Engineering Services
Town of Collingwood Engineering Services is part of the Public Works, Engineering, and Environmental Services department and is responsible for development review, traffic control, and the administration of a wide range of municipal capital infrastructure projects such as:
- Road Reconstruction
- Bridge Replacement
- Sewers
- Intersection Improvements
- New Sidewalks
- New Street Lighting
- Traffic Management and Studies
View Current and Ongoing Construction Projects
Engineering Services also oversees the implementation and construction of development projects, and provides technical review and support for the following land development processes
- Reviewing engineering submissions
- Providing engineering conditions for development agreements
- Reviewing legal agreements
- Development standards
- Preparing financial security calculations
- Providing acceptance memos and assumption by-laws
- Overall project review, including construction site inspection and monitoring
- Lot grading inspections
- Fill permitting
Any inquiries related to engineering services can be directed to:
Phone: 705-445-1292 ext. 4200
Email: engineering@collingwood.ca
In person: 545 Tenth Line, Collingwood, ON
The Town of Collingwood Development Standards provide guidance for the design and construction of municipal infrastructure. These Standards are updated from time-to-time. Consultants utilizing the Town Development Standards will need to ensure that their designs or the construction of works are being completed in accordance with the most current details.
Current Development Standard Document (PDF) (July 2007 version)
The removal or placement of fill within the Town of Collingwood is regulated by By-Law 2003-103. Outside of having an executed development agreement, the placement or removal of fill within the Town of Collingwood is prohibited unless the appropriate Fill Permit has been obtained.
Drawings required for permit application depend on the complexity of the project, but at a minimum shall include grading plans and erosion and sediment control plans. Reports required shall outline the quantity and quality of fill via a Fill Management Plan outlining the existing receiving site soil quality, the source site soil quality, trucking route, and entrance location. A “qualified person” determines if the fill is acceptable for the intended land use. If a Record of Site Condition (RSC) has been filed for the site, then the RSC dictates what fill is acceptable to the site.
Soil quality guidelines are outlined in the “Management of Excess Soil – A Guide for Best Management Practices”, Ministry of the Environment, 2014.
If the subject site is within a Conservation Authority regulated area, a permit is required from both the Town and Conservation Authority.
Securities are to be provided for all items identified on the erosion and sediment control plan and items related to the placement of fill such as sediment ponds, rock check dams, silt fence, mud mat, etc. Securities must also be provided to restore the site in the event fill operations unexpectedly cease mid-way through. These amounts are typically the cost required to topsoil and seed all disturbed areas.
Fees for permits are as per the Fees and Service Charges By-Law (amended yearly).
Permits can be submitted:
- In Person: 545 Tenth Line, Collingwood, ON
- Mail: 97 Hurontario Street, PO Box 157, Collingwood ON L9Y 3Z5
- Email: engineering@collingwood.ca
Costs:
- Requiring $5,000 security or less - $315.00
- Requiring more than $5,000 security - $3,594.00
- Payment can be made in person at Town Hall or mailed to: 97 Hurontario Street, PO Box 157, Collingwood, ON, L9Y 3Z5
Renewal or Transfer Costs:
- $106.00
- Payment can be made in person at Town Hall or mailed to: 97 Hurontario Street, PO Box 157, Collingwood, ON, L9Y 3Z5
The Town of Collingwood collects traffic data on municipal roads:
If you require further information, please make a request by contacting Engineering Services:
- Phone: 705-445-1292 ext 4200
- Email: engineering@collingwood.ca
Stormwater Management Ponds (SWMPs) are facilities designed to collect runoff from the local storm sewer system following either a rainfall or snowmelt event. SWMPs are built to temporarily hold this water, provide treatment to remove the pollutants, and then slowly release it back to our waterways.
The Town carries out maintenance of these ponds once they have been assumed through the development process.
Routine maintenance includes removal of debris in and around the pond; removal of poisonous vegetation; andmaintenance of structures (i.e. gates, locks, valves etc.). The vegetation planted around the pond is dense and appropriate for the area. Aggressive weed control operations, including the use of pesticides, are not required. Grass cutting is not recommended for the ponds in order to maintain a natural environment.
Non-routine maintenance includes bank stabilization, structure repairs, and removal of excess sediment. A clean-out of the SWMP will be required approximately once every 10 to 20 years to remove accumulated sediment to ensure the pond continues to function as intended. Drainage of the SWMP will be required to facilitate the clean-out. Part of this clean-out involves soil sampling and testing to ensure proper disposal of the sediment removed.
For more information please refer to:
Mountain Road and Tenth Line - Environmental Study Report
Collingwood Terminals
The Town of Collingwood has instituted a Traffic Calming Policy to provide a systematic procedure for the initiation, investigation and implementation of traffic calming measures on roads within the Town of Collingwood. This policy and associated procedures ensure that there is a formal process by which all traffic calming requests can be evaluated against the same screening and criteria – thus ensuring a consistent approach throughout the Town.
What is Traffic Calming?
Traffic calming is the implementation of primarily physical measures that are intended to:
- reduce the negative impacts of motor vehicle use;
- alter driver behaviour; and
- improve conditions for non-motorized street users.
Town of Collingwood Measures
In consideration of the Town objectives in implementing traffic calming guidelines, and recognizing the combination of urban, semi-urban and rural roads within the Town’s road network, the following traffic calming measures have been considered:
- Police enforcement
- Dynamic speed signs
- Lane narrowing via road markings
- Chicanes
- Curb radius reductions
- Curb extensions
- Traffic calming curbs
- Textured cross walks
- Speed humps
- Speed cushions
- Speed tables
- Centre median
- Traffic circles
- On-street parking
Traffic Calming Process
The following process will be used when proceeding with a request for traffic calming measures within the Town of Collingwood. An established and formal process for investigating roads provides consistency and equality in the determination of need and suitability of traffic calming measures.
Traffic Calming Request/ Petition
Residents with speed related concerns are instructed to submit their written request to engineering@collingwood.ca. Staff will review the request and respond with direction including a petition to be circulated by the resident. The purpose of the petition is to establish whether there is sufficient neighbourhood/local support for traffic calming measures prior to the Town initiating an investigation into the need for such measures on the subject road. The petition results must clearly demonstrate that a minimum of 51% of the dwelling units with direct frontage or flankage onto the candidate road or road section support the potential implementation of traffic calming measures. Each dwelling unit is represented by one signature, regardless of the number of people in the unit.
Town Screening
Following an appropriate request for traffic calming consideration, Town staff will undertake a screening of the request and candidate road section considering road classification, traffic volumes, length, grade and actual travel speeds.
Initial screening criteria to determine eligibility for consideration for traffic calming measures have been established. With respect to the road or road section in question, it must:
- be a local road assumed and maintained by the Town of Collingwood;
- have a minimum annual average daily traffic (AADT) volume of 900 vehicles;
- have a minimum uncontrolled (i.e. no stop signs or traffic signals) length of 220 metres without being a dead-end road section or cul-de-sac;
- have a grade that does not exceed 6%; and
- not have been the subject of a previous speed study or traffic calming request within the past 5 years.
If the subject road or road section does not satisfy the above criteria, it will not be considered an appropriate candidate for traffic calming.
While the focus of traffic calming will be on local roads, Town staff may, at their discretion, review select collector roads for consideration provided that they also meet the above criteria and serve in excess of 2000 vehicles per day.
Speed Criteria
For locations meeting the initial screening criteria, a travel speed survey will be conducted to determine whether speeding is occurring through the study area. For vehicle speeds, it is not prudent to consider the highest speed at which motorists travel. Rather, the 85th percentile speed is typically considered, which is the speed at which 85% of the total traffic volume on a road is travelling at or below. The 85th percentile concept is based on the theory that the large majority of drivers:
- are reasonable and prudent;
- do not want to be involved in a motor vehicle accident; and
- desire to reach their destination in the shortest possible time.
Based on these assumptions, the 85th percentile speed observed under favourable conditions may be considered as the maximum safe speed for that location. The speed limit and 85th percentile speed should be relatively comparable - thus indicating that the function and physical characteristics of the road are properly communicated, understood and respected by motorists. Ideally, the 85th percentile speed should be ±10 km/h of the speed limit. Where the 85th percentile speed exceeds the posted speed by more than 10 km/h, it is an indication that intervention is required to reduce vehicle operating speeds. A lower tolerance may be applied in reduced speed zones and community safety zones where stricter adherence to the speed limit is desired for obvious reasons.
In considering the need for traffic calming, the 85th percentile speed must exceed the posted speed limit by the values provided in Table 2.
