City of Mississauga's Bloor Stree Integrated Project/Study (BIP)

At this Wed. Jan. 19th, 2022 Council meeting the AHHRA will be presenting its position on the City's Bloor Street Integrated Project / Study.  On the agenda, it is the first deputation. The Agenda - under Petitions - includes the petition, statement of purpose as well as on the Agenda's 'Correspondence' , a letter from Applewood Hills Plaza owner Mr. Sitzer. The meeting's agenda is viewable at: https://pub-mississauga.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=18999

A summary to the above is noted below so that the community has a better understanding of this presentation/petition and community support with correspondence.

The Bloor Street Integrated Project (BIP) / Study was first presented to the community by City staff this past June 2021. Two virtual community meetings were held by the City in order to present the study and to get feedback from the residents. These meetings were on June 24, 2021 and October 27, 2021. The BIP includes the installation of noise walls in the needed areas and in particular on Bloor west of Cawthra with 2 possible locations in the Bloor Central (between Dixie & Cawthra) section at Queen Frederica and Bloor Street, a pedestrian crossing at the Bloor Street bridge over the Applewood Trail, bicycle lanes with recommendation to be on the the north side of Bloor Street and road resurfacing of Bloor. For all new AHHRA members who may not already be familiar with this project you can view the City's BIP informational page at https://www.mississauga.ca/projects-and-strategies/environmental-assessments/bloor-street-integrated-project/

AHHRA members expressed that this project will be a very positive one for the area however, several - and mostly those residents who live directly/front onto Bloor Street and in particular those on the north side of Bloor- are very concerned about the impact the addition of bicycle lanes would have in terms of cyclist/driver/pedestrian safety, access in/out of their driveways as well as the loss of boulevard driveway, green space and the removal of trees. With respect to the matter of safety, this past summer there were 2 accidents at Bloor & Runningbrook involving a vehicle and cyclist and one of these resulted in the death of a young girl who was riding her bike and hit by a car. As well, many residents who gave their feedback when the petition was being made stated that there are hardly any cyclists on Bloor Street and that the vehicle volume as well as vehicle speed would definitely not be favourable for the safety of cyclists.

A petition requesting - for the reasons noted - that no bike lanes be placed on Bloor Street between Dixie and Cawthra was initiated by AHHRA's secretary M. DAs who lives on Bloor Street. From the 101 single family dwellings on Bloor from Dixie to Cawthra 136 signatures were made from 77 individual residences supporting this petition. As well, Applewood Hills Plaza owner also supports this petition to which he has submitted a letter that is included in the Correspondence section of this Wednesday's meeting. The Applewood Auto Centre at the corner of Bloor & Tomken, the medical/dental building at Bloor & Ivernia and the GlenRoy day care near Cawthra & Bloor are also in support of this petition. Response is pending from the Apple Hills Medical Centre as well as the 2 condominium buildings and 2 rental buildings on Bloor street and one condominium building at Cawthra and Bloor.

Approximately 97% of all residents who were spoken to along the Bloor Street stretch from Dixie to Cawthra about the BIP stated that they did not know anything about this city project and the first they had heard of it was from the AHHRA's communication with them with this petition. If you have not already given your feedback to the city's consideration being made for including bike lanes between Dixie and Cawthra in the BIP and would like to do so, please reply to this email at this time.

Councillor Fonseca has been informed of the petition and the presentation that will be made. As well, the support of the Councillor for this petition and for more than 75% of the residents on Bloor Street who would be directly impacted has been requested. The response received from the Councillor to date is that she has requested City staff to hold a third virtual community meeting.

Updates will be posted as new information becomes available.