Lakeshore Road Reconstruction and Streetscape Project

Background

The Downtown Plan is one of the major projects in Vision 2057, but there are several smaller projects that informed and helped influence the decision-making process for the Downtown Transportation and Streetscape Study.

Commercial District Parking Study
Downtown Oakville Heritage Conservation District
Downtown Oakville Strategic Action Plan
Downtown Oakville Strategic Review
Town purchases downtown Post Office, 197 Church Street
Urban Design Manual

The Downtown Oakville Heritage Conservation District (DOHCD) Plan identified the current mixture of designs, materials and colours in downtown as visually cluttered. The DOHCD Plan identified the opportunity for a new design of street furnishings, allowing for improvements, so long as it is cohesive, supports the pedestrian environment and does not compete with the historic material of the district.

Downtown Transportation and Streetscape Study (DTS)

The DTS assessed the current traffic and roadway conditions in downtown Oakville and created recommendations to enhance the roadways, beautify streets, improve pedestrian/cycle ways and revitalize the Towne Square, by introducing design standards as well as increasing connectivity, mobility and accessibility.

The DTS included extensive public consultation in 2014-2015 on the different options for Lakeshore Road, the Streetscape Master Plan (pdf) as well as a theme for the site furnishings and finishes.

Staff presented preferred options to Council in March 2015. Council approved the recommendations from the Downtown Transportation and Streetscape study in April 2015. Review the DTS final report (pdf).

In November 2015 Council approved the timing for the Lakeshore Road reconstruction and streetscape project to commence in 2019 and be completed over a two year period. In addition, the Lakeshore Road Bridge Rehabilitation and the two-way traffic conversion of the existing street network in downtown was approved.

Staff reports and agendas

Planning and Development Council Agenda for November 2, 2015
Planning and Development Council Agenda for April 13, 2015
Draft DTS final report (pdf)
Draft DTS final report appendix (pdf)
Downtown Parking Garage Feasibility Study (pdf)
Planning and Development Council Agenda for March 10, 2015
Planning and Development Council Agenda for July 7, 2014
The Transportation Study conducted by Hatch Mott MacDonald (pdf)
The Downtown Economic Health Assessment Report conducted by JC Williams Group (pdf)

Previous public consultation

2016 Public Consultation

• Public meetings were held on March 1 and June 15, 2016 to get feedback on contemporary design palettes. Comments were also collected online from February 24 to April 1, 2016.
  • Review the material that was presented at public meeting #1 (pdf)
  • Review a copy of the Lakeshore Road Reconstruction and Streetscape Consultation Summary (pdf)
• When specific contemporary furniture pieces were presented to the public in March and June 2016 there was significant concern and opposition about the contemporary theme choice for the streetlights, benches, bike rings and bollards
• In July 2016, Council passed a motion directing staff to recommence a public engagement process in the fall 2016 to gather more public input on the three style options — traditional, contemporary and classic for the streetlights, benches, bike rings and bollards
• Staff began incorporating the garbage/recycling stations as well as the granite pavers and curbs into the streetscape design as presented to the public this past March and June and approved by Council in July 2016.
• In September 2016, the town held a number of public engagement opportunities to find out what style of streetscape furniture — traditional, contemporary or classic — residents and businesses would like to see used in downtown Oakville. Each style was designed to complement the downtown heritage district.
• On October 3, 2016, Council approved a traditional furniture style for downtown Oakville. Review the staff report.
• Between December 5 and 23, 2016, the town went out for public consultation about what specific furniture pieces, lighting temperature, and bridge railing residents and businesses liked best for Downtown Oakville. The town provided two options for each piece of streetscape furniture; two types of lighting (LED fixture/bulbs), and three bridge railing options. Two choices of furnishing colour that supported a traditional theme - graphite and moss green - were also provided.
• On February 13, 2017, Council approved the bridge railing, the lighting and the furniture selections (streetlight poles, benches, bollards, bike rings) for downtown Oakville. Review the February 13, 2017 staff report for details

2015 Public Consultation

• Following extensive public consultation through the Downtown Transportation and Streetscape Study (DTS), a contemporary theme was chosen in 2015 over traditional and classical, to complement the historic buildings in the streetscape yet remain a reflection of the current time.
• Desire to maximize a flexible (curbless) design of the Lakeshore Road East configuration was also discussed at these meetings as a topic for consideration.

Streetscape furniture selected

• Staff will include all the furniture selections into the Lakeshore Road Reconstruction and Streetscape Project, slated to start in 2019, and into the overall Downtown Transportation and Streetscape (DTS) Master Plan for other roads in downtown as they are reconstructed.
• The new curbs and pavers were included in the new construction of Lakeshore Road Bridge over Sixteen Mile Creek which opened ahead of schedule on November 17, 2017.
• Staff have reported to the Heritage Oakville Advisory Committee and requested a heritage permit for the furnishings.
• It should be noted that the town’s standard for LED fixture colour temperature is 4000K. With town’s public outreach resulting in a clear preference for 3000K for the streetlights within the historic downtown commercial district, Council approved staff’s recommendation to review the merit of installing 3000K LED fixtures in the town’s other commercial districts – Kerr Village and Bronte Village. In addition, while there was clear preference for the existing streetlight pole and acorn fixture styles, staff will be reporting back to Council during the final engineering design phase on the costs of refurbishing the existing poles and retrofitting the LED fixtures, or installing new poles to match the existing styles.

Engineering design update

In preparation for the detailed design, the team is working on the following items:

• Topographic survey of road and boulevard
• Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) investigation
• Surface paint markings for utilities in the boulevard and road including survey of location
• Test hole excavations to locate utilities will be conducted in the boulevard and road using a hydro vac truck
• Ground Penetrating Radar may be used within the boulevard to locate utilities
• Video inspection (CCTV) of storm sewers
• Drilling boreholes along the road for the Geotechnical investigation
• Tree survey