TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Alan Brown, Director of Engineering
	PREPARED BY:	same as above
	DATE OF MEETING:	2004-Jun-21
	SUBJECT:	Town of Markham 10 Year Road Capital Program - Timing of Rodick Road and Birchmount Extensions

RECOMMENDATION:

That the staff report entitled “Town of Markham, 10 Year Road Capital Program – Timing of Rodick Road and Birchmount Extensions,” dated June 21, 2004 be received;

And that staff report back in the Fall of 2004 with the 2005 and 10 Year Capital Programs for hard services and funding requirements for Council’s review and endorsement.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to respond to Council inquiries regarding the timing of the Rodick Road and Birchmount Road infrastructure construction projects.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Council, in its deliberation of the 2004 Capital Budget, requested that staff report back as to the schedules of Rodick Road construction project from York Tech Drive to Esna Park Drive and the Birchmount Avenue extension project from 14^th Avenue to Hwy 7. Staff are recommending that the timing and financing of all infrastructure programs be reviewed in the Fall 2004 once the development charges study is completed.

ROAD CAPITAL PROGRAM

Council at its April 28, 2003 meeting endorsed a 10 Year Roads Capital Program (Attachment A) which formed the basis of implementing the various aspects of the capital program (i.e. preparation of Environmental Assessments, property acquisition, detailed design, contract tendering and construction). Council also directed staff to provide an update of the 10 year road program on an annual basis for Council’s approval.

The 10 year road capital program is established based on a number of factors including;

• Development phasing
• The recommendations of the 2003 Markham Transportation Planning Study
• Development Charges financial analysis
• The Region’s 10 Year Capital Program
• Environmental Assessment requirements
• Property acquisition requirements
• Approval requirements and processes of external agencies such as the MOE, TRCA,CN Rail, Hydro One, GO Transit and York Region.
• Available staff resources
• Available financial resources

SCHEDULE

Based on the current 10 year road construction program, the schedule for the completion of Rodick Road and Birchmount Road is as follows;

Rodick Road

• York Tech Drive to Miller Avenue including the Highway 407 overpass structure

- construction contract has been tendered

- contract award scheduled for June 2004

- construction start July 2004

- construction completion mid 2005

• Miller Avenue to 14^th Avenue

- Environmental Assessment completed 2003

- detailed design completed 2004

- construction start subject to finalization of traffic impact from Warden Avenue construction

- construction completion late 2005

• 14^th Avenue to Esna Park

- Environmental Assessment completed 2003

- major property acquisition in 2003, property for road widening in 2006

- detailed design 2005

- construction start 2008

- construction completion 2009

- lease agreements for building tenants at Esna Park Drive in place until end of 2005

- Fire Department relocation to Esna Park Drive not planned until end of 2007.

While the Rodick /Hwy 407 grade separation is targeted to open by mid 2005 to provide relief for north-south traffic during the reconstruction of Warden Avenue, the balance of road improvements on Rodick Road from Millar Avenue to 14^th Avenue cannot be completed in time to accommodate traffic diverting from the Warden Avenue reconstruction. Traffic projections indicate however that the existing 2 lane section of Rodick Road between Miller Avenue and 14^th Avenue has sufficient capacity to accommodate the anticipated diversion of traffic from Warden Avenue. Depending on the progress of the Warden Avenue reconstruction, the timing of the reconstruction of the Miller to 14^th Ave. section of Rodick Road may be delayed beyond the scheduled 2005 start date to ensure that this alternate route for traffic remains in place until at least 4 lanes are available on Warden Avenue.

The installation of traffic signals at the RodickRoad/14^th Avenue intersection is currently included as a part of the Miller Avenue to 14^th Avenue reconstruction project. The timing of this installation is currently being reviewed and may be advanced to 2005 to assist in the traffic diversion associated with Warden Avenue improvements.

Birchmount Road

• Hwy 407 underpass

- pre-built as part of the Hwy 407 construction contract in 1998

• Hwy 407 to Rouge River

- construction in 2004 as part of Remington Phase I Plan

• 14^th Avenue to Hwy 407

- Environmental Assessment completed in 1996

- detailed design 2004/2005

- construction tender spring 2005

- construction start summer 2005

- construction completion Fall 2006

• Rouge River to Hwy 7

- detailed design 2007

- construction start 2008 depending on availability of land and development timing

Traffic projections and studies indicate that the completion of Birchmount Road to Hwy 7 is warranted in 2007/2008 depending on development activity in the area. The catalyst for this project will be the development of the Murphy Hall property south of Hwy 7. If Council wants to construct this road in advance of this development, the Town may have to upfront the project and expropriate the necessary property (which land acquisition is not in the draft development charges by-law).

2005 & 10 YEAR CAPITAL PROGRAMS

Staff is currently finalizing the 2004 Development Charges Background Study for Council’s approval in August 2004. Subject to Council’s endorsement of the Town Wide Hard and Area Specific by-laws staff will report back in the Fall of 2004 with the 2005 and updated 10 year capital program on the following development charges components;

• Roads
• Bridges
• Street lighting
• Sidewalk
• Sewer (sanitary and storm)
• Water
• Environmental erosion works

CONCLUSION

Staff do not recommend advancing the Rodick Road extension to Esna Park Drive or the Birchmount Road extension from 14^th Avenue to Hwy 7 from the current schedule based on the following;

• Rodick Road improvements from Miller Avenue to 14^th Avenue can not be completed before the Region work on the Warden Avenue reconstruction(Spring 2005);

• A 3 year design, approval, property acquisition, tender and construction process do not give the opportunity to advance these projects;
• The leases at the building (365 Esna Park) purchased by the Town to facilitate the Rodick Road extension to Esna Park do not terminate until the end of 2005.
• Staff resources are committed on the priority projects assigned by Council in 2003 (i.e. Enterprise Drive extension to Kennedy, Rodick/Hwy 407 grade separation and Birchmount extension from 14^th Avenue to Enterprise Drive);
• Town should avoid upfronting and expropriation of property for Birchmount extension to Hwy 7
• From a financial and cash flow perspective, the corporation would have to debenture/borrow even further to advance these projects.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

The Finance Department estimated that debenturing/borrowing will be required within the next 2 years to finance the hard services program and will report back as part of the Engineering Department 10 year capital program in the Fall 2004 with financing options. The majority of these costs including interest are recoverable from development charges.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The Finance Department has reviewed this report.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment A – 2004 10 Year Road and Bridges Capital Program

Alan Brown, C.E.T. Director of Engineering

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Commissioner of Development Services

Q:\Development\Engineering\REPORTS\2004\June\Town of Markham 2005 and 10 year Capital Program.doc