Longfellow Drive reconstruction

The final design has been completed for the Longfellow Drive Reconstruction Project. The contract has been tendered and awarded, and construction is anticipated to begin in April, 2021. Within the Project Library section of this webpage you can find the final engineering plans, as well a document titled Longfellow Drive Resident Notification Letter, which provides further information related to the detailed design and construction.

Please view the presentation video for details. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the project team.

Comments on this final design should please be submitted to the project team by April 9, 2021.

Thank you to all who took the time to provide feedback on the retaining wall options. Option 3, the Lamina Tandem Next wall, was the preferred choice of the majority of respondents and has been included in the project tender.

Lamina Tandem Next (website info) (product sheet PDF)

There are four alternatives for the retaining wall required for the new Longfellow Drive streetscape. More information is available for each option on the manufacturer's website, and in the product data sheets (also available in the Project Library). Please let us know what you think by completing our survey in the Comments section. We will be accepting feedback up to and including January 10, 2021.

Option 1: Wedgestone Buff (website info) (product sheet PDF)

Option 2: RB Buff (website info) (product sheet PDF)

Option 3: Lamina Tandem Next Beige (website info) (product sheet PDF)

Option 4: Pisa 2 Sierra (website info) (product sheet PDF)

The project team would like to thank everyone who provided feedback on the streetscape alternatives. We appreciated hearing from so many through the survey, through email, and the delegations who presented to Council. The Special Council Meeting from December 7 can be viewed on the City's YouTube page (the Longfellow Reconstruction portion of the meeting begins with the delegation presentations at 5:09:54 in the video).

At the December 7th meeting, City Council provided the following direction to the project team:

1. Notwithstanding Longfellow Drive is a designated minor collector road in the City’s Official Plan, which typically warrants sidewalks on both sides of the street, that sidewalks be limited to one side of Longfellow Drive;
2. That any retaining wall constructed as part of the Longfellow Drive reconstruction be reflective of a natural landscape, drawing from examples in the neighbourhood in terms of appearance; and,
3. That reconstruction works occur within the original infrastructure zone contemplated by Abram Wiebe, to the extent possible.

In accordance with Council’s direction, Option 3 (sidewalk on the south (odd-numbered) side only) was selected to move forward to final design. The main advantages of Option 3 are as follows:

• Minimal impact on utilities, and does not require relocation of light poles and hydro transformers which are on the north side of the street.
• Minimal tree loss (only 2 identified for removal, and anticipated that a majority of those identified as impacted will not be lost).
• Minimal need for retaining walls (only 2 short sections of walls anticipated between #293 to #301, approximately 15m and 30m in length and less than 1m in height).
• Minimizes impacts to and grading challenges associated with steep driveway ramps and slopes on the north side.
• Provides the best connectivity to existing sidewalks on the east side of Shakespeare Drive and the west side of Westmount Road, as well as to potential future sidewalk on Mohawk Avenue.
• Ranked as the most preferred option by the majority of those who completed the design options feedback survey.

Next Steps

The project team will work through December and early January to complete the design. As part of that process, we will invite residents to provide their feedback on the look of the retaining walls and which materials should be used to best reflect the natural landscape of the street. If you haven't already, please use the Stay Informed section to subscribe for updates with your email address to be informed when information about the retaining walls is posted.

Four options for the new Longfellow Drive streetscape have been created, all of which include required design features according to the city's Complete Streets approach. The new designs take into consideration the next 50 years of use, and follow the applicable regulations (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Ministry of the Environment, etc.), city policies, the Transportation Master Plan and other guiding documents.

Detailed information on each option, including potential tree impacts and retaining wall information, is available in the Public Information Centre presentation video. Project drawings for each option, and the PIC#1 Information Package can be found in the Project Library. The options can be summarized as:

1. Option 1: sidewalks on both sides, street 7 metres wide
2. Option 2: sidewalk on the north (even-numbered) side only, street 7 metres wide
3. Option 3: sidewalk on the south (odd-numbered) side only, street 7 metres wide
4. Option 4: sidewalk on the south (odd-numbered) side only, street 8 metres wide

The project team has received some questions regarding the project, the answers are provided in the FAQ section.

Please view the presentation video for details, and then provide comments on your preferred option through the Comments tab. We will be accepting feedback on the PIC #1 design options up to and including October 19, 2020.

The City of Waterloo has approved the reconstruction of Longfellow Drive, from Shakespeare Drive to Westmount Road, with construction scheduled to start in 2021. Road reconstruction is part of our ongoing maintenance and upgrading of city streets, and designed with the next 50 years of use in mind.

As part of the reconstruction, all underground municipal infrastructure will be replaced, including sanitary sewer, storm sewer, watermain, and sanitary and water services up to the common property line. The street itself will be repaved, including a new concrete curb and sidewalk. Areas disturbed by the construction project will be restored to city standards, including driveways, and sod and tree replacement as required.

Surveyors have been on Longfellow, gathering some of the information that is needed to determine the final design for the road. As part of the city’s Complete Streets approach, both new construction and reconstruction projects must consider solutions that are safe for everyone: walkers, cyclists, transit, drivers, and people of all ages and abilities. Our transportation planners and engineers design our street network for all road users, following city policy, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), our Transportation Master Plan and other guiding documents.

The new design is still in process. The design for this streetscape must meet the minimum standards per the guiding policies, regulations and documents, which in this case includes the installation of a new sidewalk. Other design considerations include:

Sidewalk

• which side of the roadway, or both sides
• minimum sidewalk width of 1.5 metres
• preferred width and best practice of 1.8 metres; allows for 2 wheelchairs or strollers

Boulevard

• minimum 1 metre width for grass (less than 1 metre and grass is challenging to grow and maintain)
• visual separation from roadway is required per AODA
• space for waste collection storage
• space for snow or leaf storage
• curb faced sidewalks (without a boulevard) are not ideal as they present issues with waste collection, snow storage and are typically an urban, industrial feature

Narrower Asphalt

• promotes traffic calming
• minimizes landscape impacts
• reduces capital and operational costs

The city is working with our engineering consultant, GM BluePlan, to develop several alternatives for the road design, which will offer some choice within the features that have flexibility. Once these options have been determined, they will be presented to the public for feedback in early Fall 2020.