York staff will look into Highway 9 traffic woes
By Bill Rea

It didn't take long to get some action started on the traffic situation on Highway 9 on top of King.

Mayor Margaret Black was able to get the issue added to last Wednesday's meeting of the Transportation and Works committee of Regional council, and staff was directed to conduct a study on the situation.

The mayor reported Regional staff had told her such a study was already being conducted and would likely take two to three months to complete, but she was able to stress a sense of seriousness and urgency. "They are really going to try to get the study ready by the end of October," she said.

Paul Jankowski, general manager of roads for the Region's Transportation and Works department, said the study actually started about four to six weeks ago to address operational and safety issues between Highway 400 and Bathurst Street. "It's time for us to take a look at the situation out there," he commented.

Claus Zander, vice-president of Zander Sod, located on Highway 9, just east of Highway 400, was at the Region

meeting too, pressing the case for what he called a "desperate need for another set of lights to be along Highway 9 to break the traffic."

Trying to get on the road can be very tricky, he said, especially at rush hour. "It's very dangerous trying to make a left turn out on Highway 9," he remarked, adding he knows of "some hair-raising moments."

"I was pleased to her they were making it a priority," Zander added.

The next committee meeting is scheduled for Oct. 31, and Jankowski said they are hoping to have a report ready for that, or failing that, the next meeting, set for December. "We certainly want to report back this year," he said.

Councillor Jack Rupke brought the matter up at Township council early last month, mentioning the traffic numbers were increasing and he was hearing complaints and comments from local residents and business people. He had also pointed out there are no breaks in the traffic between Bathurst and Highway 400, meaning it's often difficult for motorists to get into traffic.

Township staff had a report ready for the Sept. 24 meeting, concluding that action from the Region was warranted.

They produceda traffic impact study report prepared by Cansult Ltd. in January as part of the process for the proposed expansion of Cardinal Golf Course, and it included analysis of the intersection of Highway 9 and Keele Street.

"The severe delays experienced by drivers making minor turning movements onto Highway 9, the high volume of eastbound/westbound traffic and the associated lack of acceptable traffic gaps in the traffic flow, and the general trend of increasing collisions, it would be prudent for the Region to carefully monitor the traffic growth as well as future collision experience at this intersection to assess the potential for its signalization," the Cansult report stated, recommending signals be installed at the intersection "to not only better accommodate existing and future traffic volumes, but also to address the existing safety concerns at this intersection."

Township staff also pointed out the Region conducts regular surveys every five years, and the last one was in 2006. The results cited increases in the Region's population over the previous five years, as well as growing traffic volumes on Highway 400 and the fact that more east-west traffic is using Highway 9.

Rupke had congratulated Township staff on getting a report ready so quickly.

Councillor Jeff Laidlaw didn't want the focus of the study to be too narrow, suggesting it should look at the situation west of Highway 400 too. Township CAO Scott Somerville said there's a division of responsibilities involved, with the province being responsible for the stretch west of 400.