A stretch of West Street South will be widened and will become more pedestrian and cyclist friendly.
City council voted this week to widen West Street, from James Street to Highway 12, to three lanes and to install sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of the road.
The desire to widen that stretch was noted in the city’s transportation master plan “to support the connection between downtown Orillia and Highway 12 and to meet the needs of anticipated population and employment growth and traffic demands, including active transportation,” staff wrote in a report.
Coun. Rob Kloostra wanted to go with another option that would see the road widened to four lanes with a multi-use trail on the west side and sidewalk on the east side. That idea was supported by Coun. Ralph Cipolla.
“It’s inappropriate for us to do that in three lanes,” he said, adding it is a main corridor.
Sidewalks and bicycle lanes on each side are not needed there, he added.
He pointed to the bike lanes on both sides of Coldwater Road, saying “very, very few people use it.”
Mayor Steve Clarke said the demand for bike lanes would likely grow once the Orillia Recreation Centre fully opens.
The motion to go with four lanes was defeated when only Cipolla and Kloostra voted in favour.
The detailed design process is underway and is expected to take four to five months. That process will help determine details of the project, including how much it will cost and when the widening can begin. It could start in 2023 or earlier.
