The City of Yorkton will participate in a Regional Transportation Study with the provincial Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure.
The Yorkton Regional Transportation Study would help the Ministry and the municipalities understand whether or not the highway network around Yorkton is able to meet the future regional transportation requirements and to plan infrastructure programs accordingly, explained City Manager Lonnie Kaal at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday.
A regional plan would dovetail with what the City has already been involved in, said Kaal, explaining representatives from the Mayor’s Office, the City Manager’s Office, Communications, Economic Development and Planning in the past year have gather intelligence from several businesses within the Yorkton region as well as have met with representatives from the Ministry of Highways & Infrastructure.
Kaal said there is certainly value in having a plan regarding transportation given changing patterns. She pointed to intelligence from JRI and LDC identified that both plants have seen significant expansions from the time they first began operating so that now instead of two plants there are actually the equivalent of three plants operating in this region.
Similarly, intelligence from other companies indicates significant regional truck traffic originating from Yorkton, destined for Yorkton or travelling through Yorkton.
This project incorporates four phases:
• Development of a regional Transportation Demand Model;
• Determining regional road network requirements;
• Developing a phasing plan for recommended improvements; and
• Recommendations arising from the study and an implementation plan.
“The Ministry identified a budget of $100,000 to $150,000 for this study,” said Kaal.
This cost would be shared between the Ministry and the municipalities. The cost sharing arrangement is to be discussed in further detail with the municipal partners prior to the formation of the project Steering Committee, she added.
Funding of this study is available through a Planning Services consulting reserve account. There are sufficient monies available within this account to allow the city to pay for its contribution to this study.
Yorkton Council was unanimous in supporting a recommendation to participate in the Study.
