Trafficcalming measures approved

THREE WOOLWICH ROADS WILL see traffic-calming measures this year as the township sticks with a go-slow approach to a new policy for dealing with complaints about road safety. The policy was adopted last year as some councillors pushed for a formal plan to deal with an assortment of neighbourhood concerns about speeding and other traffic-related issues.

Meeting this week, councillors approved work on Benjamin Road (between Weber Street and Westmount Road), Woolwich Street South (between Woolwich Street North and Dolman Street to coincide with Woolwich Street South and Dolman Street construction) and Woolwich Street South (between Elroy Road and Menno Street).

The stretches of road are slated for stage 1 calming measures, which can include lane narrowing, painted lines, “slow down” signs, the use of the township’s radar speed trailer, and targeted police enforcement. Stage 2 would see the use of speed humps, raised crosswalks or extended curbs to narrow the roadway, though that’s not on the township’s radar.

As well, all-way stops are to be in-

stalled at the intersections of Southfield Drive and Union Street, and Barnswallow Drive and First Street in Elmira.

Last year, just two projects were completed, Elmira’s Mockingbird Drive in the vicinity of Park Manor Public School, and Joseph Street, Dolman Street, Shields Street in the area of Breslau Public School.

Coun. Scott Hahn, who led the charge for the policy, said he’s not happy with the slow progress. He had pushed for a larger budget than the $15,000 annually dedicated to such traffic concerns.

At the end of the day, however, the problems stem from drivers, not a lack of new measures, he said.

“It’s the idiots on the road that are causing these issues.”

Jared Puppe of the township’s engineering department noted progress is constrained by limited staff time and available funds.

Although not on the list, speeding on Elmira’s Barnswallow and Whippoorwill drives was identified as an issue, with Mayor Sandy Shantz noting the roads’ existing problems will only get worse with the development of the Lunor subdivision on the west side of downtown. Her concerns were shared by both Hahn and fellow Ward 1 councillor Patrick Merlihan.

Traffic-calming measures are likely to be incorporated when Barnswallow Drive is reconstructed, but that work isn’t scheduled to occur until 2018 at the earliest. Plans to extend Barnswallow southwards all the way to Listowel Road, which would relieve traffic on streets such as Whippoorwill, are a long way off.

In response to that discussion, manager of planning John Scarfone explained that the land needed for that route isn’t even in the settlement boundary, so it’s a long-term project as residential development occurs in that area.

Though not in the plan, the township will look at the issue of community safety zones around a couple of Elmira schools.

Hahn noted that council had requested such measures around John Mahood PS, but the work remains outstanding. In the same vein, Riverside PS is moving to a new location, so that area will need safety measures, with Coun. Mark Bauman stressing the need to get speed limit and no-parking signs in place before the school opens in the fall.

Unwilling to support a request from the West Montrose Residents Association for a uniform 40 km/h speed limit in the village, the township will however take another look at traffic issues.

Addressing councillors Tuesday night, resident Hans Pottkamper said traffic should be monitored on the weekends, when cyclists, hikers and busloads of tourists converge on the area around the bridge, often at the same time.

“This is not a typical urban neighbourhood like in Elmira or St. Jacobs,” he said in calling for the blanket speed-limit reductions.

Currently Rivers Edge Drive between Covered Bridge Drive and Katherine Street has a 40 km/h limit. All other West Montrose streets have a 50 km/h speed limit.

Noting that 40 km/h zones are typically applied only to areas such as school sites, Puppe said a blanket reduction would undermine the effectiveness of slower zones.

“We don’t want to inundate drivers with these lower speed limits,” he said.

The measures discussed this week are just some of the numerous complaints received each year about traffic safety concerns. The primary intent of traffic calming is to reduce vehicle speeds, deter non-residential traffic from local neighbourhoods and reduce the incidence of collisions.

Under the policy, com- plaints are screened to see if they warrant further consideration. For a roadway to meet the test, five criteria are considered: the road must have a minimum annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 500; the posted speed limit can’t be greater than 60km/h; only township roads are applicable; the area should be primarily residential in nature; and the street in question must be a minimum 150 metres in length.