WELLINGTON COUNTY – The County of Wellington is undertaking a large study to improve and identify needs on its road network.
The Road Master Action Plan (RMAP) intends to map out improvements to all county roads that connect the seven municipalities. Provincial and municipal roads are not included in the scope of the study.
Don Kudo, county engineer, said the last time Wellington County did a transportation master plan was in 2005 making this a good time to take another look.
“There’s also a number of different current issues and concerns that residents have with respect to road safety and needs that we’d like to review in this plan,” Kudo said.
He explained the study is looking long range to 2041 which will help with budget forecasts and more currently at operational improvements.
A press release lays out four key objectives that are guiding the study:
- Identify long-term county road network needs to support area growth
- Provide input into other county plans and studies that will help make decisions on how to pay for improvements to the county road network
- Identify and address concerns with the county roads through rural and urban areas, including safety and speed
- Identify opportunities to better connect the county to neighbouring municipalities and the broader region through an integrated transportation planning approach
The county is seeking public input throughout the process with a survey and mapping tool available until Feb. 11.
“Community engagement is critical to the success of the RMAP,” said Andy Lennox, county roads committee chair, in a press release. “By engaging, we can be certain that the RMAP is shaped by our community. Residents have an opportunity to participate in meaningful engagement.”
The map allows participants to pin points on particular county roads or intersections to highlight areas that have speeding issues, safety concerns, improvement suggestions or general comments.
“We thought we would try to either see if there’s other new locations or confirm the issue we’ve heard in the past and the mapping tool allows residents to really provide a direct input,” Kudo said.
“We can see how many other residents will have the same concerns and that’ll point us in the direction for areas of focus to look at what we can do at some of these locations.”
Although geared toward county residents, Kudo said they welcome input from those in other municipalities who regularly use county roads.
Those who provide input before the deadline will receive a $5 voucher for Ride Well, the county’s rideshare program, and a chance to win a $25 gas gift card.
The survey and mapping tool can be found here.
