FAQs

The Arthur Street Improvements & Potential Elmira Bypass Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Study is identified in the Region’s Transportation Master Plan and the Region’s ten-year Transportation Capital Program. This Study will recommend improvements to Arthur Street between Waterloo and Elmira as well as create a long-term plan to redirect trucks and other traffic; shifting Elmira’s downtown core to a more pedestrian-focused environment and other active transportation improvements. The project will be informed by and aligned to the Region’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, the targets identified in the TransformWR, and other Regional policies and plans.

 The Study is organized into two parts:

• Part A: Arthur Street (Waterloo to Elmira)

This section considers changes to Arthur Street from north of King Street in Waterloo to the south of Elmira at Listowel Road. The work will consider facilities for people walking, rolling, biking and using public transit; it will also feature safety improvements and intersection improvements.

 Part B: Potential Elmira Bypass

This section considers alternatives to redirect trucks and other traffic away from Elmira’s downtown core, supporting a desire to shift to a pedestrian-focused environment and other improvements in active transportation options. The Study area is around the Town of Elmira, bordered by Listowel Road to the south, Floradale Road to the west, Reids Woods Drive to the north, and east of Canagagigue Creek to the east. 

 Refer to the Project Images for a map that depicts the Study area.

The scope of work for both parts of the project are identified in the Region’s 2018 Transportation Master Plan. The Transportation Master Plan encourages the Region to “slow implementation of future road widening projects, and proactively manage transportation demand by encouraging change in travel behaviours”.

In addition, the Study aligns with the Region’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027 Growing with Care:

• Climate Aligned Growth: Using a climate adaptation lens to re-imagine infrastructure and making it easier and safer for people to use transit and active transportation.
• Equitable Services and Opportunities: Supporting equitable services such as reliable transit and safer walking, rolling and cycling options.

The Study will also align with the Region’s Official Plan 2031 and TransformWR. The Official Plan includes the objective of increasing “transportation opportunities for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users”. Regional Council plus all Area Municipal Councils have endorsed TransformWR which includes the “80by50” target, aiming for an 80% reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. The plan has targets to significantly reduce the share of trips made by automobiles by 2050 by supporting walking, biking, and using public transit. 

This Study is being directed by a project team consisting of staff from the Region of Waterloo, working in close partnership with staff from the Township of Woolwich. A consulting engineering firm, Associated Engineering (Ont.) Ltd (AE), has also been retained by the Region.

This MCEA Study will follow the Municipal Engineers Association’s MCEA process for a Schedule ‘C’ undertaking (October 2000, as amended in 2023), which is an approved process under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. 

 The Region recognizes the importance of completing a comprehensive Study and engaging stakeholders and the public. The MCEA process includes the following phases:   

 Phase 1 – Problems and Opportunities – The existing and planned conditions of the Study area are reviewed, and a problems and opportunities statement is developed. These will be presented at the public meeting. 

Phase 2 – Develop and Evaluate Alternatives – Developing an evaluating functionally different solutions to the project that address the problems and selecting a preliminary preferred solution. We are currently at the beginning of this phase and the public is invited to provide feedback. 

Phase 3 – Confirming the Preferred Alternative – Review the stakeholder and public feedback and comments on the Study process and on the preferred options for Parts A and B and confirm the preferred design. 

Phase 4 – Prepare Environmental Study Report (ESR) – The report which documents the Study and decision-making process.  

Once the Study phases are completed, Region staff will present the results to Regional Council.  

Specific impacts and project needs will be confirmed during the Study. The MCEA is a planning and decision-making process approved under the Environmental Assessment Act that is used by municipalities to plan public infrastructure projects so that potential environmental impacts are considered before a project is approved. The planning for this project includes public and stakeholder consultation to determine the potential impacts of the options that are being considered. 

 The planning includes ensuring the appropriate public consultation is undertaken, receiving Regional Council endorsement of the preferred solution, and filing as an approved MCEA Study with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

In addition to considering the “Do Nothing” alternative, this Study is considering different alternative solutions for Part A and Part B, as follows:

Part A – Arthur Street Improvements: Changes to the existing road cross-section to improve the multi-modal level of service, including elements such as additional vehicle lanes, addition of multi-use pathways, and intersection improvements.

 Part B – Elmira Bypass: Evaluation of alternatives that would redirect trucks and other traffic away from the Elmira Downtown Core.  The alternatives include: 

1. A bypass route around the west side of Elmira utilizing existing roads (Listowel Road, Floradale Road and Reid Woods Drive)
2. A bypass route around the east side of Elmira utilizing a new road alignment (to be determined). 
3. A bypass route through the east side of Elmira, utilizing a hybrid of existing and new road sections by using Union Street and extending it to Church Street / Line 86 and then extending a new road alignment north of Church Street to Arthur Street north of Kenning Place.

Each of these three options would also include active transportation improvements and a no thru trucks designation along existing Arthur Street through the Town of Elmira.

Yes, cycling and pedestrian facilities as well as transit operations are being considered as part of this Study.  

The Region’s Corridor Design Guidelines (2013) identifies Arthur Street as a “Community Connector” between Waterloo and Elmira (Part A) and as “Neighbourhood Connector” within the Town of Elmira (Part B).  As such, the entire road corridor should accommodate active transportation and transit modes of travel. In addition, this corridor will consider improvements to horse-drawn traffic. 

It is expected that some trees and other landscaping could be impacted by the alternatives being considered. The evaluation of the alternatives will include consideration of impacts to existing trees, as well as other features of the natural environment. Mitigation measures will also be identified where impacts are expected.   

For Part A, the project team is aware of the local initiative to plant new trees along the Arthur Street corridor. Region staff will continue to coordinate with the group responsible for the tree planting program to mitigate adverse impacts and/or adjusting the timing of future plantings. 

Although efforts will be made to minimize property impacts, it is anticipated that some private property acquisition will be required for this project. The amounts of property needed vary depending on which alternatives are identified as the preferred solutions for both Part A and Part B. 

For Part A, impacts to properties adjacent to Arthur Street from Listowel Road/Union Street to approximately 500m north of Highway 85 may vary from 10 to 20 metres on either side of the existing road’s right-of-way depending on the option. 

For Part B, impacts highly depend on the option. There may be some impacts to the properties adjacent to existing roads for the option with a west bypass route using existing roads (Listowel Road, Floradale Road and Reid Woods Drive). There may be impacts to properties on the east side of Elmira for the option of a bypass using a new road alignment. There may be impacts to properties adjacent to existing roads and to properties north of Elmira  for the option for a bypass using a hybrid of existing roads (Union Street, Church Street/Line 86) and a road extension north to Arthur Street. 

More information about property impacts will be available as the project team develops the options further in future work. Please refer to the PDF of the presentation under Project Documents for images and details on the options for Part A and Part B to visualize possible property impacts available on October 28, 2024.

The project team will discuss property requirements directly with the impacted owners, once the needs are firmly identified. If you have any concerns, please contact the project manager listed under “Who’s Listening” or directly during the in-person meeting to discuss and to be added to a list of property owners that will be updated as more information is available.

The Study includes an inventory and assessment of existing cultural heritage resources (CHRs) within the scope. It is anticipated that potential impacts will be mostly limited to the Part B Study area. Once a preferred solution is identified, additional assessments will be undertaken as appropriate, to avoid and/or minimize permanent impacts. These impacts could include some temporary noise and vibration impacts to the CHRs during construction, which will be monitored and mitigated. 

 Impacts to features of the natural environment (e.g., watercourses, wetlands, woodlots) will depend on which alternative is identified as the preferred solution. The main natural feature to consider is the Canagagigue Creek and its associated floodplain, tributary branches and wetland complexes. The Study includes an ecological assessment of the natural features and existing habitats within the scope.

 The evaluation of alternatives for both Part A and Part B will include consideration of the quantity and severity of impacts to both natural environment and cultural heritage features. 

This public consultation centre is part of the process to gather feedback on the impacts of alternatives being considered.  A second public consultation centre (PCC) is planned for mid-2025.   During the second PCC, details of the evaluation of alternatives as well as recommendations for the preferred solution will be presented for public review and comment.  

 The Project Team will review the feedback from this first PCC and the second PCC along with other information received before making a recommendation to Regional Council.

The cost of the future improvements will be dependent on which alternative is determined to be the preferred solution.  Preliminary cost estimates for each alternative will be prepared and included as part of the evaluation process.

The planning component of the Arthur Street Improvements & Potential Elmira Bypass Environmental Assessment is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Region staff will present the recommendations for Regional Council approval to determine next steps following the completion of the project. 

In the coming months, functional designs for the alternatives will be developed and used to analyze the benefits and impacts of each option. Evaluation criteria will be selected and refined to establish an equitable process for choosing the best overall solution for Part A and Part B. Feedback from this public consultation centre (PCC) will be used to inform the evaluation of the alternatives being considered.

 Prior to proceeding with a formal recommendation for a preferred solution, a second PCC will be held to solicit further public input on the preferred alternatives and the preliminary evaluation. The project team will use the public and stakeholder feedback, along with other technical data, to refine the evaluation and confirm the preferred solution for Part A and B.

 Once the Study is complete, a report regarding the proposed changes will be presented to Regional Council for approval. If Regional Council approves the preferred alternative and recommendations of the Study, the project will proceed to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for approval.

Public consultation is required under the MCEA process. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity to share project information with the public and receive public input to inform how the project is delivered. 

 The purpose of the first public consultation centre (PCC) is to share an overview of the problems and opportunities, the results of the transportation analysis, and the options being considered.  Additionally, it is intended to gather feedback and comments from the public on the options being considered and to suggest key issues to incorporate in the evaluation criteria.

 A second PCC is planned for Summer 2025 to share our preferred alternatives and obtain additional feedback. More details will be shared closer to that date. 

 All comments and feedback received will be considered along with other technical information and Study findings to assist the project team in completing this project.

Members of the public, business owners and other stakeholders are invited to review a pre-recorded presentation that will be available on the EngageWR page on October 28, 2024. Comments and feedback can be provided by completing the survey on the EngageWR page, attending the in-person PCC, or contacting the project manager listed in “Who’s Listening” on the EngageWR page. 

 The in-person PCC will be held on November 7, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. (presentation at &:30 p.m.) in the Community Centre Room at the Woolwich Memorial Centre, 24 Snyder Avenue South. The online survey will be open for the duration of the first public engagement period from October 28, 2024, to November 22, 2024. 

All PCC display materials, other relevant project information, notifications of upcoming meetings, and contact information are available for viewing on project website at: www.engagewr.ca/arthur-street-and-bypass-ea