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Residents asked to weigh in on Laclie St. reconstruction plans

Options include status quo, widening road to 3 lanes, adding bike lanes; 'Whatever happens will dictate what that street is for the next 20 years,' says Lauer
2021-03-14 Laclie Street
The city is seeking public feedback regarding Laclie Street reconstruction plans.

The city has unveiled options for the reconstruction of Laclie Street and now it’s time for residents to have their say.

The road is set to be reconstructed from Neywash Street to Murray Street. An environmental assessment is underway and there are six options up for consideration. They range from leaving the street as it is to widening it to three lanes.

A three-lane Laclie Street was recommended in the city’s transportation master plan in 2019.

“We’ve been looking at it for quite some time,” said Wesley Cyr, the city’s manager of engineering and transportation, noting changes to Laclie Street were also identified as needs in previous master plans. “The road surface isn’t in great shape, so we need to do something in the near term.”

The project also contemplates bike lanes, new sidewalks and stormwater management.

“There’s a lot of stuff we’re trying to fit into that area and, obviously, public consultation is a big factor,” Cyr said.

The city encourages people to provide feedback by May 7. A survey — both an electronic version and a printable version — as well as details about the project and the six options can be found here. A video presentation explaining the project can also be found at that link.

The city has a $750,000 budget for the environmental assessment and design process, which is expected to be finished by the end of the year. The goal is to have construction begin in 2022 and happen in phases over three years.

That timeline could change, Cyr said, noting if any property acquisition is needed, that could take additional time.

Coun. Pat Hehn, who represents Ward 4, which includes all of Laclie Street, is excited to see what happens with Laclie Street.

“The infrastructure is old and needs to be replaced, and the road itself and the sidewalks are in bad shape,” she said.

While campaigning in the last election, Hehn said she heard a number of concerns about Laclie Street, and she still does.

Regardless of what happens, residents “want to retain the lovely, old trees along that street,” she said.

“We want to preserve them as long as we can.”

Coun. Tim Lauer, who also represents Ward 4, said he has only heard from a couple of residents since the six options were posted recently to the city’s website, and “both calls have been in support of the status quo.”

“They view it as a residential street,” he said. “They don’t see any issues with traffic.”

He said he hasn’t heard many complaints about Laclie Street over the years, with the sidewalks being the exception.

“I totally agree with that. They were paved over,” he said of how sidewalk issues used to be addressed under an old policy. “They became really problematic.”

Lauer isn’t picking a favourite option yet. He wants to wait until the public has had its say.

“This is their chance,” she said. “Whatever happens will dictate what that street is for the next 20 years.”


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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