Cambridge Mayor raises concerns over potential lane reductions on Hespeler Road

Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett is making it clear that she is against any future lane reductions on Hespeler Road.

The matter came up at a Cambridge City Council meeting on Tuesday night during a presentation for Cambridge’s secondary plan.

Justine Giancola, a partner with Dillon Consulting made the presentation. Dillon was retained by the city to put together the plan.

“Secondary plans are important tools available to municipalities to prepare more detailed plans for specific geographies within the city,” said Giancola.

The plan is in its initial stages and the presentation touted complete communities where people can meet their daily needs within a short trip, and other needs can be met using direct, and convenient transit.

The secondary plan encompasses multiple areas in Cambridge, but the presentation on Tuesday focused on the Hespeler Road corridor.

Liggett brought up a proposal in the report that suggested turning Hespeler Road into “a multi-modal corridor with ION LRT down the centre, two lanes of traffic in each direction and separated cycling lanes.”

“I noticed that there are some lane reductions on both sides proposed,” Liggett said. “Right now, we’re pretty congested with the traffic we have going up and down Hespeler Road.”

Cambridge Chief Planner Lisa Prime responded to those concerns.

“The details of the transit plan for ION Stage 2 are being done through the region. Whatever comes out of that cross-section for transit future would get updated into this plan,” Prime said. “So this plan is just recognizing the principle of what happens with the transit, not setting the design of the road cross-section. That’s a separate process.”

Liggett added that if no one speaks up on a topic, then it could just happen.

“As backed as our traffic is, right now we’ve got the worst backup in the entire region in this city,” she said. “I find that problematic, so I have to make that statement tonight.”

The secondary plan will be brought back to council later this year.