City of Windsor to extend bus service to Twin Oaks industrial park, research improved access

The City of Windsor will hire a transportation consultant to find both short and long-term solutions to enhance access to the Twin Oaks Industrial Park and will change the route of the Lauzon 10 bus to better service the park until a new route goes into effect.

It will also look into sidewalks for the park, develop an active transportation plan for access, and speak with business owners in the park about possible temporary options to further improve transit service by using their properties as part of a route. 

City council passed a motion approving the actions at its Monday meeting.

Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie requested the addition of the sidewalk, active transportation and improved temporary transit provisions.

"[It's] really important that we deal with this immediately," McKenzie told council Monday.

"There are ongoing traffic related issues that I have very very serious concerns about right now. I think there needs to be urgency and immediacy with whatever it is that we do."

There's been public concern about traffic in the business park since 2022, when construction of the NextStar Energy battery plant left the intersection of Twin Oaks Drive and Lauzon Parkway as the only entrance and exit point.

Increase in collisions

Since then, there have been two emergencies in Twin Oaks, according to a report to council authored by Ian Day, the city's senior manager of traffic operations and parking. 

Both of those resulted in traffic being blocked from entering and exiting for a long period of time while emergency services responded – though NextStar agreed to open up E.C. Row Avenue East in order to let people out.

Collisions at Twin Oaks Drive and Lauzon Parkway have increased in relation to the increase in traffic, according to the report. 

There had been no pedestrian-involved collisions between January 2015 and December 2024, but on Jan. 21 of this year, a woman was fatally struck by a vehicle as she was trying to cross Twin Oaks Drive on foot. 

Administration recommended in its report that council hold off on hiring the transportation consultant for four to six months until after NextStar has opened its dedicated access point off Banwell Road and traffic has had a chance to normalize. 

The city's Commissioner of Infrastructure Services, David Simpson, told council that the city also has significant road works planned for Banwell Road and Lauzon Parkway in its 10 year capital plan, and it does not want to do work prematurely that might not be needed in two to three years time. 

"The intersection at Twin Oaks and Lauzon is still functioning," Simpson said. 

"It's functioning at a reduced level of service, but it's certainly not at a point of failure."

But McKenzie interrupted Simpson.

"There was an accident there today – this morning," he said.

Ward 8 Coun. Gary Kaschak, whose ward neighbours McKenzie's, said McKenzie is not exaggerating the traffic issues.

The City of Windsor on Tuesday morning announced the new change to the Lauzon 10 bus service, which will last until the new 250 route serving Twin Oaks goes into effect.

Starting Tuesday, Feb. 18, the southbound Lauzon 10 will service Twin Oaks Drive and Munich Court.