August 12, 2020

Thank you to everyone for providing feedback on the rehabilitation of Water

Street. We received a great deal of input. It was very important to understand
how all stakeholders use the road and this area in general. These uses include:

- Road access - homes, businesses, funeral home, church, boat launch,

Marina, waterfront/trail and cyclists

- Parking – waterfront access, church and funeral home and businesses

- Trail/Sidewalks – walking, cycling, rest areas, fishing, and water access

(residents and Fire Service)

- Boat launch and Marina

It was very clear from the feedback that this section of road needs to
accommodate many different uses. The following represents what is deemed
to be the best way to achieve the best balance to manage these uses.

1. Traffic Calming
There was strong support to reduce traffic volumes on Water Street
including a reduction in traffic speed. Suggestions included: the
addition of speed bumps, lane narrowing, creating a one way street,
and the addition of stop signs at certain intersections.

Result: the following measures are planned with the goal of reducing
traffic volumes and speeds:
 Implementation of three-way-stops at the intersections of King
and Reid Streets to calm traffic and improve pedestrian
crossings.
 A standardized local street lane width of 3.4 m with a semi-
mountable curb on the east and west side of Water Street to
better define lanes for traffic and manage drainage (example
shown below).

The following measures were reviewed and are not recommended:

Water Street – Summary of Feedback and Results
Page 2 of 6
August 12, 2020

 Speed bumps are not recommended – they are an impediment

to emergency vehicles and an issue for maintenance,
particularly in the winter.
 Creating a one-way street is not feasible as it would place extra
pressure on side streets (e.g. Burnham and Reid in particular)
that are not designed to manage extra traffic due to insufficient
lane widths. A review of one-way options for these side streets
was discussed and there was no effective way to manage
traffic flows and maintain delivery needs and parking.

2. Parking
Various stakeholders have different objectives related to parking.
Parking was an identified need by the church, the funeral home,
businesses located in the area and by those who specifically come to
use the trail and waterfront. Boat and trailer parking and parking at the
Marina were also noted as a need and as a concern. In particular,
there was a great deal of feedback about the creation of defined
parking immediately adjacent to the Lakefield Condominiums and
Marina.

Result: the following measures are planned with the goal of providing
formalized parking areas:

 Create two accessible parking spaces on the west side of Water

Street to improve accessibility of the Millennium Trail to persons
with disabilities.

 Delete the proposed lay-by parking in front of the Marina and

Lakefield Condominiums. No on-street lay-by parking will be
provided in this area.

 Create defined parking adjacent to the boat launch and install

signage directing boats and trailers to park at the Lakefield-
Water Street – Summary of Feedback and Results
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August 12, 2020

Smith Community Centre. Improve the trail section between the

defined parking area and the river to better delineate the trail.

 Create defined lay-by parking on the east side of Water Street

adjacent to the Church (both sides of the driveway).

The following suggestion will be further reviewed:

 Review the creation of defined lay-by parking adjacent to the

Christ Church cemetery. To accommodate this, the Township
will consult with an archeologist as it relates to the adjacent
cemetery to determine if any ground disturbance would have
an impact on the pioneer cemetery. If it can be verified that
there would be no impacts to the cemetery, lay-by parking
could be considered in this location.

3. Bike Lanes
Numerous comments were received with regard to the addition of
defined bike lanes. The Township considered the following alternatives:
 Addition of two defined bike lanes (one in each direction of
traffic flow).
 Maintain one bike lane (as is the existing case).
 Removal of the dedicated bike lane and adding signage to
indicate shared travel lanes for bicycle and vehicular traffic.

Result: the following measures are planned for cyclists:

Water Street – Summary of Feedback and Results
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August 12, 2020

 Share the road is recommended. Encouraging cyclists and

motorists to share the roadway is the preferred alternative
because the traffic volumes and speeds are relatively low which
means potential hazards for cyclists and motorists are mitigated.
Provincial standards (OTM Book 18) were reviewed and based
on the traffic volumes and speeds a shared roadway is the
preferred layout for cycling infrastructure on Water Street.
 To accommodate dedicated bicycle lanes other elements
within the roadway would have to be eliminated to
accommodate the cycling lanes such as trees, walking trails, or
sidewalk. These features were identified as being of particular
importance to the community and therefore the Share the Road
is the best alternative.

The following measures were reviewed and are not recommended:

 Two bicycle lanes is not a viable alternative due to the
constraints relating to space available within the road right-of-
way. There is insufficient space to add bike lanes while
maintaining other elements such as curbs, gutters, memorial
trees, sidewalks and standard lane widths.
 Maintaining a single bike lane was considered, however it would
result in cyclists riding with and against the flow of traffic on the
west side of Water Street commonly known as a contraflow
lane. Contraflow cycling is not preferred. Provincial standards
(OTM Book 18) recommend contraflow lane widths of 1.8 m to 3
m. There is insufficient space within the road right-of-way to
accommodate a contraflow lane so maintaining a single
bicycle lane is not viable.

4. Sidewalks
The proposed design attempts to strengthen the links of the existing
sidewalks and Millennium Trail to the community.

Result: the following measures are planned for sidewalks:

 Additional cross walks (cross the street) are proposed in front of
Lakefield Dentistry, King Street, and between Bridge Street and
Burnham Street.
 Existing sidewalk sections will remain in their current locations
BUT will be removed and replaced with new concrete.
Water Street – Summary of Feedback and Results
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August 12, 2020

5. There is an opportunity to add additional sidewalk adjacent to the

Lakefield Condominiums as no parking is now proposed at this location.
The sidewalk could extend from where it ends at Concession Street to
Lakefield Dentistry. There was a strong desire expressed for the
maintenance and enhancement of sidewalks in the area.

6. Amenities – Trees, Bike Racks, Trail, Benches etc…

There was an overwhelming desire to maintain the trees, including the
memorial trees, the existing trail, benches and access to the water.

Result: the design ensures that these amenities will remain and be
accessible.
 The Township will review possible locations of additional bike
racks on Water Street.

Other Suggestions:

There were many other suggestions provided about the area.

- Move the boat launch to another location

 This was reviewed and there is no other practical alternate
location at this time. The area near the current water treatment
plant cannot be considered as this is the location of the water
intake for the Village’s drinking water system.
 Other improvements at the boat launch including the addition
of a dock to load and unload were suggested. Although not
part of the scope of the road reconstruction, review of a
loading/unloading area will be conducted separately from the
Water Street project.
Water Street – Summary of Feedback and Results
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August 12, 2020

- No parking areas on the west and east side of Water Street in front of
the Marina and condominiums will be maintained.
 The area adjacent to the Marina and the condominiums is
posted as No Parking. Boaters and other users do park here for
periods of time to drop off/pick up items. Marina staff will
monitor parking and ask those parking for long periods of time
to move their vehicle to the Arena parking lot. Peterborough
Police also act on parking complaints.
 There were other suggestions about access into the arena
parking lot and some other suggestions that were outside of the
scope of the Water Street project.
- Infrastructure in general
 The water lines will be replaced and updated. Sewer lines have
been reviewed and are in good condition.
 Proper curb and gutters will be installed to manage surface
water and the storm water system will be replaced and
updated.
 A new asphalt surface will also be part of the reconstruction
resulting in a brand new road surface from the Marina to Bridge
Street.
 Burying hydro and bell lines along the entire section of Water
Street is not proposed as the cost is too great. However,
removing the pole located on the west side of Water Street
(across from the King Street intersection) and burying these lines
will be reviewed in order to maximize the parking beside the
boat launch.

Additional Comment Period:

Please review the recommendations and provide any further comment by

August 28, 2020. Send comments to:

 Email: publicworks@selwyntownship.ca
 Phone (Rick Dunford): 705-292-9507 x 238 (leave a message and Rick
will return your call)
 Mail: Township of Selwyn, P.O. BOX 270, Bridgenorth, ON K0L 1H0

Following this additional comment period, the Township’s engineer DM Wills

will prepare the final designs that can be used to tender the project with the
hope that the Township can go to Tender in the Fall and start the work in the
spring of 2021!