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October 5, 2019

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Background:
In 2017, both Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) and Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) published new Roadside Design Guidelines.

These guidelines have some notable changes from the previous 1993 MTO Roadside Safety Manual including:

1. Fill and cut slopes added to identify clear zone widths
2. No clear zone widths for fill slopes of 3H:1V or steeper
3. Significant increases to clear zone widths, for example:
   1. 70km/h, >6,000 AADT, 4H:1V fill slope, Clear Zone width of:
      • 4m (MTO 1993), 8.5m (MTO 2017), 7.5m to 8.5m (TAC 2017)
   2. 60km/h, >1500 AADT, 4H:1V fill slope, Clear Zone width of:
      • 3m (MTO 1993), 5m (MTO 2017), 4.5m to 5m (TAC 2017)
4. Curbs are no longer identified as barrier for lower speed roads (60km/h or less)

As most of the municipal roads generally have fill slopes of 3H:1V or steeper, these new guidelines would result in the need to provide flatter slope or relocate hazards such as hydro poles further away from the toe of slope in the rural areas, or relocate hazards such as hydro poles outside of the clear zone in urban areas. 

These changes imply a wider right-of-way width will be necessary to meet the current Roadside Safety Guidelines.