where history and innovation thrive
Presented to: Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure Province of Ontario March 1, 2011
Presented by: Mark Gerretsen, Mayor City of Kingston mgerretsen@cityofkingston.ca Mark Van Buren, P.Eng., Director of Engineering City of Kingston mvanburen@cityofkingston.ca Damon Wells, P.Eng., Director of Public Works City of Kingston dwells@cityofkingston.ca
John Counter Boulevard Road Improvements
INTRODUCTION John Counter Boulevard (JCB) is a critical east/ west road link recommended in Kingston’s Transportation Master Plan requiring road improvements to greatly enhance the sustainable, economic, safety, and traffic viability throughout this corridor. JCB is home to many government agencies including Revenue Canada, Transport Canada, MTO (Eastern Region), and Kingston’s engineering, planning, utilities, hydro, and transit services. JCB serves travellers throughout the region with such businesses as Greyhound and Coach Canada bus lines as well as Canada’s sixth
PROPOSAL • Widen the existing two lanes along John Counter Boulevard to four lanes from Division Street westerly to Princess Street over a distance of 3.6 km. • Construction of a grade separation (bridge) over the CNR line • Construction of cycling lanes and sidewalks • Completion of the five phases of the project independently or in groupings • Three to five construction seasons are needed for full project completion
busiest VIA Rail station. The CNR line, serving both cargo and passengers, crosses JCB east of VIA Rail’s terminal. This crossing experiences more than 75 trains per day resulting in frequent traffic interruptions for the 18,000 users using John Counter Boulevard for cross-city travel. This major corridor provides access for various commercial, industrial, municipal, provincial, and federal services and transportation linkages. This project is the last of the City of Kingston’s Group of Seven Community Priority Projects awaiting completion.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH & SAFETY BENEFITS • Addresses traffic and safety issues along the entire length of the roadway including risks associated with having one of the busiest level railroad crossing in Canada • Improves safety by installing traffic signals at the accident-prone Portsmouth Avenue intersection
John Counter Boulevard Road Improvements
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH & SAFETY BENEFITS (continued)
• Provides VIA with municipal sanitary sewer access and subsequent decommissioning of existing VIA septic tanks • Improves emergency services routing • Reduces exhaust emissions and carbon footprint • Improves and expands provincially significant wetlands and parkland facilities • Promotes active transportation with the addition of cycling lanes and sidewalks
ECONOMIC BENEFITS • Provides contractors with substantial employment over the duration of several construction seasons in the Kingston area • John Counter Boulevard services four Highway 401 interchanges • Improves access to Canada’s sixth busiest VIA Rail station
PROJECT CONTACT Mark Van Buren, P.Eng. Director of Engineering Public Works Services - City of Kingston 613.546.4291 x 3218 mvanburen@cityofkingston.ca
• Improves access for trade, tourism and recreation • Promotes new development and redevelopment opportunities with the private sector • Bridges the City of Kingston, creating a tangible transportation network from east to west, and intangible connections of community, trade, sustainable growth, and prosperity
COST • Full project funding requires a $60 million investment
STATUS • Environmental Assessment is complete • Detailed engineering drawings and specs are prepared • Shovel-ready • Requires funding assistance from upper levels of government
Wellington Street Extension
INTRODUCTION The City of Kingston is home to one of the most diverse and historic downtowns in Canada. Kingston’s downtown core reflects, respects, and promotes the inherently rich history, heritage, and culture of Kingston’s accomplishments and remains home to a thriving retail and tourism presence. Adding to this attractive history and current economic health, downtown Kingston is also home to a beautiful waterfront situated between the gateway to the Rideau Canal and Lake Ontario.
PROPOSAL • Construct a new two lane road extending Wellington Street from Bay Street to John Counter Boulevard over a distance of 2.6 km • Include cycling lanes, a sidewalk on the west side, and a multi-use path on the east side • Include parkway-type elements and gateway features such as planters and sculptures • Provide linkages for Kingston’s K&P Recreational Trail System
The Kingston Transportation Master Plan recommends the extension of Wellington Street to address traffic deficiencies in the north/south direction while improving access and circulation to downtown Kingston. The Wellington Street Extension will alleviate existing and future traffic congestion, create recreational pathways, and provide a landscaped gateway between historic and vibrant downtown Kingston and Highway 401 for tourists and visitors.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH & SAFETY BENEFITS • Substantially reduces high traffic volumes on existing residential streets • Improves public transit to Division Street • Promotes active transportation with the addition of cycling lanes and sidewalks • Supports emergency service response • Provides necessary north/south capacity to address current and future congestion
Wellington Street Extension
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH & SAFETY BENEFITS (continued)
• Provides an attractive tourism route for visitors to the historic downtown and Wolfe Island
ECONOMIC BENEFITS • Provides contractors with substantial employment over the duration of several construction seasons in the Kingston area • Provides opportunity for revitalization of former Davis Tannery brownfield site and surrounding area as potential for future residential, commercial, and hospitality projects • Encourages retail, commercial, and residential growth in Kingston’s North Block central business district • Provides improved access from Highway 401 to Kingston’s downtown K-ROCK Centre
PROJECT CONTACT Mark Van Buren, P.Eng. Director of Engineering Public Works Services - City of Kingston 613.546.4291 x 3218 mvanburen@cityofkingston.ca
• Improves access to an existing manufacturing business in the industrial area • Supports road network efficiencies with regard to John Counter Boulevard and Third Crossing • Improves ease of access to the downtown core and facilitates expansion and retention of commercial entities including retail, restaurants, hotels, and specialty stores
COST • Full project funding requires an estimated $30 million investment
STATUS • Environmental Assessment is complete • Further assessments, acquisition of property, and detailed design pending
Third Crossing of the Great Cataraqui River Environmental Assessment
INTRODUCTION The City of Kingston is situated at the eastern end of Lake Ontario near the junction of the St. Lawrence River and the Great Cataraqui River, which forms part of the Rideau Canal – a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, National Historic Site, and Canadian Heritage River. Two crossings within Kingston’s urban area span the Great Cataraqui River. The first is Highway 401, owned and operated by the Ministry of Transportation. The second crossing is the historic LaSalle Causeway, owned and operated by Public Works and Government Services Canada.
Kingston with the Royal Military College of Canada, Canadian Forces Base Kingston, Fort Henry, historic Barriefield Village, and provides connectivity to the residential areas of Kingston East. A Third Crossing would address a traffic capacity deficiency in the east/west direction as recommended in the Kingston Transportation Master Plan while promoting connectivity between diverse neighbourhoods and communities throughout the City of Kingston, facilitating urban growth, expanding the transit system, and assisting Kingston’s emergency management network.
The LaSalle Causeway connects downtown
PROPOSAL • Complete an Environmental Assessment of the Third Crossing of the Great Cataraqui River along the preferred corridor from John Counter Boulevard to Gore Road. • Stage 1 (completed) of the Environmental Assessment focused on where the crossing will be and why it is necessary • Stage 2 (ongoing) will identify how the bridge will be built complete with design
concepts, costing, and environmental mitigation strategies • Presentation to Council for approval by end of 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH & SAFETY BENEFITS • Provides local traffic with a secondary east/west route independent of the LaSalle Causeway, Highway 401, and Kingston Mills Road
Third Crossing of the Great Cataraqui River Environmental Assessment
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH & SAFETY BENEFITS (continued)
• Relieves existing and future traffic congestion on the LaSalle Causeway through improved network connectivity and traffic flow • Relieves pressure during detour events on Highway 401 • Reduces greenhouse emissions due to vehicle idling during traffic delays • Enhances public transit services by creating new routes • Promotes alternate modes of transportation by creating new active transportation opportunities • Enhances emergency service provisions and the delivery of municipal services
ECONOMIC BENEFITS • Construction of the Third Crossing creates significant construction employment over several years • Increases tourism and economic spin-offs associated with bridging communities across
PROJECT CONTACT Mark Van Buren, P.Eng. Director of Engineering Public Works Services - City of Kingston 613.546.4291 x 3218 mvanburen@cityofkingston.ca
a significant waterway • Accommodates long-term planned growth and development programs through improved east/west road network connectivity • Allows for future maintenance and detours associated with the LaSalle Causeway and Highway 401
COST • Three concepts are still being considered - $114 million for a two lane structure - $139 million for a two lane structure with a substructure for future expansion to four lanes - $181 million for a four lane bridge
STATUS • Stage 1 of the Environmental Assessment completed May 2010 • Stage 2 of the Environmental Assessment scheduled for completion by December 2011
Previous Provincial Funding Success Stories
The City of Kingston has a long-standing and positive relationship with provincial funding programs. The City has a demonstrated ability to responsibly and efficiently utilize funds while leveraging maximum benefit from the allocation. Most recently, the City of Kingston and Utilities Kingston received a grant from the Province of Ontario under the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative (MIII) for the City of Kingston’s combined sewer separation and road rehabilitation project in the Earl Street area of $7.7 million ($4.2 million to the City of Kingston and $3.5 million to Utilities Kingston). This allowed true and effective sewer separation as well as road reconstruction in the high-density, busy urban area adjacent to Queen’s University. The Province also provided one-time funding to Kingston of $2.3 million for municipal road and bridge infrastructure. The Infrastructure Stimulus Fund assisted with a number of projects in the water master plan including reservoirs, booster stations, and
trunk watermains with a grant of $22 million ($11 million from the province, $11 million from the federal government, and $11 million in matching funds from the City of Kingston). The recently completed Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant received $25 million from the Province of Ontario and was completed ahead of schedule, under budget and quickly evolved into an internationally recognized environmental centre. Delegations from China and many municipalities throughout the United States and Canada have visited Ravensview to witness the energy efficiencies and environmental stewardship inherent in the design. In 2009, it was the largest BioStyr installation in North America and the project won engineering awards at the provincial and national level in 2010.