*****This RFQ is being issued to a subset of the Successful Roster Listing developed from Contract 2021-RFSQ-227 specifically Category 13.******

Study Area and Context

Regional Road 61 (Niagara Townline Road) is a two lane arterial east/west roadway extending from Regional Road 100 (Four Mile Creek Road) to Regional Road 102 (Stanley Avenue) and forms the boundary between the City of Niagara Falls and the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Refer to Appendix D – Key Plan.

This Request for Quotation is for the professional services required to prepare an Intersection Control Study (ICS) report including preliminary designs for Intersection Improvements at the intersection of Regional Road 61 (Niagara Townline Road / Portage Road) and Regional Road 102 (Stanley Avenue). Refer to Section 4.2 – Specialty Services.

The intersection is situated on the northern limits of the City of Niagara Falls, to the south-east of the Town of St. David’s, and is adjacent to Queenston Quarry.  This intersection will serve residential/agricultural/commercial as well as nearby access to Highway 405.  Current Annual Average Daily Total (AADT) traffic volumes and posted speeds are provided in Table 1 Section 4.1.3 below.

The successful respondent shall be aware that a future north leg at this intersection is proposed to provide access to the redevelopment of Queenston Quarry.  This future leg shall be considered throughout this study.  A draft Traffic Impact Study (TIS) and draft site plan depicting the Queenston Quarry Redevelopment will be provided to the successful respondent.

The above TIS concluded that a traffic signal is warranted for the intersection of Regional Road 61 (Niagara Townline/Portage Road) with Regional Road 100 (Stanley Avenue) and the future access (Access A) to the proposed Queenston Quarry Redevelopment.  When new traffic signals are warranted at a Regional Intersection, the intersection will be screened at a high-level to determine the feasibility of constructing a roundabout. If a roundabout is determined to be feasible, the project will be advanced to a full Intersection Control Study (this assignment).  The selection of a preferred alternative at the completion of this assignment will form the direction as we proceed to the detailed design for the reconstruction of Regional Road 61 (Townline Road) between Regional Road 100 (Four Mile Creek Road) and Regional Road 102 (Stanley Avenue).

Niagara Region Staff completed a topographic survey and baseplan at this location in December 2022.  The existing baseplan is attached in PDF format in Appendix E.  The existing baseplan can be provided to the successful respondent in CAD format.  The successful respondent shall assume responsibility for ensuring the provided baseplan and topographic survey is accurate, complete and complies with current Niagara Peninsula CAD standards. Niagara Region survey crew shall complete additional topographic survey if deemed required by the successfully respondent for the completion of this assignment.

This design assignment is scheduled for completion in 2023.

The Niagara Region Complete Streets Design Guidelines (June 2017) which was prepared as part of the Niagara Region Transportation Master Plan indicates the use of “Complete Corridors” to “equitably and efficiently support all mobility modes, based on context, and to assist people of all ages and abilities in travelling throughout the Region”. Although the Regional Official Plan defines all Regional Roads as Arterials, the Complete Streets Design Guidelines introduces six Complete Street Typologies (Main Street, Urban General (Narrow), Urban General (Wide), Transitioning, Hamlet; and Rural). Niagara Region is currently revising the guidelines to provide guidance on how to design, implement, construct, and maintain Complete Streets based upon best practices and updated standards included in the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) Geometric Design Guidelines for Canadian Roads and Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM). The revised guidelines is planned to be released by late 2023. 

The successful respondent to address complete streets and active transportation concepts in developing the alternative solutions and design. The proposed typologies for the road segments within the study area is as follows:

• Regional Road 61 (Niagara Townline Road): Rural Scenic
• Regional Road 61 (Portage Road): Rural Thoroughfare
• Regional Road 102 (Stanley Avenue): Urban General

The Niagara Region Transportation Master Plan (TMP) sets out the strategic vision for transportation in the Niagara Region over the next 25 years. As Niagara Region implements its future growth plan outlined in How We GROW, the TMP ensures that Niagara Region plans and budgets for future transportation needs for an integrated network of cycling and pedestrian facilities, transit, roads, and highways. The TMP also recommends an updated and expanded set of policies to guide future transportation and land development decisions. The major components of the TMP are: the Regional Road System; Transportation Demand Management; Transportation Systems Management; Public Transit; Active Transportation; Complete Streets; and Goods Movement.  Niagara Region is committed to implementing the overall goals of the TMP as part of its transportation capital projects.