Approved Alternative 6
The City will be moving forward with the approved Alternative 6, which includes the following elements:
- Two travel lanes (one lane in each direction)
- Continuous two-way left turn lane
- Widened sidewalks on both sides of the road
- In-boulevard cycle tracks, adjacent to curb lane on both sides of the road
- Best opportunity to accommodate trees on both sides of the road
Preliminary design
Review the completed preliminary design for Alternative 6. (The preliminary design will be confirmed during detailed design and is subject to refinements.)
Project overview
Initiated in 2021, the City of Mississauga led a Planning and Preliminary Design study for various road improvements to the Bloor Street corridor from Central Parkway East to Etobicoke Creek as part of an Integrated Road Project.
This project has been carried out in accordance with the planning principles of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) process (October 2000, as amended in 2015). The proposed road improvements fall under ‘Schedule A+’ classification of the MCEA and as such, this project is pre-approved under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act.
The preliminary design phase is now complete.
During the planning and preliminary design phases, the City completed a comprehensive and extensive engagement consultation with the public and external agencies. Public participation was an important part of the process. The preferred design alternative (Alternative 6) was selected based on the technical evaluation, taking into consideration comments received from the community.
Project notices
- Notice of Community Meeting #1
- Notice of Community Meeting #2
- Notice of Community Meeting #3
- Notice of Community Meeting #4
Past community meetings
The first Community Meeting was held virtually on June 23, 2021 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Community Meeting #1 introduced the study, presented background information, discussed next steps and how to keep informed.
Community Meeting #1 Presentation Boards
The commenting period was open from June 23 to July 14, 2021 and is now closed.
The second community meeting was held virtually on October 27, 2021 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Community Meeting #2 presented the alternative solutions being considered, evaluation of the alternatives, recommended design concepts, next steps and how to keep informed.
Community Meeting #2 Presentation Boards
The commenting period was open from October 27 to November 19, 2021 and is now closed.
The third community meeting was held virtually on March 9, 2022 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Community Meeting #3 presented a new design concept, including recommended safety, operational, pedestrian and cycling improvements. The recommended design concept was presented, including next steps and how to keep informed.
Community Meeting #3 Presentation Boards
The commenting period for public feedback was open until August 31, 2022 and is now closed.
The fourth community meeting was held in person on November 29, 2022 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Community Meeting #4 presented a new design concept, including recommended safety, operational, pedestrian and cycling improvements, as well as next steps and how to keep informed.
You can review the information discussed during the meeting in the following presentations:
The commenting period for public feedback closed on December 20, 2022.
Frequently asked questions
The various planned improvements for Bloor Street are all supported by current City plans and policies. In particular, the project is seeking to advance the City’s Vision Zero policy and reduce serious injuries by prioritizing the safety and access of our most vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and transit users).
The City has planned for road resurfacing along Bloor Street as part of the Annual Resurfacing Program. This has provided an opportunity to identify and implement various safety improvements along the road corridor including a new pedestrian crossing, new cycling facilities and intersection improvements. The bundling of these projects into a single construction contract will reduce the overall construction cost of the improvements and the nuisance/fatigue for local residents.
The Bloor Street Integrated Road Project was identified with the need for roadway pavement rehabilitation. This resulted in an opportunity to integrate other roadway infrastructure renewals and improvements including road safety (as guided by the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan), intersection controls, street lighting, active transportation and transit infrastructure. This project will align all planned renewals and improvements into a single project which is coordinated for the planning, funding, public engagement, design and construction phases.
The funding for Bloor Street incorporates the following infrastructure renewals and improvements, including but not limited to:
- Pavement rehabilitation
- Curb replacements and realignment
- Street light pole replacements and illumination improvements
- Additional boulevard trees
- Utility relocations (where required)
- Widened sidewalks
- New cycle tracks
- New signalized pedestrian crossing at Applewood Trail
- Crossrides (all signalized and unsignalized intersections)
- Protected intersections (to be confirmed during detailed design)
- Transit stop improvements
Approved Alternative 6 will move the existing curbs inward. By doing so, it will narrow the travel lanes to 3.5m (curb lanes) and 3.0m (Two-Way Left-Turn Lane), respectively. The narrower lanes will be able to accommodate transit and delivery vehicles, while also slowing down vehicle travel speeds. Slower travel will allow Bloor Street to be more safe for all road users.
The Project Team has evaluated a number of design alternatives for the Bloor Street corridor. Approved Alternative 6 includes a one-way cycle track on both sides of Bloor Street. The one-way cycle track will be located within the boulevard, separate from both motor vehicles and pedestrians.
Approved Alternative 6 has the least impact to existing boulevard trees and maximizes the number of trees that can remain within the Bloor Street right-of-way. During detailed design, each tree will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine if there is an opportunity to save additional trees. Alternative 6 maximizes the number of trees that can be added within the Bloor Street corridor, and will provide more trees than existing conditions.
Under existing conditions, both pedestrians and cyclists may use the Applewood Trail under Bloor Street at Little Etobicoke Creek. During rain storm events, Little Etobicoke Creek routinely floods and the path is not accessible.
As part of the approved Bloor Street improvements, a new pedestrian crossing will be implemented to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists at street level. The new pedestrian signal will provide pedestrians and cyclists priority to cross Bloor Street, within their own separate space.
A Noise Assessment to be completed for Alternative 6 during detailed design to confirm whether future (2041) noise levels will direct exposure (i.e. rear or side yard) to Bloor Street warrant the need for noise walls under the City’s policy. Factors used as input into the noise analysis include posted speed, elevation, percentage of heavy vehicles and distance from receiver location to Bloor Street.
As was presented at Community Meeting #3 (March 9, 2022), a number of locations adjacent to Bloor Street qualified for noise mitigation within Alternative 5 (maintaining 4 travel lanes).
A Noise Assessment has not been completed for approved Alternative 6 (i.e. reduced travel lanes), however will be updated during the detailed design phase. As the traffic modeling results have found that the 2041 traffic volumes will be lower with Alternative 6 than with the current four-lane configuration along Bloor Street, it is anticipated that the areas that may qualify for noise mitigation will be reduced or eliminated. If there are any qualifying locations for noise mitigation within Alternative 6, the City will individually approach property owners on a case-by-case basis.
The Bloor Street Integrated Road Project will move to the detailed design phase. This includes additional geotechnical and other field investigations to support the design work. The detailed design phase will inform the construction schedule and phasing, which will be finalized upon award of the construction contract. Works to be coordinated with the Region of Peel, as well as annual funding amounts for the project, will be reviewed and updated as part of the City’s annual capital budget preparation and approval process.