Ontario Street Environmental Assessment

Niagara Region is starting a Schedule C Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for improvements on Ontario Street (Regional Road 42) between Linwell Road and Welland Avenue / Fourth Avenue (Regional Road 77) in St. Catharines.

The study area is a main roadway in moving traffic from the Queen Elizabeth Way in the north to downtown St. Catharines in the south. It provides access to businesses and residential neighbourhoods between Welland Avenue / Fourth Avenue and Carlton Street.

This study will identify alternative solutions and designs that align with the Transportation Master Plan. It will consider the City of St. Catharines' Ontario Street Corridor Secondary Plan Study between the Queen Elizabeth Way and Welland Avenue. The center of the study area is around the former industrial lands of the McKinnon Industries (GM Power Plant).

The study will review improvement alternatives that will consider, but not limited to the following:

• Existing and future traffic capacity concerns, considering planned growth
• Safety and operational improvements
• Access management
• Pavement conditions
• Active transportation facility improvements
• Intersection improvements
• Transit improvements
• Climate change improvements / sustainability by exploring low impact development and green infrastructure
• Potential urban design and streetscape improvements