KENILWORTH – Wellington North council is cracking down on speeding by approving a proposed traffic calming pilot program worth $35,000.
Councillors discussed the report during an Aug. 25 meeting.
The purpose was for council to direct staff to undertake the program to then implement and report back with findings on several traffic calming devices including:
- installation of radar speed signs on Concession Road 11, Sideroad 3W; and
- installation of centre line flexible traffic calming delineators on Domville Street (Arthur) and Church Street North (Mount Forest).
Over the last several years, township residents have expressed safety concerns related to various road and pedestrian conditions – much of it related to speeding or driver behaviour, states the council report.
The report addresses the issue by exploring the “feasibility and benefits of implementing a pilot program for traffic calming measures,” reads the report.
The proposed program includes the installation of speed radar signs that display driver speeds and flash a message to ‘slow down’ if the driver is speeding.
And the installation of flexible delineators.
The proposed areas were determined through the township’s annual traffic count program and from traffic/pedestrian control request forms.
Council comments
“I quite agree with endorsing all the speed calming programs,” councillor Penny Renken said.
She asked township manager of infrastructure and engineering Tammy Stevenson if request forms have been received regarding Cork Street in Mount Forest.
Stevenson replied the township has not received any.
Councillor Sherry Burke and Mayor Andy Lennox were surprised by the zero Cork Street complaints as “several calls” have been made by residents.
“If you’re getting complaints please tell people to call the non-emergency police line and report it,” Lennox told councillors. “If the police don’t realize there is a concern, they’re not going to show up.”
Burke questioned how the township will measure the success of the program to which Stevenson replied, “To measure the data we’ll collect, we’ll do a traffic count that will give the number of vehicles that go down the road as well as speed.
“Domville St. is another location that was identified from past complaints we’ve received so we’re going to do a study in that area as well.”
Lennox noted understanding the traffic calming data on Domville St. will be valuable because of the high volume of resident concerns.
“In Farewell, have we ever looked at a four-way stop versus traffic calming measures?” asked councillor Lisa Hern.
“Stopways aren’t supposed to be used as a form of control for calming measures,” Stevenson replied. “Our hope is that by putting up the speed radar cameras that flash to indicate somebody’s speeding … they will slow down.”
Stevenson also noted the traffic delineators will have to be removed by Nov. 1 for winter operations but speed signs can remain throughout the year.
“In the budget we created for this, did you factor on a certain number of these delineators being destroyed?” asked Lennox.
According to feedback from other communities, delineators “take a bit of abuse,” he added.
Stevenson ensured him the issue will be part of the data collection.
Financial considerations
The proposed total cost is $35,000 and will be used for purchasing advertisements, purchasing and installing new traffic calming products and completing speed monitoring/traffic count surveys.
Cost estimate for each item includes:
- radar speed sign, $6,000 each;
- flexible delineator set, $650 each; and
- traffic count, $100 each.
The program is to be funded through the existing capital budget urban traffic impact study and the 2025 operating budget traffic calming measures.
The report also states the Ontario Provincial Police have communicated their support of the pilot program.
Staff are to implement the program this fall and it will run throughout the remainder of 2026. Findings and feedback are to be reported back to council. All councillors voted in favour; councillor Steve McCabe absent.
