25 January 2010 / le 25 janvier 2010
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice
municipale adjointe, Infrastructure Services and Community
Sustainability/Services d 'infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités
Contact/Personne ressource: Vivi
Chi, Manager/Gestionnaire, Transportation Planning/Planification des
transports, Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la
croissance
(613) 580-2424 x 21877,
Vivi.Chi@ottawa.ca
That the
Transportation Committee receive this report for information.
Que le Comité du transport
prenne connaissance du présent rapport.
At Transportation Committee on 7 October 2009 when the contract award for the Hunt Club Extension from Hawthorne to Highway 417 (Phase 1) was being considered, the following motions were approved:
..."That Council direct staff to commence work to assess the condition of the existing sound fences and identify the areas where sound fences do not exist in the Hunt Club corridor from Hawthorne Road to the Hunt Club Bridge (Mike Sheflin Bridge) in consultation with affected communities and the ward councillors;
...That staff actively seek funding sources, at the Federal, Provincial and Municipal levels and report back to the Transportation Committee within three months and;
...That the funding sources be identified as a condition of moving forward in order that the sound attenuation features are completed prior to the road being placed into service."
Council approved the motions on 14 October 2009. This
report provides Transportation Committee with an update on the actions taken to
date to address these directives.
An initial staff investigation of existing conditions was carried out on 2 December 2009 along Hunt Club Road from the Mike Sheflin Bridge in the west to Hawthorne Road Intersection in the east (approximately nine kilometres one way). Land use along this corridor includes residential properties and commercial properties, as well as open federal lands (airport), a golf course, light industrial and office space. Approximately 5.6 kilometres of sound attenuation fencing is located along the north side of Hunt Club Road and 1.5 kilometres along the south.
The site review identified a total length of approximately 8.9 kilometres of existing fence which includes both sides of the corridor.
Of the combined total, approximately 7.1 kilometres may function as sound attenuation fencing. The remainder was chain link fencing which is not adjacent to residential properties and had no noise attenuation value. Of this 7.1 kilometres of fence approximately 3.7 kilometres was precast concrete and 3.4 kilometres was wooden fencing. All fencing appears to be in good to excellent condition and ranges from 2.1 metres to 2.4 metres in height. With respect to residential areas, there is only one location (approximately 75 metres in length) where sound attenuation fencing does not exist.
The Infrastructures Services Department is currently conducting a city-wide inventory of all noise fencing and identification of ownership (private or public). All fencing identified as part of this inventory, will be rated for structural integrity at a later date. Funding however, to complete this rating for structural integrity, is not available at this time.
To move further with the Hunt Club Road noise attenuation assessment would require consultant expertise. In order to properly identify if and where there is a requirement for sound attenuation fencing, a noise and a detailed inspection study of the existing fencing is required. The cost of this work is in the order of $120,000.
Funding
A rough order of estimate for replacement of all sound attenuation fences in this corridor was determined to be $18 M, which assumed new sound attenuation for the entire corridor.
Under the Building Canada Fund and the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, the senior levels of government prioritize projects that they want to see funded. Discussions with both representatives of the Provincial and Federal Government took place on 30 October 2009, seeking funds for the Hunt Club corridor noise attenuation. Discussions were with the Manager of Provincial and Municipal Policy (Ministry of Transportation of Ontario) and the Director of Urban Transportation Policy and Planning (Transport Canada).
Transport Canada stated that funding for infrastructure projects is based on an identified list provided by the provincial government through the Building Canada Fund and the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The provincial government stated that due to the stimulus funding program, there are no further projects being considered at this time.
As stated in the Committee meeting minutes of 7 October, 2009, if after seeking funding for noise attenuation in this corridor, from senior levels of government, a funding source is not identified, the budget will include money for design and construction as needed under 903176 Hunt Club (Phase 2 Russell/noise fence) in 2011.
The sound attenuation assessment will evaluate noise levels along the Hunt Club corridor within the study area. Where required, mitigation measures will be proposed.
No public consultation took place in the preparation of this report.
Ward 10, Gloucester-Southgate:
Councillor Deans states that the Hunt Club Road sound attenuation features are a condition of the Hunt Club Road Extension (Phase 1) and Interchange construction (Phase 2). As a condition of moving forward on Phase 2, City Council has directed, and City staff have agreed, that full funding sources will be identified and secured. In keeping with the motion that the funding sources be identified as a condition of moving forward, once the study that identifies gaps in the sound attenuation fence has been completed, sound attenuation features should be identified, costed and all available funding sources should be identified.
Ward 16, River:
Councillor McRae is in support of the staff approach to evaluate noise levels along the Hunt Club corridor within the study area. Councillor McRae would like to ensure mitigation measures are proposed where required given their considerable expense.
There are no legal/risk management impediments to implementing this report's recommendation.
This Project fulfills the following City Strategic Plan objective:
A2 Ensure current federal and provincial for transportation programs are maintained, and seek enhanced support for existing and new potential programs.
F2 Respect the existing urban fabric, neighbourhood form and the limits of existing hard services, so that new growth is integrated seamlessly with established communities.
G4 Enhance and develop processes that support the representative role of ward Councillors with respect to City undertakings in their wards.
The estimate for a noise assessment and detailed inspection study is approximately $120,000. Funds are available for this is in account 902559 Environmental Assessment Studies Arterial.
Staff
will continue to complete a detailed assessment of sound attenuation fence
requirements in the Hunt Club corridor from Mike Sheflin Bridge to Hawthorne
Road.