Written By Olena Riznyk
NORTH MIDDLESEX – The latest report presented at the September 4 council meeting by Jaden Hodgins, Director of Infrastructure and Operations, revealed critical insights into road safety and traffic management. Over the past several months, radar speed signs have been strategically installed at various locations. The report provides an overview of the collected data and outlines recommendations for new radar sign placements to further enhance traffic safety.
Radar speed signs have been deployed at several locations since the fall of 2023, including Northbound Parkhill Main Street south of McLeod Street, Southbound Parkhill Main Street at the north end of town, Northbound Petty Street between Nairn Road and the community of Nairn, Northbound Petty Street at the entrance to Ailsa Craig, and Westbound Ailsa Craig Main Street at the entrance to Ailsa Craig. A mobile trailer unit, which was intended to supplement these fixed signs, has been used intermittently. However, this unit was recently damaged and is currently non-operational.
The data collected from these signs indicate that speeding remains a prevalent issue, particularly at the entrances to settlement areas where speed limits decrease. Key metrics from the data show varying degrees of speed compliance, with some areas exhibiting higher instances of speeding and lower rates of vehicles adhering to speed limits. The average speed and the 85th percentile speed further highlight areas where speeding is most problematic.
In response to these findings, the report recommends installing radar speed signs at six new locations to address identified problem areas and diversify our approach to traffic management. The proposed new locations are Eastbound Ailsa Craig Main Street at the west entrance of the town, Eastbound Gilver Drive at the entrance to Brinsley, Eastbound McGillvery Drive at the entrance to Lurry, Eastbound Greenway Drive at the entrance to Greenway, Northbound Petty Street at the entrance to Ailsa Craig, and Southbound Queen Street in Ailsa Craig. These sites were selected to target high-traffic zones and include both rural and urban areas for a comprehensive strategy.
Another point of discussion was the cost of new radar signs, approximately $4,000 each. Council deliberated the possibility of purchasing additional signs to address high-priority areas effectively and maintain flexibility in sign placements. Additionally, the idea of designating certain areas as Community Safety Zones, with reduced speed limits and increased fines for speed violations, was raised and will be explored further in conjunction with the radar sign placements.
