Council endorsement sought for University Avenue revamp

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Designs for a transformed University Avenue with bike lanes and boulevards joining the west end to Windsor’s downtown would see about 84 on-street parking spots axed from the business-lined arterial road.

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City council on Monday is expected to endorse a proposed design for a nearly $50-million transformation of the east-west corridor which “experiences much lower traffic volumes” than other key commuting routes in the downtown area, a staff report says. Those changes include dropping University Avenue’s four-lane stretch down to two with turning lanes “as needed,” and removing on-street parking from McDougall Street to Crawford Avenue to fit cycling lanes.

Increased green space lining the roadway and allowing for protected bike lanes is also proposed for much — but not all — of the roughly three-kilometre stretch.

Although the design team endeavored to retain parking wherever possible, according to the staff report, more than 80 spots will be lost. The reduction of University from four lanes to two “in the central section” leaves enough width to provide cycle tracks and parking, but the same can’t be said for the roadway near and through downtown.

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A parking survey carried out in 2018 showed demand for as many as 55 parking spaces on University at peak hours (around 8 pm). But the report said that, in general, nearby streets and off-street lots and garages could “accommodate the displaced demand.”

When asked about the loss of parking in the core, Brian Yeomans, chair of the Downtown Business Improvement Association, said the area has more than 2,000 parking spots. While the BIA “doesn’t have a specific position” on the reported changes, “the possibility of bike lanes and a walkable street” from the university to the core is “great,” he said.

Designs for Victoria Avenue downtown, another wide roadway with low traffic volumes, are also on the table. Proposed changes include the addition of Windsor’s first multipurpose “flex space” suitable for street festivals, farmers’ markets or other special events. Those areas could be configured for pay-and-display or app-based parking when not otherwise in use.

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Victoria is wide enough to retain most of its street parking and accommodate one-way cycle tracks on both sides.

Should council endorse the proposed designs, the city would seek approvals for an environmental assessment from the province, proceed with more detailed designs, and begin construction along both corridors.

The city expects work on University to cost $45 million and upgrades to Victoria to cost $4 million. Those price tags do not include the costs of other work — any necessary sewer reconstruction, streetscaping, utility relocations, lighting and signal upgrades — that would be carried out at the same time.

Because of the project’s size, the city would undertake “a phased approach” for construction.

The city invited public input last year on the streetscape “reimagining” project.

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