Alton Village Association raising concern about haulage route

Safety is top priority for community group

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

If you've ever visited the village of Alton, you wouldn't suspect its main street is a designated haulage route. 

With a café, small businesses and historic buildings, it doesn't seem like the place for large trucks. Like many places in Caledon, an increase in truck traffic has become a concern.

The Alton Village Association is a local community group and has been working with Regional Councillor, Wards 1, 2 and 3 Christina Early to have the designated haulage route through Alton removed. 

Porterfield Road, Queen Street East, and Main Street are each part of Regional Road 136, a designated haulage route that connects Dufferin Road 109 and Charleston Sideroad. Large trucks can use the route because of its designation. 

Mary Cooney, President of the Alton Village Association, explained the Region of Peel is currently working on a long-range transportation plan for Peel. She said it would be ideal if in the plan, Regional Road 136 was removed as a haulage route. 

Safety plays a large role in the desire to have the haulage route designation removed.

“This road is dangerous now and it may be dramatically more dangerous in the future,” said Cooney, noting concerns of traffic from construction of new residential communities and potential traffic from the proposed quarry south of Alton.

She said Alton is an active community and having a haulage route through it presents risks for children bicycling or walking to school, the playground, or library; residents walking their dogs; seniors walking in the community; tourists visiting the village and more.

Cooney shared examples of the types of places along the haulage route, like the Alton Public School, Pinnacle View Seniors Supportive Housing, Gather Café, Paul Morin Gallery, Alton Grange hiking trail entrance, Lynx and Hare Cycles and many more.

“We're trying to raise awareness and inform the community,” said Cooney. “I'm worried about the children… it's totally against the character of the community to have this as a haulage route… it's one of the most intact historical spots in Caledon.”

Ward 1 Councillor Lynn Kiernan said she's in full support of the Alton Village Association's request to have trucks taken off the street in their community.

“(The route) cuts right through the heart of a historic village and passes a school and a seniors' building,” said Kiernan. “We have said Ward 1 will be the arts and culture and tourist area of our town, and yet we've got mega trucks coming through the heart of our historic village and that doesn't make sense.”