The town is kicking off a third attempt to redesign Lakeshore Road West.
The need for improvements to bridges, sidewalks, drainage and cycling infrastructure between Mississaga Street to Dorval Drive has been in the town’s plans since 2009.
But after two derailed attempts to modernize the historic roadway, hired consultants will now focus on gathering public input before creating a new road design.
The town is “starting from a clean slate,” Philip Kelly, manager of design and construction, told a March 27 meeting of Oakville council.
He presented a report outlining how multiple rounds of public engagement would be used to create preliminary designs that will be brought to council for approval by late 2023.
Additional rounds of consultation will be used to narrow down options, with full design work intended to be completed by 2025.
“The final design will be a balance of competing interests and engineering requirements,” Kelly said.
Previous proposed designs failed when the public balked at the need for property appropriation and the removal of many mature trees to add turning lanes, sewers, curbs, on-road bike lanes and multi-use pathways.
In July 2021, town council backed away from a staff recommendation after residents argued for the preservation of the trees and the scenic nature of the road.
Read more: 'Irreplaceable': Citizens rally behind Lakeshore Road West trees
The need to focus on public engagement was emphasized by town councillors as they approved the proposed approach.
Local resident Chris Bradbrook, who lives just north of Coronation Park, agreed that proactive communication about the project is crucial. But he added that residents must also be listened to.
“The input of the majority of the residents has been consistently ignored,” he said.
Along with traditional communications channels, the town will mail notices to people living near the roadway, connect with associations and organizations to spread the news and create a dedicated website to share information.
“I’m quite pleased with the stages we’re putting in place,” said Ward 2 councillor Ray Chisholm. “I like the clean slate.”
Ward 3 councillor Janet Haslett-Theall sought assurances that all public feedback would be shared openly and that the criteria for evaluating designs would be transparent.
But the project has always created divided opinions, with some favouring a modernized road that could more safely accommodate cycling and pedestrian traffic.
That division is already evident among councillors.
Ward 1 councillor Sean O’Meara, who has consistently expressed the importance of the project for the Bronte area, expressed frustration that the discussion didn’t acknowledge the town’s planned growth.
“Lakeshore Road is a major corridor of transportation east-west,” he said.
The town is paying $3.7 million to consulting firm CIMA Canada to provide engineering, arborist, environmental, landscape and supportive services for the redesign project.