New traffic calming policy to see debate within town

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Following up on previously implemented traffic control measures on Maplewood Drive, Town of Strathmore Council will review a new “traffic calming” policy in September.

Ethan Wilson, manager of infrastructure for the town, addressed the Committee of the Whole, July 15, to present the draft of the policy as information.

“We have put together a policy which is meant to be used with the capital budget that council has allocated annually for traffic calming. We don’t want to be coming back to council every year with a list of projects and having council select the ones that they prefer,” said Wilson.

“We also want to have some flexibility that, maybe we do get a concerned citizen or a concerned school… within a certain area, if we have the budget available and it falls within the policy, then we can proceed with it.”

Mayor Pat Fule noted specifically the success observed by the measures present on Maplewood Drive despite initial dissent from the surrounding community. 

“We took a lot of controversy over it and that road has, I believe, succeeded in traffic calming because that road was not intended to be any kind of a high-speed connector road,” said Fule. 

“There is a school zone, a playground zone, and two churches. I have not received one complaint through the winter, and I have driven it at school times, non-school times, and the road seems to be working.”

Coun. Claude Brown added his belief that physical markers and visual cues would do more to slow oncoming traffic than simply posting lower speed limits. 

He noted, however, a concern as to whether raised crosswalks acting as speedbumps would become notable obstacles for snow removal crews.

Depending on the intended location of a raised crosswalk or intersection, the town may also have to consider the additional installation of storm drains to combat potential pooling.

In regard to the costs of adding a raised crosswalk or intersection, Wilson estimated such projects could cost the town upwards of 10 times the amount compared to simply painting road markings.

“(As a) general rule, the speed limit in town is 50 km per hour unless posted otherwise, but that does not necessarily mean that is what we intend for traffic to drive at that speed everywhere,” said Wilson. “Maplewood Drive for example, it is posted 50 where it is not a playground zone, but the intent is not for people to drive 50 on that road. If we had every road with a different speed limit, it would be crazy.”

An exact date for when the policy would return before council was not indicated during the meeting.