An effort by Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan to halt The Kingsway widening project was defeated Tuesday, as he failed to convince city councillors to put a hold on the project.
Kirwan made it clear he wasn't trying to kill the project, but wanted to put the brakes on it to give council a chance to reassess whether it should proceed.
The $25 million plan has been on the books since the 1990s. It would widen The Kingsway to five lanes to include a centre turning lane between the end of the Brady Street Extension and Laking Toyota and change the alignment to correct the curve in the road.
The city has been buying houses along that stretch of the boulevard with an eye on being ready when upper levels of government are prepared to help fund it.
But Kirwan argued that with the existing infrastructure deficit already in the hundreds of millions, the project may never happen.
And as the city buys up properties, low-income residents have to find another place to live.
“The last house had three tenants,” Kirwan said. “We can't continue doing what we've been doing. So let's take a step back.”
The city will enter another budget process soon, he said, and won't have time to take a look at their long-term plans.
“We never have a chance to talk about changes we want to make,” Kirwan said. “I'm just asking council to support this motion. Let's put a hold on everything.”
Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini backed Kirwan's motion, arguing councillors should take another look.
“Not to say its a good project or a bad project, but does it still fit in today's time?” Vagnini said. “Do we need to make adjustments?”
But Ward 11 Coun. Lynne Reynolds said improving traffic flow on The Kingsway is a priority, especially since so many developers have proposed residential building in the area.
“I can't support this motion,” Reynolds said. “I think we have to continue.”
And Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh said the city aims to make The Kingsway a complete street, including improved transit and new bicycle infrastructure.
“Right now, there's absolutely no room for bicycles,” McIntosh said.
Keith Forrester, who handles real estate for the city, said so far they have bought 17 single family homes, 90 per cent occupied by homeowners, one house where the owner ran a business, a 10-unit apartment building that had been gutted by fire, two duplexes and three triplexes. – triplexes has students, plus two single occupants.
“There are 51 units remaining to be acquired,” Forrester said, a mix of single family homes and apartments.
Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann also opposed Kirwan's motion, saying the federal government was ready to fund the project 10 years ago, but the city had to say no.
“We weren't ready in 2007 because we hadn't bought the properties,” Landry-Altmann said. “If anything, I suggest we expedite the project.
“Let's face it, the stars have aligned,” she added, a reference to the ambitious infrastructure funding plans from both the federal and provincial governments.
