City moves to fix street that school bus drivers refuse to visit

Biggings Avenue, a local byway that's so narrow school bus drivers refuse to pick up children there, will be converted to one-way traffic, City Council decided this week.

The avenue, which also makes snow removal and garbage/recycling operators claustrophobic, will be southbound-only from Wellington Street East to Queen Street East.

"Because of the narrow road width of less than five metres, First Student (the company responsible for operating school busses for all school boards in the city), has indicated that under the current two-way traffic operations they do not have adequate room to provide service to students on that street," said Carl Rumiel, the city's manager of design and transportation engineering, in a written report to City Council.

"Students have to walk to Queen Street or Wellington Street for pick-up even though it is school board policy to pick up junior kindergarten students at their front door."

"Further, in the past, city snow removal and waste pickup on Biggings Avenue has been problematic when they meet on-coming vehicles as there is not enough space to pass," Rumiel said.

Thirteen people attended a public information session about the issue on Oct. 23.

Two others sent in written comments.

"Of the constituents, seven of them were in favour of the proposal, four were against it and four were neutral," Rumiel said.

"First Student has indicated that they will provide pick up on Biggings Avenue for these younger students if it were converted to one-way."

"The financial implications to converting Biggings Avenue to one-way are minimal. There will be additional signs required at both ends of the street indicating one-way traffic flow. The cost of these can be accommodated within the traffic operations budget for 2020," Rumiel said.