel rural road in a narrow 20 metre road allowance located in Escarpment Natural and Escarpment Protected areas is not a safer alternate and has a significant impact on the steep slopes and hydrology of the Escarpment environment. Clearview proposed reconstruction of this alternate rural road as a Schedule A+ MCEA despite the discovery of additional wetlands and an Environmental Assessment of over 500 pages.

The BMWT has not had a satisfactory explanation as to why County Road 91 is to be taken out of service and transferred to private hands and Side Road 26/27 reconstructed. Walker’s traffic consultant iTrans, “Duntroon Quarry Expansion Traffic Impact Study” final report does not discuss the closure of County Road 91 and states the traffic operations of the existing road network are operating with adequate levels of service with the new Walker and MAQ quarries in full operation. The “2014 Simcoe County Master Transportation Plan Update” and the 2018 Simcoe County AADT Map shows County Road 91 as a Simcoe County arterial road as does the Clearview Township Road System Map, no mention is made of the loss of County Road 91on the transportation network or the reconstruction of Side Road 26/27.

It should be noted what other municipalities have done with respect to roads within the NEP:
1. In Niagara Region a Schedule ‘C’ MCEA was carried out to evaluate truck route alternatives in the NEP area. This was done to accommodate commercial traffic and minimize negative impacts on residents. Alternatives were studied and the public provided input.
2. The City of Hamilton in considering the closure of Grays Road, carried out a Schedule ‘B’ MCEA for that road project, problem definition, identification and evaluation of alternatives and public input were considered key components.