Upper Middle Road and Ninth Line are Halton Region roads. Halton Region has proposed to widen Ninth Line from 2 lanes to 4 lanes from Upper Middle Road to Dundas Road along with ancillary widening of Upper Middle Road at Ninth Line. Halton Region also has preliminary plans to widen Upper Middle Road from Ninth Line / Ford Drive to Grand Boulevard from 4 lanes to 6 lanes. Halton Region has no plans at present to widen Upper Middle Road from Grand Boulevard to Trafalgar Road.
The following is the submission that NEO-RA made to Halton Region in May 2009:
1. Our residents’ association supports the expansion of Ninth Line to four lanes of traffic.
2. Our residents’ association supports a sidewalk on one side of Ninth Line. Sidewalks on both sides appear unnecessary to us. If land is being expropriated from the west side of Ninth Line for a second sidewalk, this would be destructive to the existing natural area, causing us to be opposed to a second sidewalk. We would be indifferent to having a second sidewalk if the bulk of the expropriated land was from the east side of Ninth Line.
3. Our residents’ association wants the Crusaders Rugby Club to be able to continue to use its existing fields. The proposal expropriates land from the west side of Ninth Line. The president of the Crusaders Rugby Club indicated that the Region’s proposal would forfeit the club’s use of two of its three fields. This club provides valuable recreation facilities for our community, the Town of Oakville and the broader area. We request that the Region move the expropriation to the east side of Ninth Line sufficiently to avoid the club losing use of fields or otherwise facilitate shifting the affected fields to avoid their loss; perhaps a bend in the road would suffice to accommodate the preservation of the club.
4. Our residents’ association does not support the proposed changes to the Upper Middle Road intersection. The proposal presented on April 21, 2009 had Upper Middle Road widened:
Westbound, east of Ninth Line: from 3 lanes of traffic to 6 lanes of traffic
Eastbound, east of Ninth Line: from 3 lanes of traffic to 4 lanes of traffic
Total east of Ninth Line: from 6 lanes of traffic to 10 lanes of traffic
Westbound, west of Ninth Line: from 2 lanes of traffic to 4 lanes of traffic
Eastbound, east of Ninth Line: from 4 lanes of traffic to 5 lanes of traffic
Total west of Ninth Line: from 6 lanes of traffic to 9 lanes of traffic
This is proposal would be an unnecessarily massive expansion of the intersection. This proposal is based on having 3 lanes of through traffic in each direction; each approach only connects with 2 lanes of through traffic, making 3 lanes unnecessary (correcting this overbuild will eliminate two lanes of traffic, one each way). The proposal also has two turn lanes on the east side of Ninth Line turning left from Upper Middle Road onto Ford Drive; we don’t see why more than the one existing lane is required. Further, the proposed right-hand turn lane from Upper Middle Road onto Ninth Line seems unnecessary as there is no back-up of traffic on Ninth Line that would suggest a need for this turn lane (this will be even more so the case once Ninth Line is widened).
The existing 6 lanes on the east side of Ninth Line are sufficient. We recognize that there is a reasonable argument for a right hand turn lane going north onto Ninth Line, making it 7 lanes, but given the tight space constraints this seems to be an unnecessary luxury. Clearly the other 3 new lanes are completely unwarranted.
On the west side of Ninth Line, the merge lane for right turns from Ninth Line causes us much concern; if this lane is to be constructed we insist that it be as short as possible and that it must be eliminated well before Joshuas Creek Drive and further that there not be any right hand turn lane created onto Joshuas Creek Drive; an extended merge lane up to Joshuas Creek Drive will invite commuter traffic to infiltrate the residential area, this we most strongly oppose. The existing 6 lanes on the west side of Ninth Line are sufficient. We recognize the merit of a very short merge lane for right turns from Ninth Line, making it 7 lanes, provided this new lane is as short as possible. Clearly the other 2 new lanes are not needed.
5. The idea of having 3 through lanes on Upper Middle Road perhaps arises from a planning proposal to expand Upper Middle Road to 6 lanes of traffic from Ninth Line to Grand Boulevard. Such an expansion has not been approved and will be opposed by our residents’ association as it is completely unnecessary given the lanes are not proposed to be through lanes in either direction. Further, the west-bound lane would invite commuter infiltration of our neighbourhoods (via Joshuas Creek Drive and Grand Boulevard) and thus would be irresponsible to construct (the residents and the Town would thrown by the Region into an ongoing traffic battle). The only thing this west-bound lane would add is queuing space on Upper Middle Road (in the middle of a natural area) that is in addition to the existing queuing space on Ford Drive and the QEW ramp; damaging our neighbourhoods and a natural area is too expensive a price to pay for merely adding queuing space that won’t enhance traffic flow (other than that which would be pushed through our residential streets).
6. The planning proposal to add these lanes of traffic to Upper Middle Drive between Joshuas Creek Drive and Grand Boulevard is particularly disturbing to our residents’ association and will be vigorously opposed. This proposal is disturbing for several reasons: (i) it will push a bigger and busier roadway closer to existing homes that face Upper Middle Road causing an impairment to the enjoyment of these residents of their property; (ii) it will necessitate destruction of part of Iroquois Shore Woods which will adversely impact this stressed woodland well beyond the portion that the Region plans to directly destroy; and (iii) will invite commuter infiltration of our neighbourhoods via Grand Boulevard. Damaging the enjoyment of residents of their property and our neighbourhoods as well as destroying and damaging another natural area is far too expensive a price to pay for merely adding queuing space westbound and an empty lane eastbound.
7. Our residents’ association wants the existing Glenburnie School to continue to be viable on its existing site. This school is a long term contributor to our community. The massive widening of Upper Middle Road jeopardizes the viability of Glenburnie School as significant property is proposed to be expropriated from the school; parking lot space will be lost, tree rows will be lost, open space will be lost and the road will be pushed up very near to the buildings. Additionally, the ability of traffic to enter and exit the school will be impaired if Upper Middle Road becomes a massive 10 lanes of traffic at the school entrance. It is a bad deal to jeopardize the continued viability of a valued member of our community for some empty lanes.
8. Our residents’ association wants the exiting natural area north of Upper Middle Road, west of Ninth Line to be preserved. Adding empty lanes and queuing lanes does nothing to improve traffic flows. Why pave over this natural area for no benefit? Having queuing lanes in the middle of a natural area seems particularly ridiculous (emissions from idling automobiles are not good for the health of this natural area or the neighbouring residents).
9. The activity at the Ninth Line and Upper Middle Road intersection provides an opportunity to improve signalling by allowing an advanced green right hand turn from Upper Middle Road onto Ford Drive that corresponds with the advanced green left hand turn from Upper Middle Road onto Ninth Line. This right turn from Upper Middle Road onto Ford Drive has substantial volumes in the morning rush, forcing motorists to stop before turning right slows traffic. We note that the two left hand turn lanes proposed for Upper Middle Road east of Ninth Line would negate this suggested signalling improvement (we oppose increasing from one to two left hand turn lanes on Upper Middle Road east of Ninth Line).
10. Our residents’ association would like more information on the proposed changes to the Dundas Street intersection. We caution that westbound traffic on Dundas Street already stagnates between the 403 and Ninth Line. It appears dangerous to give Ninth Line additional emphasis as a traffic corridor without addressing the problem with westbound Dundas Street traffic at Ninth Line; what is the bigger plan?
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