Anyone eager to see Bradford’s plans for traffic safety take shape might not need to wait for long.
Based on a report from town transportation technologist Paul Dubniak, the strategic initiatives committee — which includes all members of council — recommended council endorse a series of traffic calming projects for 2025 at a combined cost of about $65,000, during a Nov. 26 meeting.
That includes expanding the existing community safety zones in town, purchasing five new flashing radar speed signs for rural roads, as well as hiring an engineer to review five of the town’s urban roads and recommend potential design changes needed to improve safety.
Committee chair and Deputy Mayor Raj Sandhu called the recommendations “a good start” to the implementation of the town’s new traffic mitigation strategy (TMS), which helps identify areas where speeding and traffic safety is of greatest concern, as well as suggest appropriate solutions.
“In my mind this is the good work of the previous committee carried on and put through the TMS process,” he said. “Now, we’re moving forward.”
Community safety zones
Building on the 35 new community safety zones (CSZs) approved by council on Oct. 3, 2023, the committee endorsed extending three of them and adding four more.
The new zones include:
- Britannia Avenue — from Barrie Street to 150 metres east of Colborne Street
- Dissette Street — from Holland Street East to 150 metres north
- Holland Street West — from 150 metres east and west of intersection of SmartCentres entrance
- Sideroad 10 — from 150 metres north of intersection with Line 8 to 350 metres south
The extended zones include:
- Blue Dasher Boulevard — from 100 metres west of West Park Avenue to account for the multi-use trail
- Colborne — from Gordon Court to Evans Avenue
- West Park — from 100 metres north of Miller Park Avenue to Holland Street West
CSZs are areas where the safety of children and residents is considered paramount and while the rules of the road do not change in those zones, signs inform drivers that fines and penalties for traffic violations are increased.
The zones are also the only areas where the town can implement speed cameras, also known as automated speed enforcement (ASE).
The cost of the additional signs needed for the new zones is about $4,000, but can be handled as part of the existing budget for the transportation department, according to the report.
Speed radar signs
The five new flashing speed signs are expected to be installed along sections of Sideroad 5, Line 5, Line 11 and Canal Road, as a way to help educate drivers, and in recognition that other traffic calming, like speed humps, are not recommended along arterial roads.
Both Ward 3 Coun. Ben Verkaik and Ward 5 Coun. Peter Ferragine supported the additional signs.
“I’m totally in favour of getting the five flashing radar speed signs,” Verkaik said, but suggested some other location should be considered pending upcoming changes to some roads.
In response, Dubniak explained the signs are only semi-permanent and can be moved as it becomes necessary.
While he appreciated the versatility, Ferragine suggested some of the existing signs are better left where they are.
“Especially in Bond Head and Newton Robinson where they are, they do make a huge difference, and if you took them away, those residents would lose their minds,” he said.
In future, staff also plan to review line painting and road marking options to help visually narrow the lanes as a way to encourage drivers to follow speed limits along those rural roads.
The signs are expected to cost $25,000 from the committee’s $80,000 budget for traffic calming in 2025.
Engineering review
The committee initially endorsed $40,000 during the Aug. 27 meeting to review Miller Park and Langford Boulevard, but Dubniak updated the recommendation to including three more roads: West Park Avenue, Summerlyn Trail and John Street — all within the $40,000 amount, also to come from the committee’s 2025 budget.
In exchange, Dubniak explained a traffic engineer will be able to provide expert guidance on the design and implementing of certain features, while still addressing issues such as drainage or water runoff.
“They are major roadways through the community, but there are neighbourhoods that live on those roadways,” Dubniak said, noting the importance of reducing speeding and protecting vulnerable road users, either through existing options within the TMS, or through new and emerging options.
While town staff have been able to help with the implementation of specific features, like speed humps, on certain segments of town roads in the past, Dubniak said they wanted to take a more “holistic review” of those five roads in particular due to “how pronounced” they were within the ranking system of the TMS.
For urban local roads, the top-10 segments included portions of John, Summerlyn, Sutherland Avenue and Brownlee Drive, though Sutherland was recently approved for new stop signs and Brownlee didn’t meet the minimum of 750 vehicles per day to warrant changes.
For urban collector roads, the top-10 segments included portions of West Park Avenue, Miller Park and Langford.
In terms of when residents can expect changes on those roads, Dubniak said he hopes to get shovels in the ground “as soon as possible,” but first staff need council approval to put the review out to tender, have the review done and then consult with the public on the plan.
“It’s staff’s desire to move quickly on this,” Dubniak said.
Recommendations from the strategic initiatives committee are considered for approval at the next regular council meeting.
