By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
Essex County drivers will notice a series of speed reductions and the implementation of one Community Safety Zone when out and about, after Essex County Council directed County Administration to amend the by-law that regulates Traffic and Parking on Highways within the Essex County Roads System to include those changes at the December 17 meeting.
The amendments were presented by Nolan Harris, Traffic and Transportation Engineer, and Jerry Behl, Manager of Transportation Planning and Development.
The report recommended the speed reductions and Community Safety Zones in locations across the County, after a County administration reviewed a number of locations and examined factors, such as road geometry, collision patterns, pedestrian and cyclist use, the existing land use, and adjacent speeds, Behl explained.
They include:
- Installing a Community Safety Zone on County Road 2 in Stoney Point, which has a posted speed limit of 50 km/h. There is an elementary school nearby.
- Extending the existing 60km/h posted speed on County Road 10 in Amherstburg to 100m west of the 3rd Concession Road North. The posted speed limit of County Road 10 is 80 km/h west of 3rd Concession Road North, and 60 km/h east of the 3rd Concession Road North. Collision data at the corner of County Road 10 and 3rd Concession Road – a two-way stop-controlled intersection with stop signs and flashing beacons – indicates angled collisions are due to motorists misjudging gaps when crossing.
- Reducing the existing 80km/h posted speed on County Road 14 in Kingsville to 60km/h from County Road 27 to a point 600m east of County Road 27. There are several residential properties located on the north-side of the road in the section.
- Reducing the existing 80km/h posted speed to 60 km/h on County Road 33 in Leamington, from 435m south of Eagle Street to Monarch Lane.
- Extending the 60 km/h posted speed on County Road 46 in Tecumseh easterly to approximately 865m east of the intersection with the 8th Concession Road. This is near the Windsor boundary.
- Reducing the posted speed from 80km/h to 60 km/h on County Road 50 in Amherstburg, from 580m south of County Road 20 to Meadows Lane. There are minimal shoulders and ditches along the roadway on both sides with minimal residential frontage.
To complete all changes, it would cost around $12,000, Behl explained. The funds will come out of the approved Road Safety Budget. The signs will be produced and installed by the County’s Maintenance and Operations Department.
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy called the change planned for County Road 50 in Amherstburg a step in the right direction, as there is no paved shoulder there. She believes it is a smart move. She also liked to see the several recommendations made in one report.
Amherstburg Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb echoed Bondy’s comments, noting he agrees with the two amendments for his municipality. He thanked staff for being proactive.