An collision on Baintree Way involving a child has triggered traffic safety action in the area.
Earlier this month a seven-year-old was seriously injured while crossing Baintree Way.
Staff is now looking at speed bumps of bollards in the middle of the road, said Coun. Nicholas Ermeta, adding the city is also studying speeding concerns by conducting a 24-hour automatic traffic recorder (ATR) study, which measures the speed and vehicle classification of each passing vehicle and also records the volume of traffic.
"I have heard from a lot of people who are very concerned and I've assured them that I'm very concerned as well about the speeding in the area," added the Ward 8 representative. "I'm in the process of having discussions with our staff to talk about different options. If residents have any ideas, I continue to welcome that feedback as I have discussions with staff."
The suggestions, he said, have come forward from residents, who are welcome to send in more feedback.
Staff was already looking at more safety measures city-wide, Ermeta said, but it's a higher priority now because of the incident.
Baintree Way is not included in the two-year 40 km/h speed limit pilot project council recently approved for areas in north Hespeler, lower Preston, central Cambridge, and south west Galt.
"We're not sure how effective low speed limits are," said Ermeta, talking about why he didn't push for this road to be included. "We're doing a test to see if that does result in lower speeds. What we've found is generally if you do it for one or two streets, it doesn't seem to have much of an impact. But what we're wondering is if you do it for the entire neighbourhood, will that have an impact."
As the pilot project unfolds, he said, it'll give the city a better idea of how effective the measure is. And if successful, Ermeta added, maybe council would consider applying it city-wide.
In the meanwhile, he said, staff will assess the efficacy of other safety measures on Baintree Way.
"I think we're will probably lean toward the bollards, that's what I would guess," said Ermeta "The reason is because that seems to be the common practice across the city. But staff have to review all the different options."
Another option, he said, could be curb extensions, but it would come with a cost.
"You'd have to get rid of a parking spot and rip the curb up and narrow the street in certain sections by putting in grass," Ermeta said. "We have done that in other areas of the city in Glen Valley Drive. Mind you, there may be some criteria that have to be fulfilled to see if it justifies that kind of work."
The ATR study is scheduled to be conducted in the next few weeks.
"We do realize it's an urgent situation, and I believe something needs to be done as soon as possible," Ermeta said. "I'm doing my best to push for that on my end and I will continue to work on this."
