Bayfield Street Transportation Improvements
Project News
May 10, 2024 - PIC 1 Public Consultation Completed
The study team is compiling community input into a summary report. This report will be posted on this page this summer. The study team is developing alternative planning solutions and related project materials to support the next public consultation event planned for early this fall. Further details about the event will be made available early this summer.
March 28, 2024 - Public Information Centre No. 1 Presentation
A pre-recorded video presentation for Public Information Centre (PIC) No. 1 is available for viewing. It can also be found under the documents heading located on the right-hand side of this page. The presentation provides an overview of the project, initial work completed and outlines subsequent project work and public engagement opportunities. Comments regarding this presentation were welcomed by May 6, 2024, via the project comments form. After the comments are received, the project team will assemble all project input and create a summary report that will be available later this spring. The second PIC is planned for fall 2024 and will be held in-person.
Why is this project happening?
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is planning to replace the existing Bayfield Street interchange and crossing structure starting in 2026 (refer to MTO drawing under 'Documents'). The MTO’s project will improve interchange traffic operations and active transportation infrastructure within the MTO’s project limits that extend from Grove Street to Coulter Street. The project includes the widening of Bayfield Street to six lanes. The MTO’s project is based on recommendations generated from the MTO’s Highway 400 Improvements - Transportation Environmental Study Report completed in 2017.
The MTO's project requires the City of Barrie to implement corresponding transportation improvements on Bayfield Street from Coulter Street to Cundles Road.
What work is being completed now?
The City has retained WSP Canada Inc. to complete a Schedule 'C' Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) for this project. This is the first project phase for large municipal infrastructure projects that must be completed prior to undertaking subsequent project phases that include detailed design, property acquisition, utility relocations and construction. This project phase is anticipated to occur over the next two years.
The purpose of this phase is to identify preferred solutions and ideas that will be used as the basis for the overall project and considered for the detailed design phase, before construction begins. The evaluation and identification of a preferred design is based on thinking about:
- potential impacts to the social, cultural, economic and natural environments
- public, agency and Indigenous consultation
- technical/engineering considerations
View the Public Notice for the Study Commencement.
What are the objectives of this project phase?
This project will assess near-term and long-term transportation improvements that support all modes of travel (pedestrians, transit users, cyclists and motorists). This project will build upon recommendations in the City's Transportation Master Plan and includes the following components:
Near-term Implementation
- Assessment and identification of active transportation improvements to incorporate with MTO’s interchange replacement project extending from Grove Street to Coulter Street.
- Assessment and identification of auto capacity and active transportation improvements to connect to MTO’s interchange replacement project extending from Coulter Street to Cundles Road.
- Assessment and identification of interim active transportation improvements extending from Cundles Road to Hanmer Street.
- Assessment and identification of localized intersection improvements at Bayfield Street and Grove Street.
Long-term Corridor Planning
- Development of a long-term transformative plan to reflect planned changes in land-use that includes a mix of medium density residential and commercial uses. The plan will embrace complete street principles and aims to achieve an enhanced pedestrian and cyclist friendly realm while balancing the role this corridor plays as a regional connector. This plan will extend from Grove Street to the City limits.
Key Plan & Study Area
Current Status
The project team is in process of completing phase 1 of this project. This phase involves establishing existing conditions, undertaking field studies and developing the problem and/or opportunity statement to guide phases 2, 3 and 4. Refer to the project lifecycle figure that details future work.
Get Involved!
There are many opportunities to get involved and provide input:
- Register for project updates, news and important dates at the top right of the page.
- Provide input through this project website via the forum, idea board, and using the mapping tool.
- Attend the Public Information Centre (PIC) Meetings. These meetings will provide information and gather public input. Three PICs are planned for this project.
- Property owners, businesses, residents, and tenants within the study area will receive notices via mail but are strongly encouraged to register for project updates.
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Add your idea
4 months ago
Use the opportunities posed by this project to bring trams to Barrie
Since this project will require lots of work to relocate utilities and other operations, why not build a tram as part of the project? When we build it in one shot, costs are kept down, jobs can be finished quicker, and you don't have to rip the road up every 2 years to do the next phase. A line from Allandale to DT and Georgian Mall would have immediate benefits. Kitchener's LRT has proven that rail transit can exist outside of the GTA and Ottawa in the rest of Ontario. Let's keep the wave going. We can even integrate the Barrie-Collingwood Railway into this to serve the south and west end. Also during Construction, we should explore linking Georgian Mall direct to Downtown and the South End with express buses that bypass Bayfield. I've experimented with my brother by driving from park place to Georgian Mall via the roads on the outskirts, even as far as IBR and George Johnston, and I think a bus series that does that type of bypass would work, and this is the perfect opportunity to do it. Use our existing road network to our advantage. We also can use this as an opportunity to prove to Canadians that rail based transit can not only work for the people in operation, but while shovels are in the ground too. We offer monthly visits for those interested, starting with bus tours, and later expanding to actual train rides before service begins
4 months ago
pedestrian & bike friendly
Any plan for this KEY corridor must include pedestrian and bike friendly access. Chevrons on the side of the road are not bike friendly. Use this project to set the tone for ALL future road development.
4 months ago
Fix the St Vincent amd Sunnidale bridges to accommodate more traffic with on and off ramps to the 400. People will spread out more
about 1 month ago
Coulter needs to be widened to accommodate properly marked, dedicated left and right turn lanes onto Bayfield
4 months ago
I would like to see only right turn ramps into the highway, the left turn to get onto the highway causes a nightmare.
Right turns onto the highway.
Key Plan & Study Area
Who's Listening
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Phone 705-739-4220 x5117 Email bayfieldstudy@barrie.ca
Documents
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Public Information Centre No. 1 Presentation (62.4 MB) (mp4)
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MTO - Highway 400 Transportation Environmental Study Report Addendum (6.8 MB) (pdf)
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MTO - Bayfield Street Interchange Replacement Proposed Configuration (903 KB) (jpg)
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Key Plan and Study Area.jpg (156 KB) (jpg)
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Notice of Study Commencement (218 KB) (pdf)
