City wants public input on proposed redesign of University and Victoria avenues
The City of Windsor is looking for public input on a $50 million “reimagining” of University and Victoria avenues that would offer less room for cars and more space for greenery, pedestrians, and cyclists.
“The University Avenue you see today was designed to accommodate streetcars,” Mayor Drew Dilkens said Tuesday during a Zoom media conference. “It’s too wide and it’s underutilized. It allows a great opportunity for us to think of innovative beautification efforts that we can consider when redeveloping this space. And the pandemic has also reinforced the importance of safe and inviting outdoor areas in maintaining public health and individual well-being.”
The estimated cost of the project, which involves a “complete overhaul of the east-west corridor,” is north of $50 million. That will include road replacement and sewers, building cycle tracks, expanding sidewalks, relocating utilities, and extending boulevards, catch basins, and enhanced green areas.
Residents have until Aug. 24 to provide feedback on design concepts.
The plan is to have the environmental assessment finished by the end of this year. It will then go to the council for approval. Dilkens said about $5 million is set aside in the capital budget for some of the early work.
The city commissioned the environmental study in 2018 to explore ways of reconfiguring the 3.5-km section of University Avenue from Huron Church Road to McDougall Street.
The study, which also includes strategies for improving Victoria between Chatham and Park streets, is looking at ways of better integrating active transportation to make the roads “more attractive and accessible.”
Jaime Garcia, a consultant project manager with the engineering firm CIMA+, said the vision is to give all modes of transportation the same level of service. Preliminary plans include lanes for motorized vehicles along with the creation of green space, protected bicycle lanes, and pedestrian boulevards. Where space permits, there will be on-street parking.
“This environmental assessment plan has the potential to transform one of our city’s major east-west corridors by creating a complete street with enhanced facilities for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit riders,” said Dilkens. “The timing for moving this plan forward couldn’t be better. A number of impressive developments to turn University Avenue into an attractive destination are already taking shape.”
He said those developments include the $35 million Graffiti project to convert vacant heritage buildings on the corner of University and Elm Avenue into residential and commercial spaces, and the $100 million mixed-use development at the former Grace Hospital site.