Maley Drive Extension: A Solid Investment in the Social Future of the City of Greater Sudbury.

Phase One of the Maley Drive Extension is a solid investment in the social future of the City of Greater Sudbury.

Currently, Greater Sudbury has two east-west arterial routes which are overcapacity today and destined to become more so each year. The Kingsway carries up to 45,000 and LaSalle Boulevard carries up to 35,000 daily trips on average. Put into context, portions of major highways in our region carry an average of 6,000 to 8,000 daily trips.

Phase One will:

• create a third option for regular north-south commuters from a residential area of about 34,400 in Valley East, Capreol, Garson and Falconbridge, as well as for east-west commuters travelling to major educational, commercial, industrial and residential destinations in a population area of over 24,000 in New Sudbury;
• remove an estimated 3,000 vehicles per day from LaSalle Boulevard near Falconbridge Highway, up to 10,000 per day from LaSalle Boulevard east of Notre Dame Avenue, and 2,000 to 4,000 vehicles per day from the Kingsway;
• reduce traffic at the LaSalle-Notre Dame intersection, one of the busiest in our city with an average of more than 50,250 daily trips;
• reroute an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 heavy mining trucks per day away from the Kingsway, LaSalle Boulevard and M.R. 80/M.R. 15 corridors for improved traffic safety, less congestion and longer road life;
• improve public transit service for approximately 43 per cent of all transit riders by reducing traffic congestion on LaSalle and the Kingsway;
• deliver more direct access from northern and eastern regions of the City of Greater Sudbury to provincial highways leading north to Timmins, east to North Bay, west to Sault Ste. Marie and south to Toronto;
• modify heavy truck traffic and overall traffic volume to stimulate a long-term redevelopment of LaSalle Boulevard and the Kingsway from auto-oriented, low-density commercial uses to pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use buildings.