Report to: Development Services Committee Date of Meeting: December 12, 2006

SUBJECT: Renaming Portions of Roads Affected by Existing and Proposed Road Realignments

PREPARED BY: Robert Tadmore extension 6810

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report entitled “Renaming Portions of Roads Affected by Existing and Proposed New Road Realignments”, dated December 12, 2006, be received;

THAT the Town of Markham rename the Town owned sections of the old Markham By-Pass, north and south of 16^th Avenue, to Cornell Centre Boulevard.

THAT the Town of Markham request the Ministry of Transportation to rename the by-passed portion of Highway 7, east of Locust Hill as Old Highway 7.

THAT the Town of Markham request the Region of York to name the Woodbine Avenue By-Pass as Woodbine Avenue.

AND THAT the Town of Markham request the Region of York to rename the future by-passed portion of existing Woodbine Avenue as Old Woodbine Avenue.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Not applicable

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Not applicable

1. Purpose 2. Background 3. Discussion 4. Financial 5. Environmental

6. Accessibility 7.Engage^21st 8. Affected Units 9. Attachment(s)

The purpose of this report is to recommend that the Town request the Region of York and Ministry of Transportation to rename portions of roads under their jurisdiction that require name changes due to existing and proposed new road realignments. The report also addresses the need to rename the Town owned portions of the original Markham By-pass in anticipation of that road no longer serving the role of a by-pass.

BACKGROUND:

Markham By-Pass

The Cornell Community contains part of a recently constructed portion of the new Markham By-Pass (Figure 1) that presently ends at Major Mackenzie Drive and runs south-east, crossing the 9^th Line and 16^th Avenue, then turning south along the eastern boundary of Cornell, terminating at an interchange with Highway 407. It connects to a north-south running section of the Markham By-Pass (north and south of 16^th Avenue) that is owned by the Town. The alignment of the new Markham By-Pass within Cornell replaces the function of the Town owned section of the original By-Pass. In order to avoid confusion over the current function of the Town-owned Markham By-Pass, staff is requesting Council approval to rename the Town owned sections of the original Markham By-Pass to Cornell Centre Boulevard.

It should be noted that Regional Council has indicated its strong desire to name the newly constructed Markham By-Pass (Regional Road No. 48) the Donald Cousens Parkway in recognition of the contributions made by Mayor Cousens to the citizens of York Region, and directed the Commissioner of Transportation and Works to initiate the process for renaming the Road (Appendix ‘A’). Regional Staff has indicated that a report will be submitted to Regional Council in January of 2007 for approval of the renaming on March 1^st 2007.

A section of Highway 7 at the east end of Markham is also affected by a realignment that necessitates a name change request to the Ministry of Transportation. Part of Highway 7, east of Locust Hill, has been realigned to permit the construction of Highway 407 east into Durham Region (Figure 2). This resulted in a section of Highway 7 (original alignment) being by-passed by the north-eastern realignment of Highway 7 to reconnect it to York-Durham Line. The by-passed portion of Highway 7 formerly connected to York-Durham Line has been closed off creating a cul-de-sac that is still named Highway 7. This section of road should be renamed as Old Highway 7 to distinguish it from the realigned portion of Highway 7.

Town staff has consulted with Ministry of Transportation staff about the process for a name change and the use of Old Highway 7 as the new name for the by-passed section of Highway 7. Staff was requested by the Ministry to provide an official request from the Town of Markham to change the name to Old Highway 7.

Woodbine Avenue

A length of Woodbine Avenue running through the Cathedral Community, the Hamlet of Victoria Square and the approved residential area in the Highway 404 North Planning District will be by-passed by a realignment of Woodbine Avenue to the west. The by-pass is meant to divert the majority of traffic traveling on Woodbine Avenue out of the Hamlet of Victoria Square. The Town should request the Region of York to name this by-pass as Woodbine Avenue to ensure the continuity of this name for the Regional Road in its new alignment.

In order to avoid a duplication of road names, the Town should propose to the Region that the portion of Woodbine Avenue to be by-passed by the planned realignment, be renamed (Figure 3). Staff at the Region of York has agreed with Town staff that this portion of Woodbine Avenue should be named Old Woodbine Avenue to preserve a reference to the historic role of Woodbine Avenue in the Hamlet of Victoria Square.

Ownership of the future by-passed portion of Woodbine Avenue will be conveyed to the Town, because this section of Woodbine Avenue is to be reclassified from a regional arterial road to a local road. Construction of the realigned Woodbine Avenue is planned to commence by mid-2007. In order to avoid confusion with addressing and safety issues, it would be advisable to initiate the process of respectively naming and renaming the realigned and by-passed portions of Woodbine Avenue at this time.

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

In order to address the revised functionality of the Town-owned sections of the Markham By-Pass within the Cornell Community, it is recommended the Town rename the By-Pass to Cornell Centre Boulevard.

It is also recommended that the Town request the Ministry of Transportation to rename the by-passed portion of Highway 7, east of Locust Hill, to Old Highway 7.

It is further recommended that the Town request the Region of York to name the future Woodbine Avenue By-Pass to Woodbine Avenue and to rename the future by-passed portion of existing Woodbine Avenue to Old Woodbine Avenue.

FINANCIAL TEMPLATE (Separate Attachment):

ATTACHMENTS:

Figure 1 – Markham By-Pass Realignment

Figure 2 – Highway 7 Realignment

Figure 3 – Woodbine Avenue Realignment

Appendix ‘A’ – October 19 2006 Region of York Council Minutes

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