Williamsville Transportation Study

Consultation has concluded and the engagement reports are available to read. 



Decorative graphic showing three different people walking on a sidewalk, a bus in the road.and a streetlight and tree on the sidewalk boulevard.

Shaping the Princess Street Corridor 

The City of Kingston is completing the second phase of a transportation study of Princess Street, from east of Bath Road and Concession Street to Division Street, known as the Williamsville Main Street area. The purpose of this study is to develop the preferred cross-section for this section of the Princess Street corridor. It continues work completed in 2020 to support the proposed planning policy amendments for the Williamsville Main Street Study.

The initial phase of the 2020 transportation study confirmed that the Williamsville corridor is capable of accommodating the additional growth and traffic projected through the Williamsville study area without mitigation. That study also identified that both existing and future growth in the Williamsville area have relatively high rates of walking, biking and transit use. Therefore, it is important to accommodate the demand for these non-passenger vehicle modes of transportation.  

One major constraint identified during the first phase of the transportation study was the limited right-of-way space. It is not possible for Princess Street to simultaneously be a transit priority corridor, a cycling spine route, a pedestrian-friendly corridor, and an arterial roadway leading to the downtown core. Therefore, a second phase of the study needs to identify the role, function and cross-section for the Princess Street corridor. 

This second phase study will be used to guide and inform current and future projects along Princess Street, including a segment of Princess Street from Alfred to Division Streets, which has funding for future reconstruction. 

A map shows the extent of the Williamsville Main Street Transportation study area, which stretches along Princess Street beginning at Bath Road and Concession Street and continuing along Princess Street until Division Street. Within the study area, a reconstruction area is shown between Alfred Street and Division Street along Princess Street. Two future westbound transit priority lanes are also shown along Princess Street, one between Drayton Avenue and MacDonnell Street and the other between Albert Street and Frontenac Street. A pin shows the location of a proposed signalization of the intersection of Princess Street and Drayton Avenue and a future transit queue jump located there. Another pin shows a proposed introduction of a left turn lane at Nelson Street and Princess Street to compensate for the removal of left turn lanes at Albert Streets. A third pin shows a future transit queue jump at the intersection of Albert Street and Princess Street.

More on Williamsville transportation



Decorative graphic showing three different people walking on a sidewalk, a bus in the road.and a streetlight and tree on the sidewalk boulevard.

Shaping the Princess Street Corridor 

The City of Kingston is completing the second phase of a transportation study of Princess Street, from east of Bath Road and Concession Street to Division Street, known as the Williamsville Main Street area. The purpose of this study is to develop the preferred cross-section for this section of the Princess Street corridor. It continues work completed in 2020 to support the proposed planning policy amendments for the Williamsville Main Street Study.

The initial phase of the 2020 transportation study confirmed that the Williamsville corridor is capable of accommodating the additional growth and traffic projected through the Williamsville study area without mitigation. That study also identified that both existing and future growth in the Williamsville area have relatively high rates of walking, biking and transit use. Therefore, it is important to accommodate the demand for these non-passenger vehicle modes of transportation.  

One major constraint identified during the first phase of the transportation study was the limited right-of-way space. It is not possible for Princess Street to simultaneously be a transit priority corridor, a cycling spine route, a pedestrian-friendly corridor, and an arterial roadway leading to the downtown core. Therefore, a second phase of the study needs to identify the role, function and cross-section for the Princess Street corridor. 

This second phase study will be used to guide and inform current and future projects along Princess Street, including a segment of Princess Street from Alfred to Division Streets, which has funding for future reconstruction. 

A map shows the extent of the Williamsville Main Street Transportation study area, which stretches along Princess Street beginning at Bath Road and Concession Street and continuing along Princess Street until Division Street. Within the study area, a reconstruction area is shown between Alfred Street and Division Street along Princess Street. Two future westbound transit priority lanes are also shown along Princess Street, one between Drayton Avenue and MacDonnell Street and the other between Albert Street and Frontenac Street. A pin shows the location of a proposed signalization of the intersection of Princess Street and Drayton Avenue and a future transit queue jump located there. Another pin shows a proposed introduction of a left turn lane at Nelson Street and Princess Street to compensate for the removal of left turn lanes at Albert Streets. A third pin shows a future transit queue jump at the intersection of Albert Street and Princess Street.

More on Williamsville transportation

Consultation has concluded and the engagement reports are available to read. 

Question submission closed March 7 at 4 p.m.

  • According to the concluding remarks of the 2020 study update, "The growth in Williamsville will have relatively high walking, cycling, and transit mode shares and therefore it is important to have adequate facilities to accommodate the additional demands for these modes." Per the most recent OTM 18, adequate cycling facilities for collector and arterial roads range from buffered lanes to protected, separated lanes or tracks, or in-boulevard trails. Neighbourhood bikeways require traffic management measures: volume and speed and AT-mode-prioritization. This plan has proposed none of these features, and further, removes existing albeit inadequate lanes with no replacement. What facilities standards and application heuristics were used to determine the proposed routes and facility-types? What is the city's plan to make these routes accessible to people of all ages and abilities, including kids and including disabled folks?

    1mq asked over 1 year ago

    Thank you for your feedback.  The goal of this engagement is to hear from residents about the proposed plan and alternate neighborhood cycling routes. Based on this feedback, alternate neighborhood routes from Princess Street can be decided upon and future review can further establish facility types and required improvements. As you mentioned, the current bike lanes are inadequate and do not currently conform to Book 18 standards taking into consideration the current space limitations of Princess Street. Given that providing cycling facilities that would conform to Book 18 would be challenging, alternate routes through the neighborhood are being proposed to include and accommodate the high cyclist mode share.

  • Wondering why there isn’t an option to keep bike lanes on this most direct route to downtown? Has there been any consideration of allowing parking on side streets rather than removing bike lanes to allow for parked cars?

    Jacqueline asked over 1 year ago

    Thank you for your feedback.  For clarity, the concept proposes to remove bike lanes and on-street parking from this section of  Princess Street to increase the available width within the right-of-way to install wider sidewalks and “green” amenities such as street trees and planter boxes and to increase transit efficiency.  The intent is to create an inviting and aesthetically pleasing environment that will encourage walking and transit as preferred modes of travel. We did review options to include both the expanded pedestrian realm and cycling, but have identified that it is not possible to incorporate both along this corridor as it is quite constrained in width.  Cycling under this concept plan, while also an important mode of travel, has the opportunity to be rerouted through neighborhood side streets with connectivity to downtown and other popular destinations.  Side street parking availability and regulations, to make up for the Princess Street on-street parking removal, will be reviewed ahead of planned changes being implemented.

  • Will traffic speed be reduced along this street?

    spatel asked over 1 year ago

    Speed reduction is not currently being proposed.  However, the proposed reduction in lane widths may encourage vehicles to travel more slowly through this area.

  • Hello, I would like to know what buses have more riders along the Princess St corridor? Are more people taking express buses through Williamsville or are there more people getting off and on for shorter distances along Princess?

    Joan Bowie asked over 1 year ago

    Transit ridership is generally high through this corridor, with a mix of both travel through Williamsville to other destinations, and travel solely within the neighbourhood. Our observation is that the express buses handle more ridership through this section of Princess Street over local buses.

  • What are you going to do about non-commercial delivery vehicles parking in the middle of the road (like they do on lower Princess St now) ?

    Rachieks asked over 1 year ago

    Thank you for your comment. As part of the planned improvements and/or changes to the right-of way on Princess Street, the City will undertake a review of the regulations and enforcement ahead of the planned changes being implemented.  We have also identified the need to review regulations on the side streets, at the intersections with Princess Street, and may consider introducing additional regulations for commercial loading areas and/or other short term parking needs, at these intersections.