Part 1: Traffic Safety Requests Reviewed, Parking Changes Recommended, and School Zone Measures Approved — 09/27/2023
- PECConnect
- Sep 27, 2023
- 5 min read
The Traffic Advisory Committee met virtually on September 27, 2023 to review public traffic safety requests, receive staff reports, and make recommendations related to parking, speed control, signage, and traffic calming across Prince Edward County. The meeting was livestreamed and recorded in accordance with the county’s procedural bylaw.
The meeting was called to order by the committee chair. The agenda was approved, with no declarations of pecuniary interest. The committee adopted the minutes from the previous meeting and confirmed there were no deputations scheduled at the outset. The chair reminded members of a public information centre for the Picton Town Hall intersection, scheduled for October 3, 2023, and encouraged committee members to participate.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Public comments and deputations
Several residents appeared before the committee to raise traffic safety concerns in specific locations across the County, highlighting recurring issues tied to road design, speeding, and increased traffic activity.
Residents from County Road 3 described repeated vehicles leaving the roadway at the same curve in front of their property, noting multiple collisions over several years, including vehicles striking signposts and ending in ditches. They requested the installation of a curve warning sign to improve driver awareness, particularly for westbound traffic.
A resident from Carrying Place spoke about speeding and unsafe passing along Loyalist Parkway between Rednersville Road and Taft Road, pointing to increased pedestrian activity, residential growth, school bus stops, and high speed passing during peak tourism periods. The requests included removal of the passing lane, the creation of a community safety zone, and consideration of automated speed enforcement.
Concerns were also raised about traffic safety in West Lake, particularly along County Road 12, where the speaker described dangerous driving conditions, higher traffic volumes, wildlife impacts, limited shoulders, and a lack of sidewalks or cycling infrastructure. Suggested solutions included reduced speed limits, no passing signage, and establishing a community safety zone through bylaw.
Another resident speaking on behalf of Spencer Common raised concerns about speeding traffic near residential areas, Queen Elizabeth Park, and narrow sidewalks. The focus was on pedestrian safety, especially for children and seniors, along with requests for traffic calming measures. Following these presentations, the committee voted to receive all public comments.
Staff reports and committee decisions
The committee reviewed Report CSP-24-2023, which addressed seasonal parking restrictions on Baker Road. Staff recommended referring the matter to the Annual Tourism Management Plan, expected to go to Council in early 2024, and the committee supported this direction while formally receiving the report.
Discussion then moved to Report CLS-22-2023, proposing amendments to Parking By law 75-2021. The focus was on restricting parking within a newly constructed cul de sac on Baker Road to improve pedestrian safety, allow vehicle turnaround, and support winter operations. The committee recommended restricting parking specifically in the cul de sac area, while leaving broader parking considerations to Council through the Tourism Management Plan.
A public request for a curve warning sign at 3462 County Road 3 was also reviewed. Staff noted that a site inspection would be needed to assess sightlines and determine proper placement, and the committee directed staff to return with a verbal report at a future meeting.
The committee also received a request for speed control on County Road 3 between County Road 23 and Rossmore, noting that the area already contains multiple speed zones and a school zone, with no further action taken at this time.
Requests related to Carrying Place safety, including a community safety zone and removal of the passing lane, were discussed in more detail. The committee directed staff to prepare a staff report exploring options such as speed limits, community safety zones, and no passing measures for the area between County Road 3 and Taft Road.
Similarly, a request for traffic calming and signage in West Lake led to direction for staff to report back on options for County Road 12 between Ridge Road and Sandbanks. A separate request for a sidewalk on Bloomfield Main Street was received, with members acknowledging the scale of the project and identifying it as a longer term capital consideration.
For Spencer Common, the committee reviewed concerns about speeding but noted temporary impacts from Main Street construction. Staff advised that recent data did not show excessive speeding outside those conditions, and the request was received without further action.
School zone and traffic calming approvals
The committee reviewed Report DS-56- 2023 regarding Sophiasburgh Central School, which recommended school zone signage, the creation of a community safety zone, and time based speed limit reductions on County Road 15 during school hours from September to June. These recommendations were approved.
Following this, Report DS-57-2023 addressed Union Road traffic calming, where staff recommended seasonal temporary speed humps due to slope and safety considerations. The committee approved installation of the speed humps as proposed.
Additional reports and committee matters
The committee also received a verbal report on Taft Road, confirming that OPP data did not show speeding as a contributing factor to collisions. Another update regarding Bloomfield Main Street intermediary speed zones noted that the province would not adjust speed limits within its jurisdiction, limiting the County’s ability to modify nearby zones.
Two members were appointed to the Delhi Park Community Connections Task Team, which will look at improving pedestrian and cycling connections in the area. The committee also approved the Chair’s annual report to Council and supported a recommendation to rename the committee to the Transportation Advisory Committee, pending Council approval.
To address a backlog of public requests and plan priorities for the coming year, a special meeting was scheduled for November 8, 2023. The meeting adjourned at 6:48 p m.
Key Takeaways
Residents raised traffic safety concerns across multiple areas, including County Road 3, Loyalist Parkway, West Lake, and Spencer Common, showing a consistent pattern of speeding, road design issues, and growing traffic pressures.
The committee responded by directing staff to prepare follow up reports on traffic calming, speed limits, and community safety zones, meaning several of these concerns will return for further review and possible action.
At the same time, school zone safety improvements and seasonal traffic calming measures were formally approved for Sophiasburg and Union Road, marking clear progress on targeted safety upgrades in specific areas.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:50:03. 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.
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