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Bradford outlines priority projects for traffic congestion, affordable housing

The top priorities set by council for this term are: reduce traffic congestion, employment growth, community and traffic safety, facilities master plan, and housing affordability
2019-04-17-bradford council
BWG councillors Raj Sandhu, from left, Gary Baynes, and Mark Contois. Jenni Dunning/BradfordToday

Reducing congestion on Bradford West Gwillimbury’s main roads is a priority for town staff this year, but Bond Head residents will have to wait until 2020 for the town to lobby more for a Highway 27 bypass, according to a new strategic priorities plan

Committee of the Whole, which is made up of council members, approved the plan at a meeting Tuesday night. Council must ratify the decision at a later date to make it official.

The plan outlines the five top priorities set by council after the municipal election last fall: reduce traffic congestion, employment growth, community and traffic safety, facilities master plan, and housing affordability.

“If nothing else, it keeps council’s mission and major objectives clear,” said the town’s CAO Geoff McKnight. “It really keeps us finely tuned together, which is valuable. Senior management groups came together ... to give life to those priorities and objectives by identifying what we think are the key steps to deliver upon them.”

Most of the projects, he added, can be tackled with existing resources, but some additional funding will be needed through annual town budgets.

“This has really been a very effective practice for us,” he said. “It helps us to keep on track, and ensures by the end of your term we’ve delivered upon what you set out.”

Here are some highlights of the strategic priorities plan:

  • Continue to advocate for the construction of the Highway 400-404 Connecting Link (slated for 2019). This includes rebranding those efforts as “Open for Business,” enlisting the business community’s help, and aligning efforts with York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney.
     
  • Produce a new transportation master plan (2019), at a cost of $200,000.
     
  • Assess main corridors to reduce congestion, such as further signal synchronization, add/delete left turns, add right-turn slip-off lanes, consolidate driveways, etc. (2019).
     
  • Review opportunities to interconnect commercial properties along Holland Street (2019).
     
  • Lobby Metrolinx to accelerate GO Transit service improvements and expansion of parking lot (2019).
     
  • Lobby Simcoe County to accelerate construction of the Bond Head Highway 27 bypass (2020).
     
  • Investigate putting promotional signage along Highway 400 (2020).
     
  • Establish traffic calming standards for planning of new streets and neighbourhoods (2021).
     
  • Investigate the cost/benefit of deploying red-light cameras, speed cameras and other autonomous enforcement technologies (2020).
     
  • Investigate the cost/benefit and legalities of deploying surveillance cameras in parks, streets and other public places (2019).
     
  • With the Healthy Communities Committee and school boards, coordinate the development of a public health and safety campaign that focuses on children (2020).
     
  • Develop high level plan for use of the Bradford and District Memorial Community Centre and the curling rink (2019). This includes finding out the curling club’s preference, and, depending on that, looking for opportunities to partner on a future facility and redevelop the current one.
     
  • Develop BWG Affordable Housing Strategy/Action Plan (2019 and 2020).
     
  • Produce an Affordable Housing in BWG Summit to hear from local builders and developers about obstacles and incentives to deliver on the town’s housing targets (2019).
     
  • Develop Official Plan and zoning provisions that mandate affordable housing components within larger residential projects (2019).
     
  • Assess housing potential for town-owned properties (2020).
     
  • Engage Simcoe County to increase support for BWG for affordable housing (2019).