Part 2: Residents Push for Safer Roads While Committee Focuses on Data-Driven Decisions – 09/25/2024

The meeting focused heavily on public safety concerns raised directly by residents living along some of Prince Edward County’s busiest and most problematic roads. Discussions repeatedly returned to speeding, pedestrian safety, dangerous intersections, and how the County should balance community frustration with engineering standards and long-term traffic planning.

While several immediate safety improvements were approved, committee members and staff consistently emphasized the importance of using traffic data and consistent criteria rather than reacting case by case to individual complaints.

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Residents Describe Dangerous Conditions on Local Roads

Several residents delivered detailed delegations describing long-standing safety issues affecting their neighbourhoods and daily routines.

Justin Williams spoke about ongoing problems at the intersection of County Road 32 and Shannon Road, where vehicles regularly fail to make a sharp turn and end up leaving the roadway. He described repeated incidents involving cars entering private property and supported staff recommendations to improve warning signage and install a flashing beacon at the curve.

For residents living nearby, the issue goes beyond inconvenience. The discussion centered on real concerns involving property damage, child safety, and the risk of serious collisions at a location residents say has been dangerous for years.

Christian Fisker raised concerns about Danforth Road, describing speeding, limited sightlines, and conditions he argued are inconsistent with the current 70 km/h speed limit. He referenced a past pedestrian fatality near the Millennium Trail crossing and stressed that the road is increasingly used by pedestrians, cyclists, and visitors despite remaining designed primarily for faster rural traffic.

His comments pushed the committee toward requesting additional review of speed limits, signage consistency, and warning measures. For local residents and trail users, the discussion highlighted growing tension between rural road design and increasing recreational and residential use.

Hillier and Wellington Concerns Reflect Changing Communities

Councillor David Braney focused much of his attention on speeding concerns within Hillier village.

He noted that traffic through the area has increased substantially and emphasized growing pedestrian activity tied to more families moving into the community as well as potential future construction detours that could bring even more vehicles through the village core.

Braney strongly supported radar speed signs as a practical traffic calming tool that could slow drivers without requiring major road redesigns or extensive enforcement resources.

For Hillier residents, the discussion reflected broader concerns about how rural villages are adapting to growth, tourism traffic, and changing transportation patterns.

Donna Wood addressed pedestrian safety issues in Wellington, particularly near the Millennium Trail connection and Belleville Street area.

She explained that pedestrians often struggle to cross Main Street safely because the nearest formal crosswalk is located too far away from where many people naturally walk. Her comments emphasized concerns involving families, cyclists, and visitors navigating increasingly busy traffic conditions.

Although staff noted the location does not currently meet technical warrants required for a pedestrian crossover, the discussion reinforced growing public pressure to consider walkability and pedestrian access even where formal engineering thresholds are not triggered.

Kate MacNaughton Emphasizes Process and Consistency

Councillor Kate MacNaughton played a major procedural role throughout the meeting.

She repeatedly emphasized the importance of following consistent review processes and relying on staff analysis and traffic data before implementing major speed or traffic changes. MacNaughton supported gathering additional information through verbal reports and technical reviews rather than moving immediately toward reactive road modifications.

Her comments reflected an effort to balance legitimate resident concerns with the need for consistent County-wide traffic policies and defensible decision-making standards.

Janice Maynard Focuses on Pedestrian and Family Safety

Councillor Janice Maynard consistently raised questions about road design consistency and safety impacts for pedestrians and families.

She expressed concern that roads with similar layouts and usage patterns sometimes carry very different speed limits and questioned whether current standards fully reflect changing community conditions, particularly in areas experiencing more residential growth or recreational use.

Maynard generally supported collecting additional data before making final decisions but repeatedly emphasized that pedestrian safety and community livability should remain central considerations during traffic reviews. Her comments reflected broader concerns that rural roads originally designed primarily for vehicles are now increasingly being used by walkers, cyclists, trail users, and families.

Phil Prinzen Warns Against Broad Speed Reductions

Councillor Phil Prinzen often took a more cautious position regarding widespread speed limit reductions on major County roads.

He warned that lowering speed limits broadly can create enforcement challenges and may also affect road maintenance standards, winter operations, and classification requirements for larger collector roads.

Instead, Prinzen generally supported more targeted safety measures such as improved signage, warning systems, and passing zone restrictions where data clearly demonstrated safety concerns. His comments reflected ongoing tension between calls for slower speeds and the operational realities involved in maintaining large rural transportation networks.

Staff Analysis Shapes Most Outcomes

Staff members played a significant role in guiding the committee’s decisions throughout the meeting.

David MacPherson and Matthew, the County’s civil engineering technologist, provided detailed traffic data, collision analysis, and explanations of provincial engineering standards tied to signage, speed limits, and pedestrian infrastructure warrants.

Their analysis heavily influenced several outcomes, particularly where requests were deferred pending further data collection or technical review. Jeff from Operations explained how speed limits affect maintenance classifications and operational standards, which helped shape the committee’s reluctance to reduce speeds on certain major rural roads without strong supporting evidence.

Karen Palmer also presented information regarding the County’s draft film production policy, explaining how road closures, parking impacts, and traffic disruptions tied to filming would be managed while still supporting economic development opportunities connected to film production activity.

Committee Approves Several Immediate Safety Improvements

Although many requests were deferred for further review, the meeting still resulted in several concrete safety actions. The committee approved additional speed signage for County Road 12 in West Lake after staff identified spacing deficiencies under provincial standards.

Passing zones near Carrying Place on Loyalist Parkway were approved for removal due to increased traffic volumes and collision risks tied to unsafe passing behaviour.

The committee also formally approved enhanced warning measures at County Road 32 and Shannon Road, including relocating warning signs, correcting signage issues, and adding a flashing beacon to address the dangerous curve.

In Picton, members approved three new 15-minute parking spaces near a bank and pharmacy to improve accessibility and convenience for short-term visits.

Overall Takeaway From the Meeting

Overall, the meeting showed a Traffic Advisory Committee trying to balance increasing resident concern about speeding and road safety with a growing emphasis on data-driven decision-making and standardized review processes.

Residents repeatedly described dangerous conditions, changing traffic patterns, and increasing pressure on roads originally designed for quieter rural use. Committee members and staff acknowledged many of those concerns while also stressing the need for consistent engineering standards and careful evaluation before implementing broader traffic changes.

For Prince Edward County residents, the meeting reinforced that road safety issues are becoming increasingly prominent across the municipality, with future traffic calming policies, speed reviews, and infrastructure planning likely to remain major topics moving forward.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:10:20. 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.