Bradford’s safety committee continues to walk the walk when it comes to pedestrian crossings.
At its meeting Tuesday, council approved the community and safety traffic advisory committee’s recommendation to spend $13,000 from the committee’s budget on a sidewalk extension and new crosswalk across West Park Avenue to better connect Huron Lane with the nearby multi-use trail.
The committee made the recommendation following a report from Paul Dubniak, transportation technologist with town, who analyzed the intersection of West Park Avenue and Huron Lane, which features a trail entrance on the northwest corner, and found 95 per cent of the pedestrians who crossed, moved diagonally from the trail to the southeast corner where the sidewalk runs along Huron Lane.
Dubniak notes that the remaining five per cent walked south from the trail entrance along the grassy boulevard before crossing, even though there is no sidewalk on the southwest portion of the intersection.
Since the diagonal crossing is less safe as it has pedestrians on the road for a longer time over a larger distance, and because the intersection does not meet the threshold established for an all-way stop, Dubniak recommended extending the sidewalk on the west side of West Park Avenue south about 15 metres and adding a Level 2 Type D crosswalk on the south side of the intersection featuring curb depressions, signage and ladder markings on street.
“This option presents the best opportunity to enhance and link the trail system to the urban pedestrian system of sidewalk,” Dubniak said in the report, noting it would facilitate the natural movements of pedestrians while also visibly reminding drivers to watch out for people crossing the intersection.
Dubniak did include adding rapid rectangular flashing beacons (RRFB) to the crosswalk as one option for consideration, but didn’t recommend it, calling it “a step above” what is needed that would increase the cost to $35,000.
While approved, staff might not be able to begin the installation until spring.
The committee requested the report in light of three collisions at the intersection that have involved pedestrians over the last five years.
School Safety Zone to see improvements
At the same meeting, council also approved the committee’s recommendation to add bollards in the school safety zone along Miller Park Avenue in front of St. Jean De BreBeuf Catholic School.
While the total number and precise placement of bollards has yet to be determined, the bollards are expected to feature cutouts or silhouettes of people, including children, to catch the attention of drivers and remind them to slow down.
Installation is planned for the second or third quarter of 2024.
“We can make sure that we make a difference in saving lives and making our streets safer,” Ward 6 Coun. and committee member Nickolas Harper said during the council meeting.
Harper raised the issue during the Nov. 15 committee meeting based on complaints from about speeding residents had been sending to the committee.
Despite those concerns, Harper told council that staff advised the committee members that speed humps weren’t warranted for that section of the street, so they looked at other options.
“While we wait for the traffic mitigation strategy tool to come out, this is something we definitely needed to put forward to help our school kids and our residents in this neighbourhood,” he said, adding that Mayor James Leduc brought the idea for those particular bollards from the annual conference of the Associations of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).
Ward 7 Coun. and committee member Peter Dykie acknowledged that many residents have concerns about issues on different streets, and while the data might not always support the changes residents request, “the committee is working hard to do the best to listen to residents,” and Ward 4 Coun. and committee member Joseph Giordano emphasized that the committee is “moving forward with new and innovative ways of looking at things.”
All three councillors stressed the importance for residents to attend the upcoming public meeting about the town’s traffic mitigation strategy and share their opinions to help shape the methods the town uses to address traffic and speeding in town.
Anyone who wants to know more can attend the public meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13 from 6-8 p.m. at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library at 425 Holland St. West, or visit www.townofbwg.com/tms.
