Newmarket Mayor John Taylor welcomes your questions, to which he will personally write the responses in this candid monthly column. Send your questions to [email protected], with the subject line Up Front Question.
Q: Great column. Mr. Mayor, are there any plans to do something with Cane Parkway, such as paving or enforcing speeding? The road is falling apart and is used by many, many people. — Dr. L. Keith Taylor, Pastor, Newmarket Church of the Nazarene and Director, Handle With Care - Bereavement Counselling Services
A: Cane Parkway is overdue for road restoration work.
This work has been delayed because the forcemain twinning (new sewage pipe) through Town has been delayed, and it was going to impact Cane Parkway.
In fact, we have been waiting for over three years for provincial approval to move forward with the needed work, and we recently received that approval.
The forcemain twinning will take place over the next three years and, toward the end of the project in late 2021 or into 2022, Cane Parkway will be reconstructed and may possibly be reduced to one lane in each direction.
Before that time, due to the forcemain twinning, lane reductions will also take place. So please be patient with us as we do this important work. The outcome should be great.
Q: The congestion on Davis Drive most times is ridiculous. Is anyone looking at or doing any studies to see if the traffic lights can be reprogrammed to improve traffic flow? — Valerie Powell
A: Davis Drive is a busy street and has been one of the busiest streets in Northern York Region for decades.
The road reconstruction improved the functioning of the intersections, often adding turning lanes.
The new bus lanes not only allow for rapid transit to better serve us well into the future as we connect with the subway in Richmond Hill, but it also allows access to emergency vehicles trying to reach the hospital.
Some people think that Davis Drive is less congested and moves well and some do not agree. I can tell you that the average travel time across Davis is comparable to other Regional roads and I, personally, believe that moving across town on Davis is most often fairly reasonable.
I agree that turning off Davis onto a side street has become slower, from my experience, but that overall, Davis looks much better than it did, it moves well, and it is attracting investment and housing options, which we need.
Davis Drive has changed and so will Yonge Street. We have to plan not just for today, but for 20 or 30 years from now. Change is not always comfortable, but it is often necessary.
