St. Laurent Transit Improvements Planning and Environmental Assessment Study
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Document 1 Prepared for: City of Ottawa ST. LAURENT TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STUDY DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY REPORT File No. 3414036 | April 2016 St. Laurent Transit Improvements Planning and Environmental Assessment Study 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Study Location and Purpose .............................................................................. 1 1.2 The Class EA Process and Study Approach ...................................................... 2 1.3 Consultation ....................................................................................................... 3 2.0 Consultation .......................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Study Web Site .................................................................................................. 5 2.2 Notification ......................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Technical Agency Consultation .......................................................................... 6 2.4 Public Open House ............................................................................................ 6 2.5 Individual Stakeholder Meetings ........................................................................ 6 2.6 Consultation with Aboriginal Communities ......................................................... 6 2.7 Transportation Committee and Council .............................................................. 7 2.8 Responses to Identified Concerns ..................................................................... 7 3.0 Identified Problems and Opportunities ................................................................ 10 3.1 Context and Policy Framework ........................................................................ 10 3.1.1 Official Plan ............................................................................................... 10 3.1.2 Transportation Master Plan ....................................................................... 11 3.2 Traffic Operations ............................................................................................. 13 3.3 Problem / Opportunity Statement ..................................................................... 13 4.0 Existing Environmental Conditions ...................................................................... 15 4.1 Social Environment .......................................................................................... 15 4.1.1 Land Use ................................................................................................... 15 4.1.2 Utilities ....................................................................................................... 15 4.1.3 Transportation Network ............................................................................. 16 4.1.4 Air Quality .................................................................................................. 18 4.1.5 Noise and Vibration ................................................................................... 19 4.2 Natural Environment ........................................................................................ 19 4.2.1 Terrestrial Ecosystems .............................................................................. 19 4.2.2 Fisheries and Aquatic Habitat .................................................................... 21 4.2.3 Geotechnical .............................................................................................. 21 4.2.4 Groundwater .............................................................................................. 21 i April 2016 DRAFT Environmental Study Report St. Laurent Transit Improvements Planning and Environmental Assessment Study 4.3 Cultural Environment ........................................................................................ 21 4.3.1 Archaeological Resources ......................................................................... 21 4.3.2 Built Heritage Resources ........................................................................... 22 5.0 Evaluation of Alternatives .................................................................................... 23 5.1 Alternative Planning Solutions (‘Alternatives to’) .............................................. 23 5.2 Alternative Designs (‘Alternative Methods’) ...................................................... 24 6.0 Recommended Plan ............................................................................................ 27 6.1 Estimated Cost ................................................................................................. 32 6.2 Impacts and Mitigation ..................................................................................... 33 7.0 Future Commitments ........................................................................................... 39 7.1 Municipal .......................................................................................................... 39 7.2 Provincial.......................................................................................................... 39 ii April 2016 DRAFT Environmental Study Report St. Laurent Transit Improvements Planning and Environmental Assessment Study LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3-1: Arterial Mainstreet designation of the study area in Ottawa's Official Plan (2008) .................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 3-2: Spine Route designation of the study area in the Ottawa Cycling Plan ...... 12 Figure 4-1: Land Use Designations in Study Area ........................................................ 16 Figure 4-2: Existing Transit Service in Study Area (Image: OC Transpo) ..................... 18 Figure 5-1: Alternative 1 - Transit lane only ................................................................... 25 Figure 5-2: Alternative 2 - Transit lane with on-road bike lane ...................................... 25 Figure 5-3: Alternative 3 - Transit lane (not shown) and raised cycle track ................... 25 Figure 6-1: Overview of Recommended Plan, North of Innes Road / Industrial Avenue to Bourassa Street ........................................................................................... 28 Figure 6-2: Overview of Recommended Plan, Bourassa Street to South of Smyth Road .............................................................................................................................. 29 Figure 6-3: Proposed configuration at Innes Road / Industrial Avenue / St. Laurent Boulevard intersection (traffic signals and lighting not shown for clarity) ......... 30 Figure 6-4: Typical proposed smart channel and protected bike box, westbound intersection approach from Innes Road ......................................................................... 31 Figure 6-5: Typical cross-section, Innes Road / Industrial Avenue to Smyth ................. 31 Figure 6-6: Typical configuration, Innes Road / Industrial Avenue to Bourassa Street .. 32 LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1: Planning and Design Responses to Study Comments ................................... 7 Table 4-1: Species at Risk and Provincially Rare Species Recorded Within 1 km of the Study Area (NHIC, 2016) .................................................................................... 20 Table 5-1: Evaluation of Design Alternatives ................................................................. 26 Table 6-1: Anticipated Environmental Impacts and Proposed Mitigation Measures ...... 34 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A – Recommended Plan Appendix B – Consultation Appendix C – Traffic Analysis Appendix D – Geotechnical Report Appendix E – Archaeological and Heritage Checklists iii April 2016 DRAFT Environmental Study Report St. Laurent Transit Improvements Planning and Environmental Assessment Study 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 STUDY LOCATION AND PURPOSE In 2014, the City of Ottawa initiated this planning and environmental assessment (EA) study to develop a recommended plan to improve transit reliability and cycling safety along St. Laurent Boulevard between the Innes Road / Industrial Avenue and Smyth Road / Lancaster Road intersection, and to improve traffic operations and safety at the Innes Road / Industrial Avenue intersection. The study area is shown in Figure 1-1. Figure 1-1: Study AArea 1 April 2016 DRAFT Environmental Study Report St. Laurent Transit Improvements Planning and Environmental Assessment Study This study examined the need for transit and intersection improvements along St. Laurent Boulevard between Innes Road / Industrial Avenue and Elmvale Terminal. This Environmental Study Report (ESR) documents the Recommended Plan and the process used to develop it, including the evaluation of planning and design alternatives carried out in consultation with local residents, community associations, City staff, and members of the public. The Recommended Plan sets out a functional design for a new cross-section of St. Laurent Boulevard including transit-only lanes, a functional design for an improved Innes Road / Industrial Avenue / St. Laurent Boulevard intersection, a strategy for mitigating impacts associated with the construction and operation of these facilities, and commitments to future studies and approvals to be completed during later design and implementation stages of this project. 1.2 THE CLASS