Growth in ambient traffic volumes and the location of proposed and expected employment and population nodes will develop a strong desire to travel east/west within the Town. This will increase the significance of Woodland Drive to a point that it will be operating effectively at-capacity as a Primary Collector by the 20,000 population horizon, carrying a daily traffic volume of approximately 9000 vehicles per day. In some respects this is exactly why the road was built. However, there is residential frontage on this roadway and locations where the roadway geometry does not lend itself to a roadway of a classification higher than a Primary Collector.
As well, although not currently part of the Town of Lacombe, the area west of 58th Street and north of Woodland Drive represents the next logical annexation area for the Town. As such, there will be a need for a road network planned for the 20,000 population horizon that allows for expansion into this area, and this will serve to drive the daily traffic volumes on Woodland Drive to capacity and beyond. Woodland Drive simply cannot accommodate more than 10,000 vehicle per day given the geometry of the existing roadway and the presence of existing and approved residential frontage with driveway access. This will drive the need to construct the 63rd Avenue extension west of 58th Street to better service this future development area in advance of the development of that area. In fact, the 63rd Avenue extension is required by the 20,000 population horizon not only from its existing terminus west to 58th Street, but also beyond 58th Street to intersect with Woodland Drive west of 58th Street.
It should also be noted that the proposed road
network identifies a significant change in the way that Woodland Drive extends
west of 58th Street. Exhibit
8-5 clearly shows the change to allow Woodland Drive to form the
non-through leg of a T-intersection with the 63rd Avenue extension.
Previous plans showed Woodland Drive to be the main east/west
route west of 58th Avenue, eventually turning south to connect with
Highway 12. This must be revised so as to see 63rd Avenue take over
that function and therefore become the dominant east/west route.
The importance of the 63rd Avenue connection between C&E Trail and 58th Street, and also the extension west beyond 58th Street to West Side must be appreciated by the Town. This roadway is absolutely vital to the adequate accommodation of local and regional traffic flow throughout the Town. The absence of 63rd Avenue in the future would have a very detrimental affect to mobility, and as well would seriously compromise Woodland Drive between 58th Street and C&E Trail. It is strongly recommended that the Town include the development of 63rd Avenue as their primary long term goal as development occurs in the north and west areas of the Town. Again, this roadway is critical in order to suppress the additional growth on Woodland Drive east of 58th Street in an effort to maintain a daily traffic volume below the 10,000 vehicle per day capacity threshold.
Also, the closure of Maple Drive north of Rosedale could be accommodated once the 63rd Avenue connector is in place. To do so prior to the completion of 63rd Avenue would encourage unnecessary short cutting of traffic through the college.