Residents oppose Horseshoe Valley truck lanes

By Suzanne Carlaw, Chair, Horseshoe Valley Road Project Committee

Simcoe County has proposed a project to spend millions of dollars to build truck lanes on Horseshoe Valley Road/County Road 22 within 4 kilometres, between 3rd Line and 4th Line, through the densely-populated residential, recreational and resort area of Horseshoe Valley.  If approved, the implications for Horseshoe Valley Road go well beyond Line 3-Line 4.

The Horseshoe Valley Road Project Committee (HVRPC) does not support the proposed truck lanes.   We do support road and safety improvements proposed by the County: paved shoulders, turning lanes, upgraded guard rails etc.  We think that road improvements should be done to serve the variety of uses of this road which include school bus stops, cycling, service vehicles, and pedestrians who access local recreational facilities, as well as through traffic.

The County’s justification and plans as currently presented are to accommodate trucks and to facilitate passing on the steep hills by “impatient drivers”. Yet, analysis of collision data shows that speeding and intersections are the cause of accidents in this area. Trucks and/or illegal passing of trucks are not at fault here. The HVRPC does not oppose trucks on Horseshoe Valley Road; we do oppose truck lanes that will add NEW safety risks on top of existing ones.

There has been little regard in the County’s project plans for the 1,800 residents, thousands of visitors annually, key stakeholders or businesses, nor any reference to the natural features and unique demographics of the area – Resort, intersections, school buses, Community Park, Copeland Forest, Police and Fire Station, Medical Clinic and a future Community Centre.

Residents who have expressed concerns, questioned the validity of the consultant’s data, and pointed out safety risks have been labelled in a public document issued by the County as “confrontational”. The HVRPC has thoroughly researched the issues of safety and community, and analyzed the data used by the County to justify the proposed truck lanes, in order to ensure we are factual and professional. A County-commissioned peer review substantiated our concerns about the data.

There are better design opportunities for Horseshoe Valley Road that will address safety, manage speed and traffic flow, and improve quality of life. It is possible to set a standard in Simcoe County by requiring that County Staff and consultant respect the public consultation process, and that they design for Community and the local environment as well as for through traffic. Let’s start with this area of Horseshoe Valley Road.

The HVRPC advocates for the hundreds of concerned residents who want to STOP the truck lanes on Horseshoe Valley Road. Add your voice to tell the County: Take the Truck Lanes OUT of Simcoe County’s Design and Budgets for Horseshoe Valley Road, and Spend on Road Safety Improvements that will Solve Safety Problems for the area!

• Contact the County Councillors. Email address convention is: firstname.lastname@simcoe.ca
• Sign the HVRPC online petition at:  https://www.change.org/p/simcoe-county-council-stop-the-truck-lanes-on-horseshoe-valley-road
• Email us at horseshoeroadproject@gmail.com  to let us know what your Councillors say, and to let us know if you would like to help STOP the project of truck lanes on Horseshoe Valley Road.