Open Letter to Hurontario Corridor Study

Last week we posted information on the inclusion of cycling in the Hurontario Corridor study which was titled, Hurontario-Main Cycling Integration. Since then, MCAC chairperson Jeff Wachman has sent the following note out to Matthew Williams, the Hurontario Corridor project leader:

MCAC received an update on Hurontario corridor project and were very dismayed to read that our cycling lanes have been shuttled to the side roads and back alleys of this thriving commercial corridor. This perception that cars must have priority has taken the heart out of our city.

Our goal should be to provide a living, green healthy and vibrant community in which to live. A more appropriate direction to take would be to provide vehicle bypasses to the east and west of this corridor for vehicles using this route as a north south connector and to develop the residential and commercial sections of Hurontario into places where people can shop, dine and travel free from the noise, pollution and congestion of commuter vehicle traffic.

We hope you will reconsider your position and enhance access to our commercial activity centers for pedestrians and cyclists in an environment that looks to the future and not to the past.

Sincerely,
Jeff Wachman Chair of MCAC

Where are the cycling lanes?

This letter represents a true love for the City of Mississauga. It’s not radical. It simply represents a belief that Mississauga can be all that it can possibly be. Being bike-friendly improves life for everyone in the area – and not just to those that ride bikes.

March 2010 is when Mississauga is releasing the draft of their Official Plan. This is the strategic document of all documents that all city planning studies should refer to. The Hurontario study should not be the great exception to this rule. Here are some excerpts from the Mississauga Official Plan (draft) that should be held up when inspecting the Hurontario Corridor study:

“Mississauga is at a decisive moment in its history – most of its greenfield lands have been developed and much of its infrastructure is in place. New growth will take place primarily through infilling and redevelopment in appropriate areas, which can benefit from growth and change, such as the Hurontario Street corridor.” (draft MOP, section 1.1)

“While arterial roads will continue to move large volumes of traffic, the design of these thoroughfares must be sensitive to surrounding land uses. Arterial roads in employment areas will continue to prioritize goods movement to support the vital role the transportation system plays in the economic health of the city. This will contrast with transportation priorities in Intensification Areas, where the needs of transit, pedestrians and cyclists will be in the forefront. In Intensification Areas, transportation decisions will support the creation of a fine grain street pattern, low traffic speeds, a mix of travel modes and attention to the design of the public realm.” (draft MOP, section 7.1)

"Corridors connect the city and link communities. They are where people experience the city on a day - to - day basis and over time will accommodate multi-modal transportation facilities. Dundas Street and Hurontario Street have been identified as Intensification Corridors where growth will be directed." (draft MOP, Figure 4-14)

It’s  easier for planners and leaders to find the courage to integrate cycling into the core of the city when they know there is public support. Please  send a note to the project leader of of the Hurontario Corridor study. As a convenience we have put a form below that will send it directly through email to them. Let them know that cycling facilities in the area will be used. Please state this in your own words. A message expressed uniquely from your personal passions is much better than any form letter.

For more information see the city’s listing of the Hurontario study and also the Hurontario-Main Street Study web site.

Fill out the form to express your desire for tighter integration of cycling into the Hurontario Corridor study. Click on ‘Send’ and it will immediately be mailed to the Hurontario Study’s Project Lead:

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