Apathy is the new black.

Consider the recent provincial election, which netted a record low turnout of 52 per cent of eligible voters. Let’s hope the same attitudes don’t prevail when it comes to an invitation for residents to review and comment on Ninth Line reconstruction in the wake of revised growth projections in Whitchurch-Stouffville.

In August 1999, York Region completed an environmental assessment study based on a projected population increase of 3,500 in new homes adjacent to the Ninth Line corridor in Stouffville by 2021. At the time, the study concluded that the road should be expanded to four lanes south of Major Mackenzie Drive, narrowing to two lanes north to Stouffville, and that east-west road ‘jogs’ should be eliminated at Ninth and Elgin Mills.

Revised projections indicate that the population increase along Stouffville’s Ninth Line corridor will be approximately 11,000, or three times the original estimate, by 2021. According to the current review, the “2-lane roadway capacity of 12,000 vehicles will be far exceeded by the future traffic demand of 21,000 vehicles by 2021 and will increase to approximately 230 per cent of the roadway capacity by 2031.”

The region is currently reviewing the 1999 study and now recommends extending the four-lane widening to Main Street and removing an additional jog at 19th Ave. and Ninth. In view of the proposed changes, residents living within 500 metres of the corridor have been invited to submit their comments on the amendments to the original assessment.

While the revised assessment is focused directly on Ninth Line improvements, it does give residents an opportunity to suggest other adjustments to the management of traffic flow in and around the community. Millard Street and Hoover Park Drive (when it is completed) have been touted as through-traffic alternatives to Main Street, but they are not genuine bypasses; they are residential streets filled with families who would likely prefer not to live on a busy highway. At some stage, a proper east-west corridor will be essential.

Another major bugbear is the lack of traffic signals on Main St. between Ninth Line and Market Street. With almost 1,000 people using GO Transit on a daily basis, a crosswalk in the vicinity of the station should be given serious consideration.

A public meeting on the Ninth Line reassessment was to be held Oct. 30 at Latcham Hall and continuing public involvement in the process is encouraged. To find out more about the proposed changes to the Ninth Line corridor visit york.ca or call 1-877-464-9675.

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