Part 1: Traffic Safety, Senior Access, and Future Priorities Take Center Stage at Traffic Advisory Committee — 06/24/2026
- PECConnect
- Jun 24
- 5 min read
The County Traffic Advisory Committee met on June 24, 2026, for what was expected to be its final scheduled meeting of the current Council term. Chaired by the committee chair, with Councillor Kate MacNaughton serving as staff liaison, the meeting focused on several public requests involving road safety, parking, speed limits, and traffic infrastructure across the County.
Much of the discussion centered on concerns raised directly by residents. From speeding vehicles on Bridge Street in Picton to parking access for seniors and future improvements to County roads, committee members worked through each request while also reflecting on priorities they hope the next committee will continue after the municipal election.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Residents Call for Action on Bridge Street
The longest discussion of the evening involved Bridge Street in Picton, where several residents appeared before the committee to describe ongoing concerns about speeding traffic, pedestrian safety, heavy trucks, and noise.
Residents living along the corridor described vehicles travelling well above the posted speed limit as they descend toward town. Speakers raised concerns about children walking to nearby schools, cyclists sharing the roadway, limited opportunities to cross safely, and the growing amount of traffic created by continued residential development. Several also spoke about collisions involving wildlife and pets, while others pointed to increasing noise from heavy commercial vehicles travelling downhill.
Committee members acknowledged many of the concerns, noting that Bridge Street serves not only as a major entrance into Picton but also as a residential neighbourhood. Members discussed possible measures such as additional speed feedback signs, improved gateway treatments to signal entry into town, enhanced pedestrian infrastructure, and stronger speed enforcement.
Rather than recommending immediate changes, the committee voted to request a written staff report examining the issues more closely and identifying possible options for future consideration. Members also encouraged continued dialogue with the Ontario Provincial Police regarding enforcement in the area.
Seniors' Parking Needs Receive Committee Support
Another major item focused on improving parking access outside Community Care for Seniors at 74 King Street in Picton.
Executive Director Debbie McDonald Loynes explained that the opening of the County Seniors Centre has increased the number of older adults visiting the location. Many clients have mobility challenges and rely on convenient parking close to the entrance for appointments and programs. Without time-limited parking, spaces are often occupied for extended periods, making access more difficult for seniors.
The proposal also received support from Councillor St. Jean, who said the recommendation would improve access while fitting within the existing parking layout in an area where parking is already limited.
Later in the meeting, committee members unanimously recommended amending the County's parking bylaw to establish the proposed parking restriction near the building and asked that the bylaw be brought forward to Council at the next available opportunity.
Other Traffic Requests Move Forward
Several additional public requests were considered throughout the evening.
A request involving West Street in Wellington sought changes to parking restrictions near a small concert venue. Committee members discussed whether loading-only parking could be an option, but staff explained that any permanent change would require a bylaw amendment supported by a staff report. Since more review would be needed, the committee simply received the request without making further recommendations.
The committee also reviewed a request concerning Foster Road in Sophiasburgh. Staff noted that existing County records indicate the entire road should already have a 60 km/h speed limit, although current signage appears inconsistent depending on the direction of travel. Operations staff will verify the signs and correct any errors if necessary. While the resident also requested reducing the speed limit to 50 km/h, committee members concluded the rural road does not qualify under the County's traffic calming policy and received the request without further action.
Staff also provided verbal updates on previous traffic calming requests near Bishop's Lane in Ameliasburgh and at the intersection of County Road 32 and Shannon Road. After reviewing signage, traffic speeds, and roadway conditions, staff reported that the existing signs meet current standards and that no additional engineering changes were recommended at this time. In both cases, committee members accepted the reports while noting that driver behaviour remains an important factor.
New Streetlights Recommended
The committee also considered a report proposing new street lighting at two County intersections.
Members supported recommending installation of streetlights at the intersections of County Road 8 and County Road 17 in North Marysburgh, as well as County Road 4 and County Road 30 in Hallowell. With no concerns raised during discussion, both recommendations were approved for forwarding to Council.
Active Transportation
As this was the final scheduled meeting before the end of the current Council term, committee members spent time discussing priorities they hope will continue into the next term.
Among the ideas raised were renewed work on active transportation, including walking and cycling initiatives, continued improvements to the County's growing transit system, implementation of the Delhi Park Community Connections work, and ongoing attention to pedestrian safety in downtown Picton. Several members also identified the Bridge Street and Town Hill corridor as one of the County's highest transportation priorities because it brings together vehicle traffic, cyclists, pedestrians, ferry traffic, and future residential growth.
Committee members concluded the meeting by thanking one another for their volunteer service over the current Council term and encouraging residents to participate in the upcoming municipal election, either by voting or considering serving on future committees.
Key Takeaways
Bridge Street in Picton will receive further review, with staff preparing a written report examining possible traffic calming, pedestrian safety improvements, and other measures.
Parking changes near Community Care for Seniors moved one step closer, with the committee recommending amendments to the parking bylaw to improve short-term access for seniors.
The committee wrapped up its final scheduled meeting of the current Council term, identifying transportation priorities it hopes the next Traffic Advisory Committee will continue exploring, including pedestrian safety, active transportation, and major corridor improvements.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:20:56. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
Comments