Mayor Magrath Drive is a key corridor within the City of Lethbridge. Over 30,000 vehicles per day use the roadway as a commuter route and to access the 150 businesses located along its perimeter. In the late 1990's, traffic volumes exceeded the roadway design capacity. Traffic congestion on Mayor Magrath Drive and services roads, particularly at the intersections, had reduced access to businesses and impacted the efficient movement of vehicles and pedestrians along the corridor. In 2000, the City of Lethbridge, in partnership with the " Alliance for Lethbridge Infrastructure Services (ALIS)" consulting team, began the functional planning process for the roadway upgrade. A key component of the functional planning was an extensive public consultation process. The "Public" process established core design principles for the upgrade, which balanced improved traffic flow with safe and convenient access to businesses, and established a pedestrian/cycle route along the corridor. " Value Planning " workshops assisted in evaluating improvement options and optimizing roadway efficiency with effective business access. Functional Planning culminated with public acceptance and unanimous City Council approval of the Recommended Plan.
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