Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night thinking; "hey, wait a minute"
We had an official from the Region's engineering division at the general committee meeting last night.
He gave us a lecture about what it takes to keep road surfaces in good condition. We never used to need lectures. All we needed was money. He came by invitation. I've been asking why our roads are in such bad shape so soon after they've been reconstructed. Why do catchbasins fall into a hole. Why does grass grow between asphalt and concrete when only dandelions grow where grass is supposed to
He didn't provide all the answers because I didn't have the opportunity to ask the questions.
But he did reveal something. The noise barriers currently being constructed in some places on Bathurst Street cost $1.4 million. to protect 44 homes. That's about $32.000. each
I asked if they were constructed on the lot line.The reason I asked is because they are so-o-o ugly.
The town has planning principles that compel developers to site houses a considerable distance from Bathurst to maintain character. King's side of the road is mainly fields. Aurora's mainly forest. Now.
where $1.4 million has been spent, forest is hidden and enclosed behind noise barricades.
Not all homes on Bathurst are protected.
Apparently the barricades couldn't be constructed on the private side behind the trees. It took a long time for the project because of negotiations with home-owners to agree to allow the region to provide them with protection from noise with barricades. .
Now that's odd. The reason barricades were requested in the first place was because some home-owners were objecting to noise from the newly constructed four lane regional road which they did not expect when they bought their homes.
I figured at the time it would be a problem for the region. How could they provide noise barriers for some and not others?
Apparently I was wrong because they did it .
I hear the noise from traffic on Bathurst Street when I'm outside. I wonder what the chances would be of persuading the region to hang baffles from the sky? Cost no object.
But then again, when it comes right down to it, I don't think I would care to see baffles in the sky.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
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1 comment:
Councillor Buck
As I live in the area in question perhaps I can help with a bit of info here.
I have been to meetings on several occasions in the past few years regarding the barrier.
Some of my neighbours have been discussing this issue with York Region long before that and would likely have more info to offer.
1. Why a noise barrier?
Mainly due to increased traffic noise because Bathurst was widened to four lanes.
Barriers have been 'standard equipment' on some newer residential construction as can be seen north of St John's Sideroad and along both sides of Mulock between Bathurst and Yonge.
The homeowners south of St John's felt they deserved the same consideration with a 'retro-fit'
barrier.
When you think about it, it hardly seems fair to say that you deserve noise protection but your neighbour doesn't because he's been there longer.
2. The forest is now hidden.
This is a tad misleading, suggesting that a wall has been erected hiding a Crown forest or
conservation area. The "forest" for the most part is actually people's back yards.
Besides that, the barrier is 3M (10ft) high - most of the mature trees are much higher and not
hidden.
The barrier might also help reduce tree damage caused by winter saltspray.
3. Why did it take so long?
Several reasons:
When I became involved it had taken a couple of years to perform noise studies and then the Region had to consult with engineers to decide what exactly constituted excessive noise so they could set a noise policy.
Once that was settled there was a lengthy design process.
There were also environmental impact considerations such as drainage.
There were existing services considerations such as hydro and water etc.
And yes there were consultations with residents.
Some folks already had private fences, some not.
Some homes had entrances directly off Bathurst, others not.
My understanding is that the barrier is being erected on the road allowance. In cases where trees have had to be removed the homeowner was consulted and replacement trees chosen.
4. Why does the barrier have gaps?
The Region decided only to erect the barrier where it could reasonably be expected to be effective.
The local topography is variable, some homes above the road level, some below so that in some cases
a barrier would be helpful while some other homes were protected by the lay of the land and a barrier
would be a waste of money.
I also understand that there are environmentally restricted areas, usually for drainage purposes, where a barrier is not permitted.
5. Is it expensive?
No doubt.
6. Is it a perfect solution?
for some , maybe not for all.
7. Did it take too long?
depends on how long you've been here.
8. Is it ugly?
Hey, it's a wooden fence, not the Great Wall.
9. Is everyone happy about it?
Since when is everybody happy about anything?
10. Will it work?
I'm still waiting for my section to be built so I can't attest to the barrier's effectiveness
but I will say that as far as I'm concerned, the representatives from York Region,led by the Project Manager,Lloyd Fernandes P.Eng., have been very respectful,knowledgable, informative and forthcoming. No, I was not consulted on every single detail but these folks met with residents, showed us the plans, answered our questions and generally made themselves available so I can't complain that the Region rammed this project through on the sly.
Hopefully the barrier will be effective; who knows - it might even boost property values.
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