Introduction:
Welcome to the Lexington Road Complete Street Study project page. The purpose of the project is to review road safety and active transportation needs along the Lexington Road corridor between Davenport Road and University Avenue, and create a new design for the street for future construction . Keep visiting this page for updates, plans and public meetings.
The review has identified speeding issues and active transportation needs within the corridor to improve the safety and user experience for cyclists and pedestrians accessing transit, local schools and amenities in the area. This study used a Complete Streets approach, which means planning our streets for persons of all ages and abilities and aligns with strategic priorities in the City’s Strategic Plan.
The City of Waterloo is currently working with engineering firm WSP Canada to provide engineering services for this project.
There is no date planned for construction at this
time. Staff will review opportunities during the next budget cycle once the
design has been completed.
Lexington Road:
Lexington Road between Davenport Road and University Avenue is classified as a Major Collector roadway in the City of Waterloo Official Plan. GRT (Grand River Transit) service operates in the section between Bridge Street and Davenport Road and the corridor is a Primary Fire Route. The street primarily consists of residential homes along with several churches and Hygate Active Senior Living residence at the western end of the project limits.
Traffic:
Lexington Road
traffic volumes are highest between Davenport Road and Anndale Road with over
14,000 vehicles per day, gradually decreasing to nearly 11,000 vehicles per day
west of Bridge Street, then dropping significantly east of Bridge Street to
approximately 4,500 vehicles per day. East of this segment, a gradual reduction
continues with approximately 3,600 vehicles per day west
of University Avenue. The posted speed limit
is 50 km/h with the majority of driver speeds between 54 and 63 km/h in 2024.
Using the City’s updated network screening for collisions, the following locations on the Lexington Road corridor showed higher than expected collision occurrence:
- The intersections with Davenport Road, Dunvegan Drive and University Avenue, where Davenport Road had the highest occurrence of excess collisions.
- The blocks between Davenport Road and Anndale Road, Anndale Road and Dunvegan Drive, and between Bridge Street West and Meadowvale Road.
Further analysis on these collisions are being investigated and countermeasures proposed to improve the safety of these areas.
Active Transportation:
Based on the recommendations of the City's Transportation Master Plan, and other supporting policies like the City’s Sidewalk Policy, Lexington Road should have sidewalks on both sides of the street, and cycling infrastructure along the corridor that is separated from traffic for safety. This would support increased active use and provide choice in how people travel. A variety of different layouts have been reviewed to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists into the broader safety plan for this street including use of sidewalks, cycle-tracks, multi-use-paths, and combinations of these. The scenarios have been evaluated and the preferred alternative is a multi-use-path (MUP) along the north side of the street between Anndale Road and University Avenue. An MUP would connect to the Walter Bean Trail (a paved asphalt MUP at the eastern end of the project) at University Avenue and the Davenport Road MUP being planned for construction in 2026. It would also facilitate continuation of active trips west of Davenport and across Highway 85 - the only bridge in Waterloo over the highway that doesn’t have on/off ramps to negotiate.
Winter Maintenance:
The City clears snow on multi-use-paths.
