Lines may be effective in cutting speed
By Bill Rea

Concerns have been expressed about the speed of traffic on some of the streets in Lloydtown, but Township councillors recently accepted a staff recommendation to leave things as they are and conduct further traffic studies in the coming year.

They also proposed to paint new lines on the roads to see if that slows things down.

The roads in question were Little Rebel Road and Centre Street.

Township staff reported several factors have been considered in setting the speed limits, including collision history, physical characteristics of the roads, existing and proposed area land uses, existing speed limits in the neighbourhood and the completion of field studies.

Their report identified Little Rebel Road as a collector, providing one of the main accesses to the hamlet and to Schomberg to the east. The road has a curve coming north off of the 19th Sideroad and the speed limit is 50 km/h until the road ends with a T intersection at Rebellion Way.

Traffic studies were conducted in the area in September 2006, and it was determined there was an average of a little less than 1,200 vehicles there per day. Staff reported more than 85 per cent of drivers were exceeding the posted speed limit of 50, routinely doing 59 heading south and 69 going north. Since the recommended speed limit on the curve from the 19th is already 30 km/h, staff didn't think lowering the limit was going to have much of an impact.

They added painting centre and edge lines on the road can create the perception that the street is narrow, thus tending to slow vehicles.

Councillor Jane Underhill wondered if such a system could work elsewhere. She was thinking of the area of the 17th Sideroad and Keele Street.

Director of Operations Jody LaPlante said he had seen it done in other places, adding if it works, it could be used elsewhere. He told Councillor Cleve Mortelliti lines are painted along the shoulders, giving the impression that the lanes are narrow. There would still be the standard lane width of 3.25 metres.

Councillor Jeff Laidlaw said he could think of some roads he would like it tried out on, and Councillor Bill Cober suggested Church Street in Schomberg.