Oshawa looking to convert Albert, Celina, Brock and Colborne to two-way streets

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Published September 13, 2021 at 5:16 pm

The city of one-way streets may be down to just a handful if a motion to convert several residential roads in Oshawa from one-way to two-way thoroughfares gets the green light.

The motion to change Celina and Albert streets, which run north and south, respectively, into and out of downtown, and Brock and Colborne streets, two smaller streets at the northern edge of downtown, from one-way avenues to two-way streets will go directly to Council on September 28 to initiate public debate.

The motion was on the agenda of Monday’s Development Services Committee agenda but was not pulled for discussion.

Ward 4 Councillor Derek Giberson, who made the original motion, noted that the streets started out as two-way but were changed years ago to accommodate shift changes at General Motors in the days when GM affected everyday life in the Motor City.

“It was a mistake then and a mistake now,” Giberson said. “This is a huge opportunity for (residents of) these neighbourhoods, who have had to live for over a half-century with cars going too fast, cars going the wrong way, pedestrians feeling less safe, parents feeling their children are less safe, and all the negative impacts on neighbourhood fabric that one-way streets generally inflict.”

Normally civic project involving the conversion of one-way streets are considered as “pre-approved” and the only requirement is that the public is to be advised prior to project implementation. But staff and Council have been instructed in this case to “go beyond the requirements” of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for public consultation and are planning to involve the public and stakeholders through multiple public engagements throughout the study.

The public consultation process will be ongoing this fall.

One-way streets on Oshawa’s main roads through the downtown area – Simcoe Street (northbound) and Centre Street (southbound); and King Street (eastbound) and Bond Street (westbound); will not be affected by the study.

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