Brantford looking to improve traffic flow

Relief is on the way for motorists frustrated by traffic congestion at two intersections.

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City officials are proposing additional turn lanes at Brant Avenue between Dalhousie and Colborne streets and Clarence Street at Dalhousie and Colborne streets. The plan also includes widening Clarence Street to provide a dedicated left turn lane to eastbound Colborne Street.

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“This is huge for West Brant residents,” Coun. Rose Sicoli (Ward 1) said at a Tuesday city council committee meeting. “These are two points where I know I’ve been stuck in traffic for a long time.

“I’m really happy with what has been brought forward.”

Sicoli said the solutions are not perfect but are steps in the right direction that will dramatically improve the lives of West Brant residents.

Sicoli made the comments prior to advisors voting to spend $400,000 to complete detailed design and cost estimates for the two projects. The funding is expected to be approved by council at its April 30 meeting.

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Mayor Kevin Davis said the proposed changes are short-term solutions that can be done within a couple of years to address the most pressing traffic congestion problems in the city.

Davis called the two intersections “pinch points,” intersections that are backed up because of high traffic volume.

The proposed changes should “substantially improve” the pinch points on a temporary basis, Davis said.

The other major issue is moving motorists from the Shellard Lane – West Brant area to the city’s northwest where there is expected to be a lot of growth over the next 20 years, Davis said.

A report outlining long-term solutions to improve traffic flow in and out of West Brant and on Brant Avenue is expected to come to councilors for review within the next couple of months, Davis said.

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Motorists traveling in and out of West Brant to reach Highway 403 have long complained about the length of time it takes to get from one end of the city to the other. Depending on the time of day, motorists will often face lengthy delays due to bottlenecks at Clarence at Dalhousie and Colborne and Brant Avenue at Dalhousie and Colborne streets

However, finding a solution has so far proven elusive.

Back in 2019, city council voted to study extending Oak Park Road over the Grand River to help move motorists out of West Brant. The project came with an anticipated $100 million price tag and included a bridge over the Grand River.

The proposed Oak Park Road extension followed a decision by council to scuttle once and for all the contentious Brantford Southern Access Road.

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Faced with stiff opposition from residents, council in June 2021 put the brakes on the Oak Park Road plan. Residents objected to the proposal because it would cut through the Oakhill Cemetery, disrupt the area and impact existing wildlife.

Speaking at Tuesday’s committee meeting, Davis said improving traffic flow was identified as one of council’s top priorities.

The city’s population is expected to grow to at least 165,000 from the current 111,300 residents by 2051. While most of the growth is expected to occur on land acquired from Brant County in the north end, the balance – about 23,000 residents – are expected to move into the Shellard Lane, Conklin Road, Tutela Heights area and along Birkett lane near Erie Avenue.

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