Whereas staff continue to receive complaints regarding the proximity of pedestrians to vehicular traffic along this section of King Street; and
Whereas Council recently approved traffic calming measures on King Street West, East of Oshawa Creek Bridge, by reducing three traffic lanes to two while adding additional on street parking spaces on the South side of King Street between Centre Street and McMillan Drive/Queen Street; and,
Whereas extending this traffic calming measure further west across the Oshawa Creek Bridge and towards Midtown Drive would further encourage lower vehicle speeds entering the downtown core and improve pedestrian safety when crossing this section of the bridge; and,
Whereas implementation of proposed measures will also provide operational benefits for winter maintenance activities, as the existing bridge section lacks snow storage space and currently creates inefficiency and safety risks for operations staff; and,
Whereas implementation of these proposed safety measures could be further improved if coordinated with the approved 2025 Bridge Rehabilitation Project 71-0005, allowing for the consideration of a wider sidewalk across the Oshawa Creek Bridge that will meet accessibility standards;
Therefore based on Item CNCL-25-99, staff be authorized to proceed with the proposed safety measures within the south lane of King Street West, generally located from McMillan Drive/Queen Street to Midtown Drive including investigating any opportunities for additional on street parking, and to implement all necessary measures to support the safe and effective operation of the modified roadway.