March 21, 2013

Starting on March 22, crews will begin removing trees along Highway 7 West, between Jane Street and Keele Street, in preparation for moving utilities, road widening and building retaining walls.

Why are trees being removed along Highway 7?

Highway 7 West is being widened for rapidways — dedicated lanes in the centre of the road for rapid transit. Trees that are located within the road widening area need to be removed to allow for building retaining walls, relocating utilities and widening the road.

How many trees are being removed vs. preserved?

In preparation for 2013 spring construction, 39 trees of varying health and sizes will be removed and special effort will be undertaken to protect 26 existing trees. Once the rapidway project is complete, landscaping will include over 550 new trees.

When are the trees being removed?

Dates: March 22 and 25

Hours of work: 7am to 7pm

What species of trees are being removed?

The species of trees being removed during this initial phase are Russian Olives, Pear, Serviceberry and Spruce.

What are the trees being replaced with?

Once the rapidway is built, Highway 7 West will have attractive, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and extensive landscaping with many types of trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennial flowers.

What impacts will there be during this work?

Being mindful of the community, crews will remove trees in sections and chip the wood off site. All areas will be cleaned up before moving on to the next location.

• Temporary lane closures: as required, 9:30am to 3:30pm in the eastbound and westbound curb lanes as crews move along the corridor.
• Wherever possible, sidewalks will remain open. If a sidewalk is closed, directional signage will be onsite to guide pedestrians.

If you have any questions about the rapidway project, please call:

Carrie Slattery
Community Liaison Specialist
Telephone: 905.886.6767 Ext.1129
Cell: 289.716.0091
Email: carrie.slattery@york.ca