All-day parking pilot project begins in Bolton

Written By JULIA LLOYD

Would you visit the downtown core of Bolton if there were all day on-street parking?

On June 17, the Peel Regional Council approved an all day parking pilot project in downtown Bolton. The one-year pilot project will allow all day parking on Queen St. from King St. to Mill St. starting July 22 all the way through to July 31, 2020. 

“The region, together with the Town of Caledon have worked to enhance transportation through and around Bolton for all modes of travel by developing the Bolton Transportation Master Plan.” Mayor Thompson said. 

The master plan, according to Mayor Thompson, provides a “phased approach” to guide the development of future transportation infrastructure in Bolton. 

The purpose of the pilot project is to shift the focus from moving cars and trucks through the downtown core to a more pedestrian friendly environment, improving both safety and parking access to downtown businesses during peak periods.

“The implementation of the all day on-street parking pilot will give us the opportunity to gather data about whether this approach improves safety and increases the number of people using the downtown core,” said Gary Kocialek, Director of Transportation at the Region of Peel. 

The project is aimed to monitor before and after data including: traffic volumes in the downtown and on the Emil Kolb Parkway, traffic speed, numbers of cars lines up at the lights in the downtown, number of collisions and the cause, number of pedestrians and emergency response times to downtown Bolton. 

“We'll learn how it impacts traffic – Vehicles travelling through the downtown core have the option of diverting to Emil Klob Parkway to avoid delays,” Kocialek said. 

The implementation of the Emil Kolb Parkway, the downtown Bolton truck restrictions and the traffic signal reconfigurations as the initial phases of the plan have already resulted in a decrease of vehicular and truck traffic through the downtown core. 

The next phase was actually implementing the parking pilot project. 

The Region of Peel and the Town of Caledon are working together to grow transportation through and around Bolton through developing the Bolton Transportation Master Plan. 

The Mayor of Caledon said there is an alternate route for commuters, since this will impact traffic. Mayor Thompson suggests commuters should avoid driving through the downtown by using Coleraine Drive/Emil Kolb Parkway. Both of those streets can be accessed via Mayfield Road, Parr Boulevard and the George Bolton Parkway. 

“By starting the project in the summer months, the town can take advantage of the traffic levels from school closures and vacations, allowing all users, including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and residents to adjust to and get comfortable with the changes,” Kocialek explained. 

The press release states Peel staff will be monitoring the downtown to make sure the pilot project runs smooth and operates safely. As the project unfolds there may be change to single timings, signage, pavement markings and lane configuration, as needed.