Members Present:	E. Kolb; P. Palleschi; R. Paterak; J. Sprovieri; R. Starr
Members Absent:	M. Morrison, due to other municipal business; P. Saito, due to vacation; A. Thompson
Also Present:	D. Szwarc, Chief Administrative Officer; D. Labrecque, Commissioner of Public Works; D. Albanese, Director, Transportation; Carol Reid, Regional Clerk; C. Thomson, Committee Clerk

_______________________________
* See text for arrivals
¨See text for departures

Chaired by Councillor J. Sprovieri.


1. DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST - Nil

2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

RECOMMENDATION ARRASC-2-2012:

That the agenda for the June 21, 2012 Arterial Roads Review Ad hoc Steering Committee meeting, be approved.

3. DELEGATIONS- Nil


4. REPORTS

a) Amendment of Controlled Access By-law 59-77, as amended

RECOMMENDATION ARRASC-3-2012:

That the proposed revisions to the Region of Peel Controlled Access By-law 59-77, as amended, attached as Appendix I to the report of the Commissioner of Public Works, dated May 14, 2012, titled “Amendment of Controlled Access By-law 59-77, as Amended”, be approved;

And further, that the necessary amending by-law be presented for enactment;

And further, that the amending by-law be recognized as an interim solution, pending completion of the Regional Roads Characterization Study (RRCS) and the Strategic Goods Movement Network Study (SGMNS);

And further, that staff be directed to review the recommendations of the studies to determine further modifications to the by-law;

And further, that any further amendments to the subject by-law be presented to Regional Council for approval;

And further, that a copy of the subject report and resolution be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), City of Mississauga, City of Brampton, Town of Caledon, the Peel Goods Movement Task Force and the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), for their information.

Councillor Palleschi expressed concern with the recommendation to present amendments to Controlled Access By-law 59-77 to Regional Council for enactment, noting that the proposed amendments do not address all of the issues identified with the current By-law.

Dan Labrecque, Commissioner of Public Works, stated that the recommendations are in response to the direction from Regional Council for Region of Peel staff to review the proposed amendments to the by-law with staff from the City of Mississauga, City of Brampton, Town of Caledon, the Peel Goods Movement Task Force and the Building Industry and Land Development (BILD). As a result of those reviews, staff are recommending amendments to the Controlled Access By-law to validate current practices, existing policies/procedures and to reflect new interim access arrangements. Outcomes of the Regional Road Characterization Study (RRCS) and the Strategic Goods Movement Network Study (SGMNS) will be reviewed to determine further modifications to the Controlled Access By-law.

Councillor Palleschi inquired if it was critical to pass the amendments now rather than wait for the completion of the studies and then enact a new Controlled Access By-law.

Dan Labrecque responded that enactment of the proposed amendments would provide clarity to a by-law that has been amended many times since its enactment in 1977 and noted that a new Controlled Access By-law could include the requirement for regular review and update of the by-law.

Councillor Palleschi requested that the recommendation related to item 4a be amended to note the proposed by-law as being an interim solution.

Martin Powell, Commissioner of Transportation and Works, City of Mississauga, confirmed that City of Mississauga staff are satisfied with the proposed Controlled Access By-law amendments, provided they are recognized as an interim solution.

Councillor Palleschi requested that the amendments to the Controlled Access By-law be labelled as interim and that the RRCS and SGMNS be completed as soon as possible.

Tom Mulligan, Commissioner, Works and Transportation, City of Brampton, stated that access to Regional roads is paramount in the City of Brampton and that more flexibility is needed at the local level to deal with development applications. He noted that the City of Brampton may request that there be no Regional Controlled Access By-law and rather, that engineering standards be utilized when reviewing access applications.

Dan Labrecque acknowledged that many older Regional By-laws are very technical in nature and that consideration could be given to a shorter Controlled Access By-law that includes principles for dealing with access to Regional Roads, without including the technical components.

Councillor Paterak noted that the Controlled Access By-law does not differentiate between rural hardtop roads and urban arterial roads and he suggested that the new by-law should recognize provincial plans, such as The Greenbelt, that already restrict development and access in rural areas.

The Commissioner of Public Works undertook to review the Official Plan with respect to the ultimate road width of Regional Road 136 and to advise Councillor Paterak of the findings.

In response to a question from Councillor Starr, Dan Labrecque advised that the two studies were expected to be completed within 18 months including full public consultation; however, staff have been asked to expedite that time frame to 12 months.

Regional Chair Kolb suggested that cycling should be addressed more comprehensively within the by-law. Dan Labrecque noted that public safety on rights-of-way is critical and that specific work related to cycling is being done through the Active Transportation program.

In response to a question from Councillor Paterak, Dan Labrecque confirmed that ZUM and other transit projects are key components of the studies currently being undertaken.

b) ARRASC Staff Work Plan – Status Update

Received

Councillor Palleschi inquired as to when members of the Arterial Roads Review Ad hoc Steering Committee (ARRASC) would receive the Region of Peel proposal regarding the long-term traffic management and integration of the traffic systems in Peel.

Dan Labrecque, Commissioner of Public Works, advised that the Region of Peel proposal was distributed to the Staff Steering Committee and he undertook to include it on the agenda for the October 18, 2012 meeting of the ARRASC, once feedback from the Steering Committee has been received. He noted that the Region of Peel proposal differentiates between operational issues currently being discussed and the longer term, high level system issues and proposes a single system that serves everyone. He clarified that the Region of Peel proposal does not recommend who should operate the system.

Councillor Palleschi requested clarification as to the current traffic signal control systems currently used throughout the Region of Peel. Dan Labrecque stated that the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga each have a traffic control system and the Region of Peel has one that is operated for the Town of Caledon.

Tom Mulligan, Commissioner, Works and Transportation, City of Brampton, advised that Regional staff have limited access to the traffic control system computer at the City of Brampton for operational changes to traffic signals on Regional Roads.

Damian Albanese, Director, Transportation, stated that the Region of Peel proposal considers an integrated, strategic approach to the operation of the traffic signal systems that would include one traffic control system operated by one entity, Peel-wide, similar to the approach used in the Regions of Durham and York.

Councillor Palleschi noted that the City of Brampton Commissioner of Works and Transportation will be retiring at the end of August, 2012 and he stressed the importance of the Staff Steering Committee discussing the Region of Peel proposal before that time.

Councillor Sprovieri stressed that the objective of the report to the October 18, 2012 ARRASC meeting is to streamline and identify efficiencies related to traffic signal management.

Councillor Sprovieri requested that the report to the October 18, 2012 ARRASC meeting include information related to the current status of the Region of Peel traffic control system.

5. COMMUNICATIONS - Nil


6. IN CAMERA MATTERS - Nil

7. OTHER BUSINESS - Nil


8. NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Arterial Roads Review Ad hoc Steering Committee is scheduled for Thursday, October 18, 2012, 11:00 a.m., Council Chamber, 5th floor, Regional Administrative Headquarters, 10 Peel Centre Drive, Suite A, Brampton, Ontario.

Please forward regrets to Stephanie Jurrius, Committee Clerk, (905) 791-7800, ext. 4502 or at stephanie.jurrius@peelregion.ca.

9. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 1:53 p.m.